Posted on 03/15/2015 9:47:36 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
There is no defense for the shooting of two police officers in Ferguson, Missouri ("2 Ferguson police officers shot in protest outside station," March 13 news story). It was a cowardly act and the perpetrators should be punished to the full extent of the law.
However, even more problematic to me is that the event wasn’t shocking. With our culture of gun violence and regular shootings of young black males, only someone who has no understanding of America could be genuinely shocked.
Blacks have come far — we can celebrate a black president and attorney general — but racism is far from cleansed from the American psyche.
Some are asking if peaceful protests are enough. Perhaps groups like the Black Panthers of the 1960s need to re-emerge and react to the continued racism of police departments like Ferguson. They ask, how can a police department in 2014 have only three black officers out of 53 in a town where the black population is 67 percent?
It doesn’t make sense to these people and it doesn’t make sense to me. The brutalities of Selma were 50 years ago. Fifty years later, when you would hope that irrevocable positive change has taken place, we have Ferguson.
I don’t think violence by blacks is necessary or productive, but I am not shocked by it. When Booker T. Washington gave his historic Atlanta compromise speech in 1895, many blacks, including W.E.B. DuBois in his "The Souls of Black Folk," soon saw Washington aligned with Uncle Tom, the character from "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" who would not fight for his rights but allowed himself to be whipped to death because he would be rewarded in the Christian afterlife.
For DuBois, Washington’s compromise gave away too much in terms of political, educational and social rights. Many during Dubois’ time saw the need for much more aggressive action.
We are in a time of crisis, and emotions are inflamed on both sides. For the controversy to calm down, substantial change has to occur in America, and I don’t see that happening soon. More violence by whites and blacks is coming, and I won’t be shocked by it.
JUSTIN ASKINS
ELLISTON
...Justin Askins??????
Is this another one of those letters that can be traced back to the White House?
Considering what has been being reported by video in the past couple of years, nothing is shocking. Shock is an abused word.
Sounds like “Just Askin’” doesn’t it? I did find an English professor by that name in the vicinity.
Either way, a political ideology forcing an unpopular agenda on us should probably be praising law enforcement.
Does he know who Booker T. Washington was?
Is he aware that W.E.B. Dubois was a communist?
Is he not aware of Holder's DOJ exonerating Wilson, and that Brown was exactly what everyone thought, a thug?
Is this the same guy on arrests.com?
sorry. florida arrests.org
“Shock is an abused word.”
Just “racist” and anything political that has “phobia” after it.
*Just like
And just who is responsible for these shooting of young black males?
The word "responsible" is not part of this guy's vocabulary.
What’s “shocking” is that literate commentators can side with functionally illiterate ferals, and think they can do so with no loss of credibility
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.