Michael Brown’s Death and the Failure of Black Leadership: What Can We Do?
After more than seven days of chaos in Ferguson, MO., following the shooting death of Michael Brown, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has finally deployed the national guard against not so innocent hoodlums who have been feasting on the opportunity to engage in lawless behavior. Their unruly behavior has included reckless looting, destruction of private property, hurling Molotov cocktails, and firing guns. Unfortunately, a lack of real leadership in the black community has created a vacuum that the new black Panther Party, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Sr. have tried to fill with their typically unproductive assessments, fiery rhetoric, and tired old leadership. What they are doing is driving people into the abyss of violence. Repeatedly, we get the poor black victimization story a justifiable excuse for lawless behavior, but never an honest message to the people about their responsibilities to train their children to respect police and fight the crime and violence in their communities. Most recently, civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump who represented Trayvon Martin’s family, has thrown more gasoline on the fire by calling Michael’s death a police execution at a public rally. Although Michael’s death is sad and unfortunate, the emerging facts support the police’s version of the situation. By all accounts, the community’s response has been unreasonable and more importantly unproductive for black people in America.
Michael’s autopsy shows six bullet wounds to the front of his body and marijuana in his system. The fatal head wound is believed to have come from the last bullet fired. Protesters are upset because of video footage released by police released show Michael engaged in strong-arm robbery 10-minutes before he was shot and have been further enflamed by the autopsy reports that directly contradict the eyewitness account given by Brown’s companion and some of the other witnesses who have spoken and tweeted about the situation. According to these later reports, Brown was not shot in the back by the police officer. Instead, Michael was advancing towards the police in what could have been perceived as a menacing posture. Marijuana was in his system and we know that t marihuana impairs judgment and can cause aggression in some people. A videotape making the rounds on Blaze and social media picks up a conversation between an eyewitness that gives a very different account of what happened the night Michael was shot. According to the transcript, Michael and the police officer wrestled and at the critical moments that the shots were fired, Michael was advancing towards the police officer.
The transcript, from the Conservative Treehouse, posted on Blaze.com reads:
“#1 How’d he get from there to there?
#2 Because he ran, the police was still in the truck – cause he was like over the truck
{crosstalk}
#2 But him and the police was both in the truck, then he ran – the police got out and ran after him
{crosstalk}
#2 Then the next thing I know he doubled back toward him cus – the police had his gun drawn already on him –
#1. Oh, the police got his gun
#2 The police kept dumpin on him, and I’m thinking the police kept missing – he like – be like – but he kept coming toward him
{crosstalk}
#2 Police fired shots – the next thing I know – the police was missing
#1 The Police?
#2 The Police shot him
#1 Police?
#2 The next thing I know … I’m thinking … the dude started running … (garbled something about “he took it from him”).”
Clearly, we need new leadership across America. Black communities need leaders who know God and can inspire hope and change among the people, rather than fuel the nihilism that presently exists. A nihilism fueled by the liberal media and the black elites educated in black studies programs across America. Black people need jobs and opportunities and not handouts which have left too many people idle. Black people must learn to value life at the beginning, middle, and ending stages of development. Until blacks value life at all stages, the self-inflicted deaths will continue.
