The main thing I have to say about Ferguson is this: I wasn’t there. I didn’t see any of what happened. Media reports are not enough. I’m not qualified to judge, and I wish a whole lot of other people would admit the same.
If the rioters that trashed Ferguson businesses were locals, shame on you. What good is that going to do? If the rioters were trouble-makers from outside the community, you are among the most despicable of human beings and should bear the full shame of having made things worse in this country, not better.
All the protesters who tried to disrupt peaceful gatherings in other parts of the country, shame on you. You are making things worse. In Seattle you made a bunch of innocent children fear for their safety. You are worse than what you claim to fight. You are making things worse.
On the other hand…
Benjamin Watson is my new hero. If we need a national dialogue about race, I hope he is invited to the table. His excellent Facebook post helped me see through his eyes, but also helped me see someone I think I could work with to try and fix a few things.
Devonte Hart and Bret Barnum are my heroes. It’s connections, one on one, that will overcome the problems we face much more quickly and effectively than blind, mass efforts. People change one at a time. I hope Devonte is less fearful for his future. Knowing there are kids out there like him has given me some hope. And thank you, Officer Barnum, for making sure the world was kind when Devonte dared to face it in a positive way.
It’s people like Watson, Hart and Barnum, as well as you and me, who are going to fix the problems we face if they can be fixed at all. It won’t be the angry crowds that bring about change. Anger breeds fear, not understanding. Fear makes it very difficult for people to connect. There are far too many who profit from making us fear one another. We can’t let them win. Suppose they threw a race war and nobody came?
For some people the names Wilson and Brown are going to be loaded with emotion for a long time to come. I choose to forget them.
Hart, Watson, and Barnum are the names I want to remember, and for an entirely different emotion.
Tribalism over logic. Emotion over principle. If we want to stop the cycle of hate and revenge, we have to not do it when it is “our turn.”