In light of the recent tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri, I asked Jon-Michael Brown to serve as a guest blogger. A graduate of Ozark Christian College and Lincoln Christian Seminary, Jon-Michael is a biracial American who lives in the Ferguson-Florissant school district, serves as a youth minister in the area, and is a professor at St. Louis Christian College. His first post, “I Will Not March for Michael Brown,” is below.
Jon-Michael Brown
The tragedy of Michael Brown’s death has become the latest cause and symbol for justice and equality across America. His name heralds the rallying cry against senseless killings and brutality at the hands of our law enforcement. Yet, his name rings a familiar, but different, truth to me.
I will not march for Michael Brown as I stand for truth and justice.
I live but a few miles from the Ferguson riots, but I’ve been at ground zero my whole life. I am the third born to an interracial white/black couple. My parents suffered the sting of racism when my grandfather disowned my mother for birthing a black man’s child. When my parents divorced, my brothers and I bested the challenge of navigating the racial tensions of America from both extremes. Our little game was to count on one hand the number of blacks encountered in northern Michigan and then to do the same for whites in southern Alabama. My parents came from polar opposites but somehow came together to bring the three of us into the world.
Early on in my childhood, we moved to live with my drill sergeant father in the middle-sized, but racially diverse military town of Lawton-Fort Sill, in southwest Oklahoma. He often schooled us in the traditions and struggles of black Americans. He insisted upon personal accountability and excellence in our endeavors; especially education. From my childhood, I learned two very important keys to success: discipline and determination.
In my struggle for success, I continued to navigate two worlds at war. To this day, nearly 20 years after graduating from high school, I can see the faces of the other black minorities in my classes. In a school that contained nearly 50 percent African-Americans, I remember how myself and Billy, another biracial child, were the only black males in the honors program.
And I remember Anthony, too. He embodied for me a choice. I once asked Anthony, an intelligent black male who later turned to crime, why he did not seek the honors program. He replied, “I don’t want to be no nerd!”
Anthony succumbed to the stereotypes and pressures of our environment, when he could have taken a different path. From what I have learned about Michael Brown, he is no different.
Michael Brown
We have seen and heard that Michael Brown had more than most black males. He had parents that supported him and pushed him to do what is right. They were involved in his life and would not settle for anything less than high school graduation. His parents did their part, but Michael chose a different path.
I, as many in the community and nation, accepted the parent’s testimony about him. He was a good kid that beat the odds. As a community, we know how significant it is for a black male to graduate and be headed for college. This “gentle giant” poised for something better was stolen from us by yet another brutal racist cop.
I admit that I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready for more of the truth.
Last Friday morning more of the truth came out. While his death remains senseless, Michael Brown had chosen the wrong path. The video from the Ferguson Market did not reflect the Michael whom we mourned and longed to know. This Michael was a cool, calm and calculated criminal. He displayed no regard for this corner store clerk, for justice or for equality. In this narrative, he was not the victim of racism and brutality, but rather the source.
No more than I could march in behalf of racism and brutality can I march in behalf of Michael Brown. Our community calls the nation to march for justice, but the truth reveals Brown as a criminal, and if he were alive, justice should see him incarcerated. While we have no control over circumstance, each of us chooses the path we will walk. Michael Brown did not choose the right path.
Therefore, I will not march for Michael Brown as I stand for truth and justice. He did not stand for justice and truth, and I will not let him be my rallying cry against senseless killing and police brutality. Others have lived and died refusing to respond to their circumstance with crime and violence, but he embodies what we march against.
For me, marching in Michael Brown’s name dishonors the struggle and sacrifice of every just and honorable minority before us. Michael Brown’s death is tragic, but it will not be my cause.
I will stand for truth and justice.
Travis Hurley 
Jon-Michael, I hear what you’re saying.
But I can’t help feeling as if you’ve taken the bait that’s been presented to you via the media, by those who wish to justify the slaying of Michael Brown by saying that he was nothing but a criminal, a “thug,” and therefore he, in essence, deserved to be killed.
It’s the same line of thinking espoused by those who sided with the Staten Island police in the murder of Eric Garner, and by those who would defend George Zimmerman in the murder of Trayvon Martin.
The general thinking in each case is that, since we black men are just a bunch of troublemakers or worthless “thugs,” it’s okay for law enforcement officials to treat us as something less than human beings – or, in this case, to shoot and kill us even if we’re holding our hands up in surrender.
Keep in mind that the confrontation began with the officer yelling a profanity at Michael simply because he and his friend were walking in the street, which I would hardly consider to be a criminal offense.
I am not condoning Michael’s actions prior to the confrontation, but don’t be naïve to the intentionality behind the timing of the release of this information, which is now distracting your attention away from the blatant injustice of the officer’s treatment of Michael Brown.
By all means, arrest Michael if he’s committed a crime, but don’t take his life unnecessarily, especially if he is IN THE PROCESS OF SURRENDERING.
Had justice prevailed in this situation, Michael should be incarcerated rather than dead right now.
Instead, any chance of Michael’s life being transformed – any chance of him choosing the right path from this day forward – was eliminated by the officer’s bullets.
Sadly he was not in the process if surrendering. He was rushing the officer. His intention to cause severe harm to the man is why he was shot and killed. White, black, Mexican, Chinese … You rush an officer, you will get shot.
AMEN!
