S tatesman L i n c o l n
H i g h
S i o u x Fa l l s , S D
February 9, 2015
S c h o o l
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” -Abraham Lincoln
Vol. 49, No. 4
Ferguson protests turns a suburb into the start of a revolution BY ANNA STRITECKY This past year, a suburb outside of St. Louis has become the source of chaos. The issue of race, which was thought to be put to rest in the 1960s, has come back up to surface, creating a revolution to put down in the history books. To begin this controversial subject, one must go back to the initial incident. On Aug. 9, 2014, teen Michael Brown was shot and killed in a debacle with local police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO. These protests are not just about the death of a teen, but instead run deep throughout the roots of the communities across America. These movements that originally started out looking for justice for Brown, soon turned into something that CNN is comparing to the Civil Rights Movement. The facts of the matter are simple, and there is evidence supporting that the officer was justified in shooting Brown, but also just as much evidence proving it was unjust and unnecessary. The fate of this teen was the first spark in the fire of police retaliation in Ferguson, MO. The shooting had an almost immediate reaction in the community, with the at first peaceful protest and the beginning of the “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” movement, in spreading the message of peaceful interactions with police. Gradually the protests got more violent, coming not only from the police, but also from the Ferguson residents. CNN reports that armored police cars would roam Ferguson streets, and the police
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MCT CAMPUS
A protestor in Ferguson, MO. raised her hands after police used tear gas to control a scene in which a VTXDG FDU ZDV OLW RQ À UH
began using rubber bullets, tear gas and other forms of weaponry against local protestors, all from the Missouri police department. To follow the protests, pictures surfaced on news sources such as FOX and WNEP of residents burning the American flag, starting riots where police cars were pushed over, local businesses were looted and homes were destroyed. LHS government teacher Kim Maass has kept up with the events through TV and online sources. “[In class] we discussed the role of grand juries in the criminal justice system and used the
Ferguson case as an example,” said Maass. “If the ‘Don’t Shoot’ movement can change police practices and public policies, it will certainly be taught in the future. If the movement fails, the unfortunate fate of Michael Brown will not (be taught).” The “Don’t Shoot” movement has made it closer to Sioux Falls than residents would ever have thought possible. There have been organized protests in South Dakota including those on busy street corners, all the way to police stations. South Dakota is not immune to the issue of race.
“Just because your experience with the criminal justice system, such as courts and police, that protects and serves doesn’t mean your experience is not shared by all. The sooner we start to appreciate the distrust felt in other communities, the sooner we can begin to heal,” said Maass. “I would also add; South Dakota is not immune. We need to ask tough questions about the number of officer shootings of Native Americans in our state.” The Social Media aspect has also played a huge role in the protests. The trending topic #Ferguson had over 3.7 million tweets on the
justice of Brown alone, according to official Twitter reports. This incident between a teenager and a local police officer has turned into more than just the fight for justice, but has become the fight for more police regulation and less racial profiling around the country. Alongside the Social Media aspect of just Brown, “Hands Up Don’t Shoot,” a movement with the name “I Can’t Breathe” has started in the honor of Eric Garner, who was put in a chokehold in Staten Island, NY, by a local police officer which caused strangulation and death. These two demonstrations have led to protests that filled Times Square, walked down the streets of Chicago and the peaceful sit-ins held in Los Angeles. To resolve this issue, the residents of Ferguson and other cities have ordered that changes should be made in the police systems. Protesters recently stapled a lists of demands on the Ferguson police station door, and the first rule demanding that officers honor the preservation of life. List of wishes by protesters include: allowing media to be able to cover whatever they want, protesters to be able to gather freely as long as the group is safe and many other requests to make Ferguson a safer place for all. Even though a single government may never be able to satisfy everyone’s needs and agree on both sides of this issue, everyone has a right to an opinion. Ferguson may be considered the first event to start to the race towards equality that will shape America for years to come.