I thought I would post my Opening Words from this past Sunday. I try to remain optimistic – but it is really hard. Perhaps I can only do so from my position of privilege.
Reflections on Ferguson 11/30/2014
It would be irresponsible for me not to comment on Ferguson this afternoon.
Like many, the Grand Jury’s decision not to indict Police Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting Michael Brown, an unarmed young black man, severely disappointed me.
Like Fox News, Ferguson Prosecutor, Robert McCulloch, took a “Fair and Balanced” approach.
Rather than presenting evidence to seek an indictment so that Darren Wilson’s guilt or innocence could be determined in a trial by jury, Robert McCulloch turned the proceeding into a trial of Michael Brown.
The orchestrated Grand Jury proceeding did a perfect job demonizing “the other”. Darren Wilson’s testimony even referred to Michael Brown as a demon.
I believe that this incident deserves a thorough hearing in court.
The shooting of Michael Brown in a suburb of St. Louis generated such outrage, not because it is an isolated violation by one Police Officer, but because it brought forth the long standing systematic injustice faced by black people. This injustice is persistent and ingrained in our society.
I do not live in a post-racial society.
I live in a society that continues to deny its racism.
American Justice is bent toward those with money and power.
I live in a society where the divide between the rich and powerful and the rest of us continues to grow.
Violence is being perpetrated by an armed police force – not by the crowds on the street or the few people trashing stores.
Acts of vandalism are deplorable, but this is not violence.
Violence involves acts against people – not property.
My hope is that Ferguson succeeds in raising peoples’ awareness of the change that is needed to move American Justice toward Equal Rights for all.
I know that it has my attention.
Here is how Peter Tosh expressed it in his song, Equal Rights.
(I then played the song at our meeting. The Lyrics are below. Find it on-line at YouTube, its worth a listen.)
Equal Rights – Peter Tosh (1977)
Everyone is crying out for peace, yes, None is crying out for justice
Everyone is crying out for peace, yes, None is crying out for justice
I don’t want no peace
I need equal rights and justice
I need equal rights and justice
I need equal rights and justice
Got to get it, equal rights and justice
Everybody want to go to heaven
But nobody want to die, Father of the Jesus
Everybody want to go up to heaven
But none of them, none of them want to die
I don’t want no peace
I man need equal rights and justice
I got to get it, equal rights and justice
I really need it, equal rights and justice
Just give me my share, equal rights and justice
What is due to Caesar You better give it all to Caesar, yeah, yeah, yeah
And what belong to I and I, You better, you better give it up to I
‘Cause I don’t want no peace
I need equal rights and justice
I need equal rights and justice
I have got to get it, equal rights and justice
I’m a fighting for it, equal rights and justice
Everyone is heading for the top
But tell me how far is it from the bottom
Nobody knows but everyone fighting for the top
How far is it from the bottom
I don’t want no peace
I need equal rights and justice
I need equal rights and justice
I have got to get it, equal rights and justice
I really need it, equal rights and justice
Everyone is talking about crime
Tell me who are the criminals
I said everyone is talking about crime, crime
Tell me who, who are the criminals – I really don’t see them
I don’t want no peace
I need equal rights and justice
We got to get equal rights and justice
And there will be no crime, equal rights and justice
There will be no criminals, equal rights and justice
Everyone is fighting for, equal rights and justice
Palestinians are fighting for, equal rights and justice
Down in Angola, equal rights and justice
Down in Botswana, equal rights and justice
Down in Zimbabwe, equal rights and justice
Down in Rhodesia, equal rights and justice
