EXONERATED AND ABSOLVED - IT STILL GOES ON

Mine workers began their protest march near Harwood
and many were eventually killed by the
Luzerne County sheriff in Lattimer in 1897

Continuing comments on the history of the American Labour movement, on Friday 10th September, 1897, about 300 to 400 unarmed strikers—nearly all of them Slavs and Germans—marched to a coal mine owned by Calvin Pardee at the town of Lattimer to support a newly formed UMW union. Their goal was to support the newly formed UMW union at the still-open Lattimer mine. The demonstrators were confronted by law enforcement officials several times on the road and ordered to disperse, but kept marching. When the demonstrators reached Lattimer at 3:45 PM, they were met again by the sheriff and 150 armed deputies. Sheriff Martin ordered the marchers to disperse, and then attempted to grab an American flag out of the hands of the lead marcher. A scuffle ensued, and the police opened fire on the unarmed crowd. Nineteen miners died, and anywhere from 17 to 49 others wounded. All had been shot in the back, and several had multiple gunshot wounds, which indicated that they had been targeted by the deputies. The event is now known as the Lattimer massacre. Although the perpetrators of this outrage had been arrested and put on trial, no one was convicted, even though the accused had clearly lied to the court.   

Why is it the alleged legal authority always seems to be exonerated when they appear to overstep their authority; particularly when some of the evidence against the accused members of that authority clearly shows them to be lying. This is increasingly the case not only in the United States, but in the United Kingdom. Just because it has been happening for over a century doesn't make it right. When any civilian death occurs at the hands of apparent civil state authority, excuses are always made and accepted. Is it any wonder that at times certain citizens flare up at this continuing and frustrating injustice. We are all meant to be subject to the rule of law - is it not time for the state to exercise that duty for the good of all its citizens, not just the select few.  It is a matter of holding individuals to account and not just a blanket ruling that the authority may have got it wrong. Enforcement of the law should be just that.

The following are but examples:

It is clearly not good enough.

Rodney King, may not have been the most responsible citizen in his life, but it was only after a retrial in a Federal Court (not for the initial assault, but for what was called a 'violation of his civil rights') did he get some kind of redress.

What will happen next in the case of Mark Duggan? Perhaps not a blameless life, but were his civil rights violated? And what of Ian Tomlinson? We await the outcome. The trial is scheduled for October.