The First Principle of Catholic Social Teaching is “respect for the dignity and sanctity of life.” This requires us to uphold the dignity of each person as an equally valuable member of the human family, each who possesses an equal and inalienable worth. Every person has a right to all that is needed to allow him or her to live their full potential as intended by God. Interestingly, the first sentence of the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) Use of Force policy raises the importance for every member of the CPD:
- To protect the sanctity of life.
- To protect.
- Preserve.
- And serve every member of the public.
Community View of CPD
Over the years we have seen, and continue to see, some police officers treating some as less than human. Those who fall victim to this are Black, brown, LGBTQ+ persons, women, and persons with disabilities. Even portions of the administration, all the way to the Superintendent, are guilty of mistreating people. Systemic racism and other “isms” continue to guide the often-negative reactions of some CPD officers against these groups.
Remember that the history of policing dates to the days of slavery in colonial America. In areas where slavery was central to the economy, slave patrols, responsible for capturing runaway slaves and returning them to their masters, were the first unofficial police in America.
Policing, from its beginnings, was about protecting property, that ‘property’ being runaway slaves (Wall Street was founded to manage the buying and selling of the largest economic engine at the time: slavery) In so many ways, that initial directive of early policing continues today as over-racialized policing continues to send predominantly Black and brown men into the juggernaut economic engine that is the criminal justice system.
Community Value and Sanctity
Another manifestation of this “policy” that I have observed over the last several years is the constant pillaging of police from local police districts that are predominantly Black, brown, and poor to be sent “downtown” to protect the tourist population. What does that say about the “value” and “sanctity of life” in these communities when, at the most critical time for police officers to be present, they are instead protecting the tourists downtown? Then, when crimes do occur in our poor communities over the weekends, commanders are still held accountable for not protecting the people in their district.
CPD Is Not Overseen By Tourists
We can say that those at the upper echelons of CPD are discriminating against Black and Latino communities because they have less human value. The additional reality is they have less economic value than the thousands of tourists who visit our city, a racially diverse group of people with money. Is this racism? Yes. And at its basic level, it’s capitalism. Tourists are not “people” to those who oversee CPD.
They, like the slaves in policing’s early days, are commodities, property to protect because of their economic value to the hotels and businesses downtown. The police went after runaway slaves to bring them back to their owners/abusers. If tourists fear violence by coming to the city, they will run away to other tourist cities until the city can guarantee their safety with more police officers to bring the tourists/commodities back.
Of course, the tourists/commodities are likely unaware that their safety has been secured by putting other communities at risk. I wonder if those who profess that Black Lives Matter even care. Or do they only care as long as they and their families are safe? Better them than us!
Past Leadership
Why have past mayors and others in leadership not worked to correct this obvious inequity? This includes some of the aldermen in these poor communities. Perhaps they value some lives — those who produce profits for them and others — more than others.
I often hear individuals say that our young people don’t value life anymore. Which is why we have so many senseless shootings and murders. But there are many adults who do not value the human lives of Black and brown people.
Moral Failure
Is this a moral failure on our part? A failure of faith? A failure to acknowledge and act in such a way that ALL members of the human family are treated as precious children of God? Is it a cancer deeply embedded in our white DNA? Something that causes us to feel and act in ways that indicate some people have greater “value” than others. Often this happens unconsciously, whether or not we want to admit it. Is it any wonder that we have made our young people feel that human lives, especially their lives, don’t matter?
I feel the answer to all these questions is a resounding “Yes.” Until we, especially those of us who claim to be Christian, come to terms with and do something about this. We will continue the cycle of the multiple manifestations of violence and trauma perpetrated every day on the poor. Especially poor people of color.
By Father Larry Dowling
Inset Image Courtesy of Inventorchris’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Arvell Dorsey Jr.‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
