Just finished printing out the whole report on the events of January 12th. It's a good inch-high stack of papers (not including the taser reports, evidence logs, and dispatch reports that are included in the "Use of Force" section).
The reports were posted online by the Frederick News Post under a headline reading:
Saylor report: Deputies said they did 'nothing wrong'
I've read the reporters' take on what is included in these pages, but feel like after six months of waiting, I need to read the whole thing for myself. The problem is, I'm not sure I want to know what the report says.
I already believe that their perspective is skewed.
If I feel this way, imagine how Ethan's family must feel.
Anyone who has lived through twelve+ years of IEP meetings knows how it feels to read reports written by other people about your child. If you're EXTREMELY lucky, you'll have a few that Don't make you want to cry. For the most part, in my case at least, they make you feel like these people are writing about someone else's child. You feel frustrated and helpless.
In this case, Ethan's family has to read details about how their loved one met his untimely and tragic end. I would think they're starving for answers, but reading the details has to bring up all the intense pain of that night all over again (6 months later). Worst of all they have to read it from other peoples' perspective because they weren't there when it happened. (Ethan's mother was on her way, but since the "security officers" refused to wait she didn't make it in time.)
I'm going to have to work up the strength to actually read this thing. I feel like I owe it to Ethan, to his family, and to my son. I know it will be painful.
I also know, without reading it, that we must continue to press for an independent report written by people who have a different perspective. This report is useful because it shows what the people involved thought was important to include. It shows their point of view. There are others and they must be heard.
This can not be the final word!
The reports were posted online by the Frederick News Post under a headline reading:
Saylor report: Deputies said they did 'nothing wrong'
I've read the reporters' take on what is included in these pages, but feel like after six months of waiting, I need to read the whole thing for myself. The problem is, I'm not sure I want to know what the report says.
I already believe that their perspective is skewed.
If I feel this way, imagine how Ethan's family must feel.
Anyone who has lived through twelve+ years of IEP meetings knows how it feels to read reports written by other people about your child. If you're EXTREMELY lucky, you'll have a few that Don't make you want to cry. For the most part, in my case at least, they make you feel like these people are writing about someone else's child. You feel frustrated and helpless.
In this case, Ethan's family has to read details about how their loved one met his untimely and tragic end. I would think they're starving for answers, but reading the details has to bring up all the intense pain of that night all over again (6 months later). Worst of all they have to read it from other peoples' perspective because they weren't there when it happened. (Ethan's mother was on her way, but since the "security officers" refused to wait she didn't make it in time.)
I'm going to have to work up the strength to actually read this thing. I feel like I owe it to Ethan, to his family, and to my son. I know it will be painful.
I also know, without reading it, that we must continue to press for an independent report written by people who have a different perspective. This report is useful because it shows what the people involved thought was important to include. It shows their point of view. There are others and they must be heard.
This can not be the final word!