Posted on 05/22/2015 9:02:22 AM PDT by Impala64ssa
After the repeated destruction of memorials to Michael Brown, the Brown family and the town of Ferguson have agreed on a more permanent structure.
In September 2014, the makeshift memorial to Brown, which was in the middle of the street, was set on fire and destroyed, writes CBS News.
Rebuilt, it was again destroyed, this time intentionally by a vehicle the day after Christmas
Then a memorial tree was planted in April, only to be cut down one day later
Now, the most recent memorial to Brown has been removed by officials, with the items put in storage, reports Fox 2 Now. A permanent marker will take its place, which includes a plaque placed in the sidewalk
San Diego 6 writes that the memorial plaque, along with a metal dove marker, were installed in the sidewalk Thursday, hundreds of feet apart, near the place where Michael Brown was shot last year. It reads:
I would like the memory of Michael Brown to be a happy one. He left an afterglow of smiles when life was done. He leaves an echo whispering softly down the ways, of happy and loving times and bright and sunny days. He’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun of happy memories that he left behind when life was done. But not everyone believes the memorial is appropriate.
IJReview reached out to former police officer Chip Pierce for his thoughts on the complex matter:
I don’t think a criminal that was killed while assaulting a police officer deserves to be memorialized. It sends the wrong message. Every time people are paid to protest a supposed injustice before the facts are known we lose credibility in the justice system.
Michael Brown was a criminal, he had moments earlier committed or assisted with a strong armed robbery. When the officer approached, Brown attacked. The officer shot him in self-defense and it was proven to be justified by a Grand Jury.
He like many other people that attacked police officers lose their lives as a result, which isn’t something to be memorialized. There are police killings that cross the line. I do not believe this was one of them. I wasn’t on the grand jury and I’ve never been to Ferguson, so I don’t have all the facts, but trying officers in the media is not appropriate. Pierce was a commissioned law enforcement officer in Virginia for nine years.
As far as I can tell, this plaque is going to be installed in the street.
Most cities have a procedure of some sort before anything like this goes in the street, usually requiring a vote by the city council (i.e. will of the people). This prevents people from engraving profane or controversial messages into the street all over town.
And memorials in particular usually go through a more thorough review process. If nothing else, the city has to keep track of where the heck they are...so 50 years from now when somebody uncovers this under a few lifts of asphalt, they’ll know what it is, etc. But more importantly, many cities require a passage of some amount of time, before building a memorial - to make sure nothing bad about the person’s character comes to light (think Paterno statue dismantling).
I seriously doubt anything like this has happened, and the council will sick their heads in the sand when the plaque gets installed.
Aren’t you asking the same question twice?
In September 2014, the makeshift memorial to Brown, which was in the middle of the street, was set on fire and destroyed,...The 'memorial' (i.e., pile of rubbish, notes, stuffed animals and other flammable material) also included a number of candles which alighted the pile.
It was NOT set on fire.
NOR was it in the middle of the street.
It'd be gone in the first 24 hours. If no one else took it, one of the deceased thuglets' family members would boost it just to make sure they got sumpin' out of this. If nothing else, they could scrap it for the brass.
Mike Brown. He only assaulted people who deserved it.
Happy memories he left behind...
One guy that assaulted a police officer and charged him minutes later did get just what he deserved.
Town Erects Memorial in Honor of Mike Brown.
Didn’t know they could pile Shiite that high.
“I would like the memory of Michael Brown to be a happy one.”
Michael Brown is dead, that alone makes me smile.
This big fat worthless thug will never again harm a helpless person, and that makes me smile.
Every time I think of Michael Brown or any other thug being dispatched, I not only smile, I sometimes laugh.
I am glad the bastard is gone, so my memory of him is “a happy one”.
A pile of trash is a fitting memorial to a trashy person.
The Ferguson town council should be ashamed of themselves. This is nothing but pandering to a bunch of spoiled brats who confuse anarchy with freedom. Who think they can behave anyway they want and if anybody says or does anything to try to stop them, 50 of their closest friends will pound their head into the sidewalk.
Rant over. Oh wow, I feel so much better.
One other thing. How is this plaque different than a Communist dictatorship rewriting history?
Michael Overdose Brown?
That makes sense.
You’re right, Damn!
Too bad the little guy was not armed. Considering the size difference, he could have claimed justifiable homicide and easily won
That plaque is crying out desperately for Photoshopping!
HEY !!!
Why doesn’t Charles Manson get something named for him ???
Richard Speck was from my home town. I know how a memorial would go over there.
Now, THAT’S funny!
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