Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, right, speaks about first-degree murder charges against police officer Jason Van Dyke in the death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel looks on at left on Nov. 24. (Charles Rex Arbogast, Associated Press file)
Re: “Chicago mayor fires police chief in wake of video release,” Dec. 2 news story.
If itap true, as Samuel Johnson told us, that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, then surely Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has shown us that politics is the first refuge of the cynic. For months, the former Clinton and Obama administration hatchet man apparently deliberately withheld the video of the police shooting (16 rounds) of black teenager Laquan McDonald by a white police officer — probably so he wouldn’t upset the much-needed black vote in Emanuel’s bid for a second term as mayor of the Windy City. Then, when the video finally goes public, who loses his job? The mayor? Nope. Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy gets the ax. Surprise, surprise! As if McCarthy should be expected to oversee all the actions of all of his officers on the street, all the time, and if he can’t, then he gets to walk the plank. You can’t make this stuff up.
Nick Marble, Westminster
This letter was published in the Dec. 3 edition.
Submit a letter to the editor via this form or check out our guidelines for how to submit by e-mail or mail.
