Ferguson, MO is a hot bed of conversation right now. Last week, a youth was shot by police. The investigation into the situation is currently underway. Society is now polarized as being for the youth or for the police. Here is what I know - an investigation is still underway. Society and the media don't know every thing that happened. Patience and non-violence need to be demonstrated as we look for the truth and try to understand this situation before judgement is waged.
My heart breaks for this situation. But I have to believe that we can look at the bigger picture. The fact is that the police in this community have a long history of being excessive in their force in dealing with the community. Many folks in this community have felt that the are lesser than others in the community. The fact is that police are trained to shoot at a critical mass (chest and head) area when forced to shoot at a suspect. Other countries train their police to shot when they feel their lives are endangered but they don't shot at critical mass areas. Some folks have decided to take advantage of a horrible situation and the tension to loot and become robbers and vandals. These folks have nothing to do with the shooting other than they're using the situation. The media is lumping these two situations together when they are really separate issues that happen to be going on at the same time in the same place.
There are many issues at play in this situation. All of them need to be addressed in order for the issues at play here to be addressed. We need to look at how police respond with force. Do we really need to shoot at critical mass areas? How many people should/need to shoot? Does this police department need to address some issues it has about abuse of power and the amount of force that is used? Does the police department and the community it is called to serve and protect need help to build a different type of relationship? Do folks in the media need to be more careful about how they report and talk about situations that are still under investigation? As you can see this is just scratching at the surface of the situation, and I as an outsider, cannot fully speak to the situation.
What I have to believe is that out of this tragedy and the many others that occur every day, that society can think beyond this one situation to address at least 1 of the bigger issues at work. I have to believe that we can think beyond ourselves and work to make the world better in some way. I have to believe that there is hope that wrongs can be righted and that the best possible option will win out. I have to believe that society will stop listening to polarizing voices and those voices that jump to conclusions and calls to arms without knowing the big picture. I just have to believe that society can be better than it is and that this will come about in a peaceful way.
My heart breaks for this situation. But I have to believe that we can look at the bigger picture. The fact is that the police in this community have a long history of being excessive in their force in dealing with the community. Many folks in this community have felt that the are lesser than others in the community. The fact is that police are trained to shoot at a critical mass (chest and head) area when forced to shoot at a suspect. Other countries train their police to shot when they feel their lives are endangered but they don't shot at critical mass areas. Some folks have decided to take advantage of a horrible situation and the tension to loot and become robbers and vandals. These folks have nothing to do with the shooting other than they're using the situation. The media is lumping these two situations together when they are really separate issues that happen to be going on at the same time in the same place.
There are many issues at play in this situation. All of them need to be addressed in order for the issues at play here to be addressed. We need to look at how police respond with force. Do we really need to shoot at critical mass areas? How many people should/need to shoot? Does this police department need to address some issues it has about abuse of power and the amount of force that is used? Does the police department and the community it is called to serve and protect need help to build a different type of relationship? Do folks in the media need to be more careful about how they report and talk about situations that are still under investigation? As you can see this is just scratching at the surface of the situation, and I as an outsider, cannot fully speak to the situation.
What I have to believe is that out of this tragedy and the many others that occur every day, that society can think beyond this one situation to address at least 1 of the bigger issues at work. I have to believe that we can think beyond ourselves and work to make the world better in some way. I have to believe that there is hope that wrongs can be righted and that the best possible option will win out. I have to believe that society will stop listening to polarizing voices and those voices that jump to conclusions and calls to arms without knowing the big picture. I just have to believe that society can be better than it is and that this will come about in a peaceful way.
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