D-justice, you might be right, if the information that’s coming out now is correct. But do you completely trust that version of the story? I ask because it conflicts with what multiple eyewitnesses have said from the beginning, i.e. that Michael had his hands up. We knew from the beginning that, eventually, a story would come out that makes it appear that the officer had no choice but to kill Michael. But is it true? Or is it just a smokescreen? It’s as if we have to choose who to believe.
He was shot 6 (SIX!!) times. You’ll get shot for rushing an officer sure, but to shoot him 6 times.. sorry but that’s over kill. You can stop someone with far less bullets.
Absolutely, AND the aftermath of violence, destruction, Looting, and harm….does NOT
in any manner, justify what happened even if it may have been un-warranted.
shot, not killed! their is a difference!
Exactly! He rushed a store clerk moments before, why do people not realize this? That video was absolutely relevant because it showed Mike Brown’s state of mind when he was confronted by Officer Wilson. He had just committed this crime and I am sure he thought he was about to be arrested for it!
Police just shouldn’t carry guns. To be honest, they should be banned full stop.
Well said
Dear ghartin,
A lot has happened in two days since you posted this comment. I am wondering if any of the additional information we now have has changed your perspective at all?
As far as I know, the only source we have heard from regarding officer Wilson using profanity comes from Dorian Johnson, Michael Brown’s accomplice in the robbery of the convenience store. That’s a dubious source at best who has plenty of motive to say what he’s saying.
What about the fact that the coroner’s report contradicts the accounts of Michael Brown being shot in the back? What about the toxicology report that showed marijuana in Michael Brown’s system?
What about the fact that it now appears that officer Wilson sustained an orbital blow-out fracture after being punched in the face by Michael Brown?
There is now a story in the SL Post-Dispatch that says that there are now at least a dozen witnesses who corroborate officer Wilson’s version of events that led up to the shooting (you have read officer Wilson’s version of the events, I assume)?
It seems as though the more information that comes out, the more the initial narrative that Michael Brown was a “gentle giant” who wouldn’t hurt a fly but was brutally murdered by a racist, rogue, white cop while he was minding his own business, is contradicted.
As more and more facts come out, it seems to confirm officer Wilson’s version of events.
While it is tragic that Michael Brown will not have any more chances to “choose the right path” going forward, sometimes that’s how life is. It seems like Michael squandered many opportunities to choose the right path but chose the wrong path instead. Life doesn’t always give you chance after chance after chance.
Michael Brown was 6’4″ and weighed 300 pounds. That’s the size of an NFL lineman. If he did indeed charge officer Wilson after already assaulting him and fracturing his eye socket, then in that moment, Michael chose the wrong path one too many times. Officer Wilson would have been foolish to try and do anything but what he did.
In a larger context, I find the hypocrisy of the black community astounding when it comes to the issue of black people (young and old) being murdered. I trained as a general surgeon in Saint Louis at Saint Louis University Hospital. That meant that I was up all night on call, especially in the warm weather trying to save the lives of black people with gunshot wounds who would come in to the ER on what seemed like a conveyor belt. One after the other. Those were the ones that survived long enough to make it to the hospital. Never a peep went up from the black community because 99% of these casualties were victims at the hands of other blacks. This sad story is repeated in every large city in America. Black men and women being murdered at the hands of other blacks at an alarming rate. You rarely hear anything of it. On any given weekend in Chicago, 10, 15, 20 black people are shot and killed. The response of the country is a collective yawn, from Barack Obama on down.
On the other hand, when one young black man is shot and killed by a white police officer, you have the media and parasites like Sharpton and Jackson descend on the action to fan the flames, while the residents (Ferguson in this case) use the incident as an excuse to burn and loot their own neighborhoods.
Do you not find that a troubling dichotomy?
In America, even if you are born into a very difficult situation, the opportunity exists to arise above it. I have lived in the inner city of Oakland and Richmond California and have seen it happen again and again. The ills that continue to disproportionately plague black America has little to do with racism or poverty at this point. It has to do with a widespread lack of personal responsibility. This is manifested in the breakdown of the black family and the out-of-wedlock birthrate first and foremost. Second it the entitlement culture that exists and generational dependency on the government. This is absolutely toxic for the human soul if engaged in for very long. Third is the poison of “victimhood” that is fed to the black community as a steady diet by its so-called black leaders and the progressive Left which is embodied in the modern Democrat party.
One of the greatest missed opportunities by Barack Obama was the chance he had to hold a mirror up to the black community and tell them what then need to hear rather than what they are used to hearing.
Until the black community at large realizes that they are being kept in a form of slavery by their government masters, and breaks their chains by returning to a culture of self-discipline, hard work, monogamy, child-rearing within the bonds of marriage, respecting law and order, and self reliance, the story of Michael Brown and thousands of other black men and women who don’t make the 6 o’clock news will be doomed to repetition in perpetuity.
Anyone of any race in America who will abide by the principles laid out above will be successful and happy.
Peace.
Bravo! Very well said! I agree; however, I believe it will fall on deaf ears for the very reasons you listed. The current generations have grown to feel entitlement to things they have never been willing to work for and feel that they are somehow owed these things by society. This feeling of entitlement therefore gives them the mentality that since they are owed by society the rules do not apply to them and they can behave anyway they want, take anything, anytime; father children with multiple partners and let government support them. Young women are no better when it comes to allowing themselves to be used and turned into welfare moms at younger and younger ages! It’s very sad!!
Candie, You have said it Exactly!!
Amen!
