I would like to address something real quick. Many people are criticizing those who are protesting, standing in solidarity with the family of Mike Brown. I have heard very disparaging remarks towards people, especially those who happen to not be white. I dont wish to repeat the racist slurs I have heard, because they make me sick, and makes me ashamed that there are people who are still looking at the color of a persons skin. There are some facts that need to be addressed in all of this. 1. The reason why so many are upset is because of the record the Ferguson Police have in regards to brushing police abuse under the rug. This was confirmed in an independent audit, and other cases. The people are frustrated in what they believe is yet another brush aside, and I dont blame them in the least. 2. The only people that should be called out are the looters and vandals, not the protesters. The first are criminals and hurting the community, but it should be noted that they are not the majority in Ferguson, and in many cases are not even from the area. The protesters are well within their rights to voice their side, and every American should be behind them exercising their first amendment rights, even if you dont agree. When we dont defend the rights of others to air their grievances, then we surrender our rights with theirs. 3. Part of the problem with the trust towards the officially reported account is the constant contradictory stories and slow to respond investigations that took place. Even though the Grand Jury was ultimately convened, it took a very long time, in very closed settings, with little information coming out. It is frustrating waiting for answers, and there has been little transparency from the beginning of this. 4. Police procedures were not properly followed in many avenues from the time of the first encounter to the investigation. I have addressed this in my group Citizens For Police Reform because it is something that must be done to prevent incidents like this from happening like they did. 5. There have been clear overreactions by police forces in response to some of the demonstrators, which have only served to further injure a people wanting answers. There has been tear gas, rubber bullets, and arrests made on people who were not rioting, were not looting, and were well within their rights as American citizens. The police only served to make situations worse in some of these areas, furthering the divide between the people and the police.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 03:49:53 +0000
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