I have wanted to write about what is happening in Ferguson, MO for some time, but the events are so confusing, I have been stuck on what to write.
In August a Ferguson police officer, Darren Wilson, shot and killed an African- American teenager, Michael Brown. According to the articles I have read, Michael Brown and another teenager were caught on video stealing cigarillos from a liquor store. They proceeded to walk down the middle of the street. Officer Wilson stopped the two asking them to clear the street. He determined the two fit the description of the two men who stole from the liquor store. Officer Brown used his SUV to block the sidewalk and traffic. An altercation occurs while Officer Wilson is in his car. Shots are fired and Mr. Brown flees on foot with Officer Wilson in pursuit. What happens next is the source of controversy.
Mr. Brown turned and faced Officer Wilson. According to some, Mr. Brown was turning to put his hands up in surrender, to others he turned to threaten and rush the officer. Officer Wilson shot and killed Mr. Brown.
After the incident, the town has erupted with protests, riots, and looting. The distrust of the police, which already existed before the incident, was glaringly evident. At one point the governor opted to deploy the Missouri Highway Patrol to try to reestablish law and order.
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The incident was turned over to the Grand Jury to determine if a crime had been committed by the officer. On November 24th the Grand Jury chose not to indict Officer Wilson with the shooting death of Michael Brown. This has restarted the protests, not only in Ferguson, but across the country.
These are simple details of the events. If you are interested in the complete timeline, below is a link to the timeline from USA Today:
The entire incident is so confusing and troubling. I cannot make sense of the issue and how to resolve my feelings. I read a release from Benjamin Watson, a football player with the New Orleans Saints. His words helped me to at least reconcile why I am so torn by the events. His words are below:
Benjamin Watson 82,476 Likes
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At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts:
I'M ANGRY because the stories of injustice that have been passed down for generations seem to be continuing before our very eyes.
I'M FRUSTRATED, because pop culture, music and movies glorify these types of police citizen altercations and promote an invincible attitude that continues to get young men killed in real life, away from safety movie sets and music studios.
I'M FEARFUL because in the back of my mind I know that although I'm a law abiding citizen I could still be looked upon as a "threat" to those who don't know me. So I will continue to have to go the extra mile to earn the benefit of the doubt.
I'M EMBARRASSED because the looting, violent protests, and law breaking only confirm, and in the minds of many, validate, the stereotypes and thus the inferior treatment.
I'M SAD, because another young life was lost from his family, the racial divide has widened, a community is in shambles, accusations, insensitivity hurt and hatred are boiling over, and we may never know the truth about what happened that day.
I'M SYMPATHETIC, because I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Darren Wilson acted within his rights and duty as an officer of the law and killed Michael Brown in self defense like any of us would in the circumstance. Now he has to fear the backlash against himself and his loved ones when he was only doing his job. What a horrible thing to endure. OR maybe he provoked Michael and ignited the series of events that led to him eventually murdering the young man to prove a point.
I'M OFFENDED, because of the insulting comments I've seen that are not only insensitive but dismissive to the painful experiences of others.
I'M CONFUSED, because I don't know why it's so hard to obey a policeman. You will not win!!! And I don't know why some policeman abuse their power. Power is a responsibility, not a weapon to brandish and lord over the populace.
I'M INTROSPECTIVE, because sometimes I want to take "our" side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That's not right.
I'M HOPELESS, because I've lived long enough to expect things like this to continue to happen. I'm not surprised and at some point my little children are going to inherit the weight of being a minority and all that it entails.
I'M HOPEFUL, because I know that while we still have race issues in America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and grandparents. I see it in my personal relationships with teammates, friends and mentors. And it's a beautiful thing.
I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through the his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope.
What do you think can be done to help Ferguson heal and move forward in the immediate future? What needs to change in society to prevent these types of situations from occurring? I want you to think hard and provide a well thought out, articulate recommendation. I encourage you to talk to others about it to work out some ideas. I am not asking for you to tell me who is right or who is wrong. I want you to try to find an answer.
I think that we can help Ferguson get through the riots and things by inditing Officer Wilson because the only way that they will have peace is if he is indited. Also Because it is a problem they should use new police officers. what we could try to do is prevent crime, but, we all know that wont happen. what we also could do is not revolt in angry protests. we should also put the person before the looks of that person.(Discused with Lucas G)
ReplyDeleteI get your point, Peter, but I kind of disagree. We were not there, and do not know for sure what happened. What if the officer actually had a right to shoot Micheal? I also think that there still would not be be peace if Officer Wilson was accused, because a young man still died. This brought fresh the idea of racism, which is not solved by just one person accused, whether it be falsely or accurately.
