Jackson writes: "Now the jury is in: police can continue to shoot unarmed black youth without being prosecuted, and Darren Wilson says he has a "clear conscience". It is a national tragedy - a moral disgrace - but this is not the end."
US civil rights campaigner Jesse Jackson. (photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images)
We Can Still Get Justice for Mike Brown
26 November 14
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The issue now is not Ferguson�s unfortunately violent protests. The issue is the root of the anger behind them
t has been fairly obvious since this summer that the predominate belief in Ferguson and St Louis was that Darren Wilson, the killer of Michael Brown, was not going to be indicted by his Missouri grand jury. In a rambling statement of the grand jury�s process and conclusion � which did little to inform, and lots to enrage � prosecutor Bob McCullough acted in the capacity of an attorney who abused the grand jury process as �a trial� without professional legal cross-examination.
It has been fairly obvious for quite some time now that political and legal authorities in the area had not been preparing for a trial at all. They had been preparing for civil unrest. And just as the legal authorities and police initially �mis�-reacted to the shooting, their �over�-reaction to the community�s initial protest of the killing of Michael Brown contributed to the original civil unrest in the face of mostly peaceful demonstrations.
Now the jury is in: police can continue to shoot unarmed black youth without being prosecuted, and Darren Wilson says he has a �clear conscience�. It is a national tragedy � a moral disgrace � but this is not the end.
I had urged and hoped that the reaction to the grand jury�s decision would be peaceful, but the political and legal authorities have mostly said and done all the wrong things � and the protesters are not crazy.
The community is reflecting hopelessness, but there remains hope in the quest to achieve justice for Michael Brown.
Whatever comes next for Ferguson and beyond is about the killing of Michael Brown. But it�s not just about the killing of Michael Brown. It�s about a failed urban policy: guns in, drugs in, jobs and services out � all contained with military occupation, not unlike South African apartheid. This federal �ghetto� policy is true whether you�re in Ferguson or St Louis, Los Angeles or Seattle, Atlanta or Birmingham or Milwaukee or urban centers around the nation, and even the world.
The issue now � the issue next � is not the unfortunate and unwise violent protests that have followed the grand-jury decision. The issue is the lack of federal uplift for the community. The issue is the lack of federal enforcement of civil rights laws. The issue is that police and fire departments in places like Ferguson do not represent the people � that they are still predominantly white, while operating in primarily black communities. Yet these non-integrated police departments continue to receive federal funds.
The contracts issued to Ferguson�s police department and fire department are subsidized by the federal government � including the military equipment that was used to put down the protests. This federal ghetto policy of reckless and unaccountable police behavior and military occupation must end. It�s a policy of community containment, when it should be a new standard of community development, to reconstruct inner cities, struggling suburbs and poor rural towns.
Ferguson does not need to mobilize federal involvement for military occupation and martial law; it should mobilize for jobs and economic development � it should mobilize for healthcare and community services. Ferguson and communities like it should mobilize to end racial discrimination in the police departments, the fire departments and wherever else it exists, anywhere.
Police shootings of young black men are reaching crisis proportions. Just this week, police shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice for carrying a toy gun in Cleveland. Since George Zimmerman was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in July 2103, too many young unarmed black youth have been killed by police and security forces in the United States.
Black youth are 21 times more likely to be shot dead in America than their white counterparts, according to an analysis ProPublica. Black people are arrested 10 times more often than white people in this country, USA Today reported last week, but black people don�t commit 10 times more crimes. In turn, expanding the jail industrial complex � new for-profit jails, new courthouses, new police stations, increased police presence and new military gear � has become the focus of �development� in urban communities. The focus should be new jobs and job training, new schools and more teachers, business development that would lead to permanent economic stability for our communities.
The shooting down of unarmed young black men by the police across the nation must stop � and we must continue to seek justice for Michael Brown through whatever avenues still remain open to us, including a federal indictment. Instead of a public trial for Darren Wilson, with the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the legal authorities in Ferguson and St Louis put Michael Brown�s character on trial in the public, and left it to a prosecutor-led secret grand jury to decide.
