Opinion

Ferguson, Missouri, Revisited

National Guard and extra police officers have been summoned to Ferguson, Missouri, in preparation for the possibility of more racial tension in advance of the decision whether to charge Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of unarmed Mike Brown last August.  

Authorities say the move is simply for precautionary measures, and it doesn’t signal that they won’t bring charges against Officer Wilson.

Regardless of what decision is made in the case, hopefully cooler heads will prevail, and things won’t get out of control as they did back in August.  We all know the judicial system in the United States has flaws; it has been proven time and time again.  Looting and violence in the streets will never solve that. 

The only way to change things in this country is to change the people who represent us in political offices.  There has to be a voice from the people heard in Washington D.C., where these laws are made to protect those who kill unarmed teenagers.  The idea of rioting and protesting to change things has been proven to be a failure. 

There is nothing intelligent in doing something stupid like robbing stores in the honor of a tragedy.  It certainly won’t bring the lost ones back, and it won’t push any lawmakers to see things your way. 

So before we get in a frenzy about the verdict, let’s find constructive ways to change the elements that allowed the tragedy to occur in the first place.