Ferguson

Boy, I'd be worried if I lived in Ferguson.  The lives of the people there have certainly been changed by everything that has transpired, and soon the Grand Jury's decision will be made known.

The case shouldn't be tried in the court of public opinion, but that is what happens so often these days.  We all know a lot of details about this situation, just from watching news stories.  A young man and his accomplice robbed a store of tobacco products and walked out into the street.  A policeman got the call on the radio about the robbery when the owner of the store notified police.  An officer just coming back on duty after answering a call, saw two guys walking in the middle of the street and he stopped them.

At this point, there is some disagreement as to what happened next.  Either the young thief reached into the cruiser and tried to grab the officer's gun which went off in the vehicle, and then the officer got out of the cruiser and confronted the thief -- and fearing for his life since the young man was charging him -- shot him.

OR, the young man and the officer got into some kind of entanglement, and the young thief decided to raise his arms in surrender, but the officer shot him.

Both accounts state that the young man was unarmed, but he was big and strong, a football player.

So ... the Grand Jury convenes and considers all of the evidence brought forth by the prosecution.  The defense attorneys do not present their case at this time in the justice system.  Based on the amount and veracity of the evidence brought forward, the Grand Jury votes by a count of at least 9-3 to either charge the officer or not to charge the officer for his role in the shooting.

Apparently, in this case since the federal system has become involved, even if the Grand Jury chooses not to indict the officer, the U.S. Attorney General plans to bring the matter to a federal Grand Jury for their review.

When the incident happened, it wasn't just locals in Ferguson who chose to riot and loot.  It was outsiders too who probably used the whole thing as an excuse to get something out of one of the stores.  Charged up on adrenalin, hatred, and who knows what else, a lot of people acted out and broke the law.  This behavior didn't help the family of the deceased young man, and certainly didn't help the citizens of Ferguson whose town's reputation has been totally trashed.

Who would want to buy a house in Ferguson now?  Or open a business?  Or join the police department?  Or go to school there?

We'll just have to see what happens either tomorrow or the next day ... because the decision is supposed to be coming soon.

I just pray for Ferguson and all of those who call it home.  Stay home, mourn, pray, deal with what happened in some meaningful way.  Let the system work.

There just isn't room for taking the law into one's own hands. 

Take care, readers.  Talk to you tomorrow then.