President Obama spoke about growing up without a father - he was at risk for the litany

Freddie Gray of Baltimore is the latest in the litany of police related killings.  He's among the partial list of victims, including Trayvon Martin, in Florida, Eric Garner in Staten Island New York, Michael Brown in St. Louis MO & Tamir Rice in Cleveland, a child who was only 12 years old who was shot by a police officer while he was carrying a water pistol. Freddie Gray lived in a section of Baltimore where boys routinely grow up without fathers. These groups of fatherless young men learn survival skills from one another on the streets, but they don't benefit from having a father in their family. Although many father's fall short of being good providers and role models, the absence of a strong male mentor contributes to the youths thinking there are no authority figures in their world.

By the Grace of God, there was a risk of Barack Obama having the same exposure to police violence.  He spoke about growing up without a father many times, including in an excellent Q & A reported in October 2007, in The New York Times.

Obama talks about growing up without a father  by Jeff Zeleny

WASHINGTON, Iowa – By now, the stump speeches delivered by presidential candidates have become routine, at least to many of the politically inclined voters of Iowa and New Hampshire. 

So the most interesting moments at campaign appearances often are inspired from those seated in the audience.

Near the end of a stop here today, Senator Barack Obama was asked this question from a man seated in the crowd at the Washington County fairgrounds: “What would you say is the most painful and character-building experience of your life that puts you in a position to make important decisions of life and death and the well being of our country?”

For a moment or two, Mr. Obama paused. It was far different from the string of questions posed on policies and issues. Finally, he said: “It’s a terrific question.”

And here, in its entirety, is his answer:
“I would say the fact that I grew up without a father in the home. What that meant was that I had to learn very early on to figure out what was important and what wasn’t, and exercise my own judgment and in some ways to raise myself.

My mother was wonderful and was a foundation of love for me, but as a young man growing up, I didn’t have a lot of role models and I made a lot of mistakes, but I learned to figure out that there are certain values that were important to me that I had to be true to.

Nobody was going to force me to be honest. Nobody was going to force me to work hard. Nobody was going to force me to have drive and ambition. Nobody was going to force me to have empathy for other people. But if I really thought those values were important, I had to live them out.

That’s why it’s so important for me now, both as a United States senator and as a president candidate, but also as a father and a husband to wake up every morning and ask myself, am I living up to those values that I say are important? Because if I’m not, then I shouldn’t be president.”

President Obama made a choice to be something other than a young man without a father.  He chose to become motivated and ambitious. I believe all humans have this same capacity to better themselves. Nevertheless, President Obama also had a strong male presence in his home, it was his veteran grandfather.  Inner city  youths need similar guidance and leadership but generations have grown up without this help. Something must be done soon, because, society has already seen the consequences of inaction.

Petty crimes lead to tragic sound bites from growing list of racist brutality

"I can't breathe" joins "Hands up don't shoot" and other horrible sound bites describing violent racist encounters, with deadly outcomes.  None of these incidents involved hard core criminals.

In spite of the obvious opportunity certain police officers had to avoid deadly encounters, the Grand Juries investigating the Michael Brown and Eric Garner deaths ruled against recommending an indictment of the police officers who used deadly force.

What's curious to me is how the litany of tragic incidents have involved petty crimes.

Rodney King (1965-2012) - beaten after a high speed automobile chase in 1991, in Los Angeles CA: "Can't we just get along?" became the mantra.

Treyvon Martin (1995-2012) murdered by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, for walking in a gated community

Michael Brown (1996-2014) - shot to death by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson Missouri after he was accused of shop lifting

Eric Garner, age 43,- died after being subdued by police officers on Staten Island, after he was accused of selling cigarettes

A Staten Island grand jury on Wednesday ended the criminal case against a white New York police officer whose chokehold on an unarmed black man led to the man’s death, a decision that drew condemnation from elected officials and touched off a wave of protests.

The fatal encounter in July was video taped and seen around the world. But after viewing the footage and hearing from witnesses, including the officer who used the chokehold, the jurors deliberated for less than a day before deciding that there was not enough evidence to go forward with charges against the officer, Daniel Pantaleo, 29, in the death of the man, Eric Garner, 43.




It makes no sense to see individual young black men singled out for petty crimes, when so many dangerous criminals, organized crime syndicates and drug dealings are going on right under our eyes, in nearly every American community.



There's injustice involved in every murder, regardless of the circumstances or facts.  

