There are many things I love about my parents but there is a story that I am most proud of that exemplifies the type of people they are. It happened when I was little and though I was present, I didn't grasp what was going on until much later in life. It was a normal thing for us to hang out with my preschool teacher, Gloria and her family. We often took turns hosting dinner so going over to their house one particular night didn't strike me as weird or special. I loved Gloria. She was awesome. And even though her sons were older than me, they still put up with me. We ate dinner all together and then started watching a movie. The volume was up pretty loud and I think we had some Lincoln Logs we were playing with down on the floor. I didn't really notice that my parents slipped out of the house during this time but I do recall being told to stay in the living room which was at the back of the house. I learned later that my parents were standing outside, protecting Gloria and Willy's house from a group of KKK members who had been threatening them for weeks. We spent several nights at Gloria's for the next few weeks. This was Southern Missouri in the late 80s. Events like this were rather common unfortunately. This story highlights how I was brought up; to treat everyone as equal no matter their education, background, color, gender, or beliefs.
I bring this up to preface what I am about to delve into, to say I am not jumping on a side because it is "the white side" or "fighting for the minority". The lessons my parents taught me stuck and I see people as people, no separate categories because of the pigment of their skin. Bottom line, I want justice to take place with a non biased, thorough investigation of what went down on August 9th. I have attempted to refrain from posting anything on social media regarding my feelings about what has been going down less than two hours from me but my frustration has boiled over and is driving me nuts. So many people want to jump to it being strictly a race issue. I won't say that it didn't play a factor but that might not be the whole issue. What about this kid walking down the street in daylight caused the officer to feel the need to draw his weapon? Should the video of him robbing a convenient store come into play?
Let's start with Ferguson, MO. For the people back home, it is comparable to the south Lakewood and Parkland areas. It isn't as bad as East St. Louis but it's not a place you get ice cream and skip down the streets either. This is a place I lock my car doors if I have to drive through. I wouldn't stop for gas in this area and I have my phone charging in case I needed it. To be honest, I would drive out of my way to avoid going through that area all together. Why? I know several people who have been mugged or harassed in that area. Being short and unformidable, I opt to play it safe. Crime has been on the decline in the areas surrounding Ferguson but it's reputation persists for a reason.
A point I keep hearing on the news is that there are only three African American police officers on the 50+ member Ferguson Police Department. Yes, Ferguson is predominately an African American community but what about some other statistics. The Ferguson-Florissant area has a graduation rate of around 70% but close to 50% of fourth graders have below average reading abilities. These statistics make it less likely for kids from that area to go on to enroll in a police academy or college. The majority of the citizens are blue collar workers. There is also the negative connotation regarding cops that is ever present in the poorer communities which Ferguson most certainly is.
How about the witnesses? Somehow I was venture to bet that Brown's friend is pretty biased as most people's friends or family would be. As for the other witnesses that claim to have watched the shooting go down, what caused them to turn their attention to Brown and Wilson? Was it the sound of bullets or was it shouting that took place prior? Did they actually see the whole thing or just the final moments? And unfortunately, stemming from an embarrassing history with white people (yes, I have white guilt for the things my ancestors did prior to my existence), there is a tendency for the African American community to band together when one of their own falls. Need an example? How about OJ Simpson who is still defended to this day even after he wrote a book about how he might have carried out the murders. What I am simply trying to say is we may not have good unbiased witnesses to help answer the question of what happened leading up to the trigger being pulled.
Let's talk about the video. While this is just my take on what I saw in the video, I doubt anyone would try to argue that Brown was being friendly to the convenient store cashier. I would label him a bully and if I were in the cashier's shoes I would have felt threatened by the body language used. While he was unarmed, it does not take a knife, gun, or other weapon to be threatening or cause damage. He had none of those items as he robbed the convenient store but was able to use his force to terrify another human. This is in vast contrast to the angelic depiction I have heard his family try to portray.
Do I think it is fishy that we have yet to hear a description of the incident from the officer involved? Yes. Do I think things have been handled poorly? Most definitely. Do I think people are acting appropriately? An emphatic NO. There is no reason for the looting and destruction that we have seen in the week and a half since Brown's death. I have friends working in the hospitals around the area that have seen multiple injuries each night of the protests. These injuries have included stab and gunshot wounds to go along with the tear gas. At least 10 police officers have been taken to the hospital during this time. An eye for an eye is not a way to solve this.
Now we have another fatal shooting involving an officer. The environment that has been present around St. Louis for decades needs to be changed. It is going to take a lot for relations to be rebuilt. Trying to figure out the right way to move forward likely doesn't come with easy solutions. The first thing that needs to happen is to allow the investigation to be done before jumping to the conclusion that it is going to be corrupted. I want to believe in our justice system and I want others to have faith in it as well. I want citizens to have a sense of security and officers to feel safe while on the job. I want the media to stop stirring up further problems and stop giving camera time to the non-peaceful rioters and looters.
I want everyone to be safe and not have to worry about walking down the street. I want bullying to not be okay. I want race issues to be the only thing that is dead.
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