'via Blog this'
Why? It's been a small, personal effort on his part to visually legitimize Occupy's concerns and critiques in the eyes of the general public by marching in uniform, by showing that many in mainstream America – including those in law enforcement – support Occupy's goals and ideals.
However, as William Bender of the Daily News reports, the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police is looking to expel Lewis from its union for his support of Occupy and for, specifically, wearing his uniform during protests.
As Bender reports, this is a union from which it is nearly impossible to be expelled:
IT’S USUALLY TOUGH to get kicked out of Philadelphia’s Fraternal Order of Police.This is no small matter. Lewis, if expelled, would likely be stripped of all his union benefits, including life insurance policies and free legal assistance the union offers members.You really have to screw up.Worse than, say, the cop who allegedly beat his girlfriend with a closed fist and left her a voice mail threatening to “stomp your f---ing heart out.” Or the officer convicted of child endangerment for pointing a loaded Glock at a kid who changed the radio station in his truck at the Police Academy.Or the cop who allegedly forced a suspect to perform oral sex on him in his police cruiser.The local FOP, which represents about 14,600 current and retired officers, went to bat for all three of those guys in arbitration hearings. In recent years, the union also has stood by cops accused or convicted of other transgressions, including drunken driving, assault, sleeping on the job and lying during a police investigation.
And for what? For legally wearing his uniform in public at Occupy protests, an act that apparently is far more obscene than forcing suspects to perform oral sex or pressing loaded guns to the temple of a child.
LP - Apparently the police union not so strong on the first amendment.
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