Handcuffing Our Police Is Killing More Americans Than Terrorism

According to the latest State Department accounting, out of 17,891 terrorist murders around the world in 2013, 19 were Americans.

In Baltimore, May was the first full month since the Freddie Gray riots. 38 homicides were committed; an increase of 20 from the previous four months that averaged a total of 18 murders a month.  More than all the Americans killed by terrorists in all of 2013.

And, Baltimore is not alone.  This year, after seeing two decades of decline in gun violence, many cities like New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and St. Louis, are experiencing double-digit increases in murders in just the first 5 months of the year.   In Milwaukee, homicides are up 180% over last year. 

This is what happens when you have a President and his current and past Attorney's General, Mayors like De Blasio in New York City, and activists like Al Sharpton all condemning the police over the deaths of 3 unarmed black men: Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Freddie Gray.  The police are now in a position where they believe that no one has their backs.  Especially, their President and the Department of Justice. As a result, arrests and traffic stops are down. There is fear that a single stop could result in their own deaths, because they are now more likely to hesitate to protect themselves. A split-second hesitation that could be deadly. Any altercation with a suspect could end in their own arrests or even a charge of murder. Without the preventive policing of stopping suspicious  people, countless illegal guns are not being confiscated that ultimately end up killing someone.

Hundreds more black lives are being lost every month, and innocent black women and children are being killed in the process.  If black lives really do matter, the new policies towards (really, against) policing are not working.

The media is always talking about President Obama's legacies such as Cuba and the possibility of a nuke deal with Iran.  Well, here's one that he now owns.  Killing more people through restrictive policing than terrorists like ISIS could ever hope to accomplish since 9/11. Americans now have more to fear from this President's handcuffing of police than any terrorist group.  The facts prove it.

One last thing.  Obama is readying a number of gun control laws aimed at keeping them out of the hands of dangerous people.  Really? His policing restrictions have actually managed to allow dangerous people to keep guns and increasingly use them.  Violent offenders will always find ways to buy weapons outside the law.  Just as drug addicts can always find drugs,  Please, for the sake of all too many lives, let the cops do their jobs.

Update: The final tally of homicides in Baltimore for May is 43; meaning a 25 murder increase from the first four months of the year: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/31/baltimore-homicides-worst-in-40-years/28284839/

References:

The New Nationwide Crime Rate: https://www.google.com/search?q=The+New+Nationwide+Crime+Wave&oq=The+New+Nationwide+Crime+Wave&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.96j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#q=The+New+Nationwide+Crime+Wave&tbm=nws

Of the 17,891 Deaths from Terrorism Last Year, 19 Were American. Let Iraqis Fight ISIS: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/h-a-goodman/of-the-17891-deaths-from_b_5818082.html

The double murder Thursday of a young mother and her 7-year-old boy brought Baltimore's bloody monthly homicide tally to 38, a figure that dwarfs that of similar-sized cities and even exceeds the total for the same period in New York: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/05/30/murder-capital-baltimores-homicide-explosion-in-wake-freddie-gray-case-dwarfs/

Baltimore boy, 8, murdered [shot in the head] as city's bloody May continues: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/baltimore-boy-8-murdered-city-bloody-continues-article-1.2238941

You’re [now] 45% more likely to be murdered in de Blasio’s Manhattan: http://nypost.com/2015/05/26/youre-45-more-likely-to-be-murdered-in-de-blasios-manhattan/

Summer 2015 Starts Off With Staggering Gun Violence in Chicago, NY, Baltimore: http://americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/summer-2015-starts-staggering-gun-violence-chicago-ny-baltimore

Administration preps new gun regulations: http://thehill.com/regulation/243520-administration-preps-new-gun-regulations


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The Sad Truth About Black Murder In America

The only time that President Obama, Al Sharpton, or Jesse Jackson ever show any concern about a black person being murdered in this country is when a white cop is involved.

Yet, of the approximate 12,500 victims of murder each year, 50% are black.  This despite the fact that blacks only makeup 13% of the population. And, of those deaths,  93% of them are at the hands of other blacks.

By ignoring these statistics and only focusing on killings involving cops, black leaders are cheapening the deaths of all too many blacks.

