Is justice worth fighting for?

Is justice worth fighting for?

By Jerry Villanueva
Justice for Jeffrey Coalition

We pretend to be safe living in a free and democratic society everyday. Just go about your own business. In most cases, we even hardly talk to our neighbours. Stay away from trouble and we’ll be fine. But what if trouble starts knocking at your door?

Even a religious family like the Reodica’s soon found out that no one can be immune to trouble.

As a number of us can testify, 17 year old Jeffrey Reodica is not a criminal. His teachers, principals, friends and co-workers can certainly agree. Even the thousands of mourner at his funeral last fall can attest to this.

For Willie and Flora Reodica, to not know that they have said their last goodbye to their youngest son that faithful day must be devastating. To die in the hands of people who swore to serve and protect us is very painful enough, but to hear the version of the event from kids who last saw Jeffrey alive, their heart must have died with him.

All they were asking for is an opportunity to face and question his shooter and witnesses to this tragic event in a criminal courtroom, under oath. The Special Investigations Unit made sure it did not happen. The system failed them. The system failed the whole community. Tragic event like this is no longer unheard of in our free and democratic society.

The Reodica family needs answers to have closure in this event. The community needs assurance that justice is not blind.

Together with a number of concerned community groups and individuals, the Reodica family is exhausting all avenues available to bring the truth out, a massive task against a complex system. Something that they hope is achievable with the continuing support and participation from various members of the community. We all know deep down that what happened to Jeffrey could happen to anybody including our own son. And for that, justice, is really worth fighting for.

To remain quiet and hope that trouble eludes us should no longer be an option.

The basic human rights that other people die for in a lot of countries must be upheld and protected here, and right now.