Situation: Ferguson

Be careful what you wish for: The wife and I wanted to put the Grate State of California behind us. So, last year we moved her to Missouri while I renovated and sold our home in LA. We leased a nice house, with a big fenced-in yard for the pups, in a quiet 'burb of NW St Louis.

Ten miles from Ferguson. 

Frack.

There's no doubt that the situation here is very tense. The Michael Brown shooting has been the activist's cause célèbre for the three months since that August day. Professional agitators such as Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, President Obama, the new Black Panthers, etc. are working hard to keep the incident in the national consciousness. Most of the mainstream media seems to be bent on keeping the country's eyeballs on this issue, often resorting to sensationalism and questionable reportage.

It's much the same here in St Louis - but even more so. The news is full of Ferguson: protestors are the top stories almost nightly. They’re earnest, involved – and angry. They’re continuously marching, protesting, training, holding press conferences, conducting street theater- all greedily sucked in by the news cameras. The possibility of violence is unstated, but there nonetheless.  

See if this doesn't chill your spine: Ferguson Action

City and state officials make occasion appearances. Their talk is all on their preparations and their support the First Amendment Rights of the protestors. The hidden, heavy hand of political correctness weighs on their words and actions. Signs of preparation can be found. Additional poice presence, training, additional expenditures, etc. The Feds are in evidence: seventy Homeland Security vehicles were photographed in a hotel parking structure. (At four per vehicle, that's 280 agents.) 

Average Joe is the one with little media attention. They're the ones that'll take the brunt of any disruption. Their businesses, homes and loved ones are being literally put under the gun – for something they do not think they’ve done. I’ve seen fear, but even more frustration with the activists apparently willing to resort to random violence to get their ends. A lot aren’t afraid to call this terrorism - and demand it be treated as such. Many are responding by purchasing their first gun, and many are seeing young blacks buying concealable handguns.

In spite of all their concerns, the citizens are being told to go about their business. Then, oh-so politically correct MO Gov. Jay Nixon declares a state of emergency and calls in the National Guard. (BTW: ol’ Jay is incredibly inarticulate when someone is not putting words in his mouth. His incompetence would be laughable if it weren’t for the critical nature of these times.) The stress levels appreciably jumped, and then jumped again when the FBI said to expect violence.

Everyone’s on edge waiting for the Grand Jury’s decision.  

I remain cautiously hopeful: the months the officials have spent preparing will probably limit the violence in Ferguson. However, it’s very likely that other spots will erupt around the city – and the nation.  EVERYONE, regardless of their location, should look to their preps in the next days. 

We’ve been warned.

I’m going to stay with my prediction of an indictment of Officer Wilson: based entirely on the last two shots that entered Michael Brown’s head from above. It will be far too easy for the GJ to question the timing of those shots – and refer the issue to a court of law. There, I believe a jury with all the evidence, presented by both sides, *should* acquit Wilson. What happens then…