According to the FBI, in 2011 there were only 393 officer-involved deaths.  So, cops killing Americans of any color is a small fraction of the murders in this country.  Certainly, nowhere near the 6,329 blacks who were slain in 2011; primarily by other blacks.  In my opinion, this tells us that we don't have a policing problem.  However, one would think so, based on all the commentary and protests over the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Grant.

I think its time for black leaders -- including our President -- to focus in on the real problem of black murders in this country instead of sidestepping the issue by only blaming cops. While there are no statistics to prove it, I'm quite sure that the total number of black murders would actually be a lot higher without the police doing their jobs and maintaining order in highly black populated neighborhoods.  Every time a police officer (black, white, or whatever) is able to remove an illegal gun from someone following a traffic stop or in some other interaction, the chances are pretty good that a life may have been saved as a result.  In Chicago, alone, 7,000 illegal guns were taken off the streets in 2012.  If even 1% of those guns would have ultimately been used in a murder, that's 70 lives saved;  probably 35 of which would be statistically black. 

As a country, we need to appreciate the roll of our police and not denigrate them.

References:

FBI: Expanded Homicide Data: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/expanded/expanded-homicide-data

A look at statistics on black-on-black murders: http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2013/jul/17/tweets/look-statistic-blacks-and-murder/

Why does Chicago have so many illegal guns?: http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2014/10/22/why-does-chicagohavesomanyillegalguns.html

"Hands Up...Don't Shoot" and What That Lie Is Supposed To Say

There is absolutely no proof that Michael Brown ever had his hands up in surrender, or that he ever said "don't shoot".   One of the most credible testimonies of the Grand Jury proceeding was that of Witness #10.  What he initially saw was a scuffle inside the police car with Brown reaching through the driver's side window. Then Brown ran away from the car; stopped and turned; made some kind of body gesture; and then charged the Officer Wilson ; at which time he was shot dead.

The reason why Witness #10 is so credible is because his testimony squared with other testimonies; including that of Officer Wilson. It also squares with the forensics data collected from the car and the scene; and with the results of 3 autopsies.

So, if "Hand's Up...Don't Shoot" never happened, why is this lie being perpetuated by protestors across the country, by some St. Louis Ram's football players, and now by some members of Congress? Well, as reported by the DailyMail, one protestor by the name of Taylor Gruenloh explained it like this:

"Even if you don't find that it's true, it's a valid rallying cry. It's just a metaphor."

A valid rallying cry? A metaphor?  A metaphor for what?  Are we now supposed to believe that we have a wholesale problem of police killing unarmed blacks with their arms up in the air in surrender?  Think about that.  If that was really true, wouldn't there be rioting all the time?  The fact is, that in the last 6 years, there have only been 5 riots and only one of those five was a result of a white cop shooting an unarmed black man by the name of Oscar Grant.  In that case, the white officer was tried and found guilty of manslaughter.

All the "Hand's up...Don't Shoot" lie is doing is furthering the tension between black citizens and white police. As a result, effective policing in black neighborhoods will be in decline.  White cops are not going to be as willing to confront suspected black criminals, and quite frankly, this hesitancy could get more cops killed.  Police being killed in the line of duty far exceeds two blacks being shot by white police in the last 6 years.  In the last 10 years, more than 1,500 police officers have be killed on the job.  Think about that when you thank about Michael Brown attempting to grab Officer Wilson's gun.

What is really sad, is that Officer Darren Wilson is being punished for the rest of his life for doing his job.  He confronted Michael Brown after he had just committed a strong arm robbery at a convenience store, followed by Brown attempting to take his gun, and then, ultimately having to kill Brown in order to stop him from charging and possibly attacking or even killing him. As one witness (a woman) said in watching Brown's actions: "...all I kept saying was, is he crazy?".  And, crazy he probably was.  He did have high levels of Delta-9-THC (the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) in his blood stream.  Levels that were more than twice needed to cause mental impairment and the lack of, otherwise, normal judgement.  According to the University of Washington's  "Learn About Marijuana" webpage, pot can, in some cases, cause aggressiveness and violent rage; especially in adolescents. This is probably why Brown attacked Wilson in his car and why, even after being shot several times, decided to, as one witness said, "bum rush" Officer Wilson. Further, it should be noted that Brown had 1.5 grams of pot on his person when he was shot.

