“THE ONLY GOOD COP IS A DEAD COP!” -graffiti in downtown Ferguson, MO

By: Ben Mixon

In light of the series of events taking place in Ferguson, Missouri, Americans of all races are in uproar and becoming more divided than ever. People feel victimized on both sides, and there doesn’t seem to be an end to the conflict in sight. The United States of America, a nation resting on the cornerstone of freedom and justice, has worked too long and hard for equality to be this far off. If America has in fact achieved the long sought-after goal of equal rights, why doesn’t it feel like it?

The heart of the problem is a growing hypersensitivity in our culture. A feeling that we are entitled to be offended by things, and that it somehow grants us satisfaction to react harshly and take offense. Actively protesting victimization is a trend wave that people ride boisterously, all the while looking down at people who are not on board with the cause. Now it’s not that there isn’t many valid racial issues to be addressed in America, along with legitimately victimized groups, but frenzied citizens need to take a step back a take a look at the big picture.

In an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News on Monday night the 18^th, renowned surgeon and author Dr. Ben Carson explained beautifully the fault in the current focus, “We’ve got to start being objective. We’ve got to stop picking and choosing who the villains are and who the good guys are, we’ve got to start thinking objectively. That’s the only way we (the black community) have ever made progress.” Carson goes on to describe the tremendous progress that was made in regards to civil rights before the 1960’s when black people “relied on family, relied on each other, and had faith.” People must put away the magnifying glasses that hinder them from logically reaching conclusions on how to achieve bigger goals.

Near the epicenter of where Ferguson protestors gather, graffiti reads “THE ONLY GOOD COP IS A DEAD COP”. A group has emerged among the protestors calling themselves The New Black Panthers, and have been heard chanting energetically “What do we want? The name of the officer! What do we want? We want him dead!”

At what point do we evaluate what the end goal is, and if we are on a correct path to achieving it?