Sure, I could start by saying that America is not truly a Democracy as we are a Representative Republic. But why work to have that discussion when the atmosphere is so grossly uncivil. This is not as Pres. Obama liked to say, "a teachable moment".
I have no doubt that there are many peaceful people engaged in protest in Ferguson (MO) as a result of the shooting death of Michael Brown. I also don't question the passion of the protesters that are seeking answers. I believe in the Justice System although I admit it is greatly flawed. However, when elected representatives have engaged in baiting, narratives have been made up, so called leaders have engaged in gross self promotion, hate and outright lies to promote and agenda of ignorance the real underlying issue (the death of Michael Brown and if it was or was not justified) gets lost.
My feelings now about the "good" protesters are being changed. It's not so much that I think those "good" protesters are now "bad" as much as I now think they are being used. I started feeling this way after seeing two videos from a "protest" in Ferguson (MO). The video names a Contra reporter and activist Baseem Masri as being the person doing the talking on the video. Mr. Masri has been arrested during the protest on at least two occasions and some people seem to think he is now being "targeted" by the police.
Mr. Masri "tweeted":
I have no doubt that there are many peaceful people engaged in protest in Ferguson (MO) as a result of the shooting death of Michael Brown. I also don't question the passion of the protesters that are seeking answers. I believe in the Justice System although I admit it is greatly flawed. However, when elected representatives have engaged in baiting, narratives have been made up, so called leaders have engaged in gross self promotion, hate and outright lies to promote and agenda of ignorance the real underlying issue (the death of Michael Brown and if it was or was not justified) gets lost.
My feelings now about the "good" protesters are being changed. It's not so much that I think those "good" protesters are now "bad" as much as I now think they are being used. I started feeling this way after seeing two videos from a "protest" in Ferguson (MO). The video names a Contra reporter and activist Baseem Masri as being the person doing the talking on the video. Mr. Masri has been arrested during the protest on at least two occasions and some people seem to think he is now being "targeted" by the police.
Mr. Masri "tweeted":
I do wonder what he considers peaceful. Honestly. A word of caution on the video's, both are extremely vulgar (cussing, threats, accusations and so on) and are not safe for work or children.
So I guess that yelling: "f*** the police", "y'all better be scared", "get the f*** outta here lil'b****", "coward", "what's up now lil'b****", "get your hand off your gun lil'p****", "suck my d*** you coward", "shoot, shoot, shoot", "run p****" all while putting hands in the face of police officers, giving them the middle finger and then spitting (2:02 in video above) on police is now peaceful?
But that had to be just a onetime, out of character thing, right? If it is Mr. Marsi, as a reporter he wouldn't act like that more than once, right? It was a fluke, yeah. I mean all of us can do things greatly out of character from time to time (yes, including or maybe especially, me). A professional reporter wouldn't do that a second time would he? Hell yes they would . . .
"what the f*** you doing in this neighborhood white boy", "who do you serve, who do you protect", "you smirk'in now", "we'll serve you b****", "f*** the police", "the f*** you gonna do b***", "what happens if we take your gun", "terrorist", "ISIS", "next time you pull the trigger think about what's gonna happen to your homies, we shoot back next time" again all while getting in the police officers face and throwing up the middle finger.
Some of the protesters have taken to saying "this is what Democracy looks like". No, this is what ignorance looks like. This is what inciting violence looks like. This is what the decline of civilization looks like.
I think that part of the reason the Ferguson protest have not maintained a national audience is because of this type of behavior. They have lost the moral high ground. The protest no longer look like a search for justice or a desire to address real or perceived injustices. They now look like anarchy and not in a Sex Pistols kind of way.
Like I said before, I believe in the Justice System. I know the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been in Ferguson investigating the shooting death of Michael Brown since August. I know that the Grand Jury has been extended until January 2015. My thoughts are simple - because we are now seventy-days past the incident and neither the Grand Jury or the Department of Justice have taken any action it leads me to believe that little evidence exist that Officer Darren Wilson acted inappropriately in firing on and killing Mr. Brown. What I believe will happen is that the announcement by the DOJ or the Grand Jury will not come until it is cold outside and the hope will be that the weather will keep people indoors. I could be wrong but it clearly seems to be trending in that direction.
In the end . . . the narratives are being sold and this incident will do nothing but create more division in America - especially if leaders are promoted that engage in such hostility. Seems like we are in for a long, cold winter.
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