For Mike Brown

[annathepiper]

I have been reading the reports of what’s been going on in the last few days in Ferguson, and I don’t have much to say that isn’t getting eloquently said in a lot of other places already. Like this article in which Seattle’s own former police chief raises concerns about Ferguson. Or Jezebel’s writeup on the situation. Or this report and this one from Daily Kos.

I’ve been mulling over what if anything I should say. Or at least I was until this morning, when I saw this link go up on Black Girl Nerds. And I realized that yeah, I had to say something.

Because here’s the thing. I’m very cognizant that I am in a position of privilege here—as a middle-aged white woman in a pretty decent income bracket, I’m pretty unlikely to face the same aggression that’s happening to the citizens of Ferguson this week. But it’s because of that very privilege that I need to speak, and what I want to say is this:

The aggression that the citizens of Ferguson have been facing from their own police force is reprehensible. It has no place in a civilized society. It has no place in America. It is flat-out wrong, period, full stop, end of story.

These people are entirely in the right to demand justice for Mike Brown. There is no excuse for shooting down an unarmed young man. None. NONE. And the very police force that is supposed to be protecting and serving the people of Ferguson are instead treating them no better than oppressed populations in other countries—to the point that I’m now hearing secondhand reports that people in Turkey and Egypt are tweeting offered tips in complete solidarity and earnestness to Ferguson citizens on how to handle tear gas.

I am disgusted. I am appalled. And while I want to be hopeful that reports of a pending federal review of police tactics will actually bear fruit and curb this insanity, I’m not willing to be soothed yet. It is only a small step in the right direction to bring justice to Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, and every other young man who’s been murdered, at the end of the day, because he was black.

I feel helpless that there’s little I can do besides pointing and raising my voice, but this much, at least, I can do.

I’m listening. I’m watching. I care.

Mirrored from angelahighland.com.

Comments

[prettyshrub.livejournal.com]

Watching the situation in Ferguson is a bit frightening for me. If people can't protest, where will we be?

I'm extra horrified that this is clearly racial. I had thought we were getting past this sort of blatant violence, but it is still there in all its past strength.

I signed this petition, I don't know if it will help, but I don't know what else to do.

https://www.causes.com/actions/1772422-sign-the-petition-to-ferguson-police-chief-identify-and-fire-the-police-officer-who-killed-mike-brown

[annathepiper]

I think one of the most important things that we as white people can do watching this is to be aware that this shit is indeed happening--and that it's part of an overall trend that hasn't gone away just because we have an African-American president in the White House right now.

It's easy for us to miss since the Pacific Northwest is more liberal than a lot of the rest of the country. But shit happens here too--like the incident at Westlake the other day with the security guard who went after an innocent bystander, a black dude, rather than the ranting racist asshole white guy who was the reason he was called over there in the first place.

It's important for us to pay attention, and listen, and to call this shit out as wrong as we can. People don't like to hear that they've got white privilege, but this is one of the areas where we can actually exercise that power for good.

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

At least the Missouri governor has now stepped in and put a different police force in charge of that town - one with a black captain local to the area, so hopefully a different attitude will be brought along.

The insanity starts from the first shooting. If ordinary beat cops didn't carry guns, there would be fewer cop shootings of unarmed civilians, black or otherwise. Once you accept that every cop doesn't need a gun, the idea that police forces in a town of 21,000 people don't need armoured vehicles and assualt rifles and tear gas kind of follows on logically...

[annathepiper]

From what I've been hearing, the situation hasn't exactly improved. I saw reports going around today about a curfew getting started. :(

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

There seem to be two problems here. One is the usual small subset of thieves willing to take advantage of any disorder, and who have a vested interest in ongoing chaos so they can loot at leisure. The only upside to this is the stories of genuine protestors acting to try and stop the looters.

The second is that Ron Johnson isn't really in charge of the whole situation, only parts of it, and finds himself having to apologise to Ferguson's citizens for tactless decisions made by other people. Stuck in the middle had to be a very uncomfortable place to be right now.

[annathepiper]

Yeah, I've seen pics this morning of the women who were gathering together to protect stores from being looted, and how the media's getting called out for not covering that.

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

And another thing that bugs me about this madness - hey, all you gun-toting second amendment folks? Yeah, you, the ones who insist you need your assault rifles in case a corrupt government starts oppressing regular citizens? Well, this is it - right here are the corrupt forces of authority suppressing freedom of speech.

Where are you all? Are you speaking up? Are you running to defend Ferguson's civilians from the over-bearing force of its authorities, assault rifles in hand? No, you really aren't, because the civilians being oppressed here are black, so you don't care.

[annathepiper]

I have indeed noticed a DISTINCT LACK of gun supporters running to Ferguson defending the people, yes.

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

Not that it would help in any way if they did. It just makes it clear how utterly devoid of worth their arguments are.

[annathepiper]

Yes, precisely. :|