My heart goes out to the family that lost their son in the Ferguson, Missouri police shooting. I also hold the officer in my thoughts and prayers as well. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are questionable and do warrant investigation, but the investigation needs to be done by officials and not by the media or persons using the "social media" on the Internet. That applies to me as well, as I do not know anymore about this shooting than anyone else who was not there. Having said that, it is obvious that the burden of proving his actions were justified falls on the police officer since the suspect was unarmed. And, having said that, I would also like to point out another "obvious," and that is if a police officer fears for his life, he is justified in using deadly force to save his life. It is the police officer's own judgment that determines if he is in fear for his life. Only the Ferguson officer knew if he was in fear for his life.
Leaving the investigation to qualified investigators, I would like to say that one aspect of the Ferguson situation puzzles me: Why all the rioting? By that I mean the looting of stores and burning of buildings. The rioters are tearing down their own neighborhoods! Are they "protesting?" Well, a captain of the Missouri State Police marched WITH the protesters a day after the shooting. That protest was peaceful and was carried out in a lawful manner. But the next day another protest turned into a "loot fest!" Theft and criminal mischief carried out on the pretext of protest surely dims the value of the protest. In memory of the dead man, people are stealing furniture and television sets? What a way to honor this young man! The State Police offered a venue for protest that could have garnered results and captured the nation's attention; instead, the reason for the protest is far overshadowed by the mob violence. Now the people are under martial law in Ferguson, and several people have been injured in the ongoing and senseless violence. None of this accomplishes the goal, which should be to keep up a never-ending demand for justice, for both the dead man and the officer.
In the midst of the violence and the demands for a thorough and impartial investigation into this tragedy, President Obama finally spoke to the people. On the one hand, I have to grudgingly give credit to this, our worst President ever, because he took time off from yet another vacation to call for calm and reason instead of more violence. In fact President Obama said there was "never an excuse for violence against the police or for violence and rioting in the streets." The President went on to say that there was never an excuse for the police to use excessive force, which is also true. I have to complement Mr. Obama in that he did not "weigh in" on the side of the dead man, but called for both restraint and for a non-biased investigation of the Ferguson shooting.
On the other hand, I find it very ironic (I would say humorous but I have too much respect for the people involved in this situation) that President Obama is demanding that the Ferguson Police Department be "open and transparent" with the people of Ferguson about this incident. Yes, I believe the investigation should be open and transparent. The irony is that President Obama had the gall to call on this municipal police department to open with the people when Mr. Obama's own Administration has been the most closed and murky administration since President Nixon approved the Watergate Hotel burglary. How hypocritical, Mr. Obama! How do you have the nerve to even utter the words "open" and "transparent" to anyone! And President Obama wants the people of Ferguson and the United States to trust and believe in an investigation that could be handled by Attorney General Holder or one of his minions? The President who allowed the National Security Agency to spy (or at least to continue spying) on Americans suspected of no crime at all. The Attorney General who approved, if not oversaw, the infamous Operation Fast And Furious, the gunrunning operation which left two federal officers dead (as well as no telling how many Mexican officers, soldiers, civilians, and drug cartel members).
Holder's Department of Justice only charged ONE PERSON with "hate crimes" in the "knock out game" that has played out in the streets of our nation. It was a White man (in Texas, by the way) who knocked out a Black man. Many Black men were charged with simple assault for their part in the "knock out game," many times they assaulted White persons. But not one single Black man was charged with a hate crime. Some Department of Justice! I believe the Ferguson police officer would be in better hands if the NAACP were in charge of the investigation! That organization is a respectable one, and would pursue the matter, but with fairness based on the evidence.
The Ferguson police officer made a decision under stress that cost the life of an unarmed man. Was the shooting justified? I don't know, but the family of the victim and the citizens of Ferguson are right to demand a thorough, unbiased, and professional investigation of this incident. The Ferguson Police Department should demand the same as well; however, police officers should never hesitate to defend themselves if they believe their own lives are at stake. I hope that reason will eventually prevail with the rioters, who are only victimizing themselves at this point. I would not want to live under martial law, and I hope that martial law will be lifted as soon as possible. On the surface this particular shooting seems questionable. If the officer acted improperly and unjustifiably, he should be charged with the appropriate crime, not just simply fired from his job. I hope that the Department of (In)Justice proves me wrong this time, that federal officials do a real investigation in this case. The nation needs openness and transparency from its police departments, but it needs the same from its elected and appointed officials as well.
