Wednesday, August 13, 2014

The Revolution will be Televised and Tweeted

I have been following the twitter feeds of individuals who have been covering the tragic death of Mike Brown, who was killed by a Ferguson, MO police officer on August 8. What I read has been nothing short of sickening. It’s truly sad that there is an open season on the lives on Black men in America and it’s those who are to “serve and protect” us that are doing these atrocious acts. Tonight’s coverage of the situation in Ferguson by MSNBC was mind-boggling and chilling. The fact that police officers waited until nightfall to attack the peaceful protestors with tear gas and rubber bullets is beyond me. Sidenote: I commend the local and national reporters who have risked their lives to cover the story, especially Washington Post’s @WesleyLowery, who was arrested in a nearby McDonald’s while covering the story. Check out his timeline for the details. However, I’m also appalled that CNN would rather do a story about Iraq and not on Ferguson. I now know how they feel about us, but I digress.

The police response to the citizens of Ferguson are outrageous, not to mention they are violating a plethora of civil rights afforded to us by the Constitution, starting with the 1st Amendment. Who will police the police? Why is this happening in America in 2014? Additionally, I have some questions that need to be answered.

1. Why are the local and state officials silent on the matter?

2. Why did it take a tweet from Gov. Jay Nixon to inform us he was finally going to get involved on the situation?

3. Why does a small-town police force need military-grade weapons including a tank?

4. When will the Ferguson PD release the name of the officer who killed Mike Brown?

5 Will Mike Brown’s family get the justice they deserve?

I pray that justice will be served and questions will be answered for the people of Ferguson. I also urge my generation to get involved in your respected cities and demand change not only in Ferguson but across this country. We owe it to our ancestors.  But for now, sign this petition: https://www.change.org/petitions/president-barack-obama-please-enact-new-federal-laws-to-protect-citizens-from-police-violence-and-misconduct