Appeal to Chief Brown that His Officers be Allowed to Hear Both Sides

   What to ask of Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown, if he could be pleaded with to do something about police violence in Utah?

    Ask him if he would be willing to select a half dozen videos and show them to his officers, narrating them as he showed them, explaining what was wrong about what the officers did and explaining why those killings were wrongful. If he were willing to do this -- which he probably wouldn't -- then it would get him coming in the right direction. It would get him to admitting in his own mind that those killings were wrongful.

  When he declined to do that, then suggest that if he was not willing do it himself, to at least let someone from the protests be allowed to make the video presentation to the officers. Explain to him that this would be a starting point in understanding each other. Each side needs to know why the other side feels the killings were or were not justified. We have seen District Attorney Sim Gill make an hour-long (or however long) explanation on why Bernardo Palacios needed to be killed. We have seen the Carbon County Sheriff's Department explain why the killing of Bobby Duckworth was appropriate. And, the officers have repeatedly been trained by him and others in the police establishment that what they did was right.They are getting that side of the story.

  They need to hear the other side.

  They should be allowed to have a presentation from those who are protesting in the streets. They should be allowed a point-by-point explanation as why the killings are seen as wrong by the protesters. 

  The officers are not likely to quit the killings as long as they think they are justified. Unless someone steps in and points out to them why the killings are wrong, they are going to go right on committing them. But, if someone is allowed to explain why the killings are wrong, it could prick their consciences. Some of the officers surely should be able to see that what they are doing is wrong, and next time such a situation comes up, not kill. 

   Chief Brown might be hard-pressed to turn away an appeal that someone just be allowed to talk to the officers.