The fight

Saturday I took the kids to Mockingjay part one. It was good, but it is not the purpose of this piece. I note it to reference a scene.

In this seen Katniss is in District 8, The president has ordered the bombing of a hospital because all of the people were on her side. She looks at the camera and yells, "...if we burn you burn!"

I am referencing this seen because tonight Twitter lit up like a wildfire before, during and after the grand jury decision in Ferguson. I understand why, but I don't understand the how. Instead of peaceful protest there are people causing a riot scene. This was not the goal of those whose intention was a peaceful demonstration, but the mob will gather like wildfire hunting oxygen.

The reasons are vast from racism to classism to the powerful versus the powerless. Everyone feels on edge. Some in the crowd have determined it is their job to loot, burn and steal from the community.

I wonder if these people feel like Katniss. So depressed from the oppression and the violence against themselves that they just want someone else to feel their pain or perhaps just want someone else to suffer.

It's almost human nature to automatically react with violence to a violent situation. Oh how I wish it wasn't. "If we burn, you burn."

The fight that is happening now is a difficult one to grasp. Do we side with the peaceful protesters and acknowledge the injustice of the events that have occurred and fight for a real resolution or do we say that the rule of law was used and the reality of the decision should be supported?

Why is this a fight?

Because a boy was walking home and an officer shot him 12 times. If he was threatening fine shoot him, get him to the ground and cuff him, but 12 times? That's excessive by any measure of the imagination.

Then there is the 12 year old who was killed by an officer this weekend because his toy gun didn't have an orange tip. Do we live in the Sudan where child armies roam? If you see a 12 year old with a gun especially if it looks like an automatic you don't shoot! You just don't. It shouldn't take a genius IQ to know that you shouldn't shoot.

My heart breaks a little for the condition of our nation, for the sadness of today, and the feelings of injustice that seem to permeate every corner. I don't know whose side to take so I take the side of humanity.

I take the side that says stop killing each other. Stop assuming that people are inherently evil. Believe in the good of the world. Hope that the kindness you give will be returned to you.