The past few months the media has been inundated with the case of Micheal Brown's death at the hands of (former) Officer Darren Wilson. After a certain point, I personally couldn't stand hearing about the case anymore. The news media cycle was just chewing on the same information for weeks on end until the final verdict from the grand jury. While I have respect for both sides of the case - those who support the actions of the officer and those who see Brown as a victim - there are many more things I fail to understand.
First and foremost, how does this country move on past this point after the protests (and unfortunate looting). It's easy to have a protest; in the age of social media it can be almost effortless to organize one. But who amongst those protesters is now going to work towards the outcome that is needed to prevent another Brown-Wilson case? Where is the dialogue that will happen between both sides to work in this direction? I really appreciate that the POTUS (teehee) is at least attempting to start some sort of inquiry into how police departments interact with minority communities. If there is no plan for what happens after the protest, these events will just continue to repeat themselves in an endless loop. This is what I've experienced over the course of my life in the United States and I cannot understand why.
Secondly, what occurred at the police-victim interface and why. It is clear that some sort of interaction occurred between Brown and Wilson at the police car when the former was approached by the latter. And based on Wilson's telling of the events, there was some sort of altercation. This for me is where things start to get hazy. Newton's laws of physics state that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This law is not only specific to molecules, but to people as well. Seeing as how Brown was a young man, I can understand how me may not have a respect for authority and could have misread and reacted poorly to the situation at hand. This of course leaves Wilson to counter-react in a way that he perceives is appropriate. One of the issues I have in these police brutality cases is that I fail to see some of these situations as completely spontaneous interactions where one side is completely in the wrong. Yes, clearly there are times where the reaction is just explosive and unwarranted leading to tragedy. But if the first step is already in the wrong direction, how can we be surprised when things start to spiral out of control. Especially when we live in a country where police are always armed and there always exists the possibility that the person on the other side can be armed. Fear, misperception, and poor training are at the heart of these issues more than anything. And when all of these factors are tied in with the adrenaline rushing through both parties, it's going to end badly.
I recently heard an excellent story about a police force in Alaska that respected the wishes of the native community they protect and did not arm the officers patrolling these communities. Until recently, police officers were able to patrol and control situations such as the one above WITHOUT using guns. A tragic event in which a police officer lost his life to an armed man under the influence has changed this norm. But it shows how it is possible for police to effectively do their job without first reaching for a weapon. Not to mention that tasers and pepper spray can do plenty of good in a lot of situations.
The last point I want to make is with regards to the eye-witness testimony. Testimony from those present at the scene of events can be invaluable to a case. However, in present times some scrutiny has been placed on how reliable this testimony can be. Even when it is clear a person witnessed a crime, recall of the events is not always correct and through no fault of the eye-witness. In regards to the Brown-Wilson case it has recently come to light that many of the about 40 witnesses have given false testimony. Some were not even present at the events that took place. Even more disgusting than this, it is clear that some witnesses blatantly lied to drive their own racist motives. If there is so little credibility in the account of this case, I just cannot wrap my head around how there can be credibility for anything else. I believe the forensic evidence, as it cannot be falsified, but that is all I can really believe at this point.
I think it is really wonderful that many are using this case as a galvanizing point for change within our country.
I wish however that this muddled case did not overshadow the unfortunate others that are more clear and could drive even more people toward this cause.
I want people to protest for the adapted black boy who was mistreated by police when entering the house he lived in with his adoptive white family.
I want people to protest for the unarmed black man who was shot to death by police for carrying a toy BB gun that he planned to purchase from Walmart in a state that supports open carry laws.
I want people to protest for the boy who was killed on the playground of his community for wavy around a toy gun like any other child.
I want people to protest for the unarmed black man who was choked to death by police during a stop.
I hope that as a result of these events, we can have a better equipped police force - not with weaponry by with better behaviors and tactics. And I also hope that as civilians we can do a better job of working with the police force within our communities to benefit both sides.