Nevertheless, it seems to me, the litany of morbidity and mortalities related to petty crimes - in the case of Treyvon Martin, no crime whatsoever was committed......just seems like police resources are inappropriately misplaced to single out defenseless Black men. King, Martin, Brown and Garner were unarmed. There's a rapidly growing problem with our police forces when they single out individuals for extraordinary treatment without due process, rather than focusing on real ciminals who threaten our communities with drugs, guns and corruption.

Collaterall damage from timing of the Ferguson Missouri Grand Jury ruling still unresolved

To say the timing of the reading of the Ferguson, Missouri Grand Jury ruling by prosecutor Robert McCulloch was a mistake is a classic "no brainer".  

While the international media and the public waited....and waited, the St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch was, no doubt, practicing how to read the 20 minute script he prepared, whereby the Grand Jury's ruling was finally made public.  In other words, McCulloch's curious timing turned this tragedy into a catastrophe.

At this point, the Grand Jury's ruling not to prosecute (no probable cause) was anti-climactic. It's probably not a surprise to learn from the Grand Jury that they did not find sufficient evidence to rule there was probable cause to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the killing of the Black man Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri in August 2014.  

What's mystifying, however, is how the prosecutor was allowed to control the Grand Jury without benefit of cross examination of Police Officer Wilson. Worse, why did McCulloch wait until late into the evening to make a grandstanding oration about the ruling?

Here's what BBCNews in Great Britian is reporting by Anthony Zurcher:

The announcement that a St Louis County grand jury would not indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown came a little after 20:00 (9 o'clock) - St. Louis, local time, under the cover of darkness.

What followed next was something protestors and law enforcement officials had assured the public they were dedicated to avoiding. Riot-gear-clad police officers and armoured vehicles cleared the streets with tear gas and smoke canisters, as looters smashed store windows and cars burned - a night of chaos and violence.

The outcome was tragic - but did the timing of the announcement contribute to the conflagration? The grand jury reportedly had reached their decision by early afternoon.

No official explanation has been given - Governor Jay Nixon threw up his hands when asked in a press conference, as if to say it was out of his control. One official in St Louis mentioned to reporters that rush hour played a part in the delay, the implication being that it would give people time to get home safely from work or school. 

But on the streets of Ferguson, some residents were concerned that the verdict was coming after nightfall - they would have preferred a morning announcement. 


According to the Washington Post's Wesley Lowery, the timing of the announcement wouldn't have made a difference.  "Protesters were going to protest, day or night." But, as dawn broke on a shattered town the morning after, many didn't see it that way.

"Irresponsible" and "unnecessarily provocative", said activist Al Sharpton.

"Foolish and dangerous", said legal analyst Jeffery Toobin.

"Here's the thing about that time of night: it's dark.  Anyone - anyone! - should have known that the decision in the Brown case would have been controversial. A decision not to indict, which was always possible, even likely, would have been sure to attract protests, even violence. Crowd control is always more difficult in the dark," said Toobin.

Everything about the announcement - the timing, the condescending tone, the weeks of militarised vehicles patrolling the roads - seemed designed to inflame and incite the region” Sarah Kendzior Politico Magazine

The decision on when to reveal the non-indictment was "inscrutable" and only likely to increase the possibility of violence, said The New Yorker's Jelani Cobb. 




But, he adds, that it was all part of a larger lack of preparation on the part of law enforcement.

"Despite the sizable police presence, few officers were positioned on the stretch of W Florissant Road where Brown was killed," he writes. "The result was that damage to the area around the police station was sporadic and short-lived, but Brown's neighbourhood burned. This was either bad strategy or further confirmation of the unimportance of that community in the eyes of Ferguson's authorities."

St Louis-based freelancer Sarah Kendzior agrees.

"Everything about the announcement - the timing, the condescending tone, the weeks of militarised vehicles patrolling the roads - seemed designed to inflame and incite the region," she wrote for Politico Magazine. "And it did."

Joe Scarborough, on MSNBC's Morning Joe show, said it was "mind-boggling" that authorities continued to mishandle public relations in the case.

A daylight announcement would (in my opinion "could" is more accurate) have encouraged peaceful protests, he said.

Heartfelt Ferguson MO post - from NFL player Benjamin Watson

I'm re-posting the link I just deleted from a previous post because I want the content of the blog by NFL player Benjamin Watson to be included in this published version.  

My apologies to any who may have received the previous link.  

