In Ferguson:
Monday evening the results of the Grand Jury investigation into the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by Ferguson, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson on August 9th were announced. The Grand Jury declined to indict Wilson. Demonstrations and violence followed. Protests have been reported in 13 cities.
Officials commented that the next night was not as intense. At least 44 people were arrested as protests erupted. Most of the arrests were for misdemeanors. The arrests included people residing in New York, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Two guns and a Molotov cocktail were seized, while rocks, broken tent poles and bottles were hurled at officers. Windows were broken at City Hall and tear gas was deployed.
Protesters torched a police car and smashed windows at businesses that had not already boarded up their storefronts. Missouri governor Jay Nixon deployed 2000 National Guard troops to patrol the St. Louis area. These are clearly not peaceful demonstrations. These violent and destructive acts are the work of street thugs. Some coming from out of state to join the mayhem.
If the Grand Jury did indict Officer Wilson, Federal civil rights charges against him prosecutors would have to show that the police officer used excessive force willfully, knowing it was wrong. Wilson states that he has done his job. He has done nothing wrong, and his conscience is clear. A conviction, given this high bar of proof, would be unlikely. In any case an indictment is not a conviction. So even if the Grand Jury had indicted, that would not provide the justice people seek.
More likely would be civil proceedings by Brown's family and disciplinary actions by local and state police. In a civil suit such as a wrongful death action in state court or federal court the burden of proof would be only a "preponderance of the evidence".
I believe at it's source is the belief that our judicial system is slanted against blacks and in many communities blacks are treated unfairly and intimidated. This is what fuels the anger and frustration that many blacks feel. This is what needs to be addressed. While we have taken many steps forward in creating equality among the race, we still have very far to go.
What do you think ?
