The Fury In Ferguson: What Is It All About?

Occasionally things happen in our nation or on an international level that is of such importance that it captures our local attention.  Such is the case of what is presently transpiring in Ferguson, Missouri due to the slaying of a young, eighteen year old black man by a white police officer.  Although the official report of the investigation that is being conducted by both the FBI and Department of Justice has not yet been reported, all of the preliminary reports by some eye witnesses seem to concur that the officer used unnecessary and extreme, deadly force in a situation that should have been handled in a more discreet and humane way. In spite of the probability that Michael Brown is a suspect in a strong-armed robbery in the neighborhood, the facts and evidence prove the extremeness of the officer’s actions to be unwarranted.  This is especially the case when you consider the way the eyewitnesses are describing the killing.  In commenting on this sad and tragic incident, I am in no way seeking to justify Michael Brown’s thuggish and foolish behavior that was caught on camera in the convenience store.  Undoubtedly, he was wrong; he broke the law.  However, the theft and strong-armed tactics in the store were unknown by Officer Wilson when he confronted him about walking in the highway.  Furthermore, if it had been known, hypothetically speaking, it would still have not justified the use of deadly force to apprehend him.  It is quite obvious and disturbing that something went amok in the officer’s mind to enrage and motivate him to shoot Michael Brown (4 times in the arm and 2 times in the head) who was reportedly surrendering with his arms raised. As protest and anger continue to mount over what most consider as a senseless killing, it immediately takes us back to the Trayvon Martin incident.  Once again it appears that a young, black man was slain for a very unjustifiable reason.  Although it may not be the primary cause, one has to wonder whether or not the great disparity between white officers and black officers on the Ferguson Police Force may definitely be a factor.  
African Americans constitute around two-thirds of the population of twenty-six thousand, while whites only represent around one-third of the population.  Out of a police force of fifty-two, only three officers are black.  In my estimation, such uneven numbers are not only wrong, but also invite and foster incidents like the one that claimed the life of Michael Brown.
In light of what’s happening in Ferguson, I have to wonder could the same thing happen right here in our locale one day.  I do not know the ethnic breakdown of our police force here in Dillon, but I am told that it does not reflect the population’s ethnic diversity.  Admittedly, there are other factors involved in the rage and uproar that is presently transpiring in Ferguson.  Things like racial profiling, disproportionate stoppings, and unfair treatment by officers have created a general distrust in the African-American community.  This is not an isolated incident that is happening in Ferguson, Missouri, but regrettably throughout various parts of this nation, there is a distrust of law enforcement officers in many minority communities and this is especially true in urban areas.  It is my prayer that we all will learn from what’s happening in Ferguson, Missouri and that our police departments will implement some changes by way of aggressively recruiting more minorities and instructing and insisting that all law enforcement personnel learn better people skills and how to relate to and deal with all people fairly and without any partiality or abuse.
Finally, paraphrasing the words of an African-American who was the victim of police brutality some years ago, “Why can’t we all just get along?”

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