Enough with the accusations of racism. Twice as many whites are killed by cops as blacks, yet the Times won't mention that, and neither will the TV networks. Regardless, one is more likely to be stricken by lightning than killed by a cop. Quit whipping up the outrage with the phony narrative. Oh, and remember, Michael Brown was trying to kill that cop.
25
Thank you, Mrs. McSpadden.
As a mother, I can not understand how you are able to bear such unimaginable pain as the loss of your child. To also have to deal with reliving his murder, over and over, along with racist judgmental comments...my stomach is churning, my tears are flowing and my heart is breaking for you. I pray for justice for you and your family, and for the families of Mr. Sterling and Mr. Castile, Mrs. Rice, and for all families who have lost their loved ones from preventable acts of violence by those who have sworn to "protect and serve." My question to you is...what can I DO? I want to get involved, I to get off the sidelines and DO something...anything...that will in anyway help to prevent this from happening again, or at least help to find justice for those who are suffering such a horrendous loss. Please keep us informed, Mrs. McSpadden, on your thoughts of what we as individuals can do to help prevent the injustices done to too many families of color in this country.
As a mother, I can not understand how you are able to bear such unimaginable pain as the loss of your child. To also have to deal with reliving his murder, over and over, along with racist judgmental comments...my stomach is churning, my tears are flowing and my heart is breaking for you. I pray for justice for you and your family, and for the families of Mr. Sterling and Mr. Castile, Mrs. Rice, and for all families who have lost their loved ones from preventable acts of violence by those who have sworn to "protect and serve." My question to you is...what can I DO? I want to get involved, I to get off the sidelines and DO something...anything...that will in anyway help to prevent this from happening again, or at least help to find justice for those who are suffering such a horrendous loss. Please keep us informed, Mrs. McSpadden, on your thoughts of what we as individuals can do to help prevent the injustices done to too many families of color in this country.
26
The bottom line is the more guns that are out there the more fearful police there will be who will thoughtlessly use their gun.
The bottom line is the more guns out there in the hands of frightened people will equate to more murders.
The more influence the NRA has over republicans the more guns there will be and the more blood there will be. That is on their hands.
It is a simple equation. More guns=More blood. Fewer guns = Less blood.
People without guns do not kill people.
The bottom line is the more guns out there in the hands of frightened people will equate to more murders.
The more influence the NRA has over republicans the more guns there will be and the more blood there will be. That is on their hands.
It is a simple equation. More guns=More blood. Fewer guns = Less blood.
People without guns do not kill people.
23
I wish I could hug Michael Brown's mother. I can only imagine what the conversations were like between her and the other mothers who have lost their sons.
15
The war of words needs to come to an end, as it is obvious that it is far easier to shout and march than think and be accountable. The conditions when violence erupts are always murky, regardless of the imagined clarity of video. Either all lives matter or none matter. We must collectively manage our thoughts and behaviors which we do have dominion over and accept those aspects which we collectively do not, such as race, gender, and all surface aspects of our being. Otherwise, we are the architects of our continual destruction.
13
"Hands up Don't Shoot" is based on a lie. And this lie keeps getting repeated, (I heard it last night in Dallas).
It's perpetuated by commentators on CNN, by the likes of Van Jones, etc., and on MSNBC by Rachel Maddow, etc.
People like Jonathan Capeheart, (I'm no fan), have been brave enough to say and write that Hands up is a false narrative but it continues in the face of all the evidence.
And now, on the day 5 Dallas police officers are murdered, the NYT publishes an editorial by the mother of Michael Brown.
Shame on them and all the lie perpetrators.
If you don't think there's racism in the black community, ask the Dallas assassin why he killed those men last night.
It's perpetuated by commentators on CNN, by the likes of Van Jones, etc., and on MSNBC by Rachel Maddow, etc.
People like Jonathan Capeheart, (I'm no fan), have been brave enough to say and write that Hands up is a false narrative but it continues in the face of all the evidence.
And now, on the day 5 Dallas police officers are murdered, the NYT publishes an editorial by the mother of Michael Brown.
Shame on them and all the lie perpetrators.
If you don't think there's racism in the black community, ask the Dallas assassin why he killed those men last night.
42
I stand corrected. I thought this was a ghostwriter for Browns mother.
