Many of us rooted in an ethic of responsibility and accountability were disgusted but not surprised when the Rochester, New York, District Attorney berated a police officer for doing his job. Driving 55 mph in a 35-mph zone is unsafe and illegal. When a cop signals you to pull over, most law-abiding citizens do so. But Doorley, whose job is to prosecute lawless offenders, demonstrated by her rant that she considers herself too important to be held by the same standard of the law.
Her reaction to the police officer who was faithfully doing his job epitomizes the rank ideology of the liberal left, which will use and abuse the law in every way to prosecute the best of law-abiding citizens like Donald Trump and any morally guided conservative American. Fortunately, the police officer’s bodycam footage went viral, and DA Doorley’s law bust was fully exposed.
The fallout could have gone several ways. Typically, the left’s infractions are ignored, swept under the rug, somehow justified, or twisted in such a way as to make the righteous agent look evil and be declared the guilty party. Rarely does anyone assume responsibility for their actions. Almost never do we hear a full, sincere, remorseful apology for a blatant law violation and for irresponsible, bratty behavior.
But Sandra Doorley chose this higher ground. She actually admitted that her behavior was wrong, despite the stressors she cited as triggering her abusive verbal attack on the “a-hole officer.” All of us can learn a few great lessons from this encounter, if we dare.
The first lesson has been repeated to the point of becoming trite: “Nobody is above the law.” Assuming the law is just, obeying the law is always the right thing to do. It results in a civilized society and makes life peaceful and more enjoyable for all. When we choose to violate a law — we are all guilty of that in some way — and we get caught, we should submit to the punishment, just as we would expect others to do.
The second lesson is one of the heart. Ms. Doorley’s apology sounded genuine. She humbly admitted her guilt without trying to mitigate her actions. “What I did was wrong, no excuses. I take full responsibility for my actions.” She backed those words by pleading guilty, paying the fine, referring herself for remedial action (“ethics training to remind myself that professionalism matters”), and referring her case to another DA’s office for a full review. What more could she have done? She asked for forgiveness and offered herself upon the altar of repentance.
Some may question her motives. “Oh, sure!” You might say. “She was caught red-handed. She had no choice!” Not true. Look at Hunter Biden. He’s guilty as hell, as the evidence proves. Will he ever apologize and confess his many sins? Well, you never know. And that’s lesson three. Nobody but God Himself can accurately judge the condition of another human’s heart. That’s why God told us, “Mercy triumphs over judgment,” because “judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy” (James 2:13). And “with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
A fourth lesson in this saga applies to all of us. To err is human. Sandra Doorley mentions a 33-year career in public service. She reported feeling highly stressed, stating, “I was dealing with three homicides that occurred on the weekend. I watched a video where an innocent cab driver was executed, and I was still reeling from a frightening medical concern that my husband received that afternoon.” We’ve all been there, haven’t we? On overload. “Running on empty,” as Jackson Browne once sang. Mental exhaustion can turn anyone into a monster.
I have no idea what kind of a person Sandra Doorley really is. She switched from the Democrat to the Republican Party in 2015. Hence, NY Gov. Kathy Hochul’s scathing rebuke. But look at her record. According to her Monroe County website, her office successfully prosecuted almost 20,000 cases in 2019, ranking her among the top NY State DA’s offices. She served with distinction for some 20 years, having successfully prosecuted thousands of high-profile criminal cases. Not shabby work at all.
Okay, so she had a bad day. A really dreadful day. She apologized to the offended police officer and to the public. She is squarely facing the consequences and accepting full responsibility for her wrongs. May we all have the same willingness to admit we too need forgiveness now and then. Apology accepted. And hopefully, lessons learned. For all of us, including Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Image: from the Town of Webster
