The misery in Missouri

 

 

"Will this end? Will this EVER end???"

Just when you think things could not get worse in our racial divide, they do. What is happening in Ferguson is a mess of a historic magnitude. This morning, Donald Trump was on one of the news shows. His take on what is happening was interesting. He had just returned from a business trip to India. The number one news story in India was the mess in Ferguson. In every city in India he visited, it was the number one news story. You know - the persistent race problem that America has.

No offense, but if appears that Governor Nixon (yes, that is really his name) is clueless on what to do. First this disturbance were handled by the local police (armed to the teeth with excess Pentagon equipment). When that did not work, the State Patrol was called in, headed up by a man who actually lives in Ferguson. It has now become bigger than the State Patrol, so now the National Guard has been called out. To make matters even worse, a decision was made by someone locally to release the security tape from the store which was robbed. Both Eric Holder and Governor Nixon now have their undies in a bundle over the release.

So what really happened that day? What caused that young unarmed black man to die? Truthfully, we may never know. Since the Ferguson Police do not wear body cameras, it might be a classic case of Travon Martin all over again. Even with the best forensic science possible, the one final piece to the puzzle may never be known. We do know that based on the autopsy, this young man was shot six times - four in the arm and two in the head. We also know all were in the front - not shot in the back as was rumored a few days ago.

Now we know that Eric Holder is going to order the Feds to conduct yet another autopsy. What they hope to find is beyond me. To me, the most important thing to ascertain right now is criminal neglect. In absence of that, this entire incident will go down as a very unfortunate series of events which cost a young man his life. Nobody is happy with that. Not the family, not the cop who shot him, not the city, nobody.

The best thing for Governor Nixon to do right now is take control, to really take control. Tell the people the truth. Tell them this has been looked at six ways to Sunday, and still the final piece of the puzzle is missing. PROMISE the people the state will immediately find the funds to supply each peace office in Missouri a body camera. That will put the chances for a repeat of something like this close to zero. The Governor also needs to tell the people that the riots stop tonight. The curfew will remain in effect until calm in the city returns. The National Guard will remain on site. Violators to the curfew or rioting will be arrested and dealt with. Period.

This was a problem that did not have to happen. However, the real problem goes much deeper in many of our larger cities. They have become a trap for young people of color. Chronically high unemployment, gangs, crime, violence, and poverty - all leading to hopelessness. Until we face the fact many of our cities have major problems which NEED to be addressed NOW, civil unrest will remain in our future. We simply can't keep writing off tens of thousands of young people as "lost". We are better than this - America is better than this.

So will this end? Will this ever end? Is has to - and soon. With REAL leadership, and without racial arsons, we can attack and solve these problems. It just might give our young people the hope they deserve.