For a jury to look all of these issues that matter and to justify another killing is a bitter pill. Things may feel hopeless. But while compounded injustice may lead to anarchy, justice leads to peace. The people�s protest in Ferguson � and in cities across America � shows that the struggle for justice continues.
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The 1st Nations here, being 'indigenous' (Latin 'self-generatin g') & welcoming in their own constitution, recognizing our plight, invited us as refugees, to join their nations & confederacies & enjoy the massive abundance which they had created for themselves over 10s of 1000s of years. The laws & customs of the Turtle Island confederacies are based in community cultures of female - male partnership, intergeneration al collaboration, abundant polyculture-orc hards & a fractal / meme organization of society with empowerment of the individual in critical mass domestic Economic Democracy. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/relational-economy/8-economic-democracy
The original treaty of welcome is the Two Row Wampum, enabling the refugees to live together & to respect the laws & customs of this place. The refugees violated this welcoming pact & created ceaseless war upon the sovereign nations here.
Humanity's worldwide 'indigenous' (Latin 'self-generatin g') ancestors & descendants understand colonialization 's repeating paradox & design societies in inter-disciplin ary, inter-generatio n, female-male, inclusive welcome holistically. Europe's indigenous Celtic peoples before the violence of 1000s of years of Babylon, Greek, Roman invasions, organized as indigenous peoples do worldwide with a set of 'economic' (Greek 'oikos' = 'home') 'fractals' ('repeating constructs or patterns') or 'memes' ('life & culture based patterns').
Memes are building blocks of human culture described in the Indigenous Circle of Life. Indigene Community realizing this colonial imperial patterns of both acquiescence to the status quo & violent revolution is committed to the compilation of humanity's indigenous heritage for abundance. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/home/indigenous-circle-of-life
There's a tendency to want to change 'Politics' ('Workings of the many') from the top down. Humanity's indigenous ancestors realize that change can only be achieved from the bottom up, called 'Organizing from the Tree-roots' decentralized in deep, concerted, specialized economic collaboration. 'Organizing from the Grassroots' is shallow, divided, weak & to satisfaction of the Grim Reaper.
Mohandas Gandhi organized with India's tradition of 'Swaraj' (Hindi = 'self-sufficien cy'). Realizing that Britain had implanted itself as a parasite designed to continuously & hierarchically, feed off of India's human & physical resources. Colonialization is based in people & ecology destroying practices, Swaraj invites all to hark to their 'indigenous' (Latin 'self-generatin g') 'economic' (Greek 'oikos' = 'home') essential-servi ce traditions for food (polycultures), shelter (collective village & Ashram), thread (Spinning Wheel flag of India), Clothing (Sari etc.), Salt (from the sea) etc.
Swaraj satisfied livelihood locally & took profit out of foreign 'exogenous' (L. 'other-generate d') economies, rebuilding Indian corporations from within. In indigenous tradition Gandhi reminded governors, "Regard human labour as more even than money & you have an untapped & inexhaustible source of income, which ever increases with use". Satyagraha (H 'truth-search) provided communication. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/structure/2-satyagraha
We must demand that all bodies that represent the people as a whole be gender balanced. All costs of political campaigns must be paid with public funds. Our government shall not be put up for sale as it is now.
It is time for Tikkun, and rebuilding the fabric of Nature and diverse ecosystems, while dismantling insane egosystems of greed and corruption.
Caring individuals, who have paid attention over the years know exactly what the problems are, but good luck making those changes.
The powers now in place have been patiently enacting this takeover since at least 1980.
In the Revolution, we had to take on the overpowering might of the World's Strongest Navy. If we hadn't had help from the French Navy, and French troops on the ground, we could never have prevailed. Good thing the French were at war with England at the time. "The enemy of my enemy .... etc".
Another way.
Now the biggest power we face is that of the U.S. Military machine itself, and all of the shadow militaries such as Blackwater et. al. and the militarized police forces that taxpayers have paid to create.
