Dear Editor,
I read with interest, the article about the apology to Bill Farmer from the City of Iola. I, as a citizen of Iola would like to state that I don’t think Mr. Farmer deserved an apology. I listened to his 911 call, and he was rude and uncooperative. The article stated that Mr. Farmer became flustered during the call. I don’t know why. I was quite impressed with the 911 operator’s calm and clear handling of Mr. Farmer’s rude language and behavior. As far as Mr. Farmer not realizing an ambulance was on the way, he didn’t need to know all the details. Our 911 dispatchers are trained to handle emergencies. That is why we call 911.
As far as the police officer is concerned, when Mr. Farmer approached the law enforcement officer to complain, the officer needed to discern what was most essential to address the emergency. Mr. Farmer was interfering with the officer’s ability to deal with the injured man. If he had stayed out of the way he would not have been arrested. If he felt a complaint needed to be stated it should have been after the emergency, not during it.
In reference to Mr. Farmer’s civil rights being violated, we all need to realize that with rights come responsibilities. One responsibility in a civilized nation is to recognize the necessity to allow those who have been trained to handle an emergency to do their job.
In Ms. Shaughnessy’s letter, she states that her father enjoyed talking “military” talk with Mr. Shirley. I don’t know where they served, but the U.S. Army I served in taught me to respect the rank and the uniform. I may not have always liked my officers, but I respected their authority. Mr. Farmer may not have liked the police officer, but he should have respected the authority the law has conferred on that officer.
In reference to the Sheriff investigating this, I am totally baffled. If, and I state “if” strongly, this incident should have even been investigated, I would think that someone from the Kansas Attorney General’s Office would investigate a civil rights violation. If it is a civil right to interfere with a law enforcement officer while he is doing his duty, then we are headed for chaos.
In closing, may I express my gratitude to all who serve the community, even when that same community seems to be turning its back on them.
Erin Maness
Iola, Kan.
