Chicago Police Officer Ella French was shot and killed in the line of duty during “routine” traffic stop, while her partner was critically wounded. Officer French was 29 and is survived by her mother and brother. Her brother, an Iraq War veteran, declared, “God took the wrong kid.”
French was rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. Her body was then taken by ambulance to the coroner’s office. The tradition is that the fallen officer would be escorted by an honor guard, and that the street would be lined by police accompanied by bagpipes. However, tradition was flouted and the body rushed to the coroner’s office before an honor guard could be formed.
A deputy superintendent gave the order, but anti-police Mayor Lori Lightfoot may be responsible for the underlying attitude. Normal people cancel their grievances when the person they dislike dies. Vindictive people continue their hatred. “I’ll p*** on his grave” is an example of this hatred, which we all recognize as dehumanizing. Interfering with a funeral tradition is no better.
Does anyone believe that a few minutes’ delay would have mattered to the autopsy surgeon? Following tradition would have eased the pain of Officer French’s family and colleagues. But of course, that didn’t matter an iota to Mayor Lightfoot and the police bureaucrats seeking her favor. They don’t value an honor guard because they have no concept of honor. They also don’t understand the concept of Karma. But they will.
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