... "I've been on a 'stay'cation of sorts this past week and not getting my normal news feed, and I just have to say that I'm also sad that Robin Williams died, but these folks in Ferguson are just taking it too far."
That above paragraph is in quotes because I was about to post that on social media the other day but luckily had a rare moment of self-editing and realized that it would be highly insensitive to do so.
Then I was going to join in the #ifIwasgunneddown social media trending phenomenon with the above photo (which, by the way, was taken as a joke because my surrogate grandmother was the former dispatcher at the local state police station, and she gave me a tour when I moved to town for a few months over twenty years ago that included this souvenir), but that seemed like I would be mocking the commentary about how the media adds fuel to the fire in these situations. And I didn't have any pictures of me flashing gang signals ... because, well, I've never been in a predicament where I've felt the need to be a poser in that fashion.
Next I briefly considered crafting some observational humor around how Big Mike's friend Dorian's testimony reminded me that I hadn't heard that much "country grammar" since the dawn of the millennium and the introduction to the world of a certain Nelly with his invitation to come "ride wit" him and his warning that it was getting hot in "herrr" and his lessons in St. Louis-ian vernacular and dialect ... but that also struck me as not the right fit for the scenario.
After that, I thought I'd do one of my occasional "this is what I *think* I know" posts where I wrestle with the issue and try to find some context that helps me understand the state of affairs ... but I was stymied to relate to the situation in the first place. I firmly believe that there is very little in this world that is as black and white as those who scream the loudest want us to think it is -- even in the arena of racial black and white relations.
So where does that leave me in processing this news? A week or so in, I *think* I know the following six things I'll bullet point below ...
1.) Big Mike was a dick. My reason for saying so -- the footage of him interacting with the convenience store owner whom he just "allegedly" robbed of a box of cigars. Of course, being 18 and acting like a dick do go hand in hand ... but I just cringe when I think of Big Mike joining the civil rights hero pantheon of Du Bois and Parks and King.
2.) Being a dick is not a capital offense (although if it was, the world would no longer have an overpopulation problem). Robbing.a convenience store of a box of cigars is not a capital offense. Walking in the middle of the street instead of the sidewalk is not a capital offense. Taunting a police officer is not a capital offense. Assaulting a police officer is not a capital offense. "Bum-rushing" a police officer is not a capital offense. Espionage, treason, murder during a kidnapping, murder for hire, genocide ... those are some examples of capital offenses. And, of course, that statement doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the lengthy due process involved in pursuing capital offense cases.
3.) Police are permitted to use force. There is a continuum, though, with lethal force being reserved for the most drastic of circumstances. The full circumstances here are yet to be known, but autopsies and eyewitness footage and leaked versions of the officer's side of events seem to be pointed to a split second decision to aim for the brain instead of a kneecap or two. That's the decision about which more must be known ... from the one who made it ... from the one in whose shoes no one can stand ... and which must play out before a grand jury ... and then likely in a court of law ... in the weeks and months ahead.
4.) The 24 hour news cycle media has made this worse. But then again, that sentence can be applied to nearly any "major" story of the last few years, with talking heads blathering in order to fill air time and reporters getting pushed during the live feed as if that equates to the serious nature of the unrest (no offense Mr. Lemon -- as a PA boy who spent some time in Chicago, I feel like we're almost friends in how our paths have mirrored each other ... but your live feeds are starting to get annoying), and cameras now indirectly encouraging those who want to be on the TV to act out.
5.) The national guard should be there. I wasn't born in the sixties when they were last called in to keep the peace in times of social unrest, and so maybe I'd have a different opinion if that was an experiential memory instead of one I've picked up from history books ... but I believe that protest and free speech and right to assembly can all still be managed with a presence to keep things under control. Speaking of Chicago, I've gone on record saying I thought that they should have moved into some 'hoods there ... although, to be exact, I said that it should be a last resort after community leaders are given a deadline to rise up to the challenges and to begin working on the root causes of the issues. But peace must prevail ... and if it's the Guard that is required to have it happen then so be it.
6.) Big Mike's demise does not entitle anyone to a complimentary bottle of courvoisier. Looters are an embarrassment to the community and do nothing but dilute the discussion about the issues. They should be ashamed of themselves ... and held accountable (note, however, that looting is also not a capital offense).
So then what next? After the dust settles ... and the lawsuits progress ... and the protests re-fire and die out again in waves over every quasi-development that the 24 hour news exaggerates ... and there is a settlement in a civil suit years after the incident (because, let's face it, Big Mike's situation is not the first time this particular cycle has played out ... so the outcomes can be predicted) ... then what? Will the community be strong enough to speak to root causes of problems? Will leadership establish initiatives that break the cycle of violence? Will there be peace and trust and progress? Who will step up to lead the way? All of those questions remain to be answered ...
THE #IFIWASGUNNEDDOWN COMMENTARY:
http://rollingout.com/culture/instagram-slams-media-ifiwasgunneddown/#_
A LIST OF CAPITAL OFFENSES:
http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004927
ON POLICE USE OF FORCE:
http://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/officer-safety/use-of-force/Pages/welcome.aspx
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