My family and friends...some of you have read what a news organization has now termed Michael P. Williams Ferguson Manifesto by now... As much as its been supported, shared on Facebook and has caught the medias attention, I am nevertheless compelled (despite the fact that I believed I expressed my feelings clearly) to explain why I wrote it, as I have...gotten in to it...with some good, dear and trusted friends regarding some differences of opinion concerning the manifesto...and Ive been attacked on-line by some pretty virulent racist mutts. I have been CLOSELY following the deaths of young American Black men by police for about 15 years...keeping notes, clippings, statistics... Ive had a LOT of help with this by some friends in the academic and professional criminal justice system. The Michael Brown murder, followed by shoddy police investigatory work, a questionable D.A. working the case, this D.A.s INCREDIBLY POOR legal work and strategy, and a THREE MONTH grand jury slogothan followed by a poorly-time and botched decision announcement by the aforementioned D.A...well, this situations uncomfortably and despicably similar to other police shootings which have killed young Black men (with the attendant investigations).o Reading the grand jury transcript made me physically ill...I could NOT believe, in 2014, that this collective incompetency could happen...IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...but, damned if it did... I was so consumed with anger, hurt, bitterness, extreme disappointment and rage...RAGE...for I had seen this scenario played out over, and over, and over again. I knew, despite the fact that my blood was literally and figuratively boiling, that I had to write something which would adequately express my rage, anger and disappointment WITHIN THE CONTEXT of ending up with substantive and constructive messages and suggestions. I knew I had to be RESPONSIBLE with my anger and rage. There are some friends and acquaintances (and some really evil and disgusting old school KKK-type racists) who have, in turn, accused me of improperly utilizing race regarding this incident, feel I hate law enforcement, believe that I feel all white people are racists, have a poor grasp of the grand jurys testimony, etc., etc., etc. So - to get this out of the way: 1. I dont feel EVERY police involving a white law enforcement officer and a person of color is racially motivated; it absolutely WAS racially motivated regarding Michael Browns murder, and exacerbated by that jurisdictions system, from the initial stop, to the HORRENDOUS investigation, to the LUDICROUS grand jury empaneling and process. 2. I have written about this time and time and time and time again...THE VAST MAJORITY OF POLICE OFFICERS ARE GOOD COPS. The police officers I know - some who Ive mentored, some who Ive befriended, some in my family - I trust them IMPLICITLY - they are NOT Killer Cops. The mind-boggling, frustrating and incomprehensible part to me is that The Thin Blue Line puts good and honest police officers in the position of lying for/covering for/supporting BAD cops who do BAD shit, including kill. When will this practice cease? To me, it would be SO MUCH BETTER for the 90% of good cops (and their superiors, and their municipal employers) to eliminate these rogue psycho-cops from their respective police forces. Do you know how much the City of Philadelphia pays put in SETTLEMENTS from Bad Cop Behavior? Astounding...Disgusting...so good police officers get tarnished by their colleagues actions, and the taxpayer foots the bills... 3. The virulent racists, who got to me (through acquaintances) told me I hate white people, that niggers are doomed and that white folks should start speeding up the rate that all Blacks, but particularly young Black men, are being killed. Yeah - next... 4. I read the trial transcript IN FULL. Pardon me while I take out my IVY LEAGUE LAW SCHOOL CREDENTIALS out and SLAM THEM ON THE TABLE...I have a more than appropriate grasp on the grand jury transcripts AND grand jury procedure. No offense, but the more vocal folks regarding this issue...well, no matter what their educational level, they dont have the legal chops and are blinded by emotion. Well...now that I can get THIS off my chest... :-) For you folks who havent read the grand jury transcript IN ITS ENTIRETY, the Huff Post will give you (verified by me, as, well, I took the time - MY VACATION TIME! - to read the transcripts) an excellent preview look at what made me temporarily lose my shit: m.huffpost/us/entry/6220814
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 11:15:14 +0000
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