There are numerous issues related to the shooting of Michael
Brown and subsequent riots in Ferguson, Missouri that deserve analysis, but I’m
focusing on one area here: The attempt by Ferguson police to demonize Michael
Brown. Despite Justice Department warnings, the Ferguson police department
released security video of what is purported to be Brown stealing cigars from a
local convenience store. The obvious ploy is to paint Brown as a thief and
troublemaker who may have got what he deserved.
This kind of blatant race baiting will probably work by
reaffirming the bigoted views of a certain segment of people, including FOX
news hosts and viewers, but most Americans should be able to see through this
crude charade.
Who hasn’t heard the iconic opening lines to the TV show
“Law and Order?”
In
the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet
equally important groups: the police who investigate crime and the district
attorneys who prosecute the offenders.
The
show is fiction, but this single sentence encapsulates an important truth. In
the United States, we have law enforcement and we have a judicial system, and
they have distinct and separate duties. The police investigate crimes and
arrest individuals suspected of committing crimes. Those accused then enter the
judicial system where they are judged innocent or guilty, and if guilty,
receive punishment. Police do not have the power to deliver justice. They can
use force to protect themselves or others, but they cannot decide who is guilty
or innocent of a crime, that is for the courts.
This
brings me to shooting of Michael Brown. Whether Brown robbed a convenience
store or not, it is up to the judiciary to decide his guilt or innocence, not
the cops. If Michael Brown committed murder, it is still not up to the cops to
act as judge and jury. Sure, the Ferguson police department is trying to protect
one of its own, but by releasing the convenience store video, they have opened
the door to accusations that perhaps they believe they have the power to be
judge, jury and executioner. The unarmed Brown was shot six times, twice in the
head.
Should
anyone be surprised that members of the African American community of Ferguson
are angry?
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