by Sandy » Fri Nov 28, 2014 8:28 pm
Reading through the documents is difficult to do with all of the commentary in the media. But there are a lot of open questions regarding the procedures followed by the officer both before the encounter, and following it. The DA seems to be making too much of an effort to put this in the light of "routine" and yet also seems to be making a concerted effort to discredit the testimony of eyewitnesses. Whether the lack of following procedure, especially after the shooting, would have made a difference with the grand jury is probably open to question. But this case is just the flash point. The history of the relationship between St. Louis county legal authorities and municipalities, and its large African American population is one of inequality of treatment on racial grounds, and there's plenty of documented evidence in the record to back that up. It's a mistake to dismiss the reaction of protestors, both those who opted for a non-violent approach, and for those who vented frustration with violence. Granted, there were those in the crowd who used the opportunity to loot and gain advantage for themselves, and apparently some white supremacists infiltrated to do some damage as well. But this is a symptom of an ongoing social problem that has yet to be addressed and resolved, and it would be a big mistake to dismiss it as "playing the race card" or as just some welfare thugs.
Until there is a realization that the American experience is different for people of color, and that opportunity is not equal, in spite of how much we want to believe it is, or put on blinders to avoid seeing it, or just deny it, there will be continued events such as this, each one having the potential to create an even larger disruption of both the local community where it occurs, and across the board. It's turned out that the judge and jury in the Trayvon Martin case missed their guess on George Zimmerman, who has exhibited violence and rage in several incidents since then. These things are cumulative in their affect on the community.
Officer Wilson made a mistake in using the term "demon" to characterize Michael Brown as it related to the encounter leading to his death. That only inflamed the anger.