#Ferguson businesses burn, protesters celebrate. pic.twitter.com/t0bNtxS8Ni
— Robert Cohen (@kodacohen) November 25, 2014
That very slogan is a mockery of our system of justice. The protesters demanded a grand jury, and they got it. It turns out the eyewitnesses were unreliable, and the physical evidence shows no criminal activity on Officer Wilson’s part. The system did its job.
Many of those calling for an indictment never cared about the process. They simply care about punishment. They want someone to suffer, and they assume that will happen if they get enough people to scream. They believe that public opinion should drive criminal proceedings.
This tendency towards vengeance is the basest of human instincts, and it’s exactly what our system of justice is designed to counter. The very definition of justice is not the whim of a mob.
There are some serious issues with law enforcement in Ferguson. Why is a majority black community policed by a force that’s overwhelmingly white? Why are there not dashboard cameras in every squad car in St. Louis?
What worries me most is that those questions will be forgotten in the weeks to come. When the clouds part and the protesters aren’t in the news anymore, how many people will still be pushing for answers?
I fear it will be too few.