County Board member, Dist. 2
‘Most appalling’ was young people with offensive signs toward police
By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
Pete DiCianni had a rough one last week.
The DuPage County Board member and former Elmhurst mayor was attempting to do his part to support the law enforcement community by participating in an event called Back The Blue.
Part way through, however, protesters of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) mindset came out to protest those marching to demonstrate for law enforcement by, well, protesting against law enforcement, supposedly on behalf of BLM.
“They had signs that said ‘Black Lives Are More Important Than Blue Lives,’ and I’m sorry that’s just not true – ALL lives matter – black, white, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ, everyone,” said a frustrated and beleaguered DiCianni when the Independent caught up with him late last week after a whirlwind of criticism in various media outlets. One online news service even erroneously referred to the event as “Blue Lives Matter,” despite having an ad placed in that same publication for “Back The Blue.”
“And, yes, I admit, I blew my top and that was not good for an elected official in any capacity to do, but the fact is, while my critics saw rudeness, it was actually passion. Most people know how very passionate I am about law enforcement because members of my family have served as police officers and first responders. They have a very soft spot in my heart.”
What DiCianni said was most appalling, besides people personally attacking him simply for participating, were the words used on the signs the young people were carrying – most of those with the signs were college age, he said, students in their early to mid-20s.
“The signs said things like ‘Black Lives Over Blue,’ ‘Black Lives Before Blue Uniforms,’ and the most disturbing, ‘ACAB,’ which means ‘All Cops Are Bastards,’” he said. “The ‘Back The Blue’ event was meant to support all law enforcement, especially locally.
“Keep in mind, prior to May 25, officers and first responders were considered heroes with yard signs being put on their front yards. This was not a ‘Blue Lives Matter’ event but rather ‘Back The Blue,’ a gathering organized by local police families to embrace our local police officers who currently are being painted with a negative broad-brush with the very unfortunate and terrible incident that happened to Mr. Floyd in Minnesota. This was a City-permitted event in support of our local police and first responders and their families. This was not a protest or a rally, simply a gathering for people to share.
“Three weeks earlier, a similar event was embraced in Wilder Park for Black Lives Matter which was a full-town effort, that is, police, fire, public works, all working extra hard to make THAT event safe and successful. It was also a City-permitted event, not a protest.
“Why are these people coming out to attack the very people who kept them safe and guarded during THEIR event?”
DiCianni went on to point out that no one should paint all police officers with a “broad brush-stroke of guilt.”
“There’s another saying, ‘One bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch,’” he said. “Are there people in uniform out there doing inappropriate things? pushing too hard? taking things too far? even breaking the law to the point of killing someone? Yes. But, like anything else, if one policeman makes a serious mistake, it is unfair to paint them all with a broad brush-stroke. But people do, and they sometimes think all cops are the same. Well, that is simply not true.
“I cannot tell you how passionate I am about these outstanding workers who are out there every day – regardless of COVID-19 fears, taking a chance not only of exposure but also those who are trying to intentionally inflict the virus on them simply because ‘they’re a cop, so they’re bad.’”
“What I was trying to do on [that day] was offer support to people in law enforcement who are all being assumed guilty until proven innocent,” DiCianni said. “Most police officers – almost all – are decent, law-abiding citizens who have a job to do and I for one am glad they are there. Part of that job is putting themselves in harm’s way. They take a chance every day they go into work. Every day, their loved ones kiss them goodbye, knowing there’s always the chance that he or she will not make it home that evening – or ever again.
“That’s why I was there.”
