Ferguson MO

Saw this on Facebook. Really love it when someone doesn't pretend to have all the answers and provides some perspective. Even if you find the last part too "preachy" I think anyone can appreciate the rest:

Benjamin Watson
At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts:

I'M ANGRY because the stories of injustice that have been passed down for generations seem to be continuing before our very eyes.

I'M FRUSTRATED, because pop culture, music and movies glorify these types of police citizen altercations and promote an invincible attitude that continues to get young men killed in real life, away from safety movie sets and music studios.

I'M FEARFUL because in the back of my mind I know that although I'm a law abiding citizen I could still be looked upon as a "threat" to those who don't know me. So I will continue to have to go the extra mile to earn the benefit of the doubt.

I'M EMBARRASSED because the looting, violent protests, and law breaking only confirm, and in the minds of many, validate, the stereotypes and thus the inferior treatment.

I'M SAD, because another young life was lost from his family, the racial divide has widened, a community is in shambles, accusations, insensitivity hurt and hatred are boiling over, and we may never know the truth about what happened that day.

I'M SYMPATHETIC, because I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Darren Wilson acted within his rights and duty as an officer of the law and killed Michael Brown in self defense like any of us would in the circumstance. Now he has to fear the backlash against himself and his loved ones when he was only doing his job. What a horrible thing to endure. OR maybe he provoked Michael and ignited the series of events that led to him eventually murdering the young man to prove a point.

I'M OFFENDED, because of the insulting comments I've seen that are not only insensitive but dismissive to the painful experiences of others.

I'M CONFUSED, because I don't know why it's so hard to obey a policeman. You will not win!!! And I don't know why some policeman abuse their power. Power is a responsibility, not a weapon to brandish and lord over the populace.

I'M INTROSPECTIVE, because sometimes I want to take "our" side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That's not right.

I'M HOPELESS, because I've lived long enough to expect things like this to continue to happen. I'm not surprised and at some point my little children are going to inherit the weight of being a minority and all that it entails.

I'M HOPEFUL, because I know that while we still have race issues in America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and grandparents. I see it in my personal relationships with teammates, friends and mentors. And it's a beautiful thing.

I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through the his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope.

First off, I cannot believe this thread didn't blow the hell up! Have I found the only group of people on the internet who aren't crazy about what's doing in Ferguson?

Anyway, here's some pictures in case you all doubted my proximity to the chaos. I was visiting my dad tonight and thought I grab a few pictures. Sorry they're all from inside car vantage but I had my kids with me and I was too hungry to stop.

First off, I cannot believe this thread didn't blow the hell up! Have I found the only group of people on the internet who aren't crazy about what's doing in Ferguson?

Anyway, here's some pictures in case you all doubted my proximity to the chaos. I was visiting my dad tonight and thought I grab a few pictures. Sorry they're all from inside car vantage but I had my kids with me and I was too hungry to stop.

Doesn't look that bad, really.

Is this really about Ferguson alone or is it about the way blacks are treated by law enforcement across the US? I'm white and have never been arrested but I despise the police. I have seen so many injustices at the hands of the police that I can't even begin to imagine how black people must feel. Racism is always going to exist, but law enforcement as a profession have the most backward, black and white views of human nature. I have never met a progressive police officer in my life.

How many have you gotten to know? I'm sitting in a room with one of the best men I have ever known and he's a police officer. You can be both.

First off, I cannot believe this thread didn't blow the hell up! Have I found the only group of people on the internet who aren't crazy about what's doing in Ferguson?

I'm sure there are wonderful people in every profession. I worked in journalism in the early 90s and had a chance to meet and work with a ton of cops in Niagara Falls, Canada. It was frightening what I saw. The amount of abuse cops are privy to would make your head swim, but they ALL protect one another like you wouldn't believe. Ask your friend about it and I would be surprised if he didn't agree with me. Here's how it works: As a cop, you are generally hated or at least distrusted by the public making it difficult to make friends outside the force. This leads most cops to keep their friends and their social lives within the force. If you see abuse by other officers and you rat on them, even other good cops will no longer support you and you become completely isolated both personally and professionally. Most cops have wives who also end up in this little blue bubble. Nobody wants to be close with a cop's wife so they tend to stick together also. If you rat out another cop, there is a good chance your wife will get the cold shoulder from her friends and she's not going to be happy with you for helping to lose her friends. It's very much like a gang or the mafia, a complaint I heard dozens of times while working with them. What makes this particularly egregious is that a lot of bullies/sociopaths are attracted to law enforcement and so a lot of good people cover for really sick individuals. It's peer pressure gone mad.