The killing of Sammy Yatim and the culture of death

Sammy Yatim, a victim of the Police's
culture of death

This is not a political blog. This is not a political post. The recent slaying of young Sammy Yatim on a Toronto street car by the Police is not a political question, it is  a human question. 

The murder of Sammy is a question of human rights. This is a human issue, it is a pro-life issue. The killing of Sammy was and will remain an issue of being pro-life. 

"Looking at the situation from this point of view, it is possible to speak in a certain sense of a war of the powerful against the weak: a life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless, or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected in one way or another".

Sammy, alone on a street car, unable to hurt anyone, except perhaps himself, is demanded of to drop his knife by a number of police.  Around this scene mill an assortment of police, perhaps totaling 20. What bravery! What manliness! 

Young Sammy does not drop his knife as requested, so he is casually shot to death by police. As Sammy lies dying - or is dead, he is then tasered (if dead, an indignity to a human body); police stroll casually about, some walking away as if nothing happened. Sammy's death can pass as the death of a dog. 

Sadly, for the police, nothing had happened. Witness the reaction while and following the shooting. if there was no body, one could have thought the video was one of a few fire crackers going off. The culture of death was on clear display on Friday.  

Closing the street car door was obviously too much trouble for the police; waiting for mental health professionals was too much trouble... 

"This reality is characterized by the emergence of a culture which denies solidarity and in many cases takes the form of a veritable "culture of death". This culture is actively fostered by powerful cultural, economic and political currents which encourage an idea of society excessively concerned with efficiency".

Boarding the street car to disarm Sammy was also too much trouble. Using a baton to deftly disarm Sammy was too much trouble. Even tasing Sammy rather then pump him with nine bullets was too much trouble (until he was dead or dying).

"A person who, because of illness, handicap or, more simply, just by existing, compromises the well-being or life-style of those who are more favoured tends to be looked upon as an enemy to be resisted or eliminated. In this way a kind of 'conspiracy against life' is unleashed".

This entire incident demonstrates a police force secondarily in disarray, undisciplined, badly trained, cowardly, lazy etc., but PRIMARILY this incident shows that the culture of death has entered into the police force. Young Sammy, "because of illness..." became "an enemy to be resisted or eliminated". 

The killing of a human being who offered no immediate threat was the default position of the police. We saw last week, in Toronto, a pure display of the philosophy of power. We saw a casual and monstrous disregard for human life, we saw a "conspiracy against life". 

May God, in His mercy, grant young Sammy eternal rest. May those police who participated in Sammy's murder seek pardon for the evil they have committed. 


Recommended reading: (from which all blue quotes were selected): Evangelium Vitae - The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II