There is no right to resist arrest

I find it very interesting that athletes who play professional sports and are disciplined enough to reach the highest level in their fields - be it football, baseball, hockey or soccer - know there are rules that govern their games. Each of the games has officials, referees, or umpires, who call penalties, balls and strikes, who's out, who sits in the penalty box, etc.

These athletes may not agree with the ruling or decision, but they comply. In society, police are given the task and responsibility to call who sits in the penalty box. No one has a right to resist arrest, even if that arrest is unjustified. There are legal recourses and a system of checks and balances if someone believes he or she was falsely arrested.

The police are given their power to act by the state, and the state is granted its power by the people. When police act, they are representing society as a whole to keep the peace. Many of these recent cases have been used by the media and some politicians to inflame the public.

Professional athletes, rather than wearing BLM shirts, would better serve the public by reminding young people to comply at the time of contact with police and to file a complaint or lawsuit after that contact. There are many attorneys who are willing to take on police misconduct at the municipal, state, or federal level. The law is colorblind.

Tony Cinquegrani

Palatine