The tension is thick in Ferguson, Missouri. A shooting resulted in the death of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson.
There were peaceful protests because the person shot was unarmed, and Black. Then riots and looting took place in Ferguson by those wanting officer Wilson charged with murder. Then full-armored police/crowd control was sent in to disburse the looters and rioters. The situation was pretty chaotic for a while.
There's been an investigation and evidence showed there was a physical altercation between Brown and Wilson. Officer Wilson had his face badly beaten and Michael Brown was first shot multiple times in his arm, then fatally in the head.
Anyone being beaten in the face by a big, tall, angry, muscular man would naturally think their life was in danger. Officer Wilson fired his weapon to save his own life. He very well could've been strangled, beaten to death, or even shot with his own gun by Michael Brown.
These two men may have had a prior confrontation but that day, Brown attacked Wilson, Wilson reacted and Brown died.
I question the motive of a person reaching into a police vehicle and attacking a police officer. That person was an aggressor.
I did not eye-witness what occurred in Ferguson on August 9, 2014, but these are some of my thoughts.
Years ago, Black men were treated very unfairly and inhumanly. Black men were accused, arrested, weren't given fair trials or represented justly- too many were hung from trees just because they were Black men. A monumental injustice!
Blacks in Ferguson gathered in mob fashion looting businesses (having absolutely nothing to do with Brown's shooting). In their anger, the Blacks said they would continue mob activities unless Mr. Wilson was arrested for killing Brown. I dare say if those angered folks could get their hands on Mr. Wilson, they'd hang him without a trial. (I hope I'm mistaken about this)
Could the rioting, looting and demands be pay back, retribution, and/or retaliation for crimes subjected upon their forefathers by Caucasian men?
Think about this. Had Michael Brown NOT violated the law, he would have gone about his way and there would've NOT been a need for a police officer be called to investigate anything. Both men, their families and friends would all have been spared the horrible grief and the city of Ferguson wouldn't have been the scene of destruction of life, property or livelihood.
But it did happen. The police officer Mr. Wilson responded to the call, as it was his job. Michael Brown exhibited defiance towards authority. Mr. Wilson discovered a possible robbery suspect (Brown had taken cigars without paying from a small business), there probably were an exchange of harsh words, things escalated quickly into a physical fight resulting in blood shed and a young life was cut short.
The situation didn't have to begin or end as it did, but when a strong, defiant man charges at a trained, armed police officer, and there's a struggle for the gun, more than likely that gun is going to go off and someone's going to be shot.
Will this tragic incident incite more of the same?
Will be see a repeat of the clash between the races like in the 60's?
We shall see.
There are thousands of policemen and policewomen wondering what would they have done if they had been in the situation Wilson was in.
Will they be next to get into a racial confrontation if they respond to a call and the suspect has different skin pigmentation than them? Are Black men wondering what would they have done and will they be next to be in a confrontation with the police?
Public safety/Officers of the peace are employed in a dangerous profession because people are and can be very unpredictable. Police are people and have to be careful anytime they're confronting anyone, and especially when the person(s) they're confronting wants to challenge them.
Black men know they're watched closely because they've grown up with the mentality that they are the first ones targeted when a crime occurs.
Have Black men done anything to bring this upon themselves?
No matter the answer to the question, challenging the police isn't ever a smart thing to do. There were already two strikes Mr. Brown caused himself before the gun went off. Robbing the small store and challenging the authority of the police officer called to investigate were the first two. The fatal third strike was Mr. Brown having a physical altercation with Wilson.
Why not aim NOT be involved in situations posing a change of the police being called out?
Police officers aren't summoned unless there's a reason for someone to call them. Give them no reason and there'll be no confrontation, less cause for racial tension, less police brutality, less Black and White hatred. That would be good for all.
Immediately do what a police officers asks, even if it's something you don't like so not to increase tensions or misunderstandings which evokes heated emotions and hostilities which in turn make for situations to quickly escalate into something neither desires. Everyone wants to get back home safely.
I might add not all policemen/women are White, and not all men/women disrespecting police officers are Black.
The parents of Michael Brown are demanding justice for the death of their son, which any parent should. It's devastating for any parent to have to bury their child.
What happened in Ferguson is one more entanglement involving a figure of authority (police) and an unarmed Black male.
We all have our opinions made up from the bits and pieces of info, but until we know all the details, (and there are a lot of details yet to be revealed to the public) we have to be patient and allow our justice system work. It's never easy determining motives, reasoning or reactions which occur in a split second. Detectives on this case have a lot of evidence to piece over, consider eye-witness testimonies and the recording of the guns shots before determining the conclusion in this case.
Not everyone is going to be happy when the investigation is all said and done.
Until then, I believe forgiveness is going to have to be extended from both sides for any healing to begin. It's not an ideal situation for anyone, but all should move forward and most of all learn from this situation.
Will the final investigation results or a hearing bring about an end to the tension in Ferguson and to one group of people in this this country still not over the hurt or healed from being done wrong by another group of people. Still being held back in poverty is an open wound that hasn't healed yet. Though some have made their way out of poverty, others haven't yet and someone is to fault.
For starters, young Black boys and young Black men need positive role models and encouragement to help them strive to be motivated to attain a better in life rather than choosing selling drugs, wearing saggy pants, listening to lyrics popularizing the 'thug life' so they'd be less apt to any entanglements with police officers.
What do you say, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr, the great unifier and with your commitment to youth, and Rev. Al Sharpton- you're both in influential positions.
Rather than stoking racism fire, how about inciting an internal fire to the youth to make a change from within. There is so much room for positive personal improvement to be made which would lead to different treatment of Blacks.
Blacks can better themselves by getting educated, refraining from illegal activities, and choosing to dress more self-respectfully rather than 'thuggishly', These would be a good starting points which would do so much more than continually being angry about being mistreated for your skin color.
Is playing that old race card getting working?
It's time now to own up to looking to self and being responsible that one's actions may be the cause of most of the hostility Blacks bring onto themselves.
Sadly, there are still too many holding onto the mindset to keep doing the same old things because they prefer the 'woe is me'
attitude so they can keep being bitter about their life situation. Time to stop that.
But there is a way out of the projects and the ghetto, and if you continue to believe skin color is holding you back, then your beliefs are holding you back and you will never get to know the extent of your capabilities or just how high you can advance and be a positive contributor to society and end thinking someone else is in control of your life.
Is it really personally rewarding remaining on welfare and getting government hand-outs? That's showing you are settling for a hand-out and you want to remain being controlled.
Action steps- get an education or learn a skill and steadily get very good at what you do.
Learn to mentally have confidence in yourself and stop believing the excuse that someone else is knocking you 'down'. In reality, the only person or persons knocking you down are those who are themselves 'down' and don't want you to succeed either. Prove them wrong.
To succeed, you have to want it; you have to go for it, even if it means leaving your 'thug buddies,' or anyone talking your out of pursuing your dreams; you have to work or get an education, and clean up your act and quit allowing excuses hold you back.
To make success happen, the formula is you have to decide it's what you want and then go into action and work your plan to succeed.
The pay-off and pride of succeeding is extremely rewarding. No one can take that from you.
Don't settle for being part of the crowd resorting to anger and hostility because someone is mistreating you. Move or get away and rise above and out and leave all that behind in the dust. Prove them all wrong.
It's up to YOU, no matter the color of your skin to put yourself in a better place in life. Don't allow or believe anyone to tell you differently. YES, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR ENTIRE SITUATION IF YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!