DeleteI think that the best thing to help Ferguson to heal would be to give that area more time and to withdrawal police because that is why the people are angry. In society, we need to do a lot of things to keep this stuff from happening. We need to advertise staying away from drugs and illegal activities. We also need to not take these occurrences like they are super racist. If the act was racist, we should make sure that the person doesn't do anything racist again. But if the act was in self defense and the assailant happened to be a person with black skin, we accept it. I also think that we should, when we reference people with different race, ethnicity, of skin color; we put the person before the feature. We finally should do peaceful protests, and not riot.
ReplyDelete(I discussed with Peter)
I think that in order to change society, we need to educate kids about respecting police and about how crime is bad. I think that this would really help society in preventing cases like the Michel Brown one.
DeleteI think what could be done to Ferguson to heal and move forward is to handle riots peacefully because that would be safer for the environment and the people who live in it. What needs to change in order to prevent these types of things again is to stop the racialism because it hurts peoples feelings and if we can prevent that then less of these issues might come up.
ReplyDeleteThis is a BIG story for this decade. I think Ferguson needs to just let it all out. Protest - not violently - and let the globe know about the case and let the listeners decide who's right, wrong, or if the outcome even matters. These people doing the looting and rioting need to do a reality check - in the coming years, Ferguson will essentially be a battleground and it won't be a good place to live anymore. On the same note, Ferguson residents should do what is right for the future of the community, state, nation, world.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest way that this type of thing can be prevented is through awareness and education and losing all the stereotypes. That means for people to understand that there are different people out there, and in some cases, different intentions. Adding on to the general awareness, we need to respect differences and see people for who they are.
I also think that this will be looked into more, in terms of Stand Your Ground Laws and people pleading for another look at the case. I would be very unhappy to see the case of Michael Brown be closed and forgotten in America. One of the disappointing yet true truths is that there are some people in Ferguson that won't stop until Wilson is indicted. One thing that really struck me during class discussion on 12/3 is that no one...NO ONE...will ever know what happened. Sadly, people will still take sides and judge.
Since I'm not a citizen of Ferguson, or even the southern United States, I can't directly say what can be done to move forward in this horrible event. The fact is that a human being died, and that should never happen. But, I feel like I might know some solutions- not easy- that will help for the community to grow closer, while helping to resolve this problem.
ReplyDeletePeople need to get back to basics: a human being died, and that is not okay. Robbing, looting, and performing other illegal acts is not going to bring anyone back, and I'm quite doubtful that is what Michael Brown, or ANYONE would have wanted. I can not change anyone's personal biases, so I don't completely know how to restore peace to Ferguson, Missouri. Though, I believe that with the guidance of strong leaders in our community, people will be able to mourn in a constructive manner, and hopefully put forward a plan to lessen the chance that this will happen again. I feel like a strong, vigorous planning in the police system is one way to help prevent this from repeating itself. I also believe that people trusting in God, and trying to focus on building a better and more peaceful society will have a monumental impact. I don't believe that a personal bias can be avoided by anyone- but I think that being raised with strong values and virtues will mitigate the effects of these biases.
I believe that the second question eventually loops back to what I have previously stated; we must take action to prevent these things from occurring again. Raiding, looting, and pillaging is not the answer and will only bring on a bigger onslaught and divide of prejudice, as well as chaos in our society. There are notions in everyday life that show racism, but also a stereotypical point of view. By turning on the television, there are stereotypes that eventually make us think that a certain ethnic group is 'bad,' or that a particular race is 'bad.' Monitoring and keeping in check these things will help deter these kinds of incidents from happening again, and promoting a society in which we can live together without being sensitive to other people who are different than us. (In this case "race")
Though there are no immediate solutions to what happened in Ferguson, I believe that there are long term goals that can be put into place, and if these are at least attempted, a more peaceful and unitized society will be in the future.
