Ferguson

Weird night on TV.  Part of it took place in Ferguson.  Really put a lot of pressure on the “ordinary people”.  First, the grand jury set up for the release of the decision, not on a Sunday morning, but the following night.  At 8:00 P.M. the word came out that the police officer would not be indicted.  Then followed a dismal presentation by the county prosecutor.  Words full of nothing new, he apparently knew nothing pertinent, or else he could not say it because of laws or rules or traditions. Much of his statement was intentionally ambiguous and conflicted with other parts of his statement.  It became clear that the timing and the method of the release of information was deliberately set up to provoke  citizens to demonstrate, hopefully to riot so their actions would gloss over the stupidity of the entire proceedings and lack of justice and to assume the blame for the shooting upon their own black bodies and souls.  Even as the prosecutor  was speaking, crowds began mulling about and problems began developing.  

Then Obama came on TV and had his own Bobby Jindal moment.  He seemed to really know nothing about the case, either that or he wasn’t going to speak about it or something.  He just hoped everybody would put up with the outrage and get along.  Did he mumble?  Meanwhile, on the split-screen TV, while Obama was mumbling on one side of the screen, objects were being thrown on the other.  A police car was almost turned over, then its windows were smashed in, then the police showed up, then the gas and smoke began to cover the streets. 

Obviously it was intended to go this way.  It was constructed to unfold like this.  The citizens were made to feel like they could either accept being trashed, or urge each other on to riot – so their outrage would transfer the attention of the world to them and away from the stupidity of their elected officials.