Yesterday, Today, and Beyond

Americans entrust their safety and their lives to the hands of law enforcement officers every day.   We trust that they will be honorable and protect citizens when needed.   They also have the responsibility to hold citizens accountable when they have committed a crime, whether it be a minor traffic violation or something as serious as a homicide.   While most law enforcement officers are honorable and take pride in serving their communities, there are some serious and endemic problems within the law enforcement community.   Many of these problems are not new but are becoming increasingly public due to the advent and commonality of cell phones with cameras and the ease of distribution through social media sites.   There are some unique factors to consider when dealing with holding a police officer accountable for wrongdoings, up to and including causing the deaths of civilians. In a journal article about the cycle of police misconduct in Chicago, Elizabeth Andonova, J.D., argue

In her short story “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson describes a pleasant summer day in a small town, whose citizens hold an annual lottery.   Jackson portrays the lottery as an integral part of the town’s history that has been done since the founding of the town many years ago.   Everyone in the small town participates.   Each male head of household draws a piece of paper from an old, worn, wooden black box.   During the lottery in this story, Mr. Bill Hutchinson pulls the paper with a dot, indicating his family is the lottery “winner.”   His wife, Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson immediately argues over the fairness of the drawing.   Everyone in Mr. Hutchinson’s immediate family then comes forward and draws a slip of paper to determine the final “winner” of the lottery.   Mr. Hutchinson’s family includes Mrs. Hutchinson, Bill Jr., Nancy, and little Dave.   Mrs. Hutchinson ultimately draws the slip with the black dot and “wins” the lottery.   Mrs. Hutchinson continues to protest the unfairne

In the epic poem The Odyssey , Homer tells the story of the heroic Greek king of Ithaca, named Ulysses, who is known as more of a trickster, than a traditional rugged warrior.   For instance, when Ulysses is called to fight in the Trojan war, which he doesn’t want to serve, he pulls some tricks to deceive people into thinking he is insane, so he won’t have to leave his wife and young son.   Ultimately, his plan is foiled and out of honor, Ulysses is forced to gather his men and leave for battle.   After an arduous ten-year war, the Greeks had the city of Troy encircled, with most of the Trojans fortified inside their city walls.   The Greeks pretend to concede, make a large wooden horse out of their ships, and leave it as a fake tribute to the Trojans, who assume it is a gift for being victorious.   The Greeks hide inside the wooden horse, waiting to attack the Trojans at just the right time.   The Trojans proudly bring the horse inside the city walls.   During the cover of nig