In my opinion, all who learn about the Ferguson Missouri killing of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson find themselves emotionally on the spectrum described herein by Benjamin Watson:

This is the content (also my summary note at end):

NFL player Benjamin Watson's Ferguson Facebook goes viral
Posted: Nov 26, 2014 12:42 PM EST Updated: Nov 26, 2014 12:42 PM EST by Nichole Mischke

KHQ.COM - Benjamin Watson, who plays for the New Orleans Saints, posted the following on his Facebook page and it has since gone viral:

"At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts:

I'M ANGRY because the stories of injustice that have been passed down for generations seem to be continuing before our very eyes.

I'M FRUSTRATED, because pop culture, music and movies glorify these types of police citizen altercations and promote an invincible attitude that continues to get young men killed in real life, away from safety movie sets and music studios.

I'M FEARFUL because in the back of my mind I know that although I'm a law abiding citizen I could still be looked upon as a "threat" to those who don't know me. So I will continue to have to go the extra mile to earn the benefit of the doubt.

I'M EMBARRASSED because the looting, violent protests, and law breaking only confirm, and in the minds of many, validate, the stereotypes and thus the inferior treatment.

I'M SAD, because another young life was lost from his family, the racial divide has widened, a community is in shambles, accusations, insensitivity hurt and hatred are boiling over, and we may never know the truth about what happened that day.

I'M SYMPATHETIC, because I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Darren Wilson acted within his rights and duty as an officer of the law and killed Michael Brown in self defense like any of us would in the circumstance. Now he has to fear the backlash against himself and his loved ones when he was only doing his job. What a horrible thing to endure. OR maybe he provoked Michael and ignited the series of events that led to him eventually murdering the young man to prove a point.

I'M OFFENDED, because of the insulting comments I've seen that are not only insensitive but dismissive to the painful experiences of others.

I'M CONFUSED, because I don't know why it's so hard to obey a policeman. You will not win!!! And I don't know why some policeman abuse their power. Power is a responsibility, not a weapon to brandish and lord over the populace.

I'M INTROSPECTIVE, because sometimes I want to take "our" side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That's not right.

I'M HOPELESS, because I've lived long enough to expect things like this to continue to happen. I'm not surprised and at some point my little children are going to inherit the weight of being a minority and all that it entails.

I'M HOPEFUL, because I know that while we still have race issues in America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and grandparents. I see it in my personal relationships with teammates, friends and mentors. And it's a beautiful thing.I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope."

Here is the link to his Facebook page: http://tinyurl.com/oo9szxv

Julie's note:  Benjamin Watson has faith there will be a cure for the racial divide exposed by the litany of killings of young black men who live primarily in America's urban areas.  Let's pray he's right.

Prosecutor McCullloch decision read late at night

CNN is asking the salient question. Why did Prosecutor McCulloch wait until nearly 10 PM to read the Ferguson Grand Jury's ruling about not finding probable cause to prosecute Officer Wilson, who killed Michael Brown?  He read aloud a 20 minute narrative of the Grand Jury's case. In order to make the case for the Grand Jury's decision, the prosecutor went out of his way to hamper any further prosecutions. This weird county prosecutor obviously doesn't want any further investigation into his own conclusion about the Michael Brown investigation. 

Prosecutor Robert McCulloch should be fired.  He even said some of the witnesses who presented to the Grand Jury didn't tell the truth, but he refused to say they had committed perjury.

But why did the prosecutor Bob McCulloch decide to present his daunting analysis of the Brown and Officer Wilson investigation at night, just in time to catch late night TV audiences? Obviously, the timing of this decision led to fueling intense street violence.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was asked by reporters about the nighttime announcement. Nixon said the decision was made solely by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch.

"We coordinated with law enforcement, gave schools time to get their children home and in a safe place, gave businesses time to make a decision on their employees' safety, gave media time to set up, prepared our statement and made the announcement," Edward Magee, executive assistant to McCulloch, said in a statement.

CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said McCulloch's decision was "foolish and dangerous."

"I find this a completely bizarre decision to do this at night," Toobin said.

"Here's the thing about that time of night: it's dark. Anyone -- anyone! -- should have known that the decision in the Brown case would have been controversial. Crowd control is always more difficult in the dark."

CNN legal analyst Paul Callan noted the announcement was supposed to be made at 8 p.m. ET but was rescheduled for 9 ET.

"Why would you be moving it another hour? I think the only reason can be that they don't have their security forces in place," he said.

Initially, prosecutors were expected to give law enforcement 48 hours' notice from when the grand jury made its decision to when the announcement was made. But that clearly didn't happen Monday, since the decision and the announcement came on the same day.

