No longer just Ferguson’s problem; Society’s problem

Minding his own business on Saturday August 9, 2014, unarmed 18- year -old Michael Brown walked the streets of the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson; unaware it would be his last day on earth.
It is still unclear as to why Brown was stopped by Ferguson cop, Darren Wilson, and there is even more confusion as to why Brown was fatally shot multiple times by the officer.
According to law enforcement officials, during the hours leading up to Brown’s shooting, Brown robbed a small store and had a warrant out for his arrest. Whether or not that played a factor into why he was stopped by Officer Wilson is still unknown.
In response to the shooting violence erupted in the streets the very next day and escalated into full blown riots along with vandalism and looting of local stores. What appears at the center of this controversy is race.
Michael Brown was a black man and Darren Wilson was Caucasian. However, excluding the fact that a “black” man was shot by a “white” man this incident wouldn’t be nearly as controversial if a difference in race wasn’t a factor.
And this is not the first time there has been outcry over racial inequality in American society as it relates to law enforcement. In the case of Trayvon Martin, the idea of discrimination was a key factor brought up in the case. The common denominator between these two stories was not just the issue of race, it was the media hype they generated.
The news coverage of this incident, and others like it, was excessive. The shooting of Michael Brown received just as much or even more news coverage than the beheading of U.S. journalist, James Foley. The conflict in Ferguson is closer to home but the threat of terrorism jeopardizes the livelihood of the United States. Yet people are willing to expend energy to riot for a he said, he said conflict, where the facts of the incident are unclear.
If people are trying to raise awareness to discrimination and stereotyping then vandalizing and looting are in no way the answer. Why would breaking the law and being utterly destructive give the people any leverage for their supposed cause? It’s always easy to break the rules when a mass of people do it together, but that doesn’t make it right.
If the goal is to cause change in the minds of Americans then the way to go about it needs to be a nonviolent and positive one.