2
Michael Brown is the worst example of the issue of police violence. He committed a violent robbery, then assaulted the police officer even trying to take the officer's gun. What was he going to do once he had the gun? He was intending to use it on the officer. Then he flees ignoring and further resisting and then finally he charges after the officer. What was the officer supposed to do? Let Michael Brown gain possession of his weapon and be killed himself? Every example cited by Lezley McSpadden are spot on except one, the one of her son. It is a shame he is dead. But Michael Brown's intent and behavior was not benign like all of the other examples. The example of Michael Brown discredits an issue that should not be discredited.
32
NYT editorial staff- shame on you for going for the lowest level of human decency. Why did you open up a comment section on Ms. McSpadden Op- Ed? You invited the vulgarity!
13
By giving Michael Brown's mother this forum, the NY Times helps perpetuate the false narrative that Brown was a victim of injustice and unwarranted police brutality. All evidence points to the contrary. Brown's death is an entirely separate event from the tragedies which have occurred this week.
You can blame "the system" if you like for the environment Brown lived in. You can also probably blame a number of other things, including the idea that teenagers having babies and the resultant broken marriages and absentee parents often don't produce solid citizens.
But ultimately the only person one can blame for Ms. McSpadden's grief is her son, who chose to rob a convenience store, assault a police officer and attempt to take his weapon.
You can blame "the system" if you like for the environment Brown lived in. You can also probably blame a number of other things, including the idea that teenagers having babies and the resultant broken marriages and absentee parents often don't produce solid citizens.
But ultimately the only person one can blame for Ms. McSpadden's grief is her son, who chose to rob a convenience store, assault a police officer and attempt to take his weapon.
40
PAIN illustrated in an essay. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
7
Why was Ms Mcspadden's "son" being raised by his grandmother? Now that the young man is dead she is the loving mother. Her son came after the officer and tried to cause harm. The officer protected himself. It's all been laid out in court. It's a sad situation that the young man died, but had he a moral compass and a set of birth parents that instilled in him what is right from wrong he might still be alive today.
37
I am absolutely sickened by the comments I'm reading. And I've only read a few. I want to scream at these people, claiming that Ms. McSpadden should "look in the mirror" for whom to blame over her son's death. Or making the ridiculous statement - "I am amazed that Black people can never see that these people they mourn over are often nothing but criminals". As if breaking the law means you deserve to die. But screaming and name-calling would get me nowhere. It would only push these bigots further into their cruel beliefs. I won't scream, but I will speak, and I will ask: how can you justify killing citizens? How can you type and press send on words meant to make a mother who lost her child feel guilty? Guilty for nothing more than being a black woman trying to exist in a system built to oppress her and brand her brothers, uncles, and son as "thugs" for petty crimes or no crimes at all. But despite that, I ask again: how can you condemn a mother, any mother, who lost her child? Who are these people? How can they be so frightfully uncaring?
26
The hands up lies about Brown has led to the death of those police officers in Dallas. Stop the lies.
32
I am sorry Ms. McSpadden but your ghost writer has it all wrong. Your son, rest his soul, has as much in common with those unfortunate young men in St.Paul and Baton Rouge, as Jimmy Carter had with Ronald Reagan. They both were presidents but the similarities stop there. The recently murdered boys were just that "murdered"- your son, I'm sorry to say was not. What he did was stupid and he paid the price based on his stupidity. Sure all three were black and died on the wrong end of a police revolver. Michael Brown as a "martyr", I just don't see it. The other two young men- yes martyrs. They were murder victims and justice is due them. I feel for your that you lost your young son but he was not on the side of "victim"- hardly.
31
I think it was entirely inappropriate for the NYT to get Michael Brown's mother for this piece, especially in this day..
If I were Philandro's parent, I would be sickened that the mother of that violent young man Michael Brown was putting my son's name next to hers for all to see in the Times, as if they died for the same reason..
Just because they were both young black men does NOT mean these were similar events or that they were similar men.
If I were Philandro's parent, I would be sickened that the mother of that violent young man Michael Brown was putting my son's name next to hers for all to see in the Times, as if they died for the same reason..
Just because they were both young black men does NOT mean these were similar events or that they were similar men.
39
Sometimes in life, you can’t expect to ever sleep well at night again; you can only hope to sleep at all.
9
Except that the author's son was a thug; he had assaulted a store owner and robbed the store before assaulting the police officer who shot him. And what about the thugs who specifically targeted Asian business owners in the riots that occured in Ferguson afterward? Whether they were black has nothing to do with anything. Can't we have some balance?
