The last 24 hours have seen a roller coaster ride of media coverage out of Ferguson, with riots and looting turning the city upside down overnight following the decision of a Grand Jury not to indict Darren Wilson on any charges related to the shooting death of Michael Brown.
Rioting, Structure Fires, Destruction, Looting, you name it and if it has to do with chaos it was probably happening in Ferguson last night. Upon release of a Grand Jury decision yesterday to not bring charges against officer Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, the town of Ferguson lit up like a candle with protests that quickly turned violent. Across the country people are voicing their opinion one way or another however nowhere else is there widespread chaos and unrest like in Ferguson.
All this violence seems to beg the question: Are these people actually accomplishing anything? As upset as they are about there being no trial for Darren Wilson, is the rioting going to get them any closer to making a difference? If anything the behavior demonstrated by some of the citizens of Ferguson goes to support police habits of excessive violence in self-defense. What kind of example does this set for future generations who may have some grievance with police or government in general? Though I am not trying to condemn the disappointment felt by the citizens of Ferguson I am trying to condemn the actions of a select handful who have apparently set fire to the tinderbox that is this situation. I too feel that there should have at least been a trial in order to shed light on certain facts regarding the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer, however the resulting burning and destruction of property by the citizens of Ferguson is, in my estimation, unconscionable. What better way to reinforce negative racial stereotypes than by creating scenes like the one pictured above? Progress is not made by destruction.
Bret, you ar 100% right in your view of the situation. Destruction doesn't solve anything, in fact, all it does is set your OWN community back in terms of progress, and economic growth. These acts of vandalism are beyond comprehension and ALL of us, regardless of race, must do a better job in communicating, organzing, mobilizing, and listening to each other in hopes of gaining a better understanding of what divides us. As an African American, a mother, and such to be politician, I am so ashamed of how the entire process was handled including the aftermath.
ReplyDelete