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Source Throws MPD Under the Bus

In reading the article in the June 18 edition of The Source (“Youth-Led March Continues Black Lives Matter Movement in Madison”), I was dismayed to see the paper use the expression “police and other racist systems.”

Madison’s Police Department (MPD), under the guidance and leadership of Chief Jack Drumm and Captain Joe Race, went above and beyond to work with the young organizers to ensure that this march was conducted in a safe manner. The MPD and neighboring police departments also provided excellent protection for the rally the previous weekend.

For The Source to lump together police and racist systems is nothing short of throwing the police under the bus. This newspaper owes the MPD an apology.

Eileen Banisch

Madison

Editor’s note: The tactic of falsely equating criticism of a system, like policing, politics, schools, or the military, with an indictment of those who have chosen to serve the public in those systems is commonly used to protect the status quo; while common, it’s still disappointing when coming from a respected community leader.