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Missouri intends to treat peaceful protest as violent riot again, as the governor orders in National Guard to Ferguson, Missouri after the late-night announcement that the grand jury convened to determine whether criminal charges would be brought when Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown declined to press charges. And you can thank mainstream media outlets for helping to perpetuate the idea that Ferguson is only composed of rioters. It should be obvious that lots and lots of people protest the Michael Brown decision peacefully all across the country, but it's unlikely that those people will make it to the news, unless it can be spun as a negative element, like backing up traffic.
Instead of subsisting solely on one viewpoint's diet, you can examine the documents and transcripts presented to the jury yourself. And realize that schools sent homework with their students just in case things became problematic or unsafe for schools to operate, which should point out where everyone was expecting the police response to go.
There's a lot that white people can do to be allies while these situations unfold.
What makes this different than the police officer that shot the 12 year-old who had a toy gun? The presence of surveillance video so as to provide a dispassionate eye to events, instead of relying on witness statements and the opinion of the shooting officer? Or other shootings between white police officers and young black men? The way the current system works, justice for victims is functionally impossible, no matter where the incident happens, so that makes seemingly-disparate events inexorably linked. Requiring outside investigation into all shooting masters would be a tiny step in the right direction.
Of course, peaceful protest tends to result in arrests, so there's a need for a legal defense fund for those arrested. And if you're not in Ferguson, several protests nationwide are scheduled for Friday and likely beyond.
For this scenario to change, to prevent the next incident, it goes beyond just police. It requires a retooling of how the entire country works.
Because black lives matter.
Instead of subsisting solely on one viewpoint's diet, you can examine the documents and transcripts presented to the jury yourself. And realize that schools sent homework with their students just in case things became problematic or unsafe for schools to operate, which should point out where everyone was expecting the police response to go.
There's a lot that white people can do to be allies while these situations unfold.
What makes this different than the police officer that shot the 12 year-old who had a toy gun? The presence of surveillance video so as to provide a dispassionate eye to events, instead of relying on witness statements and the opinion of the shooting officer? Or other shootings between white police officers and young black men? The way the current system works, justice for victims is functionally impossible, no matter where the incident happens, so that makes seemingly-disparate events inexorably linked. Requiring outside investigation into all shooting masters would be a tiny step in the right direction.
Of course, peaceful protest tends to result in arrests, so there's a need for a legal defense fund for those arrested. And if you're not in Ferguson, several protests nationwide are scheduled for Friday and likely beyond.
For this scenario to change, to prevent the next incident, it goes beyond just police. It requires a retooling of how the entire country works.
Because black lives matter.
