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Sorry, But The Ferguson Grand Jury Got It Right: And "justice" doesn't exist to mollify your anger
The Federalist ^
| 11/25/2014
| David Harsanyi
Posted on 11/25/2014 10:33:15 AM PST by SeekAndFind
For many in the media, the Ferguson grand jurys decision was going to confirm the existence of deep American injustice one way or another. If it found there was insufficient evidence for an indictment against Darren Wilson, it would mean that the American justice system was corrupt, unjust, and rife with racism. If the grand jury decided to move forward with an indictment, it could only mean that American law enforcement was corrupt, unjust, and rife with racism.
Even if many of your grievances are legitimate, “justice” doesn’t exist to soothe your anger. In the end, there wasn’t probable cause to file charges against Wilson. And after all the intense coverage and build-up the predictable happened. Even taking a cursory look at the grand jury evidence, the details of Brown’s death were far more complex than what we heard when the incident first broke over the summer. Lawyers will, no doubt, analyze every morsel of evidence in the coming days. But if Wilsons testimony is corroborated by forensic evidence, it seems unlikely that any jury would be able to convict him.
That doesnt mean that many of black Americas concerns arent genuine. It doesn’t mean that police departments like the one in Ferguson aren’t a major problem. It only means that this incident should be judged on the evidence, not the politics or the past or what goes on elsewhere.
No person should be shot for stealing cigars. Too often cops in this country use excessive force rather than prudently avoid violence. Just the other day, a 12-year old boy playing with a BB gun was shot dead in Cleveland. (Check in with Radley Balko to learn more about the extent of the problem.) We have a need for criminal justice reform and law enforcement reform. After reading through the grand jury testimony in the Wilson case, its obvious there far more egregious cases that deserve the attention.
But according to his grand jury testimony, Brown hit Wilson ten times while the he was in his police car. He had punched Wilson twice in the face and was coming for more.
Wilson asked Brown to get down. Witnesses saw Brown charge the police officer. Brown also reached for the cops gun.
In this case, a number of witnesses paraded out by the media had never actually seen Brown’s death and simply repeated what they heard elsewhere. Namely, that Brown was shot in cold blood from afar. Those stories became part of a narrativerepeated even after the report was releasedthat was almost certainly believed by many of those protesting in Ferguson and elsewhere in the country.
Heres Syreeta McFadden in The Guardian:
Ferguson is indeed a microcosm of the all the narratives about race and America that we fear and suppress. Still: it is not enough to say that, yes, of course the promise of justice the promise of America, of democracy has failed its black citizens, again. It doesnt make the disappointment any less disappointing, nor the rage any less real. But it doesnt make the moment any less mighty either.
Cramming all those problems into one microcosmic event has had tragic consequences. Of course, plenty has happened since Brown was killed that has been disconcerting. Watching a militarized police treat African-American neighborhoods as if they were war zones is troubling. Watching cops unable to deal with riotersmost of whom probably do not care about Michael Brownand protect private property, even when they do have a militarized police force, is distressing. All of this continues to fuel more anger and frustration.
Yet, lets concede that prosecutors punted and allowed Wilson to walk because they were either racist or incompetent or terrified. Lets concede that the grand jury capitulated to the will of the prosecutor. Even if that were all the case, we still wouldnt have an out-of-control cop callously gunning down an innocent, defenseless black man, although that happens in the United States far too often, and all too often there is no indictment. But there is no proof that racism played a role in this shooting or a role in the lack of an indictment. Unless all the scientific evidence in the case is wrong, its fair to say that Brown was a clear aggressor and, at the very least, put himself in a perilous position. To indict Wilson only to soothe the anger of community would not be just. It would be the opposite.
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: davidharsanyi; ferguson; grandjury; michaelbrown; missouri
To: SeekAndFind
Michael Brown’s mother should apologize for her sons behavior and admit his actions that day lead to his death.
She should apologize to the convenience store owner for her son roughing him up and apologize to Officer Wilson for her son putting his life in danger.
2
posted on
11/25/2014 10:35:53 AM PST
by
Eddie01
(Liberals lie about everything all the time.)
To: SeekAndFind
Absolutely correct, but Obama won’t give up.
3
posted on
11/25/2014 10:36:26 AM PST
by
Jim Robinson
(Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!!)
To: SeekAndFind
Sorry, But The Ferguson Grand Jury Got It Right: And "justice" doesn't exist to mollify your anger Writer does the same thing I do at times.
Hey, there's nothing to be sorry for here. Justice was served.
4
posted on
11/25/2014 10:37:01 AM PST
by
DoughtyOne
(GOP. GOPe. GOPeGads! GOPeWWWWWWWWWWWWW...)
