A lot of people have been debating whether or not Michael Brown robbed a story and how that justified Darren Wilson’s actions. I feel as though that argument misses the big picture, which is how the situation in Ferguson has been handled by police. To say it was handled stupidly would be giving too much credit Ferguson’s law enforcement. Roughing up and arresting reporters, tear gassing news camera crews, arresting photographers, and tear gassing nonviolent protesters is not a good way to handle civil unrest generated by a general feeling of police corruption. Keeping the name of the officer who shot Brown secret for so long didn’t help matters nor has the secrecy surrounding the internal investigation.
The people of Ferguson are pissed and when the angry mob rises it comes knocking. Protesters apparently tried to storm Governor Nixon’s office yesterday. That doesn’t surprise me but the fact that the building’s security was able to keep the angry mob out does.
In all likelihood this situation is going to burn itself out soon. Riots have a habit of simmering down fairly fast, which is why they’re seldom effective at enacting any meaningful change. But the National Guard could always decided to follow in the steps of the previous law enforcement officers tasked with putting Ferguson back under the state’s foot and bring this entire mass to the flashpoint again. It will be interesting to see how this entire situation turns out. My guess is that the internal investigation, that is to say Wilson’s fellows in the state’s police force, will find no wrongdoing on Wilson’s part. That’s the usual outcome of these investigations. If that happens things could get really interesting.
Well I don’t know how much more my (well I sure as hell did not vote for him) governor can inflame the situation, but between him and the city government I would not be surprised.