I have been both saddened and furious over the several events that have occurred in the last few months between law enforcement and law breakers and the resulting riots. It is sad that these situations have revolved around the issues of race and that fact has compounded tensions.
I have always been a huge supporter of law enforcement. In fact as a kid I wanted to be a cop and part of me wish that I had pursued that as a career. I have gone on ride-a-longs with the state highway patrol and the sheriff's department so I have a small understanding of some of the challenges they face. And, I do know that as with any profession, there are people who don't do what they should.
On the other side of the coin, I don't have any understanding of what it means to be a black person in America. I have had a lot of black friends over the years and never really thought of them in any other way than my friend. But, I do understand that not everyone has the same relationships and that there are problems with race relations in this country.
All that being said, there is absolutely no, and I repeat no, reason for the kind of violence and lawlessness that has come out of these situations. All of the situations have demanded answers, but too many people have not waited to get the answers before demanding action that is not even the right action.
For instance, in the Ferguson situation, the eye witness account of the events has been disproved beyond any suspicion, but by the time it was released the damage was already done. In some of the other situations people have been held accountable but apparently that was not enough to stave off violence and looting.
In the latest scenario, the family of the man in Baltimore pleaded for peace and what did the thugs do? They shut down large portions of the city, burned cars and buildings, stole from innocent businesses and hurt the very people trying to help them.
And, in the middle of all these situations are the antagonists who just want to stir the pot and blame white cops for picking on "innocent" black men. Some of them don't want to solve the problems -- they merely want to pad their reputations and their pockets. And, they drown out the voices of the people who do want to get to the root of the problem.
There have been some voices of reason. I love the mom in Baltimore that was caught on national news dragging her son from the riots and, at the same time, delivering a few well-placed smacks to emphasize her displeasure with his actions. And, there are many black leaders actually trying to solve the problems than merely inciting more distrust and violence.
If you want to get a realistic and just-the facts analysis of the problem then read some of the things that Allen West has to say. He does understand what it is to be black in America and he certainly doesn't pull any punches when he starts identifying the problems and what needs to be done.
I certainly don't pretend to have all the answers. I know that there are two sides to every issue. But, what is happening way too much in this country is that people don't wait to even hear both sides of the issue before they jump into action.
The rioters in Ferguson and Baltimore don't want to understand the true issues. They don't want justice -- they just see an opportunity to inflict damage and steal property. And anyone who stands up to defend them is just as guilty as they are for their actions.
It is obvious by the situations that have occurred over the last few months that we do have issues that need to be addressed. But, the problems will never be solved until cooler heads prevail and people responsible are held accountable for their actions -- on both sides of the coin. Unfortunately, in today's society, too many people don't want accountability and they don't want justice -- they just want vengeance and that never solves anything
Community on 05/07/2015