I’m mad this morning.
Mad because yet again, our justice system has turned a blind eye and refused to afford the African-American community even the opportunity to see justice served. Remember, this was not a trial. This was not a case where guilt needed to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This was a Grand Jury proceeding, and to bring an indictment in a Grand Jury proceeding, one does not have to find guilt, only the probability that a crime was committed, that the accused person did it, and that he/she should be tried in a court of law. Yet despite what appears clear to most – that there was the probability that a young unarmed man was gunned down without cause – this Grand Jury found otherwise. I have said it before, and I’ll repeat it; I have the utmost respect for the men and women who protect and serve us as members of police departments around the country every day. But when an individual who is trusted with the power and authority of a police officer commits a crime, there can be no debate; it is our moral and legal responsibility to hold that officer to the same standards of accountability, if not higher, as the standards we hold any ordinary citizen too for their actions.
Once again, Mad because the narrative this morning as FOX NEWS displayed across their screen is ANARCHY IN AMERICA – CHAOS IN FERGUSON. Make no mistake about it, FOX, there is anger and sadness, but it is not only in Ferguson but also nation-wide, yet we did not wake this morning to America in flames. Instead, we awake as a country this morning mostly to the resigned acceptance that this decision, while disappointing was predictable. Let’s be clear here the reaction in Ferguson was unfortunate and uncalled for. It will not bring back Michael Brown. It will not bring justice to his family, nor will it be a catalyst for much-needed changes in the inherently flawed American justice system. But it is simple physics; you can only keep a lid on a boiling pot for so long before it finally blows. You can not continue to tell people repeatedly for hundreds of years that your life and the lives of your loved ones are not as valuable as that of the next person simply because of the color of your skin.
Mad because while I have seen countless videos on YouTube of young white men interacting with police, refusing to show identification or state their name because they have constitutional rights. Young black men across America everyday live with the reality that a simple choice could cost them their lives, a choice that wouldn’t have such an outcome if they were born a different color. An illegal turn, the wrong choice of clothes, walking in the wrong neighborhood, being seen with too many friends of color in one place.
Mad because this country still has to deal with the ignorance of racism. If you think it doesn’t, if you believe Ferguson isn’t about race, read an article on any website today about Ferguson, then skim through the comments section at the bottom. After that read, come back and let me know if you think racism is dead.
One of the main reasons America is great is its diversity and how that diversity has come together in one place to achieve great things. One of the main reasons America is flawed is the fundamental ignorance of those who refuse to acknowledge that fact.
I’m mad this morning, and in reality, it’s because I’m sad.