Sunday, November 30, 2014

Lazy Sunday # 352: The Unheard Voices

Fourteen weeks ago, I wrote a post about the reaction to the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

It was based on my experiences shadowing cops while writing and producing the CBS TV series “Top Cops” and my belief that this was an example of the “Killer Cops targeting young Black Males” narrative on social media would ultimately be revealed as false.

I also suggested people wait to hear the whole story before reaching conclusions.

For having those opinions I was widely branded as out of touch and insensitive at best and a Racist at the other end of that scale.

No doubt, I’ll be getting more of the same after what follows. Once people have become invested in a position, it’s difficult to shift their perspective.

But for what it’s worth…

Here we are three and half months later. A Grand Jury has ruled that the officer in the case did not act inappropriately and a St.Louis County investigation has revealed that several witnesses knowingly falsified their statements or went along with the “Killer Cop” narrative for fear of reprisal.

But the narrative continues. And the haters, the race baiters and the media cheerleaders of doom continue to stoke the fire. They all say they’re doing it to create a teachable moment or encourage change.

But I wonder if they’re only listening and reacting to each other and not paying attention to the people who actually live, work and police in towns and neighborhoods like Ferguson.

It’s tough living in a tough part of town. It’s just as hard to be charged with providing law enforcement there. The vast majority in both of those communities just want to get through their day without encountering any more crap than they already have to deal with.

But few in the media and, it seems, fewer with an activist agenda have any time for what those two communities know from experience.

Because what they know doesn’t fit with the accepted narrative and suggests a more complicated path to peace and understanding.

Maybe it’s time those unheard voices got to say their piece.

Maybe it’s time more of us listened.

Enjoy Your Sunday.

4 comments:

David Bolt said...

Don't know any American blacks, so can't really comment on the first video. But I am bewildered by the number of Canadian white boys who don't take advantage of the opportunities in front of them. Can't help wondering if downward peer pressure is the norm.

David Bolt said...

I actually meant the second video.

Alex Epstein said...

The Grand Jury not convicting is evidence of nothing, since the prosecutor (as he has in four other cop cases) more or less directed them not to bring in an indictment.

Birgit said...

I wish I knew more about the case as a little knowledge is a dangerous thing but at the same time, I don't trust the media since they love to instill fear, war mongering etc... to sell "papers". I heard from the cop and he sounds sincere with what happened and he has not swayed from what was his initial statement. Even if he was guilty and committed a horrible act out of racist thoughts, it does not help the African American community when a number of protesters use this as a means of looting and destroying businesses. This does not help the family or friends of the young man that was killed. It does not help promote peace or justice in fact it does the opposite. The people who have protested violently should take heed and start reading the words of Dr. Martin Luther King and Ghandi and realize more will be done with peaceful intelligent protests than with mindless violence