Editorial:
As we watch the daily news of the protest and police reaction to the protestors in Ferguson, Missouri, it has become crystal clear that despite the general understanding that we live in the land of the free, the police killing and their response has once again proven that many of us are not free.
The United States of America at its core is based on the creed that: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
For 18-year old Michael Brown those unalienable rights where denied to him by police for no other reason than jaywalking.
For the citizens of Ferguson, their right to peaceful assembly and protest has been denied.
For journalists freedom of the press guaranteed in the constitution has been denied, and taken away as witnessed by the nation with threats and harassment and jailing of reporters by military armed police.
The Civil Rights of our country appears to be threaten.
In Ferguson the Civil Rights of a whole community have been denied by an almost total white police force that for decades has persecuted the Afro-American community. The results of the denial of Civil Rights has resulted in nightly protests and riots from the community. The community has reacted in the only way available to them, to voice their concerns and taking actions by exercising their rights.
It is sad but true that the whole world has witnessed a militarized response from police of citizens of the United States for simply exercising their rights to assemble and right to free speech. For those old enough to remember the police responses we are witnessing are the same responses we saw during the 1960 civil rights struggle, Kent State (nine students massacred) at an anti-war demonstration by the National Guard, and the 1970 Chicano Moratorium where 40,000 protesters (against the war in Vietnam) were attacked, and LA Times journalist Ruben Salazar shot dead by police.
For the Hispanic community the militarization of the police force has been a fact for decades and a way of life with the militarization of the US/Mexico border and our communities. National Guard, military armaments, drones, border fences, civilians dressed in military style fatigues, etc.
The Ferguson killing and the subsequent protest are a wake-up call to America of the militarizing of the police. The only question remaining is: will America pay heed and answer the call to demilitarize the police?
Whether we like it or not, Ferguson is happening in America, and in America this shouldn’t be happening… but it is!