Serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis. © James Conner.
Protests, some violent, began after the grand jury investigating the death of Michael Brown decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for murder or any other crime. Brown’s parents asked that protests be kept peaceful. So did Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama. Their words had little or no effect. The rampage began and is still on as of the time of this post.
The grand jurors must be granted deference unless solid proof that they erred can be produced. They heard dozens of witnesses, considered many reports, and were in the best position to sort out the conflicts in the testimony. They were obligated to indict if they believed there was probable cause that a crime had been committed, and that there was sufficient evidence for a conviction. And they were obligated not to indict if the evidence led them elsewhere.
A good many of the protesters who are breaking windows, setting fires, tipping over police cars, and menacing reporters, tonight may say, indeed may even believe, they’re seeking justice. But they’re not. They’re seeking revenge. They want Darren Wilson punished regardless of whether he actually broke the law. They’re taking advantage of the situation to express outrage over grievances accumulated over years, placing their faith not in law or government but in hammers and torches and destruction. And some, I suspect, don’t much care whether anyone is injured or killed.
Thanksgiving begins in three days. No one should consider the reaction to the grand jury’s decision as a blessing to be counted.