This is a really hard topic for me to talk about, because I have lived in Boise my whole life and have never known anything else. But it pains me that there are places where a young man had to die, and that a police officer had to live with himself for doing it. I feel for both Officer Wilson and Michael Brown, because I can see both their sides of the story. It scares me to think that discrimination is still bubbling so close to the surface, even though it was nearly 50 years ago. Why are we still so sensitive about this? I think it is because of our strong opinions. We live in a society where we have a right to voice our opinions, and because of it we feel it is necessary to burn buildings and loot stores because our opinion needs to be heard. We are willing to destroy someone's life work, just so they can know how we feel. But, no matter what happened that night, no matter who is guilty, a teenage boy died that day, and he will no longer be on this earth and be able to do all the things everyone else can do.
ReplyDeleteAnd so the question comes to mind as to what to do in Ferguson to help the community heal. I think what we need to do is put our own opinions aside, for just a little, and come together to accept these few thoughts: a young man, nearing the prime of his life, died, and a man will now have to life the rest of his life with that guilt. Can't we feel sorry for both of them? For Michael's family, who lost their son, and for Officer Wilson, who now must live his life with that guilt (whether or not he was acting out of instinct or violence). If we continue this violent protesting, you will only continue to reopen the wounds of Michael' family and Officer Wilson. Please, stop the violence and help the community heal after this tragedy and stop the violent protests.
For the long term healing of Ferguson and for the rest of the US, I think we need to do the one thing God is constantly asking us to do: forgive. We need to forgive because we are PEOPLE. And people will make mistakes. I do it every day, and everyone I know does too. I have lived on this earth long enough to know that every person on earth will make mistakes. Some are small and insignificant, but other mistakes are life changing. Whether or not Officer Wilson was acting out of prejudice or if it was something he felt he truly needed to do, it won't matter if we can't let this go. I'm not saying we need to forgive him tomorrow or even in a year, but at some point, we need to let it go. Or else, if (God forbid) something like this were to happen again, we would do the same thing we are doing now, because we haven't let this one go. And we haven't let the past go, and that is why we are so upset about this. Yes, a teen did die, but that is not why we are protesting. We are doing this because this is the perfect reason to state that some people still believe that discrimination exists. This is still raw to us. But we have to forgive, because what others did in the past should not affect what we are doing in the present. We must forgive, because it was in the past is the past, and we are people, and we will make mistakes.
These are my opinions of what to do in Ferguson, and I know that they will recover from this eventually. But please keep the entire community of Ferguson in your prayers, so that they may be able to heal.
I think that Ferguson is harder to heal now than it would have been a few months ago. Because the media focused on this the people would have no fuel to riot. The media has been focusing on the negative not the positive. No one knows that Michael's father didn't want the violence but everyone knows his step-father said to burn this town down.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing people are oblivious to is the fact that officer Wilson all have to live with guilt for the rest of his life. Guilt that he shot a man. Guilt that he caused all these riots. The people who know this don't think about the guilt Michael's parents feel. Maybe if they had raised him differently he would be alive and the constant fear of the police.
The police men and women need to restore faith in the government. It couldn't have beeb just this one thing that cause this riot. The rules they set only make people want to rebel more so they are not fixing anything. The people need to be reminded that everyone is human so we all make mistakes. Some are just bigger than others. And finally everyone needs to remember that NONE OF US WERE THERE! Only Michael knows what happened and he cannot tell us. We all just need to believe that the Grand Jury made the right choice.
The thing that society is worried about is racism. NOT EVERY ONE IS RACIST!!!! They all think that everything is racist. Sometimes it is but others it's not. We need to delete the entire idea of racism. Maybe if an African American had shot an english man we would never hear of it. A New York police officer killed a white man but no one knows about that because there is no chance of it being racist.
We all need to keep all of these people in our prayers and hope that things will get better. Maybe then it will heal.
I think that even though police aren't trusted in Ferguson, they should stop these riots. In societies people need to think before they act. If Officer Wilson says he was threatened and that is why he shot Michael Brown, why would he lie. I am taking Officer Wilson's side. I think that he was threatened and shot because he thought he was going to be hurt. People in societies should take that into consideration. Michael Brown was the only one who knew what everyone questions. Was he about to surrender or charge Officer Wilson? Nobody knows besides him and he is not here to tell us. Meanwhile, protests, riots, and loots are happening because of this question that is not answered. So I hope that everybody eventually gets over this and the riots stop.
