It was about time.
Being questioned by henchmen of former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge, you’d have about as much chance of justice as a Jew in Auschwitz. You’d be tortured by unspeakable methods, until you said what Burge wanted you to say; that you were guilty of a crime, whether you had anything to do with the offense or not.
Dozens of false confessions were obtained in this way, many of them resulting in innocent people being sent to death row. Chicago authorities, who have so much to be proud of in other ways, looked the other way. The chief of police, the mayor, aldermen, the prosecutors, chose to ignore these crimes against humanity in "the city that works."
After several decades of these atrocities, there was finally enough uproar to get this depraved creature out of his uniform. Eventually some of his victims got financial compensation, paid by the citizens of Chicago, but Burge waddled off to a comfortable retirement in Florida. The statute of limitations had run out, you see.
Wrong? Very wrong.
But enter the FBI. Jon Burge, in his Neanderthal level of reasoning, never stopped to think that he was committing new crimes – perjury and obstruction of justice – in his false testimony in civil cases. Of course he said he’d never engaged in such actions and had not seen anyone else do so – perish the thought! Lies lies lies!
Now he’s the defendant, finally. Facing up to twenty years, perhaps more, in federal prisons. I don’t condone prisoners brutalizing each other, but it doesn’t choke me up that this miserable excuse for a human may not survive twenty weeks. Some of his victims were, after all, truly guilty of lesser crimes, and/or had friends and relatives behind bars. It may be an interesting homecoming when those gates slam shut behind him.
Now all that’s left is for every law enforcement officer, every jail guard, in the country to think what it would be like to be in Burge’s shoes. Then, hopefully, some of the thugs in uniform will decide to pursue other careers. It’s a lot to hope for, but maybe the rest of the law enforcement community will remember that not reporting a crime is also a crime, and that the principle applies to them just as it does to us ordinary citizens.
Commander Burge, if this somehow reaches your hands, please know that I have a prayer for you: That when your worthless life is over, you get your own special place in Hell.