Esav Soneh es Yaakov

For those who haven't heard, riots broke out in Borough Park last night. Apparently, Mr. Schick of Schick's Bakery and catering, was pulled over for talking on his cell phone while driving. Witnesses say he was handled so roughly that some bystanders started begging the officers to stop. They punched Mr. Schick in the face, pulled out batons and mace and tried to handcuff him.

Mr. Schick wears a hearing aid and may not have heard police instructions.

Protestors took to the streets and lit garbage cans on fire.

That pretty much sums up the facts of the case, at least as reported in the news.

My opinion is that this is not an appropriate reaction of frum jews. Lighting garbage on fire does nothing but create a chillul Hashem for more people than just myself. I am not immune from the outrage of the event and I'm not sitting here impassivly critisizing those who were there - I just think it went too far.

I think the police definitely went way too far as events were described and my sense of justice is very wounded. Honest individuals should not fear a squad car. There's no reason a law-abiding citizen should tense up when he sees the lights on top of the car in his rear-view mirror. Yet, I do.

Police officers should enforce the law, not reside in a lofty place above it.

All I can hope for is that someone got it on video so it can be proved in court...