ReplyDeleteThere is always going to be backlash to what people do. There will be peaceful protests and violent protests, there is nothing we can do except for to hope that the violence becomes more peaceful. People should know their boundaries, because if they cross those boundaries they're on their own. People are focusing on the past rather than the future. Things have gotten out of hand. For now, people should look out for themselves, stay safe, and remain peaceful. To prevent these situations from occurring, we must treat each other respectfully and don't judge based off of their culture and color.
ReplyDeleteThere are always going to be protests violent and peaceful protest but they can be stopped and maybe even not come up if people would follow the law. I think the best way to help the community is to bring them all together. Maybe they should get together and clean up the mess in the city. This might bring them together if they help the community and regain a friendly relationships. If churches got involved in the community activity it would make people, possibly, more positive.
ReplyDeleteWell we will never get done with all of these voilent threts and everything bd that we do because that is part of our society but, I think that the thing that we can do to help Furguson is to make more responsible rules and better choices. I know that we cant change peoples mids by just tellng them to do somehting because there always has to be some one that breaks the law. We can also have better security for Furguon becasue they have bd neighborhoods and i know that usually you can't survive a bd neigborhood becasue they have different gangs and a lot f them ave guns and other weapons. So security would be very helpfull on that kind of situations. We can prevent them also by hoding up signs that say be more positive to others and treat others with kindness. I will talk to others about there opinion about Fuguson and I can either relate or disgree with others nd tell them my opinion. I will also ask if others know even about it.
ReplyDeleteIt’s difficult to realize that a human being was shot and killed, but not knowing exactly why. Even though we lost a life that day, protests, riots, and looting…also known as violence, is never the answer. Not just for Ferguson, but also for the nation. As Americans, we have the right of freedom of speech. Freedom of speech allows us to voice our opinions, but was never intended to break the law. The violent actions of the people in Ferguson, will only hurt, and reflect on them. We need to create a world we are proud to live in today, and what the next generation will feel safe to live in.
ReplyDeleteIn order for Ferguson to heal and move forward, the citizens of Ferguson will need to re-establish trust in the government. In order to establish trust, you must have respect. Respect is earned by openly communicating, not by performing violent acts. Time and education are also key to helping Ferguson to move forward. Guardians, teachers, and community members have the responsibility to educate the young. We are only human. We do make mistakes, and we are not perfect. God would not have wanted us to turn this tragedy into a violent protest. We can truly forgive each other, and learn from our mistakes.
These are my thoughts of this tragedy. I hope and pray that Michael Brown will rest in peace, and his family and Officer Darren Wilson can find comfort during these difficult times. Lastly, for the citizens of Ferguson, that they come to a compromise and find peace within themselves. But most of all, find strength to heal and move forward.
We weren't there. It is hard to know how to figure out how to help the community heal when we don't know exactly what happened. Officer Wilson could have been within his legal rights and acted in self-defense.Or he could have shot Michael Brown in order to prove a point. The only people who know exactly what happened were there and maybe the only person who knows why Michael Brown turned around is Michael Brown. Healing takes time. I think what needs to be done in the immediate future is that everybody needs to gain an understanding. The rioters need to understand that that just because you are angry, doesn't mean that it is okay to destroy another person's property. The citizens need to understand that the police officers are the ones who have the power and the police officers need to understand how easy it is to abuse those powers. And together-everyone needs to understand that they are still a community who should have grown to love each other.
ReplyDeleteEverybody is in rage over this event. Some people take the side of the police officer and others the side of Michael Brown. This event has really taken a toll on all of our nation. I think that this reaction is natural. Not that everybody's reations are okay, but you can't tell people that they aren't allowed to be angry over the event or the ruling made. Everybody is entitled to an opinion and freedom of speech. I am not sure that this thing can be prevented. Other than improved thechnology in order to tell what REALLY happened.
I think that the main problem in this case is that people can't make sense of it all, so they decide to instead riot and express their feelings whether it be just or unjust. My opinion on this is that Officer Wilson was unjust in his actions. No matter if he felt threatened or scared, once you've fired the bullet that ends another persons life, you become a murderer, and there is nothing that can be changed. Murder is a serious case, even if killing Michael Brown was accidental. Therefore, I understand why people are so outraged that he was not charged with murder, and why they are trying to show their anger. Yet, no matter what my opinion is, no one knows except Officer Wilson.
