Ferguson, Missouri has been at the top of the news for days now as protests break out over the shooting of an unarmed teen by a white policeman. This is a perceived injustice. A white policeman in a predominantly African-American community shoots a black teen in the street. Injustice or not, it’s always sad to see a young man die before his life really begins. It brings to mind the song by Elvis from years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUlYONgjaoU
This injustice, sad as it is, seems yet to be fully explained. A Grand Jury has been called together to do just that. Injustice does not justify greater injustice. Greater injustice as described by rioting, looting, shooting at police, throwing Molotov cocktails, burning, cursing police, throwing urine at police, etc.
Reverend Al Sharpton must think it does since he always appears at any tinder box like this and adds the spark it takes to light the fire. A Civil Rights leader, not by my standards. Ferguson is settling down as the media loses interest and moves on to New York where the young man died from a choke hold. The funeral was announced and Reverend Al announced the will be back to Ferguson and the media will rejoin him there to see if they can rev it up again.
While all of this went on there was a clear-cut injustice in Chicago. A nine year-old boy got mad at his Mom when she wouldn’t let him have a muffin. Mom was trying to follow the first lady’s advice on sweets. He stormed out of the house barefoot. Ten minutes later the police knocked on her door and advised her she needed to accompany them to the hospital. Her son had been shot 4 times execution-style and was dead. There is no policeman in this story. Nor is there an Al Sharpton. Nor will there be an Al Sharpton. You see this young man died at the hands of a gang-banger in the neighborhood and if one protests here they may be putting themselves or their family in jeopardy.
Two opportunities for righteous indignation. A police shooting, where there may or may not have been a policeman who was being threatened by a young man with marijuana in his system and a simple case where someone just killed an innocent 9 year-old who may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the first case the media can’t get enough and a town is under siege. In the second, end of story. You decide.