Revolutionary force of arms has been anticipated by the takeover artists, and has been pretty effectively "neutralized". That's why they don't *have* to care about "pop-gun" Second Amendment stuff.
I take heart from the re-imagining of our Society from the ground up by organizations such as OWS Worldwide, whereby we don't have to "whip" the Banksters *or* the military, but simply walk away from their rotten structures to participate in other structures that *DO* work, leaving the Banksters, the Corporations and their militaries standing there with their "guns" in their hands.
Another way.
There has been much progress here already. Check the applicable websites. We are *not* powerless.
I'm not sure americans are willing to declare independence. It was tried in the 60s and early 70s, and the force of the US regime powerfully destroyed the revolutionary movements.
I agree that independence from the fascist that now run the world is the most needed thing.
In my opinion, we need a whole group of people to run for the executive branch together. The way our constitution is worded at this time, we'd need one of them to say he/she was running for president and the rest of the group would be the cabinet, advisors, heads of staff, heads of different areas of concern. We need to know who all of those people are -in advance- before we vote for someone who is running for president. We need Naom Chomsky, Bill McKibben, Chris Hedges, Al Gore, maybe Elizabeth Warren if she is for real, the guy who wrote this statement, Marshall Rosenburg, people with track records, people whose actions, words and money have all been publicly known and consistent for a long time, and some young people from Occupy who have been consistent and brave in their short life so far. We can't vote in the dark for a politician, no matter what he/she promises. It will take a huge group of people truly willing to work openly and honestly with the public to change the power structure. And I fear for all of their lives in the process because I believe the structure that is in place stops at nothing to keep its power in place. Car accidents, drone strikes, sting operations, false arrests, charges of treason ... lock downs of whole cities...
Next thing up -- who WILL do it?
Yes, some will. Next, who will guard their backs? We may be about to see....
Government creates or accedes to operating rules that determine the size, purpose, durability, accountability and responsibility of all entities operating in the political, social and economic spheres. It is our duty to ensure that We the People establish clear boundaries beyond which no thing and no one may go to hoard economic and/or political power.
"Government creates or accedes"
What's wrong with equality under law.
Government could go fly a kite, creating or acceding to nothing much of anything; we would all have your economic freedom.
Unfortunately, he could miss out on his 15 minutes of fame as he tries to convince a couple hundred million people that the rule of law does not apply in his case. But, that's the chance you take when you go through the proper channels of a government of the people, for the people and by the people.
I suggest he read the book, "The Kindly Ones," by Jonathan Littell as a probable outcome for his efforts.
NOW, HOW DOES ONE PERSUADE A MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO RESTRICT HIMSELF OR HERSELF IN PRIVILEGES ?
If the citizens spent 10% as much time reviewing and assessing the records of the politicians as they did watching TV, and if they had voted intelligently, none of this shit would have happened.
It is not too late to halt the corporate takeover of our government and restore it to the people. All it takes is an informed and proactive electorate. But will it happen?
Anyone placing any bets?
The only reason that the Morsi government in Egypt lost its legitimacy and its power is because the Egyptian military intervened, but that will never happen here in the United States. Our military has been too well trained and too well brainwashed into protecting the rich and the powerful, the so-called 1% rather than our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.
Many of our soldiers who came back from these illegal wars of aggression in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, just to mention a few, the big wars, have learned the hard way and unfortunately too late what our government has become, not a democracy as our so-called political representatives love to espouse to us, but a dictatorship for the common man in this country. The only democracy that exists in this country is for the 1%, the very rich and the very powerful.
The Constitution is like a corporate (yes, government is a corporation) building. When the structure is no longer adequate to meet your collective needs, you either radically alter the structure to fit these needs (Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams, et. al., did have a shooting war in their midst; we have a cyber war in ours; the needs are radically different).
So let's correct this document and circulate it, or circulate it now and also work on amending it.
For example, what do we do with this: "In the course of human events, it is often necessary for the people to dissolve the political and economic bands which have endeavored to enslave them, and gather as one to devise a new, just political system that works for all those who must live within it."? How/when/where/ why do we "gather as one to devise a new, just political system that works for us all?
