By Maclyn Crnkovich Posted December 10, 2014
In the town of Ferguson, Missouri, the ground was charred, buildings were burned to the ground, and protesters lined the streets Tuesday morning after the Grand Jury declined to indict Darren Wilson for the murder of Michael Brown.
Ferguson has been a city of extreme controversy for quite some time now after police officer Darren Wilson was not arrested for shooting and killing Michael Brown, an African American teen. Many say that this is a case of racism, but others agree that Wilson was protecting himself and fulfilling his duty as a police officer.
This was not a case of racism. The story would have been a lot different if it was an African American police officer shooting a white minor. The media wouldn’t have so much input, and it wouldn’t be swarming the news because people wouldn’t think of it as being racist. Darren Wilson was in the right by shooting Michael Brown. Once you have shot someone twice and then they turn to run at you, any individual would kill them in order to protect themselves and the people around them.
This is not the first time a cop has shot a minor African American, either. Young African Americans are killed by cops 4.5 times more often than people of other races and ages.
People are expressing their opinions by protesting, and many of these protests end violently. Police and FBI agents have used tear gas and rubber bullets on the citizens. The National Guard has also been called in to help protect others from the angry mobs.
The rioting in Ferguson has led to buildings being burned and even American flags. People have been claiming these mobs are protesting, but it’s turning into violent riots. Rioters break the law, but protesters stand their ground. Once a protester breaks the law, as many are in Ferguson, they are now rioters. If people want to voice their opinion, they should do it without destroying their own community.