To: Eddie01
She should apologize for not raising her son any better.
5
posted on
11/25/2014 10:38:03 AM PST
by
Morgana
( Always a bit of truth in dark humor.)
To: SeekAndFind
No person should be shot for stealing cigars
I agree. But, Brown was not shot for stealing cigars. He was shot because he attacked a police officer, then ran away, and then deciding to turn around and charge the officer.
At every point up to the time Brown was shot, if he would have made a different decision, he would still be alive. He set up the situation and his action resulted in his own death.
6
posted on
11/25/2014 10:42:29 AM PST
by
CIB-173RDABN
(I do not doubt that our climate changes. I only doubt that anything man does has any effect.)
To: SeekAndFind
bump
real justice is not intimidated by thugs
7
posted on
11/25/2014 10:46:53 AM PST
by
GeronL
(Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
To: SeekAndFind
They thought they had a Tom DeLay,Ted Stevens and Rick Perry type of Grand Jury
8
posted on
11/25/2014 10:48:32 AM PST
by
molson209
(Blank)
To: SeekAndFind
There is an old saying in law - to give justice to one means taking it away from another.
There is no mid ground that satisfies both. And the facts determine that.
9
posted on
11/25/2014 10:50:40 AM PST
by
llevrok
(I fear the US government more than I do al Qaeda)
To: CIB-173RDABN
If anybody thinks he got shot for stealing cigars, they are showing their own ignorance. They are willfully misrepresenting the facts of what actually happened.
To: CIB-173RDABN
He was shot because he attacked a police officer, then ran away, and then deciding to turn around and charge the officer. Megyn Kelly repeated this over and over to a black news reporter in the field. He kept spouting the nonsense rumors that blacks spread. That black reporter was caught up in the nonsense. Megyn was clearly frustrated trying to tell him the facts. That Brown was shot dead because he was a suspect in a robbery, assaulted the officer in the police SUV, trying to take the officer's gun to do possible additional harm to the officer, and charged the officer despite orders to stop. So you're absolutely right, and there were multiple reasons to shoot him - not just a single reason, but multiple factors.
11
posted on
11/25/2014 10:55:15 AM PST
by
roadcat
To: roadcat
Megyn should have interviewed her Pen
12
posted on
11/25/2014 11:07:06 AM PST
by
molson209
(Blank)
To: CIB-173RDABN
I'm ok with a thief being shot in the act. No problem with it at all.
That ain't what happened here, apparently.
/johnny
To: Morgana
Did she really raise the kid? Or is this just another latch-key kid who raised himself?
To: Eddie01
..."Too often cops in this country use excessive force rather than prudently avoid violence".... In the violent black communities I won't agree with that statement. They know the culture violence and how the blacks work it. Just as they did here and this should not be tolerated at all!
15
posted on
11/25/2014 11:16:39 AM PST
by
caww
To: llevrok
“There is an old saying in law - to give justice to one means taking it away from another.”
How was justice taken away from Brown?
16
posted on
11/25/2014 11:18:30 AM PST
by
Magic Fingers
(Political correctness mutates in order to remain virulent.)
To: Magic Fingers
How was justice taken away from Brown?By his/their point of view, it was. I'm not saying I agree in any form or way of their opinion. Justice was served.
17
posted on
11/25/2014 11:22:28 AM PST
by
llevrok
(I fear the US government more than I do al Qaeda)
To: SeekAndFind
Darren Wilson was hero in this. He faced down a big, brutal criminal thug who was terrorizing lawful citizens.
He ultimately had to defend his life...and did so.
The only race problem we have in America are the race baiters and hustlers stoking flames where they should no exist.
In Ferguson, a big, brutal, criminal thug robbed a store, then assaulted and officer who tried to question him, and that officer ultimately had to shoot the thug in defense of his own life.
That has nothing to do with race.
Here's my photo Album and description of what is happening in Ferguson and why.
What is happening in Ferguson and Why
18
posted on
11/25/2014 12:04:04 PM PST
by
Jeff Head
(Semper Fidelis - Molon Labe - Sic Semper Tyrannis)
To: molson209
Megyn should have interviewed her Pen Here's the problem. She was not interviewing him. That black reporter on site in Ferguson was supposed to be reporting the situation at hand. However, he colored the reporting with his own biased comments. Megyn corrected him. The reporter kept up the bias and refuted her, while Megyn retorted with the official facts that the grand jury had at hand. That black reporter should be fired, as he is fueling the flames of disorder with his biased remarks, and cannot be trusted to present truthful news. Megyn did well to challenge him, although he would not listen to her.
19
posted on
11/25/2014 1:18:09 PM PST
by
roadcat
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