ReplyDeleteBut, I know that this isn't about my opinion. It is about what can be done to stop the violent protests and the looting in Ferguson. In all honesty, I think that the only way that we can fix this situation is for there to be more speeches about it, and more awareness. Some people just want to forget that this ever happened, but it did, and so we need to address that or the problem will never be fixed. Because of history, there will always be racial controversy in the U.S, but we have a say in how we deal with it.
I think that the police officers should keep the public under control (no looting or violent protests) and there should be talks about it and knowledge spread. Knowledge is power, so we need to treasure it. I can't say how this is all going to turn out, and I don't know how it will be resolved. I will just keep Ferguson in my thoughts and prayers so that hopefully, this issue can be solved peacefully.
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DeleteI have gone from corner to corner in my mind reaching to every aspect of this tradgedy and mystery, the only thing I can maybe even touch base on a little is that they need to get rid of the officers who don't know what it feels like to grow up in this horrible place. That isn't even a decent answer, there really isn't anything except for body cameras so that we don't have these two sided mysteries. Ferguson Missouri and the USA need to stop burning, fighting, killing, vandalizing etc. and forgive. Some people would say that you can't, you can but it is terribly hard. Like I said before there is nothing we can do, forgive or forget. For example, if your classmate was made fun of by someone from another schoool, social group whatever you would stick up for them, right? This meaning that unless we get over ourselves and be nice to everyone not just our own kin, than nothing can be done. This would be a perfect world but that's just not going to happen. What we need is a refresh button, that will be one day I would look forward to. The USA is living up to this standard of crime and horrid. If it were me, I would be wondering if I could have been there, what wouldv'e happened, would people have listened if I wouldv'e been black? Like eyeryone else, I am on the fence.
ReplyDeleteThey need to first establish law in the area, the area is already a prett rough place and then enforce it station more officers there they need to also take the nessasary percautions to keep all of STL safe and sucure. People need to know that somethings will not be known and they need to get over it tell your children not to steal and charge police for goodness sake. Educate the people there, get them off the street. The who thing is there were 2 different stories on what happened the way you solve this is letting it go that can be one of the hardest things to do but people have to learn that. THis have ruined lives and made this place that was already really bad a lot worse. DO 2 wrongs make a right? No they make it 10x worse than it already was.
ReplyDeleteI feel sympathetic toward the people of Ferguson, Missouri. Ferguson will take a long time to heal, but baby steps are the way to take it. As Evan said, “This place is really ghetto,” but I still think that Ferguson can heal by taking steps to help the public trust the law enforcement.
ReplyDeletePolice need to be held more accountable for their actions by having cameras on their bodies that are controlled by the police station. This would help in controversial situations by having proof rather than taking the police officer’s word. The police departments can implement this nationwide to help prevent situations like this one from occurring in the future. I also think that police officers should be trained better so that they know exactly what to do in situations like this one. The police officer should not have shot that man six times. I understand that the man attacked him, but six times is a lot of times to shoot somebody. If that police had a body camera on him, then we would have known if he put his hands up to surrender.
I think that the citizens of Ferguson and the people of the police department should build relationships with each other. They can do this by having community functions and classes. Topics could include gun safety, after school programs, and neighborhood watch programs.
In conclusion, Ferguson can hopefully heal little by little. Restoring trust between law enforcement and the public will help build a sense of community and help give the town a better future.
I think the people of Ferguson need a more peaceful method. If they want to protest that is fine but I think they need to be more peaceful. The police need to try to make it peaceful and talk to the people. What needs to change to make these things not happen is weapon control. I understand the man had never shot a gun but he needed to be trained better for the situation. I also think people need to think a little before they act, especially when you live in a dangerous city like Ferguson. There should also be better security making sure some of this would never have happened.
ReplyDeletePeople get angry, people make decisions that they will regret. Some ways that people cope with their anger, disappointment, and sadness could be to take it out on others and start riots. I think that a way to Ferguson heal, would be to not say anything to discourage or infuriate the people who are going through this. Instead, we can offer them kind words and actions. Starting fights with people who have different view points than you is just flat-out wrong. Yes, it's good to see things through other people's eyes, but you can't force someone to think the same way you do. If we accept the opposing side's facts rather than opinions, some people may find peace. The only way to do this would be to listen to each other and appreciate the fact that they are willing to talk to you.
ReplyDeleteIn order for these situations to not occur, I think that we must educate people about the dangers of putting yourself out there. If everyone understands the true harm and power of society, I doubt most people would be willing to suffer the consequences. Everyone needs to have respect for everyone. You have to show love and sympathy for an old, homeless person and you have to show love and sympathy for your fiver year old neighbor. If everyone is willing to try and show respect for others, the fatal situations like this, are going to be less likely to occur.