We don't. We gather as neighbors, in thousands of neighborhoods, deliberate compassionately , and build the momentum at the local level, then the state level, then the national level.
This is a lot of work. This arm-chair blogosphere will not accomplish this alone.
Interesting. Upon what grounds have you determined that all members of OWS are anarchists ?
OWS beat the pants off of the Red Cross and FEMA when it came to organizing and addressing the *real* needs of the people during Hurricane Sandy. Talking about how they "can't do it", even as they ARE doing "it", says more about the commenter than about OWS.
It's always easy to lift your leg upon things about which you may be less than well informed. There is only one remedy for that.
And, BTW, the middle class is NOT "eating well" thanks to the rapacious efforts of Monsanto and a corrupt FDA. And even those unaware of how poorly they are eating will *not* be "eating well" for very long to come !
OWS world wide is also working on a complete restructuring of what Societies mean, and how they can be structured into the future to include, and benefit all. They have started, wisely, with attempting to restructure financial systems. They are using the present Bank of North Dakota as a model.
They can't do it alone. This constitutional "rewrite" may not fly, but that doesn't mean that nothing will.
Your comments are usually quite well-thought-th rough.
Thank you for your contributions.
I am with Carl's new declaration every step of the way. But among my largely "liberal," hyper-educated personal community there are about as many who will cringe and do nothing as there are who will come forward to regain freedom.
AND -- there are some who will fight US to keep us from ever fighting our oppressors. Their key words are always,
"You CAN'T."
Sorry, slugs. Oh yes we WILL.
We are now a lawless people and not because of the people's behavior. We have no governing body anymore. We are at the mercy of the lawless corporations. We cannot rely on Congress and the Supreme Court is just an arm of the Republican party. We have no fourth estate to warn the people and 'investigative journalism' is now an oxymoron. When the VRA decision came down from the Supreme Court, Texas changed the voting system in minutes. Did Texas have advance notice? We'll never know and no journalist will attempt to find out.
Yes: "(T)he soft arts of luxury and effeminacy..." have replaced the "hard" realities of life and death issues. Seems like almost all men are, or are becoming, metrosexuals, because most people have zip, zero hope for alternatives to rat race competition. instead of, or in addition to competition consciousness we all need cooperation consciousness. unfortunately most have become hopeless for an eternal perspective of love, cooperation, etc., consciousness and so have defaultedon having and/or being ANY consciousness at all. In default mode, most people especially those with chilren, have "handed over" their consciousness to their little legacies and are, for all intents and purposes ALREADY as if dead!
Thanks for replying. We need to offer the 1%, etc., something better than whatever $, fame, and power can BUY and/or we need to have them see that all the $, fame and power in the world will still make them defensive, of their $, fame and power! lol We need to somehow make the 1% and all others, too, aware that without allowing their innate cooperative consciousness to emerge, they are on an, at best, submerged level of anti-consciousn ess! How to show that a consciousness of cooperation is real life, love, laughter, etc., is what I am trying to do and it's how I am trying to live. Google Barbara Todish if you are interested and you will find my books, and/or email me at btodish@kean.edu and/or at btodish@verizon.net
It is so refreshing to hear someone (you) addressing the roots (in the soil, under the surface) while most other good people are primarily arguing about which branches to prune next. You remind me of a spazzy female J.Krishnamurti. Going forward, look for my emails. I appreciate your attention and insights.-Rob
Thank you so much!
