LIFE TOPICS

Ferguson, One Year Later: It’s Difficult To Heal

August 13, 2015 | Posted at 5:41 pm | by Corinne (Follow User)

Photo Credit: FERGUSON, MO/USA – A group gathers at makeshift memorial where black teenager Michael Brown was shot to death by police in Ferguson, Missouri. (Photo: iStockphoto)

It’s only been one year since Michael Brown was shot and killed by former police officer Darren Wilson in Ferugson, Missouri.
 

Since the the anniversary, the government of St. Louis County has extended a state of emergency in Ferguson, Missouri for at least 24 hours. The scene has continued to have protests since the passing of the exact anniversary of Brown’s death.
 

His death has not only led to massive protests across the country, but it also highlighted the racial and social injustice in America and police brutality. Those who thought police brutality had ended with those like Rodney King and Malice Green were rudely awakened by Brown’s death.
 

Since that day in August 2014, Tamir Rice, Sean Bell, Freddie Grey, Cameron Tillman, Christian Taylor, Samuel DuBose, and countless others have been killed by police.
 

In fact, according to Education Week, police have shot and killed 53 teenagers since Mike Brown’s death. The report analyzed dated from Fatal Encounters and KilledByPolice.net matching it to updated news reports.
 

The data reveals 22 were white, 21 were Black, 9 were Latino, and 1 was Native American. In 10 of those cases, the officer has already been cleared. The issue with some of these teenagers killed by police is that whatever the crime they committed, it would not have resulted in their death. Instead, they would have been charged with crimes of shoplifting and trespassing. Others were mentally ill.
 


 

The Washington Post has also gathered information showing that police has killed 585 people. Out of 585 people, 40 percent of the 60 unarmed deaths were black men. This is a large number considering black males only make up 6 percent of the U.S. population.
 

These shocking statistics leave many Americans with multiple questions. Some include: How does America heal from the racism that is so entrenched in our history? When will police officers be held accountable for their actions when they kill unarmed civilians?
 

The answers to theses questions aren’t readily available. But America must move forward; there isn’t any other option.
 

Despite the need to move America forward, there isn’t a clear answer on how to do so: The country still needs to heal from each incident of police brutality.
 
 

BUT IT’S DIFFICULT TO MOVE ON


But it’s difficult to move forward, heal, and deal with the issues of police brutality when incidents linger on. According to the Washington Post, one of its reporters, Wesley Lowery, was formally charged trespassing on private property and interfering with a police officers’ performance of his duties. These charges come nearly a year after Lowery was arrested along with Huffington Post reporter Ryan Rilley during their coverage of Brown’s death.
 


 

It’s also difficult to move forward, heal, and deal with the issues of police brutality when incidents are repeated. Police shot and critically injured 18-year-old Tyrone Harris, Jr. during protests surrounding the anniversary of Brown’s death. Harris is alleged to have fired a handgun into an unmarked police van, resulting in police returning fire.

 

And finally, it’s difficult to move forward, heal, and deal with the issues of police brutality when St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger declared a state of emergency in Ferguson when protests turned rowdy.
 

Although Michael Brown, Jr. was murdered at a young age, his life was not in vain. Because of his death, America can begin to address police brutality.