Another thing that people need to realize is that we're all human. None of us look identical, but we should all be treated with respect. It shouldn't matter if you're black or white. Girl or boy. Catholic or Muslim. That doesn't matter. But yet, it is the reason that people start wars.
i think that in order to make thinks right the police need to apologize. Even though they might think that they did not do anything wrong it would make the people feel better and they might start to try to make things better. I think that to prevent things like this from happening in the future we need to understand the circumstances better.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is quite touchy and I was not there. I believe that if you feel threatened, you need to defend your self. Again I was not there so I cannot form to much of an opinion.
ReplyDeleteThe people that are rioting are using this as an excuse to loot, rob and vandalize. Most of these people have no knowledge of Our Savior. THis makes them behave like barbaric yahoos. They don't trust the Grand Jury decisions and this is the core of the problem. This distrust between the citizens and the jury is a problem. The jury is twelve CITIZENS, not the government. A society cannot survive if there is a large amount of hostility between the law and citizens. But you know what, if the citizens of Ferguson don't like our system of justice; then they need to elect officials that share this thought. Its their community, not mine its up to them to get it right. Good luck finding a better judicial system.
These people need to be educated on this system and need to develop an understanding for this. Some of them also need to turn to God and let him to take care of this. My solution is GOD.
I think that there isn't really a possible way to make things right again in Ferguson. I mean, the people wan't the officer to be charged but the jury made up there mind. All people can do to help is really have no opinion about the whole matter because either way it will offend someone which will cause more problems. Some people just think that destroying all of Ferguson will help but i think the need to calm down and find a peaceful solution before anybody else gets hurt. Ferguson was already dangerous enough but now its about 10 times more dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI think the people of Ferguson should protest ONLY for Michael Brown. And do it peacefully. I feel like some of the people are using Michael Brown's protest as an excuse for violence and crime. They should all protest in a peaceful way if they're going to do it. I think society needs to stop being so sensitive to racism. I think one of the main reasons this protest is occurring because the people think the cop must of shot him out of racism. I also think they should calm down because not all of those people know what really happened. They should fight for what is factually right, not what they think happened
ReplyDeleteI feel that if people protest, then it needs to be done peacefully. It is not necessary to damage someones property. Everyone needs to realize that the police have the power. If they feel like they need to shoot someone for human defense than that is fine. I think that it will take a long time for Ferguson to heel. In the future people can't just think the only reason a white police man shot a black teenager just because he looked suspicious. There was a reason that he shot. Michael Brown committed a couple of crimes before Officer Wilson had shot. Officer Wilson shot because he thought that Micael Brown was coming after him. I would have honestly thought the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI cannot just state a solution because in order to do that I need evidence. I do not know what really happened because I wasn't there. All I know is what reporters have been blazoning throughout social media. That may not even be true, for example: they showed Michael Brown's stepfather's outbursts and angry statements all over the news, they did not however, show Michael Brown's father's statement inspiring for there to be peace. So social media is not helping. It is almost like they are not on either side but they are on the side of drama. They are chasing the facts that make more people interested in what is going on. Also, maybe we should dig deeper because it cannot be just one thing that has lead up to these violent protests and the anger between the police and the citizens. There would have to have been other events leading up to this one that have caused this dissension between the people and the policeman.
ReplyDeleteSocial media, plays a huge factor in how people choose their sides in the argument. Most do not research they just use what is right in front of them. so in a way it is who the media sides with rather than who we side with. What I am trying to say is before you make your decision, look at the facts. Do not just take what is in front of you and be okay with that.
Another thing to do, is investigate the roots of this problem. I believe that we are looking only at the tip of the iceberg. There has to be more than that one event to have driven the people over the edge. If you look at the events before this maybe you can see the overall solution to the problem. It is like working backwards. Start from the beginning work your way through it and maybe you will find the solution for all of them.
I may not be right, there could be more solutions, those could not even be close to it. On the contrary, I believe that those two solutions - limiting social media's power over us and starting with the origin of the problem - could be two of many solutions to "start rebuilding" Ferguson and to make them a better society to live in. I hope they find the answer soon, and they are able to bring restitution to their town. Hopefully, the riots will start to dwindle down and if they continue, wont be as violent.