Of course we can. We can "OFFER" love cooperation consciousness EXPERIENCES to the 1% and to everyone, a perspective of limitlessness eternity instead of, or even in addition to, limited cooperation and limited love "PEFORMANCES". How to do so is, perhaps, to be, as much as is possible, on a level of cooperation consciousness instead of, or in addition to, a competitive (ego and drama) anti and/or vicarious type of PRACTICE) "consciousness" . This means risking the ambiguity of anxiety, Perhaps it's even close to freedom from judgment, judgment that is the illusion of control through money, fame and power constructed identities. BEING, instead of HAVING consciousness as much as is possible, is, for me, almost like transcending identity altogether, and sometimes it is almost like vivid dreaming because I rely on intuitive (almost) self communication. It's like "dancing on the edge of a pin"( and it's difficult to be graceful, sometimes lol). Like the lyrics by Jessie J in her song "Price Tag":
"It's not about the money, money, money
We Don't want your money, money money,
We just want the world to dance,
Forget about the price tag..."
I look forward to your emails btodish@kean.edu and/or btodish@verizon.net
It is this kind of behaviour that heralds the fall of Empires and their elites.
Well, it really IS about "that time" ! None of this is taking place by accident. Cause and effect, Karma, call it what you will.......
https://soundcloud.com/biff-thuringer/to-america
The king you see was a tyrant. (It was really a tea party tax revolt as King Geo wanted his war money back.)
The welcome 1st Nations gave to European refugees was violated & bespoiled by goons, the careful balance of 1st Nation Economic Democracy replaced by those subservient to hierarchy, the creation of the Finance-Media-M ilitary-Industr ial-Complex from day one, the burning of witches, all energized by hates. Many of the commenters here would like to relive that time & never learn kindness & respect from history. Do you believe in a right & responsibility to bare arms as your history seems to concentrate upon? https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/home/9-right-to-bare-arms
My beliefs:
1) The right to keep and bear, (the Second), is not a responsibility, nor is it a goal, it is a right, a condition protecting the First, (the big First guaranteeing freedoms). As long as people are willing to fight to keep arms the First is safe and we will continue to be self-governing. (Ultimately government is power-only one bully at a time is allowable you know.) The second is not necessary until it is lost. Despots disarm the people.
2) We have no "responsibiliti es". We are responsible to God. He expects us to act responsibly.
3) Government cannot be trusted.
4) Privileges are not rights. Privilege is given and can be taken. Rights are sacred. Tyrants hate rights. (The Second is simply a canary in a coal mine.)
My "concentration" you inquired about is morality, a belief no one has a right to impose on another's life or property; that we should be responsible to keep our word. Nothing more, nothing less.
Ps. Otherwise:
I agree with your comments. Things are a mess. The cause of it all and the fix is likely another story. No doubt it is going to be worse than what you wrote.
In any case, good luck. We here are going to go Gault.
1) Actually in the link given on the Right-to-Bare-A rms it refers to the right to embrace & love those around us with 'unencumbered' ('bare' not 'bear') arms, to use our arms positively for building needed infrastructure of human livelihood & not to be burdened by steel & fear.
2) Our world-sourced economy & money involves all the billions of us working simultaneously. We are inter-dependent . Our livelihood is presently based in most people working for cents per hour while we live as a nuclear armed nation imposing our advantage.
3) I agree with you that Government as it is presently structured cannot be trusted. When we learn about humanity's 'indigenous' ancestry, we find the original 'cyber' ('steersman') meaning based in 'Economic Democracy' with political democracy as a subset. https://sites.google.com/site/indigenecommunity/relational-economy/8-economic-democracy
4) While the 2nd is a fear-based imposition (none of the imposed genocidally achieved Declaration or Constitution has status) of a colonial people who have illegally usurped the sovereignty of 1st Nations & Confederacies here (the only valid laws & customs here).
I agree with you about keeping our word, however within context of humanity's 'indigenous' law worldwide. Those of Celtic origin have indigenous law in harmony with abundance, long lives, well-being & love.
Does "go Gault" refer to John Galt's Pledge? Thanks for telling me but Galt is mostly out of alignment with life.
It advocates utilizing Article 5 provisions, and it suggests how we, the people, can actually make that happen.
It, and the article about it, suggests how we can put an end to the rule of money, an end to the presidential form of monarchy, and an end to partisan politics and the competition for the throne.
Moreover, it is but a part of a comprehensive message calling not only for a reformation of government, but also a reformation of religion.