A Night Unremembered
13 years ago
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Of Course It Makes No Sense
Ferguson, Missouri erupted (predictably) in violence after the grand jury decided not to indict, on any count, the police officer who shot and killed the unarmed teenager. The destruction was localized, it appears, to the area where Mr. Brown was killed but it was also devastating. Once again, the "protesters" wreaked havoc on businesses and cars. In other words, they took their anger and frustration out on innocent people in mostly their own neighborhood. And did a little "shopping."
Ever been in a riot? It is what happens when civilized behavior gives way to emotion. Businesses take the brunt of the anger of the mob as it is used by the greedy to take things they want. In the end, all the citizens pay. But the law-abiding citizens were likely cowering in their homes, afraid to challenge the thugs who saw opportunity. Prior to the grand jury announcement, I saw pictures of people holding signs that read "BLACK LIVES MATTER." And I am sure they do. But rather than be outraged by the wanton killing of black men, women, and children by other black men and women they became outraged at the death of one man... a 6'5", 240 pound, teenager... simply because it was a white police officer who killed him. Forget all the other senseless deaths of black men, women, and children... they no longer matter. What matters is this one young man who apparently cared little about the owner of a small mart where he shoved and bullied the manager over a packet of cigars that he couldn't be bothered to pay for.
And now black people all over the country will wonder why they get little respect. It wasn't the vast majority of African-Americans who rioted and looted and burned, it was a very small minority. But that won't matter, the racists (white, black, and brown) will feel justified in their irrational feelings and life will not improve nor will civilization change.
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5 comments:
Ferguson should go the way of Times Beach. In other words: Just shut it down permanently; move everyone out and let them all find another place to live.
...Because that town is now tainted beyond reproach, only instead of by toxic physical elements it's via toxic social and psychological elements.
Just for the record: I should have said "beyond just mere shame and disgrace" instead of "beyond reproach". That would have made more sense.
I apologize for that error in judgment on my part.
Tal, I got the gist without much problem. When emotions control a mob, they no longer understand the damage they are doing to their own neighborhood.
Rioting is despicable, this case wasn't exactly a clear-cut "POLICE BRUTALITY!@!#!@!!" instance, etc. I've not paid particularly close attention, I knew the officer wouldn't be indicted, and I didn't really have any strong feelings any way about it.
On the other hand, this long piece of investigative journalism that I read back in early September was really interesting. Violence and rioting is never ok, but reading that article did make me look at the (peaceful) protesters in a new light. (not really the people protesting the lack of indictment, but the people protesting the whole incident in the months before the grand jury). When a perpetual underclass is constantly hounded by a seemingly corrupt government, or at least a system of Policing for Profit by people who aren't part of the community, it just seems that something is going to have to break at some point.
When I was a teenager, the police were out to get me. In school, the teachers were out to get me. Life was cruel and I was its "whipping boy." But I grew out of that. After I got out of the Navy, I grew a beard and long hair, I rode a motorcycle... I got hassled by police and by citizens in cars. But I grew out of that. Now I am older and wiser and life still isn't fair; I am not rich, I do not have the car I want, Obamacare has forced me to use a "private exchange" to sign up for my Medicare supplemental insurance (if I don't, I lose the company's medical coverage for Faye). My trials and tribulations were always less then many others. Except for the teenage years and my "hippie" days, I was not stereotyped. I could grow out of the teen years and I could cut my hair and trim or shave my beard. Black people cannot alter their appearance to get away from harassment but they can avoid being scofflaws and they can blend into the background. I understand the anger and frustration they feel and wonder if I could handle it. But Michael Brown died because of choices he made; he didn't have to strong-arm the manager of that market, he didn't have to walk down the middle of the street, he didn't have to fight with the cop, he didn't have to run and he didn't have to charge at the cop. That's the lesson of his death.
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