Police Commissioner Anthony Batts recently referred to the recent marches protesting police brutality by saying, "I wonder if we'll have those same marches as officers are shot, too" ("Officer shot in West Baltimore," Dec. 15).
His comment demonstrates the ethical fallacy of many well-intentioned people when it comes to police brutality.
Police officers accept the dangers of their job when they sign up. Violent criminals will at times act violently toward police, and the criminals should be held accountable.
Law-abiding citizens are not signing up to be brutalized by police, however. When police are not held accountable for harming those they are sworn to serve and protect, we should protest such injustice.
We thank and honor the voluntary sacrifices made by police officers injured in the line of duty. But we protest the involuntary sacrifice citizens make at the hands of police.
Tom Harris, Baltimore
The writer is pastor of Govans Presbyterian Church.