Thoughts On The Ferguson Issue by John Lengemann

[Tim Lintz]

 

            "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest" wrote Paul Simon over 30 years ago in his song "The Boxer."  That describes much of what's taken place in Ferguson, Missouri. 

 

            From the time Michael Brown was killed until now the media, the President and the protesters have heard what they wanted to hear.  From the beginning the media [principally the left wing leaning media] told a tale that fit the template it sees as emblematic of America; ie, white cop executes black kid.  Without verification, or in many cases contrary to statements by witnesses, news reports promoted the fiction that Michael Brown was running away or had his hands up in a position of surrender.  It was almost as though reporters were gleeful for this narrative as it gave creditability to their beliefs.  They certainly were gleeful about the story.

 

            For months this continued.  The race hustlers, Al Sharpton and others fanned the flames claiming racial injustice was taking place asserting the only cure would be a conviction of Officer Wilson for murder and the media willingly played along.  Sadly our president again could not resist his community organizer traits and, as he did in the Trayvon Martin matter, became involved.  Had he become involved in a positive way perhaps it would have been beneficial.  Instead he directed his Attorney General, together with the FBI, to investigate the matter.  The clear implication of this action was that the local police and prosecutor could not be trusted to act in an unbiased way or to investigate the matter properly resulting in the belief that "the fix was in."  The prosecutor was accused of bias because his father had been a police officer who died at the hands of a black man.  That he had been prosecutor for a long time and not shown evidence of racial bias was of no consequence.

 

            When the grand jury finally released their decision that there was not sufficient evidence to indict Officer Wilson the president stated that "There are Americans who are deeply upset, even angry. It's an understandable reaction."  That was not the proper response and it was not understandable.  What he should have told the nation was that Michael Brown was a thug who had just robbed a store; assaulted the store owner; was high on marihuana; had assaulted a police officer; disobeyed the police officer's instructions to "get down" and then charged the officer who, fearful for his life, shot him.  The president should have told the nation that while the death of a young man is a tragedy the officer is blameless and Michael Brown is responsible for his own death.

 

            The president also stated that claims of white police officers mistreating or killing blacks are not just made up.  In the Ferguson case he was wrong.  It is clear that the claims of wrongdoing by Officer Wilson were made up.  Several witnesses claimed, and were quoted on television, that Michael Brown was running away when shot [not true as 3 autopsies proved], that Officer Wilson stood over Michael Brown and shot him while he was lying on the ground, [not true] that Michael Brown had his hands up surrendering when he was shot [not true as established by at least 6 black Americans] and Michael Brown was a "gentle giant."[not true as evidenced by the video of his robbery and assault of the store keeper]

John Lengemann