So, what is "Hands up...Don't Shoot" really saying.  It is saying that the criminal activities of blacks, like those of Michael Brown, should be ignored by white police; even if their lives are at risk.  The only metaphor that can be drawn from that fact is lawlessness.  Additionally, can we stop perpetuating the lie that Michael Brown was some kind of a saint?  If his pot use was at the heart of his behavior that day, and even if he had never crossed paths with Darren Wilson, there was a high probability that he would have eventually confronted some other police officer with potentially similar results.

References:

Witness 10 proves Darren Wilson had a reasonable belief he needed to shoot Michael Brown: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/12/01/witness-10-proves-darren-wilson-had-a-reasonable-belief-he-needed-to-shoot/

'Lie, Lie, Lie': Scarborough Blasts 'Hands-up' Congressmen: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2014/12/02/lie-lie-lie-scarborough-blasts-hands-congressmen

Did Michael Brown ever really say, 'Hands up, don't shoot': http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2854388/Did-Michael-Brown-really-say-Hands-don-t-shoot-Ferguson-protesters-rallying-cry-based-lie.html

5 Race Riots in Obama's Post-Racial America: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/08/11/5-Race-Riots-in-Obamas-Post-Racial-America

Cops Killed In Last 10 Years: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+cops+killed+each+year&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb

Evidence: Michael Brown Was High on Pot and Carrying a Bag of It: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/evidence-michael-brown-was-high-pot-and-carrying-bag-it

University Of Washington: Learn About Marijuana: http://adai.washington.edu/marijuana/factsheets/aggression.htm

Urban Dictionary: bum rush: To run full speed into somebody and body slam them into a brick wall, chain link fence, or similar immovable object: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bum%20rush 

The Irresponsible Media, Black Leadership, And Even The White House Own The Ferguson Riots

When the Michael Brown shooting was first made public, we were told that an unarmed Black teen was shot in the back by a White police officer while holding his hands in the air in surrender.  The supposed reason that we were given for the shooting was that Michael Brown refused to move out of the middle of the street.  All of this was wrong and, if you think about it, made zero sense.  However, because of this irresponsible reporting, nights of rioting ensued. Blacks and sympathetic whites, all over the country, protested the shooting by holding their hands up in the air and shouting "Don't shoot". 

Also, the implied racism claim was further inflamed when Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, the Black Panthers, and the NAACP all descended on Ferguson, whipping up even more rage over the Brown shooting.  Beyond this, Obama's own Attorney General, Eric Holder, injected himself into the situation by launching a racial investigation of the Ferguson Police Department. That fact alone, solidified the belief in the minds of many Blacks that the shooting was racially motivated.  This too was irresponsible.

Lastly, President Obama, instead of reassuring the nation that the Grand Jury decision was correct, simply called for calm, while in split screen, rioting and flames were seen.

The President further fanned the flames by saying the anger was "understandable" for people who believe "the law is being applied in a discriminatory fashion".  Implying, of course, that the Grand Jury decision was indeed unfair.

So, all along, the stage was set for rioting; as if it would be somehow purposeful, but, long after the violence stops; and the media attention is gone; and people like the Obama, Eric Holder, and Al Sharpton have moved on, Ferguson will be left to fall into decay like so many other cities that fell victim to racial rioting in the past.  Blacks that remain in Ferguson are destined to live in a community that is poorer, and more crime ridden than it is today. Ironically, it will be the Black residents themselves, who will suffer the most for Michael Brown's death.

References:

Obama begs for calm as rioters set fires and attack police cars in Ferguson after grand jury refuses to indict police officer in Michael Brown case: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2848308/Obama-begs-calm-rioters-set-fires-attack-police-cars-Ferguson-grand-jury-refuses-indict-police-officer-Michael-Brown-case.html

Holder's Justice Department to Investigate Ferguson, Missouri, Police: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/michael-brown-shooting/justice-department-investigate-ferguson-missouri-police-n195271

Sharpton Calls Ferguson Decision 'An Absolute Blow' to Justice: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/ferguson-al-sharpton-react-grand-jury-decision-113157.html