A voice of intelligence, thank you!
What the hell!!!!
How dare you try to turn this on the Black community.
The few Black people that are responding on this blog are shaking their heads and probably won’t reply because we were taught better.
However, let me say this…..at this point you won’t hear much about what Mike did or didn’t do from the Black community because we (Black People) know the police are building their case on the media vote. The more they can make Mike and Black people in general look bad the better they feel their case will be and based on this commentary I’m replying to ………….need I say more.
Ms Candi, I worked in the “welfare” system for a number of years, trust me when I say it’s just as many, if not more, Caucasians using the welfare system than any other nationality. So where is this information you’re saying coming from the media? People in need of asssistance come in all colors.
Next…….this is not about black on black crime. We are dealing with a man who was commissioned to uphold the law, to protect and serve. Policemen who behave like you claim Black people do, are not worthy of being police officers and should be held accountable just like you’re claiming the black community should be held accountable.
Entitled????? whatever……many of us work hard for what we have just like you.
What happened to “Officer Friendly”. Police Officers are supposedly trained to subdue. Why not taze him? How did he get so close to the officer to break anything on his body if he was such a threat? He must have been a threat when he was 20, 30 feet away…….. Wasn’t there other officers on the scene? Why didn’t they shoot? Blacks are the only ethinic group in America that has to fear the police. Why??? Glad you asked. Because they never know if the officer that shows up will be trigger happy or not. That’s what this conversation is about. The people in Ferguson are tired of white police officers treating them inhumane because in Chicago 15 black people were shot by other blacks, or because I don’t look like you, or because my pants are sagging or my daddy taught me Black people are this or that, or is it simply because I’m Black. Maybe it’s because they were raised to believe all Black people don’t care about their community, education, or having babies before marriage. How ignorant “Doctor” are you to make such blanket statements. Where I live there are more single moms of the Caucasian persuasion than there are Blacks. The teen pregnancy rate of single white females is one of the highest in the country. But what does that have to do with what happened in the Mike Brown situation?
It’s not about black or white, it’s about justice. Every time a police officer pulls his weapon and uses it, it’s investigated. That officer is removed from duty until it’s determined to be a justified shooting whether the victim dies or not. This is what the conversation is about.
Some believe it was justified others do not.
You guys are talking like you have the answer but, if you are not “part” of the solution you must be part of the “problem”.
Peace In
Amen
You sound like a bigot
Define Bigot
This is the very first time I’ve read or heard anything about Darren Wilson yelling an obscenity at Michael Brown. Would like to know your source.
Do you know if he was surrendering? I am waiting for all the “evidence” to be presented.
Ghartin, sound’s like you have fallen victim of the media. Do you really believe Dorian Johnson’s story? The autopsy refuted that and he has already been charged with lying to the police in 2011. Nothing Mr. Johnson said made any sense. I’m sorry but you have bought into the media, the mass hysteria, and the lies of Mr. Johnson. A case of excessive force has been turned into race blah blah blah and the lies of Johnson have ripped apart a community and now the country.
If Mike Brown rushed the store clerk, why not the officer? And, he just finished robbing a store. What do you think was going through his mind when officer WIlson confronted him?
Mike Brown was no angel. He was a thug. He had no respect for property, authority, and I believe 100% he rushed that cop! His parents are in denial about who he was as a person and they as well as the community of Ferguson are now strong arming the justice system trying to get a verdict they want regardless of the facts.
There is a reason the police department is being tight-lipped. I bet Officer Wilson will be cleared but not til the smoke calms down, why? I bet they know Dorian Johnson is full of bologna! And are not releasing info because what should have been an excessive force debate has now become a race debate and they fear a riot.
Tell me, why do we as blacks like to live in denial, pass the blame, and refuse to own our short comings? When we stop, all this crap will stop. As long as we jump to place the race card-we must own we are the true racists and we need to change our step!
Jon-Michael Brown:
Thank you for your commentary. I don’t want to see any person of ANY color disrespected or treated wrong. And, if a cop did something wrong, then deal with the cop. We all know that there are some bad cops and they should be weeded out occasionally.
However, what I am seeing as a professional is that in America, there are increasingly two standards: one for whites and one for people of color. We have now tipped the pendulum the other way so far that it is ridiculous. I asked myself this week, “Would they let white people riot and tear up buildings the way they have let this community do this destruction this week?” And, my answer is no. They would have brought in the National Guard and quickly restored order to this community. It is only because they don’t want a race riot that they are treating this situation with such kid gloves.
We are seeing this in school. If a white kid does something wrong, he is punished, but the new laws tell us that we must do everything possible as a teacher to modify our behavior as a teacher before punishing a student of color. Shouldn’t we be teaching all students how to behave properly in society so this type of behavior does not occur? What kind of society are we going to have if certain students are never taught how to behave?
I am all for helping people in any way possible to succeed in life, but we have to start acting like each life has merit and value, not that the color of skin gives us value. We also need to put people back in contact with the God that made them and loves them. When they understand that God loves each of us so much that He died on the cross to save us, then we will be more loving to our neighbors regardless of their color.
Of coarse they would let white people riot. They rioted at Penn State when Joe Paterno was fired for protecting a child molester.
*Course
White here! I have always known if I riot I will be hurt or killed. Since being a teenager in Miami FL. in the late ’60s We just plain knew better.
