The Great Divide

I have, like you I suspect, been keeping an eye on the news as the story of the situation in Ferguson, Missouri unfolds. Violence has erupted in the wake of the Grand Jury’s decision that there is not enough evidence to lay charges against the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen.

There is no doubt that the police officer shot Brown and that Brown is dead. What is in doubt is the sequence of events, the cause, and the intent. There is no doubt about the violence, reflecting the deep divide that exists between black and white, and the perception of justice. What is in doubt is how much of what is reported reflects the actual angst of the people of Ferguson, some of whom, no doubt, are standing up in peaceful protest and others who are taking advantage of this horrible situation to loot and vandalise. Last night President Barack Obama urged the people of Ferguson to react peacefully to the grand jury’s decision not to indict the policeman. He reminded the American people that their country is built on law and the law has decided.

That is the hard part of this situation, and many situations, when it is not so clear cut but filled with ambiguity and interpretation. The law may make a clear statement but is it just? Michael Brown’s parents have made a statement saying, in part, that while they hoped for accountability they do not want to see unrest and violence.

This whole situation is one more chapter in the long, unfolding history of the great divide that exists in the US, and is somewhat reflected in Canada, between the people that make of their nation and the history that brought them together.

I agree with peaceful protest. I believe that freedom of speech and the right to object is part of a healthy nation. I do not agree with looting and vandalism. However, I understand how, when one feels up against unrelenting injustice to remain peaceful can be impossible. I guess the great divide also remains in my thinking as I struggle to understand how one speaks out for justice and fairness when it seems the ‘deck is stacked against it”.

The situation in Ferguson is not one that will effect me directly but it does cause me to reflect on my Christian ethic of right and wrong, the law and protest of it.

Where do you stand on this? Do you think there is a role for protest? What about violence? Is it different in war when the government sends soldiers to another country to carry out organized violence? My mind is firing in all kinds of direction and I would be interested to know what you think. Post a comment below and join the conversation.