Al Sharpton Announces Ferguson Protest Plans In 25 Cities: http://www.westernjournalism.com/heres-agitator-al-sharpton-just-revealed-will-spread-protests-far-beyond-ferguson/

Why Ferguson Has Calmed

Some say that Attorney General Eric Holder's visit to Ferguson was the calming factor that was needed to stop the violence; and, coincidentally, the violence did subside on the very evening of his visit.  But, Holder's visit only insured an ongoing investigation and not a quick arrest and prosecution as the angry crowds had wanted. Others think that Governor Nixon's statement of "vigorously prosecuting"  Officer Darren Wilson was an indication that he is presumed guilty and will ultimately be convicted of killing Michael Brown, though any court proceedings are still a long way off and, if the officer is found to have used force pursuant to protecting himself, no conviction will be issued.

Personally, I think that the violence stopped because most of the reasons inciting it were found to be false.

Initially, the news media told us that an unarmed teenager (no age given) was shot by a white cop.  The story was soon embellished by the media and people like Jesse Jackson. We were told that the teen was on his way to his grandfather's house and was simply shot for refusing to get out of the street.  Other accounts had him being shot in the back while running away.  There also was the story that a tussle occurred in the squad car when the 6'3" and nearly 300 pound Michael Brown was pulled into the car (apparently, through the window) by a police officer.  Then as one shot was fired inside the car, Brown tried to get away but soon surrendered by raising his arms in the air; and, still, the cop executed him with multiple shots.

Finally, instead of the emotionally charged story outlined above, we started to get a clearer picture of what actually occurred.

First, we found out that, minutes before the shooting, Brown had committed a "strong arm" robbery for some Swisher Sweet Tipped Cigarillos; literally muscling the clerk backwards who was nearly a third shorter then he was.  While not mentioned in the news, I am sure that anyone who was drug-wise understood that those "Swishers" could be used to make "blunts" (hollowed out cigars that are filled with marijuana and which, sometimes, can mask the smell of the cannabis).  Then, there were the photos of Michael Brown giving the "Bloods" gang signs.  Again, not reported by the national media, most likely in an effort to protect the innocent persona already projected on Brown.

We also were told by the Ferguson Police Chief, that Officer Wilson did not know that Brown was suspected in that robbery.  But, I am quite sure that Brown, himself, thought Wilson was looking for him. That belief, alone, may have escalated his emotional response and caused him to attack Wilson (inside the police car) as Brown may have feared arrest

When the Brown family autopsy results were released, there were no wounds in the back.  Marijuana  was found in his blood stream.  Remember those Swishers? The fatal shot was on the top of  Brown's head; perhaps suggesting that Brown was charging the police car as nearly a dozen witnesses reported.  Of the four shots in the arm, three suggest that his hands were not up in a surrendering fashion, and the multiple arm shots also suggest that Officer Wilson was trying to stop Brown and not kill him. 

Lastly, we found out that Wilson was beaten severely in his face and suffered an orbital fracture to his eye socket; thus, confirming that there could have been a fight initiated by Brown in an attempt to get the officer's gun.  However, there are now reports that a fracture to the eye socket didn't occur but, instead,  severe bruising to one-side of Wilson's head.  A friend of Wilson's said that Brown bum-rushed him and that officer Wilson seriously thought that he was acting like he was on something.   Of course, the "something" won't be known until the final toxicology results are in.  Certainly, it would have to be more than pot to make Brown act in such a bullish fashion against an armed policeman.

The bottom line is that we won't know for weeks what the results of all the investigations are and what the Grand Jury will rule.  But, the innocence of Michael Brown, simply on his way to Grandpa's house, is now in question and could be the real reason why the city's violence has calmed.


References:

Pictures: Michael Brown Flashing Gang Signs: http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/08/breaking-michael-brown-was-a-local-gangster-seen-flashing-gang-signs/

Video: Michael Brown Strong Arm Robbery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHxXGvXQrno

Michael Brown's autopsy: What it can (and can't) tell us: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/michael-browns-autopsy-what-it-can-and-cant-tell-us/

Police officer who shot Michael Brown did NOT suffer a broken eye socket but he did go to hospital with a swollen face after deadly altercation: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2731311/Police-officer-shot-Michael-Brown-did-NOT-suffer-broken-eye-socket-did-hospital-swollen-face-deadly-altercation.html

Friend of Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson: Brown ‘Bum Rushed’ And ‘Punched Him In Face’: http://www.ijreview.com/2014/08/169172-officer-wilsons-account-brown-taunted-bum-rushed/

Missouri Gov Calls For 'Vigorous Prosecution' Of Cop

Sadly, it appears that Darren Wilson, the police officer involved in the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, is probably not going to get a fair trial.

