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One tragic incident which, on the face of it, might touch but the persons directly involved (and their neatest-dearest) may evolve into a chain reaction lasting for months – a story on every TV screen on the planet. A story to be interpreted with broad generalisations or used for propaganda.
In the small Missouri, USA town of Ferguson, on August 9th a policeman apprehended a black youth of 18 whom he suspected in robbery. In the scuffle, the officer mortally shot the lad. Now, sworn jury said the policeman will not be charged with manslaughter. That led to a fresh outburst of protests – and violent disorder – in the town.
The label being: a white cop shoots a black man, the police justifying the cop. The poster saying «Black Life Matters» is one expressing doubt and accusation of police and courts think the opposite, that a black man’s death is in their eyes not equal to that of a white. Thus, an accusation in racial discrimination.
At one side there stands the rule of law with its legislation and court procedures. Having weighed all evidence filed, the court found the policeman can’t be accused n manslaughter. And surely it couldn’t be claimed justice if a decision were based on some protester group «sense of justice» and not on evidence and law. That would come close to lynching.
On the other hand, there’s the deep rooted belief in the black US minority of being discriminated. The belief is indeed by actual history, but also by the criminal subculture hatred of cops. The belief stands strong even if there be no discrimination and if the powers are totally determined to avoid it. Alas, social and cultural clashes don’t just go by powers changing behaviour.
In the case at hand it has been said that while Ferguson has a clear black majority, the police are mostly white. Takes no rocket scientist to see that the racial difference serves to only emphasise the distrust. Should in some area the cops be predominantly black, that also would be discrimination – «positive discrimination», then.
The Ferguson unrest is a sad case of how a decision during a couple of intense seconds may kindle a fire that, via media, will glow all over the world.