The comments I’ve read so far are on point. Each of you have a valid point and a good “argument”. Keep in mind your truth may not be mine. As the sister stated you have to take color out of the equation. Every human has the right to be treated as such. Policemen are taught to shoot to kill only if there is a threat of their own life or the life of others. Was there immediate danger?
We don’t need people to “march” for Michael Brown, we need people to “march” for justice, equality, better schools, more jobs, ObamaCare, equal pay for equal work. If you stand for justice and truth, then find out the truth and help justice ring.
I knew kids that could have chosen a different path but I also know they were not getting the encouragement and love I was getting. Remeber the story about Joe Clark and how he pushed those children to be the best they can be. He did all he could to help those down trodden to lift their heads high, encouraged the teachers to help the kids learn, went to homes to see why kids were not at school. Before we can pass judgement on where someone stands and should stand, we have to be able to walk a mile in their shoes and when they don’t meet our expections, we need to be able to say “Our Father, which art in heavan”……..not, too bad, so sad.
Our school system is run the way it is because the Joe Clark’s of this world are long gone. We spend all our time comparing ourselves to ourselves. If you have it together then reach back. Like the sister said, “we have to start acting like EVERY life has value”, no matter the color of your skin, nor the neighborhood you were raised in.
It’s never okay to take someones life especially if it’s preventable. If you do, I don’t care who you are, you don’t get to justify it by saying……he’s a drug dealer, he’s a school teacher, he didn’t graduate high school, he has a Ph.D, he’s black, he’s white…………….
Wrong is wrong. As the brother said, “if he committed a crime arrest him”, we have one of the most powerful justice systems in the world. Let the punishment fit the crime. What we can’t continue to do is allow our Police Officers or our communities to shoot and kill people as if we live in the wild west. We have to seize and desist. I don’t care if Michael Brown was the baddest kid on the block, if that policeman shot and killed Michael Brown without cause, he should be arrested and charged with murder.
If everyone understands what happend in Fergurson, you should know it’s not about Michael, it’s about the right to a speedy trial, the right to a good education, the right to be treated like a human being. If I took the time to look into your background it may not be as clean as you are today.
I serve a mighty God who forgives and forgets.
Let freedom ring and justice for all!!!!!!
I do feel the officers life was in danger. 300 pounds of muscle was rushing at him. Prior to that he punched him in the face several times. And with several warnings, he would not stop. No one should risk their own life for someone who is non- compliant.
There is only one truth, by definition. There cannot logically be different truth for different people. It exists on an objective plane above and superior to subjective human perceptions and opinions. Maybe there are multiple pseudo-“truths”, but only one truth.
@Era Cook
I agree with some of your comments, however, one in particular stood out. ” Keep in mind your truth may not be mine.” There is only one truth in this matter. Was Officer Wilson justified in using deadly force? The evidence will either bear that out or not.
The point about killings of black men by black cops (or white kids by white or black cops) is the reaction by some (riots, looting). Very rarely do we see such actions in the wake of these situations. What we saw in Ferguson was a influx of people from places other than Ferguson who took advantage of it to further their own ends.
You need to know more about the situation before you post. For instance, Office Wilson was the only officer on scene when the shooting occurred. Officers, when in such a situation, are trained to fire until the threat is eliminated. Not shoot once and see if that takes care of things. By the way Ferguson does not have a history of confrontation between the police and the black community.
I think you raise salient issues; the truth is that we cannot see through the eyes of another. What falls below the threshold of danger for one person may not be the same for another.Having read the Grand Jury testimony at this point, it seems clear that there were no credible reports that Brown raised his hands in surrender. There were witnesses who said he lifted his hands to waist level; the speculation was that he was looking for blood, knowing he had been hit. Did that gesture appear to be an act of surrender to some? Did Wilson perceive it as a prelude to grabbing a weapon? I just don’t know what the truth is, and I expect I never will. We will batter each other with ugly remarks, believing that we have “the truth,” but as you say, that differs among people. “There’s no excuse for shooting an unarmed person.” “Don’t attack police officers if you value your safety.” “Michael Brown was a child.” “Michael Brown was 18, legally an adult, and built like an NFL linebacker.”
I have no solutions, but I think we must maintain civility in discussions and avoid race-baiting; I’d advise a wariness in accepting media hype as well.
While I can agree that Michael was not in a good place in those moments, I will not excuse the travesty that this situation is. People are not marching for who they believed Michael to be. People are marching, most of them, because they understand the character of justice.
The greatness of the opportunity of this moment is that it is to have a conversation about what are supposed to be finite constructs of our constitutional rights and legal system–‘justice for all,’ and ‘innocent until proven guilty.’
Michael deserved to have that happen for him, rather than be taken down in the streets. Many, many powerful people in American History have made questionable decisions in their life that might have indicated a ‘not-so-bright future,’ but they would, instead, come to a place of enlightenment.
Michael deserve to come to that place. Would he? We will never know, now that it seems he was summed up to look as though his life wasn’t worth preserving. How many black men cry out from Sheol because they were killed for the crime of being born black. How many once sat on death row because forensics had not technologically-matured enough to set them free years…decades…earlier?
What the surveillance video does is show a young man conflicted about the karma of life–one willing to force the universe to turn and meet him on his terms. But it also shows that he is wrought with personal moral afflictions in the same way that we all are imperfect in some way.
