I’ve been thinking more and more about the situation in Ferguson lately. Being a native Missourian, married to a black man, and having been treated poorly by the police in the past myself, I’ve had a lot to ponder.
Based on what I’ve seen and heard--which, I assume, is basically what everyone else has seen and heard--I can honestly say that I will be disappointed if Darren Wilson is not indicted in the shooting death of Michael Brown.
Whether or not Michael Brown was a thug-in-the-making, whether or not he had just robbed from a store, regardless of his bad attitude, there is no excuse for an unarmed person being shot six times and killed.
If he had been in an altercation with the police officer, if he had been going for the officer’s gun, and the if officer had shot him under that circumstance where they’re fighting for his weapon, then I could believe it was justified.
If it had been a situation where the officer was getting beaten--hit repeatedly--especially in the face, and then the officer had shot him in self-defense, I could also believe it was justified.
That wasn’t the case, according to the independent medical examiner and the pictures of the officer just after the incident occurred.
Most, if not all, of the wounds on Michael Brown’s body were not inflicted by a weapon that was in close proximity--he was shot from a distance. Enough of a distance that the previous two scenarios aren’t applicable.
Darren Wilson had no visible injuries on the videotape of him walking just before his trip to the hospital after the shooting took place.
I don’t know whether the grand jury in this case will vote to indict or not, but like a lot of other people, I think it’s unlikely. And, the fact that I think that way and a lot of other people think that way tells me one thing: most of us believe that the legal system is not just, at least not when it’s the police versus minorities. (Maybe not the police against anyone?)
If that’s the case, then this is an even more serious issue, right? If police can’t be held accountable, then what good are they? Who can protect us from them?
The fact is, police make mistakes, too, and they need to be held accountable for their mistakes just like everyone else--no matter what the situation is.
Maybe Darren Wilson is a great guy. Maybe Michael Brown was a thug. Maybe Darren Wilson shouldn’t be a cop. Maybe Michael Brown shouldn’t be dead. Just sayin'.
