Denigrating a Dead Police Officer

The nearby city of Davis, home of our local University of California campus (which I often derisively refer to as Berkeley-lite), recently suffered its first murder of a police officer since years before I was born.  The officer was assisting at the scene of an accident when a passer-by approached and shot her several times.  The murderer was later found dead, along with his suicide note.  He was obviously mentally ill, having believed that the Davis Police Department was directing sonic waves at his dogs, or something crazy like that.

So a 22-year-old police officer is dead.  Just like that.

Officer Corona, of Hispanic descent (yes, that's important to the story), is shown here in a couple pictures:

She was a beautiful young woman with her entire life ahead of her, all snuffed out because of what she was wearing, her uniform. Her loss is senseless and tragic.

Her father, Merced Corona, served 26 years as a deputy with the Colusa County Sheriff’s Department. Only five months ago, he proudly pinned her badge on her when she was sworn in. Now, sadly, for no reason, in a week or so, he will be burying her.

No parent should ever have to bury their kid, especially one murdered for no other reason than the profession she chose.  link

And there's this one from 2 years ago:

And that's where the controversy begins at UC Davis:

However, a group of students at the University of California, Davis contend the photograph is racist and they are demanding that people cease and desist circulating the image.

“The flag is blatantly anti-Black and disrespectful,” the Associated Students, UC-Davis Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission wrote on its now-deleted Facebook page.

“We see it necessary to call-out all community members who continue to post and disseminate images of the Blue Lives Matter flag online,” they wrote. “We would like to directly address that this flag represents an attempt by law enforcement to undermine the Black Lives Matter movement.”

The Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission also offered to provide help for students “triggered by this event and the circulating images of a flag that has been popularized by the ‘Blue Lives Matter’ crowd.”

“Flashing lights, sirens and increased police presence can be triggering to many Black and Brown people,” they wrote.

At least they were shamed into removing the post.  Remember, this officer's father was also a law enforcement officer, and both of them would be considered "Brown people" by these particular students in any other context.

As I said, at least they were shamed into removing the post.  And I'm quite impressed with Davis' president of the Associated Students, which I assume is akin to a student body president:

“I wholeheartedly condemn the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs commission for this disgusting post,” wrote Michael Gofman, the president of the Associated Students, UC-Davis. “It’s easy to sit on the third floor of the Memorial Union where there are at least 100 brave men and women in blue between you and the shooter. It is easy to argue hypotheticals, politics, and ideology when you’re in safety.”

“I am ashamed that some of these same people, protected by the very officers that they are condemning, have the audacity to politicize the loss of a young officer. Her only crime was being a police officer,” Gofman wrote on his Facebook page.

I am ashamed, and disgusted, that my tax money pays for the education of idiots like those in the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission.

Update, 1/15/19:  Today, the front page of the major Sacramento newspaper had the Blue Lives Matter picture at the top of its web page, along with a story about the controversy:

The ECAC’s web page describes it as a branch that recommends policies and programs for minority groups at UC Davis. It was named UC Davis’ commission of the year in 2018. The ECAC previously boycotted Gofman’s annual State of the Association address, calling him “racist,” “divisive” and “not trustworthy,” UC Davis student newspaper The California Aggie reported.

UC Davis responded to a torrent of angry commenters on Twitter Sunday morning, saying that student groups do not speak for the university and urging unity among Davis residents.