Unfortunately, McCulloch assured that his Grand Jury ruling would nearly eliminate any possibility of further legal action in regard to prosecuting Officer Wilson for killing the victim Michael Brown in August 2014.  Nevertheless, nothing prevents the prosecutor McCulloch from being fired for his arrogance and, in my opinion, wrongly influencing the Grand Jury's ability to analyze the evidence presented in the Michael Brown investigation. 

Of course, only the Ferguson Missouri Grand Jury can speak about the evidence they received and acted on. We certainly can't second guess their ruling to recommend no prosecution of Officer Wilson for killing Michael Brown. 

Nevertheless, we can observe the inappropriate decisions of Prosecutor McCulloch, who, while speaking on television, appeared to be proud of his self proclaimed authority. 

He should be fired.

Fueling the tragic Ferguson firestorm is grandstanding prosecutiing attorney Robert P. McCulloch

Sometimes, people really do have to "blame the messenger". St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Robert P. McCulloch behaved with annoying bravado and should be fired for mishandling the police shooting of the young unarmed black man named Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri. 

Race relations between Blacks and Whites in America are obviously at an all time low. 

Therefore, we didn't need the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Robert P. McCulloch to incite more trouble. With what appeared, to me, to be a smirk on his face, he stepped up to the international television cameras with the bravado of the swashbuckling antagonist Gaston, to explain the secret Grand Jury's decision about whether or not there was probable cause to bring police officer Darren Wilson to trial, for killing Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri, in August 2014.

Although I do not intend to second guess the Grand Jury's decision to protect Officer Darren Wilson from prosecution, I can evaluate the behavior of the prosecutor, Robert P. McCulloch. His inept handling of this race relations tragedy has made a bad situation much worse. 

Police Officer Wilson, 28, will face no charges for shooting Michael Brown. As reported by McCulloch, the Grand Jury examined the evidence and did not find probable cause to bring forth any prosecution of the police officer for the killing.  Following McCulloch's reading of this decision, the streets of Ferguson Missouri became torched, as the decision caused a firestorm of destruction. Demonstrators believed the Michael Brown shooting was another example of enabling the police to single out young black men, without allowing due process, if they become suspects of misconduct of any kind.

Obviously, McCulloch is a miserable communicator. He rehearsed the cold reading of the Grand Jury's decision statement, after keeping the public and reporters waiting for at least 4 hours to hear the anticipated decision. Following the reading, he gave condescending answers to questions from reporters during the press conference. More to the point, knowing how the decision would likely be ill received, why did McCulloch wait until after sundown to grandstand his announcement? In my opinion, McCulloch created an incendiary situation by timing his announcement concurrent with late night prime time television coverage and thereby enabling the violence that, predictably, erupted after the information was made public.

Missouri public officials must've known that McCulloch was the worst person to give this outcome information to the community, to the US and, ultimately, to the world. Although I have no idea about protocol for reading a Grand Jury decision, it seems to me a judge would have been a better communicator than McCulloch. If a press conference was deemed to be necessary, it seems to me, there should've been more than one person available standing alongside McCulloch, to answer questions. Instead, the prosecuting attorney stood alone before TV cameras, like he was the victorious gladiator in a struggle for the "up" or "down" vote of his supporters. Indeed, McCulloch gets a "thumbs down" from me. His communications failure resulted in the worst night of violence since the August 2014 incident, where Michael Brown was shot dead in Ferguson, at about 12 noon, and then laid in the street for four hours afterwards. 

At this point, the sad death of the unarmed Michael Brown is nearly secondary to the unraveling situation resulting from prosecutor McCulloch's arrogant mismanagement.

Perhaps the only justice, as tangential as it may be, to the killing of the unarmed Michael Brown might be to see the prosecuting attorney  McCulloch fired. 

This man has misrepresented our judicial system by self appointing himself to be the judge, jury and communicator about this horrific incident.

Nevertheless, Michael Brown's death cannot be avenged. Race relations in the U.S. are probably worse than they've ever been. The more this particular Ferguson incident is discussed, the worse it gets for everyone, because there's no apparent resolution. Sooner or later, there will be another person in the litany of incidents without resolution.....Rodney King...Treyvon Martin and....Michael Brown....?  

Perhaps Americans need to experience a 1960's Civil Rights Movement revival.    

Meanwhile, our sympathies continue to grow for the family of Michael Brown and for all the victims in Ferguson, Missouri, who are trying to understand how to fix this racial tragedy.