Leaving the investigation to qualified investigators, I would like to say that one aspect of the Ferguson situation puzzles me: Why all the rioting? By that I mean the looting of stores and burning of buildings. The rioters are tearing down their own neighborhoods! Are they "protesting?" Well, a captain of the Missouri State Police marched WITH the protesters a day after the shooting. That protest was peaceful and was carried out in a lawful manner. But the next day another protest turned into a "loot fest!" Theft and criminal mischief carried out on the pretext of protest surely dims the value of the protest. In memory of the dead man, people are stealing furniture and television sets? What a way to honor this young man! The State Police offered a venue for protest that could have garnered results and captured the nation's attention; instead, the reason for the protest is far overshadowed by the mob violence. Now the people are under martial law in Ferguson, and several people have been injured in the ongoing and senseless violence. None of this accomplishes the goal, which should be to keep up a never-ending demand for justice, for both the dead man and the officer.
In the midst of the violence and the demands for a thorough and impartial investigation into this tragedy, President Obama finally spoke to the people. On the one hand, I have to grudgingly give credit to this, our worst President ever, because he took time off from yet another vacation to call for calm and reason instead of more violence. In fact President Obama said there was "never an excuse for violence against the police or for violence and rioting in the streets." The President went on to say that there was never an excuse for the police to use excessive force, which is also true. I have to complement Mr. Obama in that he did not "weigh in" on the side of the dead man, but called for both restraint and for a non-biased investigation of the Ferguson shooting.
On the other hand, I find it very ironic (I would say humorous but I have too much respect for the people involved in this situation) that President Obama is demanding that the Ferguson Police Department be "open and transparent" with the people of Ferguson about this incident. Yes, I believe the investigation should be open and transparent. The irony is that President Obama had the gall to call on this municipal police department to open with the people when Mr. Obama's own Administration has been the most closed and murky administration since President Nixon approved the Watergate Hotel burglary. How hypocritical, Mr. Obama! How do you have the nerve to even utter the words "open" and "transparent" to anyone! And President Obama wants the people of Ferguson and the United States to trust and believe in an investigation that could be handled by Attorney General Holder or one of his minions? The President who allowed the National Security Agency to spy (or at least to continue spying) on Americans suspected of no crime at all. The Attorney General who approved, if not oversaw, the infamous Operation Fast And Furious, the gunrunning operation which left two federal officers dead (as well as no telling how many Mexican officers, soldiers, civilians, and drug cartel members).
Holder's Department of Justice only charged ONE PERSON with "hate crimes" in the "knock out game" that has played out in the streets of our nation. It was a White man (in Texas, by the way) who knocked out a Black man. Many Black men were charged with simple assault for their part in the "knock out game," many times they assaulted White persons. But not one single Black man was charged with a hate crime. Some Department of Justice! I believe the Ferguson police officer would be in better hands if the NAACP were in charge of the investigation! That organization is a respectable one, and would pursue the matter, but with fairness based on the evidence.
The Ferguson police officer made a decision under stress that cost the life of an unarmed man. Was the shooting justified? I don't know, but the family of the victim and the citizens of Ferguson are right to demand a thorough, unbiased, and professional investigation of this incident. The Ferguson Police Department should demand the same as well; however, police officers should never hesitate to defend themselves if they believe their own lives are at stake. I hope that reason will eventually prevail with the rioters, who are only victimizing themselves at this point. I would not want to live under martial law, and I hope that martial law will be lifted as soon as possible. On the surface this particular shooting seems questionable. If the officer acted improperly and unjustifiably, he should be charged with the appropriate crime, not just simply fired from his job. I hope that the Department of (In)Justice proves me wrong this time, that federal officials do a real investigation in this case. The nation needs openness and transparency from its police departments, but it needs the same from its elected and appointed officials as well.
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