As a spiritual person, I am reminded of those bible names that we so readily identify with…the Davids, Moses, Peters the bible shares stories about. People who, although they committed grave sins, went on to live lives that have made their names common utterances still today. My point? Let he who is without sin cast the first stone…not take out a gun and kill a young man like a dog, and then not have the courage to show even a remorseful face despite concerns for personal safety.
There is a climate…a history that has made this all very possible. It has perpetuated for 400 years. And that is that, unfortunately, we still have people who vehemently believe or do not realize that they believe brown skin is unworthy and inferior. It is not always intentional–people are products of their environment–much like Michael was. We live in a society that will usually always second-guess a black man’s motives as it will seek honor in the actions of a white police officer.
I would march simply because the black community has seen to many dead inhabitants…too much blood running freely through the streets. I would march to show that I dont have be disenfranchised to see the injustice of minorities who are dead because they were not important enough to live long enough to admit or deny wrong doing. I would march…because there are potentially other minority boys who will need justice to work for them…in their innocence…and not possibly because their life was suspected of being invaluable.
@Lilimason
Why don’t you just wait until the evidence shows whether or not Officer Wilson was justified in his actions. For a “spiritual person” you seem to be leaving out concern for the Officer’s well being. Time will tell the truth….
I did not hear Jon-Michael say he will not march, just that he will not march “for Michael Brown”.
I think the marchers should make it clear exactly what they are marching for. Since Michael Brown can be seen as a criminal, be sure people know you are marching for justice, and cannot misconstrue that perhaps you are supporting criminal activity.
I hear you and understand your point, but mistakes are always made to be learned from. Even in the coldest of nations, you don’t die for thievery and you don’t die for jaywalking. You can still march – for fairness, for equality and for punishments that fit the crime. He could have learned from his mistake and become a mentor; now he’s just another dead too soon child. And I’m sorry, as a mother of three, I will never consider a person under 21 a grown up until they they start making grown-up choices. His choice shows us he was still very much a child; a bully to that man, but still a child.
If you did die for thievery, would fewer people steal? I don’t think that punishment fits the crime, but if you don’t offer adequate negative consequences there is no motivation to follow the law (see speeding as the biggest example of disregarding the law). The legal system doesn’t work, as it runs now. (I am noting in general, not to this specific case)
People have turned into tight-assed adults. Honestly, the laws existed back when I was a child, but adults were MUCH cooler than we are. They’d turn a blind eye, pop you in the rear or the back of the head, tell your parents or just shake their heads. Pool hoppers, under aged drinking, under aged driving, marijuana, sneaking cigarettes, playing hooky from school, sneaking into clubs, sneaking into movies that were rated R. Building bonfires in the park, riding your bike without a helmet, jaywalking because there weren’t sidewalks or because not everyone could fit. These were the 70’s and 80’s for us in NY/NJ. Today half of the above gets you harassed, arrested or shot at.
We got too serious and lost our way. He was NOT necessarily destined for a life of crime – stop being a hypocrite and look back on the life choices you made. Things you got away with, not because you were only lucky, but because cops had bigger fish to fry. Imagine if your house was randomly bombarded when you were up to no good, or at a house when underaged drinking, sex or smoking was going on.
I don’t appreciate everyone’s selective memory or everyone pretending they were perfect little angels; because now you’re telling a lie. And the only way to address any of today’s issues are with honesty first, admitting things have not changed for the better and recognizing a horrible truth – we are more segregated on the important issues than ever because we’ve allowed ourselves to be polarized from one another – us vs them mentality/sickness.
And therefore, I would still march for Michael Brown.
It’s not our job to decide who is worthy of justice, but simply to dispense justice where it is needed. Here is my response to this post:
http://calltoawareness.blogspot.com/2014/08/plead-cause-response-to-professor-jon.html
My brother makes it very clear that Michael Brown didn’t deserve to be killed just because he didn’t chose the right path for himself. He is simply saying he will not march FOR him (because he wasn’t an outstanding citizen and caused others harm himself!), that does not mean he is against him and thinks he deserved to be shot. Don’t twist his words to mean something else. Also, it’s not like the media made up the video, michael brown wasn’t being a productive part of society. It just means this is not the battle he wants to fight, and I agree. I don’t think shooting someone is right, but I also don’t think being a thief is right either so I will not support either side.
I’m not sure who your comment is a repsonse to, but I’m pretty sure no one, including myself, made the comment that anyone said Mike Brown derserved to be killed. However, you, Alana don’t get to pick your battles, God does, and the battles he has picked for us are the causes of those who have been the victims of injustice–period. We don’t get to pick and choose based on fancy.
“But I can’t help feeling as if you’ve taken the bait that’s been presented to you via the media, by those who wish to justify the slaying of Michael Brown by saying that he was nothing but a criminal, a “thug,” and therefore he, in essence, deserved to be killed.”
To me “taken the bait” means more or less agree.
And I do pick my battles. I do what I want, when I want, how I want. That may be my brother but we definitely have different views on religion. So YOU can believe whatever you want and I respect that. But that’s not something I believe. I believe in love, and people doing good by each other. So I don’t support any form of hatred, whether it be murder, or stealing, or even negative thoughts towards another person. I don’t support Michael for how he treated the clerk and his property, and I don’t support the cop who killed him either. I definitely don’t believe pain resolves pain. There’s no “getting even” because then you’re just as bad. Even wishing something bad on someone is just as bad as causing it, to me. The world needs more love, not “justice” if that’s what people are calling it these days.
