Viewpoint: Writer wants violence in Missouri to end
Editor:
As I write this, it is day ten of the violence in Ferguson, Missouri. Early on officials called for peace and restraint; that failed. The Governor called a ‘State of Emergency,’ and issued a curfew when the rioting continued. That did not work. Predictably Al Sharpton made his appearance, not to offer any voice of reason, but to incite and agitate as he is known to do. The violence continued and the National Guard was called in. That has had no positive result. The Molotov cocktails and bottle throwing goes on, and the destruction of businesses and looting continue every night like a recurring nightmare.
Many of the protesters there have the police officer tried and convicted of murder, without having all the facts. It has not helped that the officials have been slow at releasing details; maybe for fear that even more violence will happen. Outsiders are coming in to further agitate, and the “new” Black Panthers who have the same old “MO” are there, too. We see the signs calling for justice, then we see the signs right next to them calling to kill more cops. A once fairly peaceable city has turned completely upside down. The Constitution allows for Americans to assemble and protest. It does not allow for destroying property, looting, stealing and burning. None of this is actually new in America. We have seen this in the 1960s and 1970s with the same results. Holding a city hostage will not result in justice.
On Aug. 20 Attorney General Eric Holder plans to go to Ferguson. The top law enforcement officer in the nation does not have the time to go to our southern borders to witness the chaos there first hand. He does not bother with the scandals at his own back door when the IRS targets conservatives or the CIA spies on republicans in congress. But he will make the time to visit Ferguson to lend his expertise.
Last night was the worst night of violence so far. Somebody has to get a handle on this thing and soon. Obama needs to take more than a few minutes from his golf game to weigh in on this. Lip service is not getting it done.
Robert Orgeman
Rhinelander
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