While I am thoroughly dissapointed by the verdict of the Darren Wilson trial, I am just as dissapointed with the responses of people trying to put down reactions in Ferguson due to the violent nature of some activity. While there are always a few people who may try to take advantage of chaos like that in Ferguson, the vast majority of protestors and demonstrators are acting out of anger towards a system that failed to protect them. They are fearful but defiant of the claustrophobic environment created by the paramilitary police force that has effectively taken control of vast parts of the neighborhood. In these circumstances, violence is not a suprising result and in manty ways is justified when you consider what options remain to this communitys disposal. For those who decry violence as something that should never happen, what do you think about the American Revolution? In the eight years if fighting that birthed what many people consider the worlds beacon of democracy, 4,435 American servicemen lost their lives on the battlefield, according to a fact sheet from the US Department of Veteran Affairs. Perhaps as many as 8,000-25,000 American lives were lost when encorporating deaths off the battlefield and civilian casualties. While America is definitely not the apex of national stability that we make it out to be, there are many years of prosperity (enjoyed mostly be white folks) that would not have been possible had the colonies ot revolted against the British in 1776. Ironically, the same revolution did very little to better the lives of black Americans like those who experience institutionalized racism today, so go figure. As former president John F. Kennedy once said, Those who make peaceful protest impossible will make violent protest inevitable. When those who face desperation and adversity exhaust peaceful avenues to achieve their goals, violence becomes one of the few tools that may seem to achieve any progress. Powers that be in Missouri, and especially in Ferguson, have created that reality for the protestors screaming for justice. Does peaceful protest produce results? Yes, and it also raises awareness and spreads the cause to other parts of the region, inciting the national reactions that we have seen since the verdict was announced. However, because of the toxic atmosphere that the authorities in Ferguson have created, the effects of peaceful protest are being limited and it is of no suprise that violence has errupted. The only people who can really truly say whether the violence is warranted or not are the residents of this community who are at the center of this event. At the same time, we must recognize that there are undoubtedly many different groups involved in this chaos as well. There are still many in Ferguson who stick to the dogma of peaceful protest who may have not connection to the more violent outbursts. If you support action in Ferguson but not violence, do not make the mistake of letting the rioting define what everyone is doing in that city. That being said, I would also encourage those who dissaprove of violent protest to at least try and empathize with the actions that have been taken since the verdict was reached. In closing, I am saddened that things have gotten this point, but hopefully some change for the better will arise from so much chaos and so much pain. #Ferguson #BlackLivesMatter #civildisobedience
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 03:16:48 +0000
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