Alana, to clarify my earlier comment, I did not say that Jon-Michael was expressing the opinion that Michael Brown deserved to be killed. I said that there are individuals who do feel that way, and that those people are justifying their stance on the basis of information about a prior robbery that came out a few days after the shooting. I felt that Jon-Michael was also being swayed in his opinions by the release of that information; however, I was not accusing Jon-Michael of taking the position that Jon-Michael deserved to be killed. As you have asked that I not twist Jon-Michael’s words to mean something else, I ask that you please refrain from doing so as well.
So how does your brother know what path Michael Brown chose. Could he be basing his assumptions on information that is, at best, incomplete?
By-the-way, those who are marching are doing so for truth and justice. Michael Brown just happened to be the latest of a seemingly unending list of young men who have had to give their lives to call attention to the lack of truth and justice. So when your brother decides a life worthy of his marching has been taken, kindly remind him that life is no more or less valuable than Michael Brown’s and that Michael Brown deserved the same truth and justice.
As you will not march for Michael Brown, I would not walk for Officer Darren Wilson. Everyone has their own right.
But rioting and looting and arson and shooting at police and throwing molatav cocktails is not ‘marching” for justice. It is portraying the aggressors as thugs, hoodlums, thieves and criminals.
100% agree with this postee. My family was dollar bill poor & still is. I remember all my school days getting made fun of for how poor we were, dirty used clothes, the trailer we lived in, the one 20 year old car that we had.. My dad was Ill & my brother mentally challenged, my dad had on and off jobs. We did have food stamps for a while. While my parents remained drug free & still do, it was all over our family…. We actually lived in north county for a while then in poor part of st Charles.
I took all of the above as a learning ground… I was NOT going to drop out, I was not going to touch drugs, i was not going to get pregnant as a teen, and I was going to go to college and change my mold… I am no millionaire, we have what we need and a little extra. That’s it. But I chose this I worked hard for it. I seriously had noone to look up to. I worked since I was 14 and at age 16 I had 2 jobs. My parents made 25k for a family of four & I’ll never forget the college admittance councelor, who was not white, saying to me, you don’t qualify for any tuition assistance, it would help it you were a minority or if you had a baby. I was floored- That being said, I graduated, I’m a good nurse, a good mom and wife. But I had no handouts, I chose to break my mold instead of conform to it… You do have one thing right, our education system is awful, but that’s just not in the city… It’s everywhere. It’s in my town, as where we live is mostly “free & reduced lunch” area. These teachers are stuck! They want to do that job for a reason and our govt is stopping them from Doing it.. We should all be standing up to that fact… Oh and I will say this too, even though off subject, being middle class working at a job that’s physical& emotional draining , caring for other people.. Because of things like Obama care my insurance is awful, my premiums have risen x3 (over 1k per month for fam.) And skyrocketed annual deductibles but no raise. This is when I Think back to my childhood and keep fighting To survive…
We all have demons we all have truths that is true, We also all control our own destiny.. Unfortunately for that poor kid and his poor family he chose his.
This is NOT A RACE ISSUE in the scene that the white officer shot and killed a BLACK Mike Brown. The issue is that the people the parents the neighbors in these community do not RAISE THEIR KIDS, They allow the streets to raise their kids. This is what happens when you are not involved with your kids, and your communities. It does not matter if it is a White or black or Asian community. When you fail your kids and your community by burring your head in the sand this is what you see when you pull it out. GET INVOLVED IN A POSITIVE WAY. If you see your child ( no matter what age they are ) in any of the picture of looting. Turn them in. …….. Sound hard doesn’t it ??? Being a GOOD parent or a GOOD neighbor is not easy. wHEN YOU TAKE THE easy road THIS IS THE MESS YOU END UP WITH !!!!!!!! stop the looting. take responsibility !!!!!!!! YOU WANT YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS BACK ?????? It will take time and responsibility , hard work and LOVE. GOOD LUCK.
People are the victims of gun violence and police brutality constantly. But where are the riots when black and Hispanic trans women are the victims of police brutality? Instead, we are mocked far more, and no one but our tiny community mourns, our investigations never solved. He died on the anniversary of one of the worst trans women tragedies but police have yet to look into her case—not even an investigation.
I am the proud mother of an AP student who graduated from Eisenhower Sr High School in Lawton, Ok. I too am a former Army brat. My question is this, if you will not march for Mike Brown, will you march for an American citizen’s right to due process guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States? Or will you fall for a lone policeman acting as judge, juror and executioner?
I really want to know- no matter what theft doesnt give warrant for death. But, if in fact that Micheal Brown was stopped, pushed the door shut on this officer, hit him so hard he broke bones in his face, and tried for the gun leaving a hole in the door, then ran but started to come back at the officer. Would people of Ferguson then feel the cop was worried for his life? Would you then believe he gave the warning shots to the arm? Would you then believe this boy may have chosen his destiny? The “witnesses” said he was in his knees gunned like a dog. The autopsy does not prove that at all.
I do believe there indeed have been clear assumptions made on both sides of this argument. There is Due Process, why do some deserve & some so do not.
@Scherie Willis
Both Mike Brown AND Officer Wilson deserve due process. This is what many people are trying to point out. We DO NOT KNOW the truth. We have to believe in the process and not let our version of the “truth” dictate what we will do. I realize that yours is an extremely short post, but it certainly looks like you only support Mike Brown’s right to due process.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/08/18/ferguson-pd-busted/
The link above shows surveillance video from the same store but MICHAEL BROWN IS PAYING FOR THE CIGARS.
