November 5, 2014
By Alistair Bell
(Reuters) - A Missouri Republican (click here) who rode a wave of discontent against law enforcement in the town of Ferguson narrowly failed to pull off a local election upset on Tuesday, despite backing from black leaders unhappy at the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.
By Alistair Bell
(Reuters) - A Missouri Republican (click here) who rode a wave of discontent against law enforcement in the town of Ferguson narrowly failed to pull off a local election upset on Tuesday, despite backing from black leaders unhappy at the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.
State Representative Rick Stream lost the race for executive of St. Louis County, a swath of suburbs including Ferguson where riots broke out after a white police officer shot dead Michael Brown, 18, in August.
Democrat Steve Stenger, a county councilman, edged ahead with 47.7 percent of the vote to Stream’s 47.1 percent with all ballots counted, securing control of a county that has been Democratic for more than two decades....
St. Louis County now knows they have a new part of the electorate they have to answer to. I wouldn't let them off the hook. They need to address all the issues facing the people of Ferguson, Missouri. There needs to dedicated citizens from the community that attend City and County Council meetings, taking notes and reporting back to the community. Perhaps a small non-profit organization can form to put together a weekly newsletter to provide A PLATFORM for information and empowerment. The weekly paper can address what it takes to be a candidate in an election, how funding is raised and how issues are resolved within government.
Ferguson already has an agenda to change the heirarchy within the police department and SAFER streets for their young men. It is a huge and important agenda. Ferguson doesn't lack for help either. There are many, many people (African Americans) that can help and guide a new direction for Ferguson.
I believe good things are going to happen. It can. But, it takes vigilance and motivation. I would think the wrongful death of a young black man would be enough to carry the momentum toward a permanent base for this new political movement in Ferguson. It has to start somewhere. The circumstances aren't going to change without this movement.
Don't ever be discourages, the country now knows Ferguson is important to us all.
St. Louis County now knows they have a new part of the electorate they have to answer to. I wouldn't let them off the hook. They need to address all the issues facing the people of Ferguson, Missouri. There needs to dedicated citizens from the community that attend City and County Council meetings, taking notes and reporting back to the community. Perhaps a small non-profit organization can form to put together a weekly newsletter to provide A PLATFORM for information and empowerment. The weekly paper can address what it takes to be a candidate in an election, how funding is raised and how issues are resolved within government.
Ferguson already has an agenda to change the heirarchy within the police department and SAFER streets for their young men. It is a huge and important agenda. Ferguson doesn't lack for help either. There are many, many people (African Americans) that can help and guide a new direction for Ferguson.
I believe good things are going to happen. It can. But, it takes vigilance and motivation. I would think the wrongful death of a young black man would be enough to carry the momentum toward a permanent base for this new political movement in Ferguson. It has to start somewhere. The circumstances aren't going to change without this movement.
Don't ever be discourages, the country now knows Ferguson is important to us all.
