The Fox truly is Guarding the Henhouse

What do you call it when those hired to protect and defend our rights are the ones who violate them?  Some called it Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, some called it justified and others called it torture.  Whichever name you use, the fact that it is no longer executed on foreign soil but right here in our back yard should put all of us to shame and compel us to make that change.

In an article titled “The disappeared: Chicago police detain Americans at abuse-laden 'black site' Exclusive: Secret interrogation facility reveals aspects of war on terror in US” compiled by Phil Batta for The Guardian; editing: Mae Ryan and Spencer Ackerman in Chicago, it is reported that “The Chicago police department operates an off-the-books interrogation compound, rendering Americans unable to be found by family or attorneys while locked inside what lawyers say is the domestic equivalent of a CIA black site.  The facility, a nondescript warehouse on Chicago’s west side known as Homan Square, has long been the scene of secretive work by special police units. Interviews with local attorneys and one protester who spent the better part of a day shackled in Homan Square describe operations that deny access to basic constitutional rights.  Alleged police practices at Homan Square, according to those familiar with the facility who spoke out to the Guardian after its investigation into Chicago police abuse, include:

·         Keeping arrestees out of official booking databases.

·         Beating by police, resulting in head wounds.

·         Shackling for prolonged periods.

·         Denying attorneys access to the “secure” facility.

·         Holding people without legal counsel for between 12 and 24 hours, including people as young as 15.

At least one man was found unresponsive in a Homan Square “interview room” and later pronounced dead.”

Now while that in itself is shameful and deserving of serious repayment by any and all involved, the most appalling thing for me was those who knew but said nothing or did nothing about it.  Many of those who knew were supposed to be “officers of the court” which is also a very vital cog in our wheel of justice yet they too were too afraid, ashamed or weak to make a stand until this story broke.  Now some are quick to point the finger and elude any responsibility endowed upon us just by the fact of being human.  The article goes on to say “Lawyers and relatives insist there is no way of finding their whereabouts. Those lawyers who have attempted to gain access to Homan Square are most often turned away, even as their clients remain in custody inside. “It’s sort of an open secret among attorneys that regularly make police station visits, this place – if you can’t find a client in the system, odds are they’re there,” said Chicago lawyer Julia Bartmes. 

Chicago civil-rights attorney Flint Taylor said Homan Square represented a routinization of a notorious practice in local police work that violates the fifth and sixth amendments of the constitution. “They just disappear,” said Anthony Hill, a criminal defense attorney, “until they show up at a district for charging or are just released back out on the street.”

Come on people, how much longer are we going to allow those whom we are supposed to trust take the names of all those that are good in that career field and drag them through the mud before we demand a severe house cleaning.  There are good cops out there, ones willing to sacrifice their very existence to see all of us get that equal justice but they are being damaged beyond repair by the few who really believes like their unions tells them that they are truly above the law.