Why, Why, Why?

The murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson MO and the eventual failure of the grand jury to indict Officer Darren Wilson for that murder have been deeply unsettling to me. ... Why, why, why?

Come on America, we are better than this.

A riot is the language of the unheard - MLK

“Now I wanted to say something about the fact that we have lived over these last two or three summers with agony and we have seen our cities going up in flames. And I would be the first to say that I am still committed to militant, powerful, massive, non-violence as the most potent weapon in grappling with the problem from a direct action point of view. I’m absolutely convinced that a riot merely intensifies the fears of the white community while relieving the guilt. And I feel that we must always work with an effective, powerful weapon and method that brings about tangible results. But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Not to Infer Rioting in Ferguson MO

Please note that I'm don't mean to infer by publishing this quote that there has been rioting in Ferguson MO. Sadly, there has been looting and arson, largely at the hands of outsiders, but not rioting; an important distinction not generally recognized by the mainstream media. jhc

Must Read

Barack Obama, Ferguson, and the Evidence of Things Unsaid by Ta-Nehisi Coates.