I don’t know what to believe anymore.
Then where is the cash? Because you can’t see any in that grainy video. And why would his friend who was also there with him in the store say that yes, they did rob the store? He already lied when he said Mike Brown was surrendering, so why not lie again and say they really did pay for the merchandise they stole??
Reblogged this on Random Acts of Snark and commented:
I debated whether or not to post this… because EVERYBODY has their right to their own opinion, but I can’t help but wonder how much the media influenced his train of thought. Like most people I was horrified to hear about the death of Brown, but unlike the author I share the opinion of regardless of whether you chose to take the “wrong” path being gunned down like an animal is not acceptable. I wonder if the authors perspective would change if Michael Brown was a member of his family.
You’ve made so many assumptions about this boy’s life, about what a life is worth that it’s ridiculous. But not only ridiculous, but sad especially as a man who has at least one black parent.
First of all, unless I missed the news footage, there hasn’t been any confirmation that the man in the video robbing the store is indeed Michael Brown. Everyone’s simply making that assumption but NO ONE’S confirmed it.
No one.
Let’s see, how many large black men are there in YOUR neighborhood, that could fit that description? That you’ve allowed the tactics of an obviously biased police officers, who are desperate to throw the heat off of themselves for gunning this boy down, to work makes me question your intelligence and how much you really do identify as a black person.
Michael Brown was gunned down for jaywalking, for being disrespectful and maybe for getting physical with a police officer. But why not taser him? Why not allow him to run and issue a search warrant to find him? He wasn’t armed. He wasn’t really dangerous; the most he could have done was hit the officer a bit. Which really translates into a fist fight.
So…. WHY DID YOU SHOOT HIM DOWN LIKE A DOG??
I’m sorry, not like a dog. Because that officer wouldn’t have treated an animal like that.
But he shot a human being like that.
Yet you refuse to march for Michael Brown in the name of justice? How does that even work? How does that makes sense in your mind?
I have not heard such a self-righteous, hypocritical statement from a person in a long time.
Even if Michael Brown did rob that store, he didn’t kill anyone. The punishment should fit the crime and being shot down whilst surrendering after being waylaid for JAYWALKING is not a suitable punishment for holding up a store especially since the officers have made it clear that his being targeted had nothing to do with that crime. Was what was done wrong if he did it? Absolutely, but he did not deserve to be executed for it.
Even if he ran away from the cops, even if he rushed the police, as a BLACK MAN, a black person, you should understand the innate fear we have of the police, the distrust that we harbor against anyone in a uniform. And it’s not just in Ferguson, it’s everywhere. I see a police person nearby and am immediately on guard. I don’t have a record, I don’t even so much as a speeding ticket. I’m probably one of the cleanest people in this country, but I’m STILL wary of the police.
Not only that, we haven’t heard all the details of the situation. That’s one of the reason that the residents of Ferguson are unhappy; police haven’t released everything.
So, you’re drawing and quartering Michael Brown without all the evidence and without any compassion in your heart. You’ve never stolen? Or lied? Or hurt someone? Just because you got away with it doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen. But if you haven’t, in fact, done any of these things then you’re Jesus and you can cast stones … even though he didn’t.
But if you HAVE done any of these things, then you’re a wonderful candidate for being shot to death.
But don’t worry: If you’ve done anything wrong, anything at all and get shot down, well …
I won’t march for you.
P.S. The people who are looting Ferguson are not the local residents. It’s people who are probably not apart of the protests but who are taking advantage of the chaos.
It does seem like a taser would be a lot more practical solution.
I know. There are a bunch of different things they could have done differently rather than shoot down an unarmed person.
What’s worse is that this Jon-Michael Brown calls himself a Christian.
God.
I hate when people make Christians look bad.
You sir approve of shooting people when they do something wrong…. That’s ****** up bro.
I think it is very tragic and sad; however, if this young man had chosen a different path he wouldn’t have been in a place to get shot. Not saying that he deserved to die like that just that he made choices which placed him in a position to be hurt or killed. Clearly he should have been aware of right from wrong, at his age, and he chose to do wrong. There are consequences for choices made and he failed to take that into account when he chose to strike the officer. Officers are trained with certain protocols and when people ignore warnings they take their life into their own hands–everybody should know that!! He had already attacked the officer once; what was the man to do–let this “not-so-gentle-giant” hit him again? Perhaps the impending blows of a 6’4″, 300-lb boy don’t seem like a reason to shoot, but we weren’t there. The injury the officer suffered is very painful and who can blame him for not wanting to risk further injury?? Brown could have dropped to the ground and given up instead of charging at the officer; again, wrong choice. Wonder if this fuss would’ve been created had the officer been killed by Brown’s blows to the face? Would these same people be marching for justice for him? We will never know…
Ummm, I can answer that question for you. I assume it was rhetorical. That’s an emphatic HELL NO, the good citizens of Ferguson wouldn’t have lost a minute of sleep over it.
The author of this poorly written cry for help should be ashamed of himself.
The dead 18 year old hasn’t been tried or convicted of anything. Those who jump to conclusions regarding young Brown are compromising their own objectivity based on the smear campaign launched against him by the Ferguson police department. And likely further based on unaddressed perceived slights from their own past.
The only value of the above piece is that the author may have exposed an as yet unheard of psychological disorder: the self – loathing narcissist . Sad.
