After days that went into intensive months of a call for justice, Monday November 24, at around half past 8 pm, would be a sad moment for those of us anxiously awaiting the grand jury’s decision to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the tragic killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed person barely out of his teens just trying to get home.
While many in the news continued to voice their doubts given the local authorities’ brazen disregard for public demands to do the right thing, still there were those of us hoping that most of the grand jury members would follow reason, ignore that tribal impulse to support racism’s views and indict Wilson on at least one of the charges, which ranged from degrees of murder to involuntary manslaughter. But, of course, they didn’t, and thus failed to indict him.
As I watched the people’s reactions on CNN after hearing Robert McCulloch, the county prosecutor announce the grand jury’s decision of no indictment for Officer Wilson in Michael Brown’s shooting, I had to fight back the tears as the subtle wailing and moaning of the frustrated protesters (most likely not much older than Michael was) managed to briefly waft above the noisy crowd. Soon, too many hours of repressed anxiety would ultimately give rise to chaos, violence and the destruction of local businesses that serve their community.
A Brutal Disregard for Humanity
Throughout the ages though never a good idea, seems chaos, violence, the burning and looting of local stock is not unusual when public demand for justice is arrogantly ignored by its leaders, and the people are left frustrated and hurt beyond belief. Sadly, Ferguson’s local leaders (from the governor on down) knew this and could have prevented it. But, they didn’t! Which reeks of a brutal disregard for humanity, or so it seems.
As most reasonable persons well know by now, if they so chose, via cable news and detailed articles on the web from the Washington Post, here, the Root, New York Daily News, Dorian Johnson’s grand jury testimony in September, Darren Wilson’s grand jury testimony and such, the evidence against Officer Wilson supports the public’s (and now the world’s) demands for justice for Michael Brown: An innocent, unarmed person who simply did not deserve to be seen as less than human and then gunned down like a mad animal in the street…which is what Officer Wilson, the local authorities and other misguided folks would have us all believe!
And so while we patiently wait for justice for Mike Brown from our Justice Department, we urge those in our great society to rise above the primal instinct to defend tribalism (one’s own group) and realize that as an open and free democracy we are all in this together. Thus, justice for one is justice for all, and justice denied lets injustice thrive where we least imagine it to be.
The Gift of Humanity
A simple way out of tribalism and racism…always see another’s humanity first! And do take care to remember our common humanity at all times. This is likely how the ancient custom of speaking, particularly when passing another or that of saying “good morning” at day’s beginning or “good night” at day’s end, came into practice in human affairs.
Finally we learn that to honor another’s humanity is to realize our own, which is a sacred gift that awakens our innermost happiness and keeps us civilized.
© Delores L. Adams and The Aunt Jemimah Post 2012-2014. All rights reserved.
The Aunt Jemimah Post 
Excellent subtitle for your post, “Where politics and spirituality intersect,” and I wonder if they ever will. Your articles are inspiring and pulls a lot of good thoughts for us…..thanks Dee!