11.25.2014

We need to do better....

Last night, just like every other individual invested in the news of our nation, I watched as the verdict Officer Wilson's fate was revealed: not indicted. And, just as predicted by my husband, the chaos of the situation bred rioting on a barbaric level. Fires to police vehicles, tear gas in the streets, and the looting of the very convenience store where Michael Brown had swiped cigarillos prior to his demise.

I'm not siding with either side here. Yes, the police are trained to uphold the law and knowing quite a few individuals who are officers, I will not speak ill of them. I will also not speak ill of Michael Brown. Why? Because I wasn't there. I don't know what really happened and I don't think we ever will. That's a story that only Michael Brown and Officer Wilson know. (And one is dead, so we'll never really know the full story.)

What we can learn from this incident: we need to do better. There should be better surveillance of police, because if this was an issue where the officer did wrong, then let the evidence speak. Hearsay isn't going to do us any good. It has been proven in other instances that having video surveillance proves foul play, and police officers have lost their jobs for lying when the video shows them not performing their duty properly. 

And as people....again, we need to do better. It would be different if Michael Brown was stealing something like a loaf of bread to feed his family, but that's not the case here. He stole, there was an altercation, and whether or not he was right or wrong is not the issue: both sides were at fault and a heavy price was paid. 

But did the town need to pay that price too? What does rioting accomplish? It proves that we haven't learned yet. That we still want to burn the world. That we're still a fledgling nation that throws a temper tantrum over a verdict we don't agree with. We need to grow up. I know it's a hard thing to do, but we need to prove that we can be mature about this. There will probably be a civil trial....so let's get there next. It's not right that someone died, it's not right if there was foul play, but it is what it is. It happened....and we can't let everything fall apart because of it. 

We're better individuals than this. We don't burn our buildings down. We don't throw things at those trying to keep us safe and uphold the law....which is their job. And we certainly don't give anyone motive to take action. We peacefully share our disappointment and look for another way to make sure justice is served. I know that doesn't sound very logical....but is it logical to loot and burn things just because we're outraged?

~ Jenny Rockstar