UPDATE
I have not read all the transcript yet but my impression is that the "grand jury hearing" was a secret trial and, therefore, illegal. Much of it would have been stopped by opposing attorneys or a judge if it were a proper trial (such as "leading" the witnesses).
This is not just about one person. It's about publicly doing what was formerly done in secret. It is not what our justice system should be. It has never been perfect but if procedure wasn't followed, at least you could appeal. Dead men don't appeal. (Oh, yes, Michael Brown was on trial.)
Sad, sad, sad. We are losing our democratic republic to a fascist system.
I doubt I am finished writing about this. There are far too many issues to address.
November 25, 2014
I have not read all the transcript yet but my impression is that the "grand jury hearing" was a secret trial and, therefore, illegal. Much of it would have been stopped by opposing attorneys or a judge if it were a proper trial (such as "leading" the witnesses).
This is not just about one person. It's about publicly doing what was formerly done in secret. It is not what our justice system should be. It has never been perfect but if procedure wasn't followed, at least you could appeal. Dead men don't appeal. (Oh, yes, Michael Brown was on trial.)
Sad, sad, sad. We are losing our democratic republic to a fascist system.
I doubt I am finished writing about this. There are far too many issues to address.
November 25, 2014
I’m jumping into the deep end of the
pool with this blog. Usually, I draft and redraft, think about my piece before I
publish here.
Further, I have not been blogging on
current events. Maybe that should change and, at least for today, it is
changing.
Ferguson.
First, my list:
Rioting is wrong
Looting is wrong (last time I checked,
it’s stealing and stealing is wrong)
Vandalism is wrong
Harming a person or knowingly setting
up potential harm is wrong
Being racist is wrong
However:
Ferguson has a history of racist cops
and abusive cops.
Nationally, too many unarmed black men
are shot dead [even those suspected of nonviolent crimes].
Too many white citizens have no clue
what has been going on.
If the failure-to-indict decision was as
presented: supported by forensic science, deflated by inconsistent testimony
and testimony of witnesses who later admitted they had not seen what they first
claimed they saw, and assuming testimony was not coerced or manipulated, it was
legally right but endorsed the immoral behavior of the local police force and
all those who support them.
That makes me sad and it makes me
angry.
Online, we saw posts and memes that
suggested a very different scene. Were we fooled early on? If so, we all just
kept repeating the same distortion. The obvious lesson here is to fact-check
before we share information.
Or did the distortion come in the explanation
of the process the grand jury used?
Sadly, I have questions with no certain
answers.
I agree with those leaders who are
calling on people to change the system that keeps failing and not to resort to violence
and wild behavior. I think I understand the outrage – as much as I can from my comfortable
living room, not in Ferguson – but it never accomplishes anything except more
of the same punishment.
(Due to our history, I’m tempted to
ask here, “Or does it?” I truly do not
endorse rioting but it’s hard to convince people to be non-violent when
violence is in the American DNA. Our country was born of violence and refusal
to follow the accepted norms of the time. Major changes of thinking and direction
were caused by violence many times throughout our history. Indeed, we continue
it by “showing” the world what happens to them if someone – not necessarily them
- makes us mad.)
But I digress, back to my theme.
I think it is foolish to riot and act
out our anger. The police have frequently abused their power, but now they have
been militarized (see link below). They are being trained to see everything as
war. They. Will. Kill. You. There is no doubt about that. If you want to change
something, you can’t do it from the grave.
I have not read the details in news
today (morning after the no-indictment). I don’t want a body count and I don’t want
to read about the broken hearts and the angry people. I’ll get around to it,
but not now. I’m sick and tired of crying with the parents who bury their
children. I get angry when another young man goes to jail - angry at him and at
everyone. Another life wasted.
Stay home, read, think, have discussions
with rational people about what to do legally and ethically. Collaborate with
other like-minded people. Everyone doesn’t have to be an expert, just committed
and diligent. That nonviolent approach is also a part of our history.
Some actions kill. Some actions save
lives and make changes.
Suggested links for more details:
Militarizing Police:
Blaming the victim of police brutality:
Ferguson police history:
http://mic.com/articles/96350/one-victim-s-story-reveals-ferguson-police-s-dark-history-of-brutality
No comments:
Post a Comment