A recent verdict by the grand jury of United States coming on the night of November 24, 2014 stating not to indict the police officer named Darren Wilson was weird enough to trigger a protest which has calmed over a period of time. The case dates back to 9 August, 2014 when a police officer named Darren Wilson fired at least six bullets at an 18 year old teenager named Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri including two to his head. Shockingly the teenager was unarmed and the fact that he was an African American drags the case in the zone of racism. Soon after the incident took place the protest began to emerge. August 10, 2014 was marked as a day decorated with memorials which initially took off peacefully. But once the candle light peaceful protest was over the city saw some of the most miserable incidents. Shopping malls and businesses were looted, vehicles were vandalized, shops were put on fire and police officers trying to block the access were confronted.
The protest calmed down to an extent with the passage of time, with the people hoping for the favourable jury’s decision. But the recent verdict of the jury not to punish the police officer once again became a medium for stirring up the public emotions. The scene turned even more drastic after the verdict with gunfire being experienced across the night, building being set ablaze, police cars being vandalized and numerous cases of looting being recorded. Streets were filled with the echoes accusing the police force as racist. Moreover the jury’s verdict was entitled as the worst miscarriage of the justice. (‘Ferguson Protesters Shut Down’) The question to be thought upon here is whether the protest is the right way to demand justice? Was the protest necessary for this incident? Whether the protest was justifiable enough to compel a person to take a stand in its favour? The answer seems to be probably ‘yes’. The fact that the teenager was unarmed and yet the police officer chose to reward him with six bullets is itself sufficed to raise a lot of allegations on the incident. The police force is meant to help the citizen to fight all the odds rather than making the citizens their target. The use of such harsh force by the police officer on the teenager was highly condemning act. The question of ethics gets a greater hold of the scenario once the fact that the child being an African American peeps through the curtain of allegations. A tinge of racism is sure to be added after the awareness of this fact. Racism has prevailed in the history of United States since a long time with its traces being recorded even today.
Yet another incident justifying the racism being prevalent in air of United States was the verdict given by the grand jury in the case of Eric Garner. Eric Garner died in the Tompkinsville, New York on July 17, 2014 as a result of a chokehold for about 19 seconds by a police officer. Appallingly the use of such a tactic is strictly banned by the New York City Police Department. The officer named Justin Damico approached Garner due to the suspicion of selling loose cigarettes without any tax stamps. Garner was soon arrested and the police officer applied a chokehold to the Garner. Garner although informing the officer to not being able to breathe for about 11 times was still not released by the officer. Later he was declared dead in the hospital. (‘How The Eric Garner And Ferguson’) Now the fact Garner yet again being African American to be a victim of police officer’s brutal force turns the incident into an eyebrow raising issue. The incident was subject to a lot of violent protest with the looting of the businesses and vandalizing of the cars being observed as the most practiced act. December 3, 2014 was marked as a black day when the grand jury announced not to indict officer alleged. The jury’s verdict soon resulted into a lot of public protests and rallies. The incident of Eric Garner strengthens the shade of racism involved with such attacks. The African Americans consistently being victimised by police officers without any indictment by the jury reveals a very gloomy picture of the United States justice. (‘How The Eric Garner And Ferguson’)
Stringent and strict regulations must rather be introduced in order to reduce the occurrence of such incidents. The rules in existence for the safeguards of other community’s interest must be strictly adhered to. The need of the hour is to punish the defaulters. The police officers must instead be punished for their condemning actions. The murder need to be considered as a murder, without imposing an influence of ethnicity or race on provision of justice. If the current scenario prevails the well-established image of United States is surely exposed to the vulnerability of being tarnished, by none other but its own racial partialities.
Work Cited
The Independent,. 'Ferguson Protesters Shut Down Malls Across United States On Black Friday'. N.p., 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2014.
Washington Post,. 'How The Eric Garner And Ferguson Protests Have ‘Struck A Blow To America’S Image’'. N.p., 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2014.
