It really is a mad, mad, mad world...

 

"Hands up, don't shoot is a great narrative except for one thing - it is a fable..."

Shortly after I first met my wife, I met her family. They were a bunch of hard working folks with strong union ties. Her grandpa, uncle and cousin were all plumbers. Her dad, an electrician. Of all the relatives I met, the one who was the most daunting was not her dad, it was her grandfather. He was huge. His voice boomed. And he had hands the size of Texas. My wife informed me her grandfather was a former boxer. Since his hands could be deadly, he had to have them registered as weapons.

I tell this story for one reason - Mike Brown, whose death is the center of all this mayhem in St. Louis (and beyond), was also a very big man. He may not have been armed, but he used his size and his hands to assault a police office. He punched Officer Wilson in the face. During the Grand Jury testimony, Officer Wilson stated he feared anymore punches from Mike Brown could knock him out. And if he was unconscious, his gun was there for the taking.

Somehow on the road to truth, a fable emerged. Keep in mind the Grand Jury heard all kinds of testimony and saw forensic evidence concerning the shooting. There was not one shred of evidence that Mike Brown was trying to surrender with his hands up. Zip, zero, nada. Nor was there any forensic proof that Mike Brown was shot in the back. The witness testimony (given mostly by African Americans) and the forensic evidence all supported Officer Wilson's testimony.

Now, this is a different incident than the Eric Garner death in New York. That may not be as clear as the Ferguson shooting. Both were tragedies. Both changed many lives. Rudy Giuliani said it best however - both of these men would be alive today if they had only complied with police instructions. Most of us are taught at a very early age that when you resist arrest, only bad things can result.

For many today, they are not going to let facts and truth get in the way of the story. The fable is just too good. We will continue to have marches, freeway shutdowns, and other demonstrations to inconvenience innocent people. And what about our Federal Government? The Congressional Black Caucus it seems also believes the fable is just too good to let go. They addressed the Well of the House with their hands up saying, "Hand up, don't shoot." They also want to invite the parents of Mike Brown to be guests at the State of the Union address next month. Good grief. 

Where do we go from here? Good question. My biggest fear is the police will start to avoid crime areas as the risk is not worth it. Even if the police are right, public opinion will judge them to be wrong. Why take the chance? I know police are not perfect - they are human. But they are pretty darn good at what they do. I have always backed our men and women in blue, and always will.

Years ago when the Hippies and Yippies called police "Pigs", a bumper sticker started to appear. It read, "If you don't like police, the next them you are in trouble call a Hippie". All I can say today is true that, and amen!