Thursday, October 9, 2014

Ferguson: Two Months Later

It looks like the situation in Ferguson, MO has stabilized – and that’s not good. Two months after Michael Brown’s death, it still feels like the city is balanced upon a knife edge, waiting only for a touch to fall into chaos.

(nationalmemo.com)
As our readers may know, I have a very personal interest in the unrest: my wife lives about 10 miles from Ferguson and she works much closer. I’ll be joining her there as soon as the Cali house closes. I’ve spent weeks listening to her info and reading; trying to understand, analyze and predict the situation from 1832 miles away. Her nerves are a bit frazzled, but thankfully, she’s as safe as anyone in the area. During that period, I developed a number of impressions which I’d like to share. Be assured, these observations can and must change as additional information becomes available.   

Michael Brown
(Family Photo/ Facebook)
Midday August 9, 2014, eighteen year old Michael Brown was shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Michael Brown was black, Wilson is white. Beyond those few facts, the info available to the public is largely incomplete, one-sided, hearsay, self-serving, unclear or contradictory. The police are naturally reluctant and many times legally prevented from releasing information about the ongoing investigation. What little official info released, such as the past histories of the officer and the deceased, is carefully parsed. Into that void, factoids, spin, speculation and outright misinformation flows.    

The St Louis County Police Department assumed control of the investigation and their finding are being presented before the Grand Jury. Results are expected to be unsealed about mid-November. Wielding the might of the FBI, Eric Holder’s Department of Justice is conducting a multi-pronged investigation for possible civil rights violations by Wilson and the Ferguson Police Department as a whole.

Al Sharpton and Mike Brown's Body
(atlantadailyworld.com)
It’s abundantly clear that Ferguson is no longer about Michael Brown. The parameters of the case have been ignored or spun along the preexisting state and national racial fault lines. Activists of both sides have assumed control of the spotlight. Witness the funeral of Michael Brown twisted into a bloody-shirt rally. Race huckster Al Sharpton gave a speech over Brown's coffin that was all but an incitement to riot. Incredibly, Sharpton, with all of his racialist baggage, was an Obama Administration official representative at the funeral. The president even wrung his hands over Ferguson in a decidedly strange moment before the UN. There can be no doubt about which side Obama is backing.

Protesting at the St Louis Cardinals Game
(Mariah Stewart - The Huffington Post)
Outside activists continue to press their own Ferguson-camouflaged agendas. After the riot could no longer be extended, they immediately started pushing to replace the St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney for what could be seen as a deficiency of melanin.  Recently, several vocal supporters interrupted a performance of the St Louis Symphony. A small group protested outside the St Louis/ Dodger playoff chanting “Justice For Mike Brown” and were countered by some foul-mouthed fans chanting “Let’s Go Darren”: a bad show all around. Violence seems to be the goal of the few: a shooting of a Ferguson cop resulted in a night long confrontation in front of the Community Center, orchestrated by 5 to 10 angry activists.

Obama Discussing Ferguson
Before the UN
(Richard Drew, AP)
The leitmotif is by no means restricted to the small time agitators. The media has been relentless in promoting its version of the tragedy, emphasizing the provocative unarmed teen vs white cop meme. Eric Holder and Obama have similarly been active in attempting to overtly shape popular opinion.

If I had to guess what will happen - based on what little is known - I think Officer Wilson will be indicted for excessive force: for the last two shots that went into Michael Brown’s head from above. It will be far too easy for the GJ to refer the questions around those two shots for resolution by trail. Then, unlike today's ongoing media barrage, a jury will be presented with the totality of facts and explanations and theories from both sides. Officer Wilson will have to hope for an unbiased,  intelligent, wise and above all, brave jury. And just like the first Rodney King and George Zimmerman trials, despite all the efforts of the activists and the media, I feel the cop will be acquitted.
     
What happens then?… I have only fears. 
(Mike Ramirez - IBD)

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3 comments:

  1. ArcherOctober 9, 2014 at 10:36 AM

    It's amazing how the race hucksters can make anything into a racial issue. From overt acts, to "microaggressions", to "NRA == KKK", even the most innocuous and innocent actions become racially-motivated.

    Our new "post-racial world" has become consumed by racial tension. It's no longer about "equality"; they have equality under the law and in the eyes and hearts of the community. Now, it's about punishment. The hucksters call it by a different name, but that's what it is. Slavery ended (approximately) five generations ago, and the youngest two generations weren't around for the Civil Rights movement, but they can still be whipped into a violently-angry mob over the injustices of yester-century — and never mind that the Civil Rights movement was about NON-violent civil disobedience.

    As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. We can thank the likes of "Reverends" Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for that.

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  2. Home on the RangeOctober 12, 2014 at 6:33 AM

    I'm keeping an eye on it as well, as business takes me near by there, every couple of months, the last two trips rescheduled, because I didn't want to be there. My crash pad is 2 and a half hours east. If things get bad and she needs to get out of there before you are there, let me know. She is welcome to use my place.

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    1. Charlie FoxtrotOctober 18, 2014 at 8:18 AM

      Thank you for the extraordinarily kind offer, Brigid. We're very fortunate that the house we chose to accommodate our two fractious German Shedders happens to be surrounded by a great group of neighbors. They almost immediately took the wife under their wing - a decidedly odd experience for California natives that lived on a street for years and did not know the neighbor across the way. Given the realities, a bug-in is the likely scenario - and she is well prepared for that.

      She's reciprocating the neighbor's kindness; today she's holding a Saturday at the Range to *safely* introduce or refamiliarize the neighbors to 9mm pistols. Several of the neighbors want to arm for self defense, so she showing them the safe handling of the various 9s available.

      I think she - and the neighbors - will be fine. They're also discussing mutual assistance in case of emergencies. Good on them.

      If the house sale continues as planned, I should be back in St Looney with her within weeks - just in time for the Grand Jury's findings. Oh, joy. But, at least she'll have her bullet sponge with her. ;)

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