I think the the town of Missouri should heal from this killing of Michael Brown is that they should reflect on the lives he touched on everyone in the town of Missouri. The things that I would change in society to stop from this occurring again some of my ideas is that people shouldn't attack police officers if they don't want to get shot for attacking a police officer and there being riots, looting and other stuff for Michael Brown shouldn't have done that because he got shot and died and because of Wilson people are rioting, looting and I also think that they should not have turned around and surrendered then Officer Wilson should not have shot him and killed him then there will be no riots, looting, and other things they did to Ferguson.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in Boise my entire life. I've never traveled farther south than Texas, which is where my granny lives. I have no idea what life is like Ferguson, Missouri or even in the South of the USA. Therefore, I can't truly come up with a better solution than what the people of Ferguson are able to come up with if they forget there racial prejudices and think. Think for just a moment on how to get their community up and running again. I feel that there are a couple different solutions which I will try to voice.
ReplyDeleteI think that if the incident was truly based on racial prejudices as the media seems to suggest. Then, to eradicate the prejudices, the people just really need to get to know one another. There could be activities based on age where everyone could participate in team building skills. Everyone feels that their opinion needs to be heard, not just as a whisper, but a SHOUT!
I know that for society as a whole my preiously stated idea wouldn't work because you can't get the whole USA together in a group. I know also that we can't limit people's right of speech. However, if the media were to limit there prejudice and personal opinion, I feel that it would stop the spread of regular biases.
I am posting this on the last day possible because of the struggle that is going on in my mind. The questions that Mr. Grant asked were very hard for me to find a response to, so I really needed time to think them over. The thing is, though, no one really has a perfect answer to the Ferguson situation. There are many ways to take baby steps, and a lot of my classmates that have commented already have great ideas.
ReplyDeleteFerguson needs help. There is no doubt about it. How they get it is the question. To find the answer we have to talk about what this problem is really about. Sure, a boy was killed, and an officer was a killer, and that is no small deal, but I think that the real reason that there is all this violence and protesting is because people felt held down and not heard, this is what needs to change. To start off, control needs to be taken over the protests that have turned violent. Not with more guns and violence, but with negotiation. If most of the population has a TV, maybe they should have a influential person (like Micheal Brown's father) speak and try to make sense of things.I suggest that the people of Ferguson Missouri have a say in their police force/big decisions.
To prevent things like this I think that maybe they should have a board of elected committee members that help make decisions, or just have all the people vote on whatever needs deciding. This may help them feel more heard. Racism needs to be addressed fully and openly, although I do not think that this was an act of racism. I know that Ferguson is a poor community, so I think that If there were some way for people to get charity or opportunities to earn more money. I think this might be the reason for crimes like Micheal Brown's. I liked how Even was telling us about the reward system of sports tickets. This made those children feel loved and cared for, probably helping them to stay away from gangs and other bad things.
The final thing that must take place is education. A lot of this is a result of education, although you may not realize it. When the black people were shipped to America as slaves, they were not provided with education. When they were set free, most of them were not educated and had no money. How would they get a job? When they had children that might have gone to school, they were not able to help them learn, and that effected the children's learning. This goes an as a domino effect. Although many have come up the "food chain", many have stayed where they are, and this is where we get communities like Ferguson that are bad and need help and control, just it has to be the right kind of help and control.
I can't think of any immediate solutions to this problem other than rioting laws and limit some powers the police have. The problem is those art immediate solutions those would take months to finalize. For all I know these wouldn't help. I have never been to Ferguson before so I can't say wether it will work or not.
ReplyDeleteI honestly have no idea what NEEDS to change I have an idea though we need to TALK it out not fight it out. People have solutions but the people that make the decision won't listen. We need the common man's idea not another government idea.
I have talked with my family about this problem. They didn't give me much help. I think we need something to happen that will bring the United States of America together and we can talk about the issues. Everyone should get a chance to talk. We have freedom of speech lets use that to tell everybody our ideas. We need to talk and talk and talk until someone comes up with a solution. Personally I don't have one because I really don't know. But as long as people like us keep commenting on these things changes will be made.
I think that the only thing that we can do to heal Ferguson is by leaving it alone. I think that the only reason why some of these people are rioting is because they want attention. I think that if we don't give it the attention they want, it will slowly work itself out. If we continue to give it attention that they want, it will only fuel the fire. I truly think that's the only thing to do and I hope that these riots will soon stop. I think that we still need to try to control the riots with police officers, but not give it all of the media attention it is getting.
