Is it Justice or Something Else People are After?

It is a tragedy anytime a life is cut short.  Regardless of the circumstances, death is difficult to accept.  The death of Michael Brown is no exception, what has amplified this situation is the response. The town of Ferguson is now a hot bed of tension, boiling over with riots and spilling into other parts of society.  What’s ironic is that the calls for justice, in this case, are accompanied by actions that are unjust, and this is not the first time this has happened.  While many of the youthful protesters in Ferguson are too young to remember the LA riots, the adults are not.

In 1992, when the verdict in the Rodney King case displeased the residents of South Central Los Angeles, they took to the streets rioting, looting, and beating people.  In the end, what was left was not justice for King, but injustice for all of Los Angeles.  After ten days of rioting, LA had 53 dead citizens, 2000 injuries, 3767 burnt buildings, 3600 fires, and property damages estimated at over $1 billion dollars.  Though the Missouri riots have not been to the same degree, the outcomes are similar.  What has been gained?  Media attention, destruction of property, injured individuals, and a town full of fear.  How does any of that bring about justice?

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that changes occur in the town’s government.  Was it genuine change or change out of fear? If it’s genuine, it would happen naturally and over time.  Change for fear’s sake is abrupt, but also likely to be laden with animosity.  One young lady said she did not want to wait for change and that rioting was “an immediate way to show the anger that was felt.” However, her anger was not just over the death of a young man, but rather the lack of black representation in Ferguson’s government.

Here is where the mentality becomes unclear.  Demographically, Ferguson is majority black while the elected officials and police department are predominantly white. However, that is the town’s choosing.  The town elects its officials and anyone can apply to the police department.  There are currently no accounts of black applicants being turned away from the police department or being told they cannot run for office.  If the town is so upset over their own governance, they have the power to change it.  Instead, they are protesting, rioting, and looting their own town.

This problem is not unique to Ferguson, all across the nation people complain about issues but fail to take the true steps necessary to evoke change.  Some quietly complain while others take to the airwaves ranting about everything but the real issues.  Government is never going to be the true catalyst for change.  Yes, government can mandate “change”, but real change is a heart issue and heart issues start in the home.

In addition to the death of Michael Brown, crime statistics across the US are staggering.  A month ago, over the July 4th weekend, Chicago alone had 72 murders.  The most recent crimes statistics show that in 2012 the US had just under 15,000 homicides and over 2 million assaults.  While local news agencies typically report their major crime incidents, the indignation and media coverage we see in Missouri only occurs occasionally.  Why is that and is it helping or making matters worse?

Image courtesy of Vice News.