When a bad cop is indicted, the good ones receive an affront too

[Laurence Horn]

At 8:25 PM -0400 3/25/10, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>A Boston police detective is indicted on charges that he fraudulently
>claimed disabilities. U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz (a recent Obama
>appointment) says "The allegations against Mr. Gonzales are an
>affront to the honest men and women of the Boston Police
>Department."  Boston Globe, March 25, Metro, B1.
>
>The honest cops of Boston may have felt betrayed by Gonzales, or be
>concerned that onlookers tar them with guilt by association, but
>"affront" = "An insult offered to the face; a word or act expressive
>of intentional disrespect; a purposed indignity; an open insult or
>outrage" seems wrong.  And even if one stretches "insult", surely the
>"allegations" are not the "affront".
>
And if they were, there's always the classic rebuttal:  "I deny the
allegations and I resent the allegator".

LH

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