We Don't Know

I'm late with my Sunday post, and I apologize. But here it is:

We don’t know. We don’t know what happened. The one witness has told one story; the police, a very different story. Given the fact that the police changed their story every few hours, telling a new version, we are justified in treating their version with great skepticism.

But we simply do not know. Hopefully, as independent and objective agencies investigate, the true unfolding of events that hot Saturday in Ferguson, Missouri will be discovered.

Maybe someone on that street was watching through the curtains. Maybe someone stepped onto their porch and got their phone out in time to video. If so, maybe we’ll get a better idea of exactly what happened.

But until we do, we must admit we don’t know. However, having said that, I take up a greater theme.

I don’t know what the causes were, but we all know the result. What I have to say in response is this:

The killing of black boys must stop.

The how doesn’t matter: whether it is drug-related violence in the ‘hood, arguments at the club over girls, unreasonable fear in a convenience-store parking lot, overly aggressive action by a neighborhood watch volunteer, a cop in the middle of the street, one truth must stand out.

The killing of black boys must stop.

The who doesn’t matter: young black men in gang-related competition, middle-aged white men afraid to be in a city they don’t know, Hispanic neighborhood watchers reacting to break-ins, or police, one truth must be told.

The killing of black boys must stop.

When will we pick up a blue pencil, scribble 33 and circle it (the editor’s mark that an article is complete and ready for print), and end the long list of names: Michael Brown, Jordan Davis, Treyvon Martin …

The killing of black boys must stop.