It occurs to me that many people are making an emotional decision on which side they come down on. Regarding the events in Ferguson, Missouri, I have read the arguments, I hear the logic and the hate from both sides. It is undeniable that something serious is wrong with this entire situation.
On one side we have an argument that Michael Brown, while not necessarily a saint, did not deserve to be gunned down in the street. He was an unarmed 18-year-old, surrendering to an officer of the law.
On the other side, we have the argument that Michael Brown was a thug, on a rampage after just having robbed a convenience store and assaulting a police officer. He was an unarmed 18-year-old charging an officer of the law.
So which was it? We have two very conflicting stories. Is this one of those situations where the truth lies somewhere in the middle?
I really don’t think it does in this case. However, we may never know as the grand jury has decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson. We are left with a decision that leaves us with a lot of unanswered questions.
So now what? Is the best answer violent protests, where we destroy our own neighborhoods and loot from local businesses?
No, I don’t think that is the answer. Sure it may make some people feel better to vent their rage from the feeling that justice was not served. But is it really productive? Hardly. Creating a situation where we place others in danger is not an answer to stopping the injustice. In the past it has mostly served to create a division between those that felt wronged by the system and those that feel they must keep order.
I think that in order to move forward from this we need to look at the root cause of this. In places like Ferguson, we see a culture that has cultivated the idea that those that are not like us are against us.
From the black community we see that there is fear and distrust of the justice system. And rightly so, as they are having people who fear and distrust them, enforce the laws in their community.
From law enforcement we see fear and distrust of the community they are charged with protecting. I can see how they can justify this position. Most are outsiders, in a community that fears and distrusts them.
Now the question becomes, how can we avoid this in the future? It is no longer about justice for the dead innocents. It is no longer about justice for the wrongfully accused. It becomes about how we treat each other in those most stressful of moments. Those moments when someone’s life is on is on the line.
While I do not have all the answers, I can weigh in on some questions. I think this answer is very clear. We treat others with the respect they deserve. We make every attempt to avoid the death of another by our hands. Lethal force is, and should always be a last resort.
There is a reason that officers have been given pepper spray and Tasers. There is a reason they have been, or should have been, taught non-lethal techniques for taking down a suspect.
But when we take lethal action as a first instinct, then something has gone very wrong.
Robert Ray lives in Granite Falls.
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