When you have a sitting governor of the State of Missouri calling for a 'vigorous prosecution' of that officer, long before any charges have even been filed, it speaks volumes, either rightly or wrongly, about what is likely to happen to Wilson.  Basically, the Governor, by his words, has already charged him with murder.  Add to this, the fact that a Grand Jury has been convened in record time while separate investigations are still underway.  And those investigations are sorely needed because, as it stands right now, there are no consistent eye witness accounts of what actually happened that day. In fact, it has been reported that a dozen witnesses agree that Brown actually charged the police car before the shooting.

With all that, one can easily conclude that the railroad tracks are being quickly laid to convict Wilson in an effort to simply stem the rioting.

Illegal rioting and looting should not be a reason to set aside the very principles of our legal system where an accused receives a fair and impartial trial with equal justice under the law. The Governor's words surely have tainted the jury pool should Wilson be brought to trial.

References:

Missouri gov calls for 'vigorous prosecution' of Ferguson shooting case:  http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/20/missouri-gov-calls-for-vigorous-prosecution-ferguson-shooting-case/

Grand Jury to Probe Ferguson Teen’s Death: http://time.com/3144915/ferguson-michael-brown-grand-july/

FBI Investigating Ferguson Police Shooting of Teen Michael Brown: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/michael-brown-shooting/fbi-investigating-ferguson-police-shooting-teen-michael-brown-n177761

‘A dozen witnesses’ say Ferguson teen attacked cop before shooting: http://nypost.com/2014/08/19/witnesses-say-ferguson-teen-attacked-cop-before-shooting/

Shooting Accounts Differ as Holder Schedules Visit to Ferguson: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/us/shooting-accounts-differ-as-holder-schedules-visit.html

With The Death Of A Teenager Comes The Death Of Ferguson, Missouri

On either a social or economic basis, rarely does a community ever recover from racially motivated rioting and looting.

What little trust that existed between a predominately white police force and a predominately black community has to have been eroded even further; meaning that, possibly many of the current white police are going to move elsewhere, resulting in a loss of good and experienced officers.  And, equally good officers aren't going to want to come to Ferguson because of its reputation.  Those that remain, fearing another Michael Brown situation, will be less aggressive towards crime in the city.  Ultimately, the town will become less protected and crime rates, already higher than the national average, will increase.

Some shop owners and other businesses may also move on.  As a result, the already high 13 percent unemployment rate will only rise

If Ferguson follows the pattern of other communities that saw rioting in the 1960's, then both whites and blacks will decide to leave the city.  But, the combination of the town's reputation and the fact that many may want to leave, will seriously depress home prices.  Home values in the communities where there was rioting in the 1960's saw a drop in values from 14 to 20%.

The longer the looting and rioting persist, the more damage will be done, but, even now, the damage to the future of Ferguson might be quite severe.  Left behind by all those outsiders who helped foment the anger and rage.

Reference:

The Consequences of the 1960's Race Riots Come Into View: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/30/business/30scene.html?pagewanted=print&position=

Ferguson, MO Crime and Crime Rate: http://www.usa.com/ferguson-mo-crime-and-crime-rate.htm

Ferguson, Mo. Emblematic of Growing Suburban Poverty: http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/the-avenue/posts/2014/08/15-ferguson-suburban-poverty

The Ferguson Missouri Shooting: We Need Calm Not Violence

On the Monday following the shooting of an unarmed 18-year old black male by a white cop, I was listening as an angry black male called into a radio talk show.  His simplified accounting of what happened in Ferguson, Missouri was that the police officer involved, shot Michael Brown because he and another black man wouldn't get out of the street. Sadly, this is how the situation in being portrayed and this can only inflame the community further.  Certainly, the mere presence of Al Sharpton in Ferguson only intensifies the anger because, if he's there, its assumed that the shooting must have been a racist act.

