The saddest face

Though youthful and handsome, there is no sadder public face than that of police officer James Van Dyke. That sadness is palpable as he contemplates his upcoming trial for the 2014 shooting death of 17 year old Laquan McDonald. That sadness was on full display from his interview with the Chicago Tribune charging he's "a political scapegoat and subject to a bandwagon of hatred on social media." Van Dyke fears he'll be ripped from his family to serve a long jail sentence if convicted. He may be even sadder following the interview as prosecutors requested trial judge Vincent Gaughan hike his $1.5 million bail or even jail him immediately for violating its terms to not publicize his defense.

Van Dyke's sixteen shots into McDonald, immediately upon exiting his cruiser, while many other cops were simply corralling the drug addled shooting victim, is painful, indeed haunting to watch. I don't see a cop bent on committing murder. I see a 15 year police veteran who had never before fired his service weapon, conduct himself like one who never had one minute of responsible police training; possibly having snapped from the daily trauma of trying to stay alive while protecting the public on Chicago's troubled streets. Compare Van Dyke to the University of Chicago police officer who backpedaled for 30 seconds as a scarily garbed and drug addled student charged him with a lead pipe, one blow of which could have been fatal. That officer fired one non fatal bullet at the last possible moment to end the threat to himself and the public. Regardless of the eventual verdict, neither the public, nor even Van Dyke, will likely never know what possessed him to act as he did.

But we do know that had the mayor, the states attorney and the police chief done the job they're highly paid for, this case would have been brought forward within weeks and resolved a year or two ago. That unconscionable delay has extended the pain and sadness for the McDonald family, the Van Dyke family and the public.

John McCain and the Cult of Personality

Having followed John McCain's five decade trajectory from returning war prisoner to his expected death from brain cancer, I'm not surprised by the overwhelming adoration from all segments of American society. I must demur. McCain long ago stopped being scrutinized for his true record on the American political stage. On the domestic front I see a man who mainly followed regressive conservative polices down the line, criticizing his party just enough to snare the coveted 'maverick' moniker that fueled much of the myth he was an independent moderate.

But it's his utter wrongheadedness, indeed, dangerous war mongering on military adventurism that makes me cringe at his veneration as peace loving patriot. He displayed extreme bravery both as a pilot bombing Vietnam, then as a wounded and tortured prisoner in Vietnam. Sadly, instead of learning the folly of senseless and failed war, he exalted it; parlaying his John Wayne persona and war prisoner record to embark on a storied career, ending with elevation to the pantheon of American heroes. Attaining that status required McCain to never waver in the righteousness, not only of our Vietnam venture; but to support, often encourage every senseless intervention since. His enthusiastic support for the false, lie based run-up to the 2003 Iraq war enabled Shock and Awe. When it went bad, McCain cleverly just criticized Bush Administration tactics, demanding escalation. Week after week McCain was trotted out on Mainstream Media to blather on how more troops, more bombs, more wasted treasure was needed to secure a great US victory. He was never challenged; simply allowed to pontificate utter nonsense that has cost trillions while sentencing millions to death, injury and homelessness in a shattered Middle East. McCain traveled frequently promoting American exceptionalism round the world. Particularly offensive was his December 14, 2013, speech before anti Russian protesters in Kiev, Ukraine, egging on their overthrow of the elected pro Russian president. Neo Nazi elements in that Ukrainian opposition made no dent on McCain's conscience, just as rational introspection on the folly and waste of perpetual war never passed his lips or influenced his actions.

America, like many countries, needs to mythologize leaders that work their way into its collective consciousness of righteousness and glory. Americans hoot at countries that glorify in stone their Stalins and their Maos. Prepare for the avalanche of government buildings, highways, schools; maybe even a coin to honor Senator John S. McCain, III. Instead of McCain, how about a collective honor to the peacemakers, for it is they who may keep us safe from the doom of nuclear war.