When a man's arrogance and bloated ego do not allow him to admit that he is wrong, especially when his decisions can ruin another man's life, I am almost convinced that death by hanging would be a fair punishment. However, I am strongly opposed to the death penalty. What did Jim Broderick do that has me so enraged? Well, when he was an investigator with the Fort Collins police department, he made a decision, based completely on what he thought of another man's character, charging him with murder and doggedly pursuing that man, Mr. Masters, for 11 years until he was able to get a conviction. The truth - Tim Masters has been proven innocent by DNA evidence after serving about a decade in prison. AND, evidence that was hidden during trial that shows Broderick not only broke the law in the way he collected evidence (and then hid evidence that would have helped Masters case). Broderick then committed perjury on the witness stand. Jail time is too good for Jim Broderick (now a lieutenant in charge of - get this - Fort Collins Police Department Internal Affairs division), but give him a decade sitting beside the same guys that Masters knew in prison. He might wish for the death penalty.
Now, the Fort Collins police chief, Dennis Harrison, is asking people "not to rush to judgement" as they investigate Lt. Broderick. I ask, "Why not, Chief Harrison? Your whole department rushed to judge Tim Masters, an innocent man." Now that I think about it, everyone involved in this case, from the investigating officers to the judge should be investigated. Cases like this are happening across the country, and it's because government has lost its fear of the citizenry. We need to make them afraid again. They need to again realize that they are public servants, paid by our tax dollars. We need to demand that we receive honest work for an honest wage. Today, we don't seem to be getting that from many people in all levels of government. Is it time for another revolution?
