I want to take a little time and give my honest and heartfelt opinion on the tragic circumstances going on in Missouri and overseas in Iraq. I’ve been reading some of the commentary since the video of ISIS beheading the American journalist has been made public and I have to say I’m sadly disappointed and very shocked at some of the reactions being expressed. For anyone to think that we should now stop our offensive to protect not only our allies in Iraq but the Americans that are there to continue and provide safety and security for this country is obsurd and ridiculous. I will be the first to admit that after all these years fighting in two very unnecessary wars, I am as war tired as the next, but there is nothing in me as an American that believes we should stop the defense of human life and protection of our people.

While it is very easy to see how sympathetic someone is to the horrible murder of the American journalist, so much so, that they call for America to cease bombing, it is also very irresponsible to think that we have any other choice now. To back down to terrorists in the face of this tragedy would be to me to admit wrongdoing and condone violent murder. While I agree that we have a huge responsibility to take care of the issues facing us here at home, as the most powerful nation in the free world, we do also hold the responsibility of helping to protect those who cannot adequately protect themselves. It is based upon this premise and upon the premise that no one should be able to get away with killing innocent Americans on foreign soil, that I support the President and hope he bombs those bastards to and through the gates of hell.

Now let me come back to the home front and say a little about the events going on in Missouri surrounding the apparent senseless and pointless murder of an 18 year old Black young man. Day after day we’ve seen the authorities in Ferguson and Saint Louis county botch this investigation, blatantly disrespect the citizens of that town and show very little remorse or empathy for the situation unfolding. While I will never say that there is not a time where deadly force is needed, because there are certainly times where the police must protect by all means necessary, I think that just because you have a badge and a gun doesn’t give you the right to get brazen and trigger happy and take justice into your own hands.

This cop showed what appears to be an extreme use of force and needlessly gunned down this young man. Thankfully there is tape and witnesses that support Mike Brown and my hope is that the protests going on don’t undermine the bigger story, which the death, the murder of a young man for no good reason. The obvious monkey in the room is the face that the cop was White and Mike Brown was Black. As we have known throughout the history of this country there has been a very strong disproportionate form of physical “justice” enacted against Black people, especially Black men. You know even here in Atlanta there have been instances, most of them quiet, of police reacting solely based on a mystical piece of evidence that in a lot of cases, has no validity.

Even I have been a victim of the unjust view of Black men in America. I was off work having a late meal with a friend outside at my car, when from all points North, South, East and West we were bum rushed by police cars, both marked and unmarked. Guns drawn, assumptions made, because “someone” had called and said that I fit the description of someone breaking into cars downtown. Ironically enough the description given was that of the outfit of a delivery driver for a local business. The irony was that I was in the same area 30 minutes ago making a delivery and funny how nothing came of that. 

So while  we all like to think that because Barack and Michelle Obama sitting in the White House means that we are in a post racist society, the events of Ferguson, Missouri, Orlando, Florida, Southern California, Atlanta, Ga.  and New York City remind us that we are very much so still in the midst of a racial America trying to find its way and a the struggle between the Authority and Civilians rages on..

#I am my brothers keeper #God Bless America