It was a sad day when police shot 18 year old, Michael
Brown. Apparently the Ferguson, MO,
police officer fired his gun nearly 7 times, most of those striking Brown. What we don’t know yet is what happened right
before those fatal shots were fired. So far
there is only speculation and the word of a few spectators and their stories do
not all jibe.
The police department, or the state, has decided to release
video footage from a convenience store where just before the shooting, a black
male, acknowledged to be Brown, stole a box of $50 cigars. The man is then seen pushing the clerk. The video might be important later but I
question its release while the pot was still boiling over. The police were trying to keep the lid on,
and bringing in a Trooper Captain to monitor the protests was a good idea,
taking the local cops out of the picture at the protest sites. And it probably didn’t hurt that Captain
Johnson was a black man and from the Ferguson area.
The first night after Johnson walked in solidarity with the
protestors, was relatively quiet and everyone took a big sigh of relief. But it did not last through the next night,
where looters and thugs decided they wanted more stuff they did not pay for, and
for good measure those people tried to destroy the very convenience store where
the video was shot. Think about that –
punishing the victim of the theft for being the victim of the theft.
History has shown that when the “mob mentality” reaches fever
pitch, there is little that can stop it.
When those few (and is was just a few in the crowd) decides to incite a
riot, weak thinkers jump in to take part and shroud themselves in the anonymity
of the crowd. To look the part, most
also wore masks to conceal their identity.
Brave people, aren’t they?
To their credit, many of the protestors railed against the
looters and a group tried to protect the store.
Some people who were there for the real reason of protesting police
actions they see as excessive, know that their objectives are diluted by the
actions of a few scofflaws.
This whole thing is a “wicked” problem – one that would not be
easily or quickly resolved. Justice for
anyone takes time. The rabble-rousers,
some coming in from outside to ostensibly right the wrong, and some ad hoc,
need to work to quiet the constant beat of the drum. Captain Johnson’s goals are being overrun by
others who apparently don’t believe his comments about “not tearing down our
own house.”
The Brown family lawyers and “new” friends from the national
black community could do much more to help stop the violence. The Brown family itself is calling for peace,
but others are not joining in as they should.
The police, whether that be the locals, the state, or the FBI needs to
coordinate the investigation, not create “silos” where each runs off and does
its thing. And information, once
confirmed, and with a constructive purpose should be released in a press
conference open to the media, as tough as that would be.
Ferguson will get through this crisis, but unless someone
starts to work on what caused the firestorm, it will occur again. No doubt.
The Ferguson Police Department needs to work on recruitment of people of
color. Out of the 54 sworn officers,
only 3 are reported to be African-American.
In a community that is over 60% black, this small number can make the PD
seem like an occupying force. There are
many other ways to bring together the community. The officials, in concert with
representatives of the community, should convene to work on that now. Or there will be many more "Sad Days."
