Ferguson

Stopped by our usual gathering spot on Friday evening.  A couple of the conversations among the patrons were focused on the events in Ferguson, MO, and the "hands up" gesture at the start of the Washington-Cleveland NFL game.  I did not care to join in, but from what I overheard, the tone was fairly ugly.

Howard University

One of the regulars, an impish little 70-something retired guy, turned to me and said, "Can you believe all that reaction about Ferguson?  One black guy gets killed, and the whole world goes crazy!"  Since I didn't want to get into it, I replied that it looked like the town had calmed down, and I quickly moved on to other people and other things.

But now I'd like to say, yeah, I can believe it.  And I can understand it, and I can sympathize, and I can agree with the protesters, and I can appreciate their anger.  Why can't you?

Washington-Cleveland preseason game

This is not to excuse the looting, but it's so much more than just "one black guy getting killed" (a heartless phrasing if ever there was one, diminishing and dismissing Michael Brown's very existence).  It's about how he was killed, and why, and the police response, all of it framed by our national history of racism.

Michael Brown was unarmed.  He was accosted by the police for walking in an empty street.  He was shot at least 6 times, including once in the back and twice in the head.  Eyewitnesses say Brown had his hands raised.  His body was left bleeding and uncovered on the street for over 4 hours.  The policeman who killed him remains free and uncharged, and was not even identified for several days while the cops got their story together.  Protesters were met with a ridiculously militarized police response that was a step backward in time -- all too reminiscent of the bad old days of Selma, Montgomery and Little Rock.

And you really can't believe that the citizens of Ferguson, and the entire country, might be just a trifle upset?

#HANDSUPDONTSHOOT

Black people in America, from all walks of life, have a very understandable distrust of law enforcement, and they've come by it honestly.  They've had it up to here with being targeted, profiled, harassed, insulted, and stopped-and-frisked by law enforcement.  They are sick and tired of being arrested for driving while black, walking while black, and standing while black.  And they really dislike being beaten or killed for no reason.

Can't you see that?

Michael Brown was buried today.  Time for a change.

#EYESCLOSEDDONTTHINK