LETTER: Right, wrong and police brutality

The recent letter “Right and wrong” from retired Metro police officer Gary Mahoney highlighted how “sick and tired” he was hearing about “police reform” every time there is a national incident involving the death of a suspect at the hands of law enforcement.

Mr. Mahoney proposed an alternative called “parental reform,” whereby both parents are required to pass an exam before they are permitted to procreate. This reform would ensure that the parents take responsibility over a period of 18 years “to teach their offspring right from wrong.”

This proposed “parental reform” certainly sounds promising. If it had already been enacted, there is a very good chance that the national plea for “police reform” would not be as loud as it is now because law enforcement officers would most likely have learned from their parents right from wrong and used that knowledge while carrying out their duties. They would know when they were crossing a line and engaging in inhumane conduct. It is hard to imagine what law is being broken that warrants an automatic death sentence.

Better options and training for police are needed more than ever to enable them, as once-revered and much-needed professionals, to continue to serve with dignity and honor.