Tuesday, November 25, 2014

I saw Michael Brown, Sr. speaking earlier and he said he feels numb. That is okay. It is okay to be in a safe place emotionally. I question the privacy he and the mother has in their lives. They lost a son. A dearly loved son and they haven't had a day to themselves to work through their grief if that is possible.

I realize the nation has latched on to the life of Michael Brown, Jr. and his tragic death as a means to facilitate change. There are many, many leaders from within the African American community and the church who are very capable of leading. I have to believe the parents need time away from all the tensions to grieve for their son. I do not believe they are up to leading anyone at this time. This death has become more than they ever bargained for with an entire nation focused on the resolve of this shooting.

The focus is not wrong, but, people have to grieve. People grieve differently and they need the privacy to do it.

The city of Ferguson has a problem. There are now two deaths of young men in the community that should be alive. There is no one in government that can deny there are problems. I hope the federal investigation finds a way to resolve the tensions in the city.
Another young black man is dead in Ferguson, Missouri. A 20 year old that knows Dorian Johnson. Mr. Johnson needs to be put into protective custody by federal authorities and now I know why the announcement came at 8 PM at night.

November 25, 2014
By Ezra Klein
But the story Wilson (click here) tells makes much more sense if you also read it alongside Dorian Johnson's testimony — and use the two accounts to balance each other out....

If there is enough mayhem any death can be contributed to those involved in the violence, regardless of who actually did it. I hope I am wrong and the particulars to this death is released soon.

I hope the National Guard stays in Ferguson for awhile. There is too much tension between the police and the community. This is not going well.

City parks have to be open to low income individuals and families.

This is Wabash Park in Ferguson, Missouri. (click here)

The city offers half price memberships to the city facility if applied for before July 5th of each year. That condition regarding half price membership to RESIDENTS has to stop. It has to apply during the entire season the facility is open.

Additionally, the city has to open FREE memberships based in income for the individual. That means all children are admitted without a fee. The city's social work department should automatically qualify low income families as a SERVICE to those individuals and family by the city.

Ferguson has a Parks and Recreation Department and this is not a joke. There needs to be an assessment to the hiring practices of Ferguson to Equal Opportunity Employment. It is one thing to have a job opening within the city's park department, it is another thing to actively recruit minorities to those jobs within and outside the city.

Their parks and recreation department is not the ONLY city service. Each department that has a hiring capacity has to be assessed for the balance of ethnicity within those departments. The city has to actively recruit minorities for jobs AND they have to actively seek participation of residents, especially low income residents, to fill those jobs. There needs to be a job counseling service in their personnel department that can assist minorities to success within their job.

There also needs to be a SPECIAL program for minority youth in Ferguson that offers Summer Jobs to the resident's children. As a part of such a program there needs to be counseling available to assist success of the youth acquiring those summer jobs. If the city is finding their finances too tight for some of these changes, there are monies to be applied for in Washington, DC and quite possibly at the level of the state. 

The State of Missouri has to be assessed for participation of minorities in any jobs at the state and private level. If there are ethnic differences skewed from the country, there needs to be a strong effort to change the demographics of those within Missouri that find themselves without a job although wanting one.

If minority candidates are not qualified the state needs to double it's effort to bring minority populations up to the level needed for quality of life choices.

It was noted in the demographics of Ferguson public transportation is important to the citizens. Here again is a chance for the people to find work, benefits and good pay. Not only that but understanding the needs of the people in that community will bring about the reality they are dependent on outside transportation to get around the city and outside the city. Residents who do not have access to personal transportation are TRAPPED inside their own lives. When people feel trapped without choices or potential for improvements of quality of life, the local community suffers with different forms of criminality. If there is no chance to earn, there is no chance to buy and therefore entitlement pursues and everything within sight and reach are also part of their daily activities.

There is not one minority youth in the USA that is so tainted they can't be provide opportunity. They want to be like everyone else. They have the same feelings of acceptance and friendship and where those needs fall outside the legal basis of THEIR LIVES they will find a way and ultimately end up being jaded and a problem the rest of their lives.

I strongly suggest this problem in Ferguson needs complete study and how much exists nationwide. What troubles me more than I can put in words is the fact these young black men are the promises to our country's future and they are cut down for no good reason at all. 

President Obama likes to promote minorities and that is good thing. He likes to elevate the minority brain trust and that is the first time a President was determined to bring minority insight to our country at the highest levels of government. But. If he and his administration are NOT more vigilant to the 'CONDITION' of minority life in the USA, there won't be those available for any job in government or qualified to be President of the USA.

How many black female police officers are in Ferguson?