ReplyDeleteI think the only thing that can be done to stop all these acts of racism is to brake the barrier between whites and blacks. I don't think that we teach people enough about the effects of prejudice and racism. Other than MLK, I don't think I have been educated enough about the history of racism and prejudice. I know that Benjamin Watson says that education is not the problem and I agree, but I think that we can prevent people from being prejudice or racist by educating them.
I think that we may never know what the true story is behind this case because Mike Brown is unfortunately dead and there is know way to tell if Darren Wilson is lying or not. I hope the best for Daren wilson in the future, and hope that his life isn't in jeopardy in the future. I feel very sorry for the family of Mike Brown, and I hope that his family isn't threatened in the future.
Unlike others, I know clear what I think of this entire situation and this could not be taken as an opinion from someone close because I have a completely opposite point of view and word for this issue. Yes, what Michael Brown did was wrong, but did Darren wilson need to take his life at any circumstance, NO!
ReplyDeleteThere is truly not an immediate solution to this because it is, in it's rarity, a beautiful and bittersweet mess with opinions being fired at constantly. The level this is being taken to is pugnacious and I cannot believe what I am seeing. However, the people who are standing up for their race, are expressing their passion for who they are, and their rights to be powerful, and the same as any white police man that took the life of one of their people, one of my people. The people are not mental, nor do they need help, and in the end, they actually fight for what they believe. Only a miracle would stop these people from taking out their anger and grieving out on Ferguson, and whomever else thinks Darren Wilson did what he had to do, but if a miracle were calm the storm, would it actually be good thing?
The thing that needs to change in society to fix this is not to recognize that Black and White don't equal white, but to know the pain of loosing someone. To Darren Wilson: never, ever, say you did what you had to do, because what you aparently had to do killed someones son. Mike once lived, and breathed. I do not care what he did, or could've done, along with so many more people who know what they're talking about. Michael Brown was a Child of God, that was lost. NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND EVER SAID IT WAS OKAY TO KILL THE LOST BEFORE THEY HAD THE CHANCE TO BE FOUND, OR AT ALL FOR THAT MATTER.
I think that in order to help Ferguson heal and move on, I agree with Todd, we need to leave them alone. Also, we can't control what the people in Ferguson do, we can only influence them. So, I guess that I think that in order to help Ferguson we need to influence them to hold silent, non- violent protest.
ReplyDeleteThis one is a hard question, I took thirty minutes discussing with my babysitter.When it comes to change that needs to happen to prevent future events, I don't know. In the United State we fought the Civil War to stop segregation. Today, we still judge people by their wealth and ethnicity. If WIlson would have shot a white man, nothing would be going on. Because Michael was black, a huge deal was made about it. As American citizens most of our minds are set on a persons ethnicity and wealth. If some people saw a black, poor man then they may have been more worried than being around a white, poor man. In other areas of the US segregation is more of a big deal than here in Boise.
Sorry if I didn't hit the point. I did a best I could and now understand why it took you so long to write this blog. It was hard considering the fact that I don't live in a more segregated area and wasn't there.
I think a way to help Ferguson heal is to reach out to the communities that were damaged by all the riots and tell the world, like on social media, that we care about the well-being of the people of Ferguson. This has already been done (like on Instagram) and I think we should continue to do so. I also think that the people protesting should do it peacefully, not hurting people's property or hurting people.I think people (including police officers) shouldn't make assumptions that just because a person is black they broke the law. If they did, we should also, in a court of law, not make the verdict based directly because the defendant is black.
ReplyDeleteI think to help fix ferguson they need to stop talking about it on the news so much and on social media because it is starting to attract more people to riot and cause problems. Also in my opinion they need to take action on the people who are steeling from people's stores. Also on the people who are causing fires and breaking the police cars.
ReplyDeleteI also think that people need to just get out of it and go on and do there own business. They also need to stop adding fuel to the fire and other states need to get there selves out of it. I also thing that they made to big of a deal about it because if anybody else were to die who wasn't black it wouldn't be a big deal. The people just need to accept the courts decision and trust the people who did this case.
So overall in my opinion we need to leave ferguson alone and let them burn them selves out till they start to forget a little bit about this and go on with their lives.