Hard for me to sit quietly...

Michael Brown's shooting death by a Missouri police officer has sparked what, to some, seems to be a national outrage, but to a group of citizens of Ferguson, Missouri, the reaction to an aggressively out-of-control teenage offender. Many have written so-called think pieces, but at the heart of it all, it's important to remember, that although Brown has been touted as a symbol for racial injustice in America — and yes, he was  a human being, but as evidence may suggest, even a flawed one. Even in the fierce debate and sometimes slanted media firestorm that has surrounded Brown's death, we must keep Brown's humanity in perspective. That same argument must be applied to officer Wilson's situation. Should we allow those, who we've delegated to uphold order in our streets, to be subjected to much less. 

Just one last thought before I move on, how many of us have been able to examine all of the evidence that the Ferguson grand jury was called on to consider. And consider it in the great detail that they were able to apply. It's not to say that Brown's death should be not mourned. It's a great loss for his family and friends and should be seen as such. But he is not yet ready for sainthood.

Recently a friend of mine and his wife were the subjects of a home invasion, during which they were beaten, cut, and threatened with death. When the invaders left the house momentarily, my friend locked the door behind them. Whereupon, the invaders, realizing that they had been locked out of the home, shot through the door to regain entrance. In the interim my friend and his wife had sought refuge behind the door of their bedroom. The invaders burst into the room and my friend, who had recovered a weapon that was hidden in the room, was forced to shoot the young man charging into the room. That young man later died or was left to die, it is uncertain which… His parents will mourn his death. I'm sure his humanity will also be considered in the media. However, I must also think of the parents of my two friends. They will also go through mourning. They will mourn the loss of a feeling of security and safety that a home should offer. And that is to say nothing regarding the personal attack and loss of innocence their children were violently subjected to.

I lived in a nation more peaceful than the one I now live in. I lament and mourn its loss. And I contend that reactionaryrism on either side is not the answer. Strident voices from left or right do little more than drive us further and further away from a chance at moving the perceived peaceful home of the past into the present and projecting it into the future.