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The judge is also a veteran. The shared background and experience is what allowed the judge to experience empathy and see the perpetrator's humanity, while stil

• dcposch 11y ago
  That's why it's so important that the judges and officers charged with keeping order are part of the communities they serve. There has to be trust and empathy between the people and the police. I think we have lots of cities and neighborhoods where the police are from a different culture, imposed from outside. Too often the relationship breaks down and the people start seeing them as adversaries, rather than as guardians. Conversely, the cops also lose empathy for the people. Ferguson is the clearest case, but this is happening in lots of cities. (In the extreme, it describes an occupation, where the role of police is taken by a foreign military.) Props to the judge, thats a really beautiful example of humane justice, where the person breaking the law and the one enforcing it can still have some love for each other. I think we need a political movement to make sure sheriffs, judges and offices represent their communities. As much as possible, cops should be trusted citizens of the neighborhoods they patrol and part of the local culture. Local election turnout is often low, so a little organization goes a long way.
• matchagaucho 11y ago
  YouTube video of the Judge describing the Veteran's Court program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzJm0I4CzuM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzJm0I4CzuM The court is located near Fort Bragg, which sees a lot of cases involving Veterans.