All of us listen to the same news, get the same information and yet have varying opinions on what happened in Ferguson, MO, the night Officer Wilson confronted Michael Brown. None of us know what we would've done in this situation. If you say you do then you're a liar. We know what we want to do, or hope we would do. Those of us in law enforcement rely on what we're trained to do.
A split-second or less is the approximate amount of time we have to make life or death decisions based on minimal facts, visual observations, training, and experience. These decisions are accompanied by adrenaline dumps. Adrenaline, as defined by MedicineNet, is a stress hormone produced in the adrenal gland that quickens the heart beat, strengthens the force of the heart's contraction, and opens up the bronchioles in the lungs. It's not uncommon to temporarily diminish your sense of hearing and touch, but also heighten your sense of smell and slowing your perception of time. The secretion of adrenaline is part of the human 'fight or flight' response to fear, panic, or perceived threat. (Perceived is another good vocabulary word to understand: to become aware of, know, or identify by means of the senses: I perceived an object looming through the mist. 2. to recognize, discern, envision, or understand [Dictionary.com])
How often do you think the average person experiences these physiological changes then go through it again and again with little to no time for recovery in between? Two or three times in a month, a year? Law enforcement officers experience this daily, if not multiple times a day depending on the call for service. From neighbors arguing over a dog crapping on the lawn to shots fired with multiple victims, we respond to every call with the same expectation...we go home safe at the end of shift.
I was saddened by the public outcry for an indictment of Officer Wilson, and angered by their reactions to the grand jury's decision. They didn't want justice, they were gathered like a lynch mob wanting a public hanging.
The celebrity reaction didn't surprise me: "Celebrities expressed sadness, frustration and disappointment across social media Monday after a grand jury in Missouri declined to bring charges against police officer Darren Wilson for the Aug. 9 shooting of unarmed black teen Michael Brown." Then the articles drone on with tweets and postings from the Hollywood liberals.
The media continues it's pot-stirring and racial divide with their use of "unarmed black teen". Face it people, Michael Brown was of age to fight for his country and vote, which is what we call an ADULT. But that just wouldn't be newsworthy, would it? I don't care if he was blue with red polka dots. I don't care if he had a cell phone or an UZI in his waistband. Michael Brown was no child, no "teen" without direction, no victim of a hate crime. He was an adult who made a decision that cost him his life.
What vexes me with this case isn't the the actions of the suspect or the officer's reaction to the perceived threat, it's not even the protesters and political asshats showing up for their 15 minutes of fame. It's the combination of: 1) the public's sense of entitlement and lack of common sense, and 2) that we rely on a biased media to tell us the truth.
Had it been a female officer of any race, her skills and abilities would have been questioned based on gender and the story would've died within 24 hours.
Had it been a black male officer, the political jackhats would've said "tisk tisk, more black on black violence" and this case would've never made national news.
Had Michael Brown been an "unarmed white teen" or a female of any race, it may have been aired once on a local station then forgot about because frankly it just doesn't pull in the ratings. Go ahead, disagree. Then you can just stand there in your wrongness and be wrong.
We cry for justice then denounce the very system we put in place to decide it. We cry for help, then condemn the men and women who respond to provide it. "To change the hearts and minds of men you must learn to listen; otherwise your words will fall on deaf ears, for the opinions of fools are always louder. ~L.S. Buckley"
