The popularity, and remoteness, of the internet affords many a soapbox on which to stand for or against the protests tied to recent judicial events in Ferguson, MO.
Some have deemed these protests unnecessary, often referring to the supposed circumstances under which the killing took place, as related by the accused officer.
Others believe the protests are justified because the issue isn't simply that a young unarmed black man was shot dead in the street, but that this is only one of many such incidents.
Still, others point to this as one more example of an increasingly confrontational, ever-hostile police force bent on the acquisition of military surplus weapons and vehicles in order to secure absolute power in the streets. Protests such as those witnessed in Ferguson seem to only fan the flames of fear.
Whichever side you've chosen, or perhaps whichever side you should find yourself standing, please consider the following:
1. In June of 1963, black civil rights leader Medgar Evers was murdered for what he believed. His murderer spent the next 30 years as a free man before finally being arrested and convicted of the murder in 1994.
2. In November of 1963, President John Kennedy was murdered for what he believed while on parade in Dallas, TX. A proponent of civil rights and equality, Kennedy made many enemies throughout the power structures of the United States. Although shouted down for decades, conspiracy theories seem to implicate a massive government cover up.
3. In February of 1965, Malcolm X was murdered for what he believed while speaking in Harlem. Some point to the FBI's Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) as culprit in the murder. Such allegations have not been proven, although later documents released showed involvement by the FBI in attempting to dismantle the Black Panthers using such techniques.
4. In April of 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered for what he believed. In December of 1999, as a result of a civil trial spanning four weeks of testimony, a 12 member jury in Memphis, TN found the US Government guilty of conspiracy to assassinate Dr. King.
5. In June of 1968, presidential hopeful and civil rights advocate Robert Kennedy was murdered for what he believed. Again, conspiracy theorists are often shouted down from the public arena, and lack of evidence and testimony do not assist in further review. However, available footage, testimony and anecdote suggest a conspiracy of murder beyond the scope provided in the official story, and possibly implicating the FBI.
In the scope of five years, five leaders in the civil rights movement, black and white, were murdered; gunned down for acting within their constitutional rights, for speaking out against oppression, and for standing up to ignorance. The US Government is often accused, but rarely proven, to be involved. In any case, it is startling to see that half a decade could wipe out so many leaders of a cause in a country that is supposedly free and just.
Black men are portrayed as violent, confrontational and unpredictable. Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Michael Brown are just three publicized victims to this perception. While white men are also beaten and killed by the police, black men are six times more likely to be imprisoned - meaning black man are at least six times more likely to be stopped, frisked, questioned, assaulted, jailed and possibly killed because of their skin color.
Perhaps those rioting in Ferguson, as well as those protesting in cities across the country, are not necessarily protesting the deaths of the aforementioned black men and advocates. Perhaps they are simply protesting the plight of an oppressed minority in 21st Century America?