You know what? It’s hard to write the next post after the Bank Street Bully posts.
Until this week, the most attention this blog ever got was when the Yarn Harlot mentioned it last January and two thousand knitters came to visit on a single day. The most comments a single post had ever generated was 53, in response to a profoundly uncontroversial post entitled What’s Your Pet’s Name?.
Judging by the traffic to this blog this week, it’s obvious that the problem of police abusing their power strikes a chord with people, and I’m very happy it does. We need to hold our police officers – and our police forces – to a high standard of professional conduct, and we need to scream bloody murder when they abuse the power we give to them.
However, from a blogging perspective, it just seems weird to go from a serious and high-profile post about police abusing their powers to a trivial post about my cat, or knitting, or decorating my mannequins for Christmas.
So I don’t know what to write about today.
Maybe I’ll just wrap up a few loose ends on the Bank Street Bully story.
1. In case you missed it in the comments, I was relieved to hear from a couple of different sources that the young woman who was unconscious on the sidewalk is ‘okay’ now, and is not in hospital or in police custody at this time. I hope this is true.
2. The review that was requested by Chief White is what is known as a Chief’s Complaint. This means that in cases where there is no member of the public complaining, the matter can still be addressed internally by order of the Chief.
3. In terms of my role as a witness, I’ve got a bit of a dilemma. I don’t want my real name attached to this, for obvious reasons. However, I don’t want to potentially weaken the investigation by refusing to make a formal statement. Yesterday afternoon I asked the investigator, by email, if they need anything from me, and if so, would it be possible for me to provide it anonymously or through a third party (eg a lawyer). I haven’t heard back yet.
That’s about it for now. If there are any interesting new developments, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, I’m getting back to blogging about normal everyday stuff like swap boxes, knitting, gingerbread men, giant cats, mannequins, homelessness, poverty, Mayor Larry, pigeons, crows, cannibalism, politics, death, mayhem, and the collapse of civilization.
TAGS:
Okay. I’ll bite. . .
Cannibalism Zoom?
“I don’t want my real name attached to this, for obvious reasons.”
Okay. I can think of one reason without really thinking. Perhaps more if I put my mind to it. Can you save me the head work and just tell me what the other reasons are?
Likely you could be identified with a bit of digging. You’ve posted photos of your face on here, and the front of your house. Hell, if anyone really wanted to identify you, all they’d have to do is check your Facebook page!
I doubt the anonymous statement will be accepted. Through a third party seems reasonable, though. I can see the pros to that; what might be the cons?
Given the attention you have drawn to this, it does seem like an issue of fairness that you cooperate with the police investigation, making a statement if requested.
We expect open and transparent behaviour on the part of the police; in cases where there isn’t an overwhelming argument to the contrary, it seems sensible to expect it from ourselves.
And we’ll be here reading you….
Oh, and Zoom, I, too, would go through a third party, ie lawyer.
Hi Z. Just a heads-up: your link from “…the Bank Street Bully posts…” points at your editing back-end. Cheers!
Grace – Nobody can ever resist clicking on a link with cannibalism in the headline. But really, the closest I’ve ever come to witnessing cannibalistic activity is the time I saw pigeons eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. It turned me off KFC forever.
Tom and Milan, I have two reasons for not wanting my name out there. Both have to do with my personal safety.
Thank you Carmen, on both counts.
Thank you Anne!
Oh shoot, Zoom. Yer just pertendin’ to be coy. Anybody who can snap photos in a situation like that and face down a grumpy authoritarian cop can do her civic duty and sign her name at the bottom of the statement. We believe in you!
RR
Two things about the cop posts… one, you’re far too kind to your trolls. And two, I doubt very much any investigation into the incident will result in much more than a “Jesus dude, what were you thinking?” talk to the cop in question. So I doubt your involvement will be much more than a “so… how are you?”. What the cop did was stupid and wrong, but beyond explaining to him what the laws say about being out in public I don’t think the punishment will be dire.
In terms of your privacy, I’ve never seen anything on your site which would lead to your identity… except if Duncan was ever to become known to the general public. I don’t get the feeling, having met you over brunch, that you’re too worried about keeping yourself hidden from family and friends… but really only in keeping the option to privacy open when you decide it’s needed.
Raspberry Rabbit – that is a great name. Raspberries and rabbits are too of my favourite things.
Gabriel, yes, you’re right about the privacy thing. I just don’t want my real name associated with my blog, which isn’t uncommon among female bloggers. And I don’t want a pissed-off bully knowing my name and address.
As for being too kind to the trolls…I don’t think they’re necessarily trolls. They’re mostly just people who disagree with me. I don’t have a problem with people disagreeing with me, as long as they do it somewhat respectfully.
Likely you could be identified with a bit of digging (stalking).
There, Mr. Sawyer, fixed it for you.
People who are respectful are not trolls… people who refer to others as liars and idiots, however… anyway, I will no longer refer to “they who would not name themselves”.
I had my “real name” attached to my blogs when I first started a couple of years ago. Not a good idea.
There’s a certain amount of trust we have to give and expect when blogging about our personal lives. Personally I keep my name away from my blogs because I write about issues I’d rather people not bring up with my mother and sisters when they’re waiting in line at the corner store.