When the Ferguson police department released the name of Darren Wilson,
they also chose to release video footage which they claimed was of
Michael Brown robbing a convenience store for some cigars.
The problem is, the video shows Michael Brown at the register, paying for the cigars.
From
observation, it looks as if he had tried to buy more, but then was
unable to afford it, hence why he left several packets on the counter.
This prompted the store owner to come out from behind the counter and
have a discussion with him, which prompted the shove witnessed in the
full video.
Whatever words were exchanged between the man in the
video and the store owner, they were not considered very serious, as
the store owner nor the employees did not report a theft at the store.
According to the stores attorney, the owners were bewildered when the
police approached them demanding the surveillance tapes.
The
store owners are now afraid of themselves becoming a target, due to the
Ferguson PD's attempt to tie their store to the fateful shooting. A
gross abuse of police authority, one which now puts someone else at
risk.
Even if Michael Brown were a petty thief, this does not
excuse the cold-blooded shooting death of the 18-year-old. Of course the
right-wing took the robbery claim at face value, and began labeling
Michael Brown as a 'thug' who did not deserve due process.
But
instead it looked like he was a teenager who was enjoying a few cigars
which he purchased at the local store. The store owners did not claim he
stole from them. Video evidence shows him paying for the cigars found
on him. The police attempt to paint Michael Brown as anything but a
victim is a complete and total fraud.
Michael Brown was to start
college last Monday, and was preparing to start his own business upon
graduation. Officer Wilson cut short a promising young man before he
could truly get his start in the world. It is a story so tragic due not
to this isolated case, but for how common this is in America.
The
United States is racing the results of decades of legitimized racism.
Ever since President Reagan made it ok to bash the poor, so long as they
were black, the progress in race relations in this country has been
undone. Now we are facing the obvious result of this criminalization of
African-Americans in the US. Is it not time to say enough is enough, and
stop putting the blame on the victims?
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