The city has two-thirds black female single parent families. The police department should reflect the population of the city better than this. Is the police department actively recruiting black, female officers? How many women currently living in Ferguson are qualified for police training? How many are interested in making their community a safer place?

There is a reenactment by the Washington Post (click here).

This shooting should never have happened. There was another police car responding and the use of the gun was completely unnecessary. It is not disputed that Michael Brown, Jr. was running away from the officer when he first pulled his weapon.

This alone defeats any defense of Wilson's conduct. There is no value for human life in this conduct. There is only 'the job' the police officer has to do. The officer is reacting OUT OF CONTEXT of the events leading to this moment. 

Michael Brown, Jr. was more a danger to himself than anyone else. He was provoked by Wilson as well. He and his friend were walking down the middle of the street, basically jay walking. They were asked to move to the side walk and they didn't because they don't respect police. That is CULTURAL in this community. The fact Wilson wasn't respected when he asked the two young men to walk on a sidewalk is a problem for police. If the community has no respect for them, they are the problem, not the community.

Kindly remember, there was another person with Michael Brown, Jr. Neither moved to the sidewalk and ignored the demands of Wilson. This is a culture issue in that community and it revolves around police harassment.

Wilson took an order to move to the sidewalk and escalated it by pulling his vehicle in front of the two young men. He was blocking the path of Brown and his friend. Brown got angry. If a young man ignores police he isn't going to listen to them if they get in his face. It won't happen. Somewhere along the way Wilson notes the description of the people involved in the store theft of cigarillos. What does he do? He decides to be judge and jury and carries out a confrontation and not a limit on the movement of Brown and his friend. Now, mind you, these are the TWO people that were in the store where the cigarillos were stolen. TWO PEOPLE, not one. Wilson focused on "The Big Black Guy" and decided he was allowed to pursue him with a gun and to kill him. There was no doubt in Wilson's mind he was going to kill Brown. His gun was drawn and aimed at Brown. 

Everything from the point where Brown was running away doesn't matter. Wilson was completely out of control, first by blocking the path of the two young men, not engaging the second police officer in the pursuit and Wilson was a danger to the public. He drew his gun on a street with other civilian vehicles. It was stated in the testimony that Wilson's SUV was blocking both lanes and traffic besides. Other people are in the area and now he engaged his weapon. 

Everything from this point forward doesn't matter because it is nothing but police escalating the environment and over reacting to a theft to two boxes of cigarillos. 

I don't know how the prosecutor or the Chief of police can live with themselves. This young man was in a community of 21 thousand people and Brown was given the death sentence for no reason. Wilson is guilty. This is outrageous. This is the worst police response I think I've ever heard. I mentioned yesterday an article I read whereby a former inmate to prison was released after serving his time. He wanted cigarillos and stole two boxes. He was remanded to court and was sent back to prison for the minor theft. At least he was alive after the theft. Wilson is self-righteous and hides his hatred behind his badge. He harassed Brown and his friend and began the escalation that lead to Brown's death.

The return by the grand jury is corruption.
I want a Blue Ribbon panel chaired Senator Cory Booker to end the violence against young black men.

The death of Michael Brown, Jr. should never have happened. Police over reacted to the call at the convenience store and it turned into confrontation of an unarmed black man. THEY KNEW HE WAS UNARMED. They knew from the video at the convenience store he was unarmed. Wilson knew from being close up and personal he was unarmed.

Michael Brown, Jr. knew no other way to act. His behavior was one of a young man with an anticipated change in his life going to the university and he was out of control. 

What occurred in Ferguson in that police response was absolutely the worst response I have ever heard of. 

Senator Booker is a former mayor of Newark. He has first hand information of how to change a "scared for their lives" community into a real community where by little dogs are taken out of the cold and into police cars until their owners return home on a cold and snowy night.

Senator Booker is probably the only person in the USA qualified to handle this problem. Make no mistake, this is a huge problem for the USA. It has to stop and the federal government has the obligation of finding the problem and addressing it to end the deaths of these young men.

I am horrified at the reality of Michael Brown, Jr.'s death. This is some of the worst police work anyone can imagine. The problem are the police, not the community. The community is simply reacting to the fear of their own children dying for no reason.

The violence was predictable. The President was correct in calling for peace, but, in all honesty, should these people simply allow such outcomes to their children? 

The violence does not define these people, nor should it in the future. The President needs to seek answers for what happened in Ferguson. It is the police that are the problem.

Ferguson doesn't need gunmen as police they need peace officers.

I am scared to death for the African American community in the USA. I also feel powerless to do anything about it. I can only imagine how community after community feels today. Parents are beyond worry at this point. 

When communities are faced with assault time after time and unable to change their circumstances, this is oppression, not policing.