Dear Mr. Brown,
Thank you for your wise and considered words. I, too, abhor discrimination. (and have some experience with it. I became a Law Enforcement Officer ONLY after Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was passed. Being a pioneer as a street officer and Crimes Against Persons detective, I got many of the fresh arrows).
There are, as you’ve pointed out, two issues here:
1. Prejudice – which needs so much work!
2. A police officer, who had recently receive an award from his community for excellent service, coming very close to losing his life – and his children losing their Dad; his wife, her husband; his parents, their beloved son.
We all need to work together to uphold justice and work against prejudice.
Thank you for your courage and wisdom!
Jesus Christ forgave a murderer and a thief while hung on a cross on which he hung by the authority of the religious order. He was a criminal yet you stand for him. Your choices made your life better but that does not mean that they were the right choices. Most people are fortunate enough to not be killed because of their bad choices. Btw not all of us see our choices the same way. Don’t march for Mike brown. March because the sanctity of life has been over shadowed by the belief in the things we build. God will not reward you for your success and discipline but for the measure of what’s in your heart.
You generalize from your own experiences. I would expect more from an intelligent educated man like yourself. Maybe you have became egocentric in your older years.
It is important to read the story all the way to the end…
“Therefore, I will not march for Michael Brown as I stand for truth and justice. He did not stand for justice and truth, and I will not let him be my rallying cry against senseless killing and police brutality. Others have lived and died refusing to respond to their circumstance with crime and violence, but he embodies what we march against.
For me, marching in Michael Brown’s name dishonors the struggle and sacrifice of every just and honorable minority before us. Michael Brown’s death is tragic, but it will not be my cause.
I will stand for truth and justice.”
Thank you
Blog fantastic
………………….
http://www.8ii.in
What video came out? Did you see the whole clip that the police cut out? Did you not see the video where the store clerk didn’t even report and incident? Yes you have the right to say what you want, but at the same time, get your facts straight.
Ferguson since the beginning of 2014 till now, has reported no homicides at all. Did you read on that? No of course not. I couldn’t even read all what you said because all are based on what the media tells you. Have a great day.
Let’s assume Mike was guilty of stealing cigars that day.
Let’s assume that’s the reason the cop was there.
Tell me sir, where is the justice in summary execution?
I’m glad things worked out well for you. I’m glad you chose the “right” path. I pray we never have to find out how choosing the “right” path helps you or your family when you are staring down the barrel of a cop who cannot see your white half and does not know that you chose the “right” path because someone “matching your description” chose the other path.
The truth is you missed the point.
The truth is your words hurt more than they help.
And why do we (you, Jon-Michael) assume the officer is telling the truth? I would tell you but half of you wouldn’t understand and the other half seems to be in denial.
Now, I do apologize for the blatent rudeness of my statement but the truth remains that sometimes we suffer the consequences of others’ choices. Why is it, in our society, where we are presumed innocent until proven guilty it is only the white guy who lives who benefits from that presumption and never the black guy who dies?
I have sat here for the past hour and have read all of your comments. I have lived in St. Louis all my life. Many years in Ferguson. I am sure that most cities are the same all over the country. I have watched this whole story in Ferguson unfold. There are two sides to every story. But there is a process that has been in place since George Washington. It is not up to the citizens to pass judgment on any one. There are investigators Who take all the evidence and interview all the witnesses in every case. Unfortunately this all takes time. So how do we get the ball rolling a bit faster in situations like this. We give that ball a big push or in the case of Ferguson, a swift kick. A swift racial kick. If it were a black officer things would have been different. If it were a white kid, things would have been different. But it wasn’t. It was a white police officer and a young black man. People were up in arms from the get go wanting the name of the police officer involved. They demanded the name. When they didn’t get it right away, they hacked into the police network and started sending death threats. I have a good friend who’s husband is on the Ferguson police force. They had to leave their home and go into hiding because they had threatened to kill them. They threatened to kill their 4 year old child. They pulled names out of the police data base and started posting names on line. They were going to lynch any one and every one. Blood for blood. An eye for an eye. And they want justice? It is true that most of the looting and destruction was done by people who were from outside of Ferguson. There are professional rioters who came in from all over the country. People trained to ( get the crowd going ). All to get this ball rolling. Put the face of fear and racial tension in the community to get the answers they want.
As for the person who stated that they do not consider any one under the age of 21 an adult or a person who can make an adult decision. What a crock. How many of these under the age of 21 year old persons do we send off to war to face their own deaths every day just to fight for the freedom we have here in this country. If a person at the age of 18 is old enough to go off to war, a person at the age of 18 is old enough to make a decision to rob a store and possibly face the consequences of being arrested for his actions. If that same person knowing he just committed a crime decides to disregard an officer of the law, then there are consequences there also. According to the friend that was with Michael Brown, his eye witness. This child. Michael Brown, At 6 foot 4 inches tall and 300 pounds turned on the officer and was yelling ( What are you gonna do, What are you gonna do) as he ran back towards the officer.
After being punched in the face, the officer made a decision and used deadly force because he feared for his own safety. Michael Brown surely did not punch him in the face after the shots were fired. There were so many people recording what was going on and I did not see where the officer caused self inflicted wounds to make it look like he had good reason to use deadly force because he had been attached.
Lets let these people do their jobs and find out the truth.
As for Mr. Jon-Michael Brown. I understand why you will not march for Michael Brown. And just like every one involved in what is going on in Ferguson, That is your decision to make.