Then, Jesse Jackson felt obligated to write an opinion piece for USA Today entitled: 'There's a Ferguson' near you' where, in the very first sentence, he writes:

"Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old African American male in suburban Ferguson, Missouri, who had just graduated from high school and planned to start college, has joined a long line of blacks, especially black males, who have recently been gunned down, wrestled down and killed by white men and/or white police officers who claim "reasonable fear" or "self-defense" as their defense."

So,  again, racism is being implied in the Ferguson shooting, Additionally, there is also the implication that blacks are being shot at random by both white men and white cops.

The first problem with all of the above is the accounting of the event.  From the Cafemom website, here is the most concise report of what is currently known to have happened:

"Apparently, around noon on Sunday, an officer approached Brown (who was walking to his grandmother's home, according to his parents) and another man. As the cop exited his vehicle, one of the men allegedly pushed him back in the car and assaulted him. During the struggle, a shot was fired inside the car. As Brown left the scene, the officer shot him about 35 feet way. The report noted that several shots were fired from the cop's gun. "

To me, this seems to be a more logical explanation of what happened than the belief that Brown was simply shot for not getting out of the street. Then too, the real truth may lie somewhere in between and only a thorough investigation will uncover the facts.

The other problem I have is Jesse Jackson's implication that there is a "long line of blacks" being killed by white cops and other white men claiming "reasonable fear" or "self-defense" as their defense.  The problem with that claim is that statistics don't support it.  First, a decades long study found that 94% of all black deaths as victims of shootings were committed by other blacks.  The remaining 6% is made up of not just whites but, also, Hispanics.  So, if Mr. Jackson has a problem with blacks being killed, it should be directed at his own ethnic community.

Additionally, in 2011 it was determined that there were a total 1,146 officer involved shootings that year.  Of that there were 607 deaths.  When taken against a base of roughly 780,000 officers in the U.S., that's less than two-tenths of one percent of all officers who where even involved in any shooting and less than one-tenth of one percent that were involved in a shooting death.  Now, what is true is that about half of those deaths were black. But, then too, one out of every three black men is expected to be involved in a crime that results in imprisonment during thei lifetime.  So, with the higher rate of criminal activity, there is also going to be a higher rate of officer involved shootings and deaths.

What Mr. Jackson also neglects to mention after he tells us of Ferguson being 70% black, is the fact that violent crime in that St. Louis suburb is 25% higher than the national average and total crime is 58% higher.  Yet, the police force is relatively small compared to the national average.  This fact alone serves to keep tensions high between the police and the community, and the higher percentage of lawlessness is probably why there is all the looting and violent protests.

We need black leaders to stop stirring the pot and fomenting violence.  We need calm to allow the investigation to go forward and determine the truth.  If it is true that the officer killed without cause then, let him be tried in our courts for murder.  If he isn't brought to justice; only then should the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson get involved.

References:

Cop Shoots & Kills Unarmed Teen for Reason Many Aren't Buying: http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/175891/cops_shoot_kill_unarmed_teen

Jesse Jackson: There's a 'Ferguson' near you: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/08/12/jesse-jackson-ferguson-riots-column/13957197/

A Black Man is Killed in the U.S. Every 28 Hours by Police: http://www.occupy.com/article/black-man-killed-us-every-28-hours-police

The Trayvon Martin Killing and the Myth of Black-on-Black Crime:  http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/07/15/the-trayvon-martin-killing-and-the-myth-of-black-on-black-crime.html

Police Involved Shooting Statistics: A National One-Year Summary:  http://jimfishertruecrime.blogspot.com/2012/01/police-involved-shootings-2011-annual.html

The Top 10 Most Startling Facts About People of Color and Criminal Justice in the United States: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/03/13/11351/the-top-10-most-startling-facts-about-people-of-color-and-criminal-justice-in-the-united-states/

List of countries by number of police officers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_police_officers

Ferguson, Missouri Crime Stats: http://www.areavibes.com/ferguson-mo/crime/

Ferguson, MO Crime by Year and Type: http://www.usa.com/ferguson-mo-crime-and-crime-rate.htm