38
Dearest Ms. McSpadden--I send you love and so much appreciation for the time you took to share your feelings and pain. I wish I had a magic wand to make this terrible problem in our society go away forever.
13
Editorial Writer: Your timing is impeccable.
4
In the video, Alton Sterling was being subdued partially underneath a car, Mr. Sterlings right arm was obscured from view.
Someone clearly shouted "he's got a gun!" after Alton Sterling was already on the ground, almost subdued. Who was this? After that person shouted this, the officer pulled out his gun and tragically shot Mr. Sterling.
Some mass media outlets have edited out or obscured "he's got a gun" in their video shown to the public. This is a horribly malicious & manipulative spin on the event.
Someone clearly shouted "he's got a gun!" after Alton Sterling was already on the ground, almost subdued. Who was this? After that person shouted this, the officer pulled out his gun and tragically shot Mr. Sterling.
Some mass media outlets have edited out or obscured "he's got a gun" in their video shown to the public. This is a horribly malicious & manipulative spin on the event.
30
Actually, I think it was the cop removing his gun from the holster who shouted "He's got a gun!"
4
I wonder what the unarmed cops in the UK do when dealing with large suspects. I think we should ask them.
18
They're very brave and they do their job responsibly, accepting the chance of risk.
4
I'm stunned and repulsed by the ugliness of so many of these comments. Read the article again, and notice: Michael Brown's mother is not saying her son was a great guy. Your opinion about whether he deserved to be killed, or not, does not matter here. This commentary is about the pain of losing a loved one, and the life-long effects of violence on individuals, families, communities, and society. Can any of you hateful people imagine how it would feel to show compassion for a grieving person, regardless of how or why their loved one died? If you really think Michael Brown's death was somehow reflective of any kind of "justice," then you are part of the problem.
55
No one doubts her pain. We all have pain in our lives. We question the choice of the mother of Michael Brown as the person to talk about losing a black child to the police. I would gladly listen to a number of black parents who recently lost a child to the police, but not those in whom our legal system has determined their child was at fault and not the police. This perpetuates the false notions that Michael Brown was a victim, and that Ferguson, MO was the location of a civil rights event like Selma-it was not. If there was an injustice it was done to the officer whose life was ruined by the accusations.
22
Sorry, but that is exactly what she and her supporters said when he died. For months we listened to lies about how the "boy" was college-bound, etc. Turns out he was a very large drugs-using bully who likely was using something that made him irrational. He was inside the police car struggling for the officer's gun.
The biggest problem with BLM is that it had Michael Brown as a poster child. And the media resorts to his mother as some sort of oracle. No thanks.
The biggest problem with BLM is that it had Michael Brown as a poster child. And the media resorts to his mother as some sort of oracle. No thanks.
19
Oh boy, all these comments from white people shaming this woman are disgusting. No, Michael Brown was not perfect (take a look at your own teenagers); no, he did not deserve to die. The stats are obvious: the less clear it is that force is necessary in a police encounter, the more likely the victim is to be black. The specifics in each case are secondary to that cold, hard fact. Saying "Michael Brown was no innocent" is a distraction. Don't get the idea that you're some holy paragon of truth by pointing it out. You are willfully ignoring the real issue. Police officers are not trained to defuse situations; police officers are taught both explicitly and through insidious cultural stereotypes just what a criminal looks like and whom they can point a gun at. The racism we ALL contain within ourselves (white people are likely to see black men as larger and older than they actually are, no matter their stated racial attitudes) is given no counterweight through appropriate training. It's given a gun and a badge and free reign.
13
I think if you attempt to take an officer's gun, you've increased your chances for being shot infinitely and should not expect the slightest amount of sympathy. Even Holder's Justice department would not bring an indictment against the officer.
15
Michael Brown was not perfect? Most of us have kids who did not toss an Asian clerk across a store to get some free cigars. Or wrestle with a cop for his gun.
The problem with Micahel Brown is that his fault is sufficiently clear that even the USDoJ couldn't denounce the police officer. For so long as BLM holds HIM up as a victim--rather than people like Mr. Sterling or Mr. Castile--it will be dismissed by the majority of Americans. It is a self-defeating strategy.
The problem with Micahel Brown is that his fault is sufficiently clear that even the USDoJ couldn't denounce the police officer. For so long as BLM holds HIM up as a victim--rather than people like Mr. Sterling or Mr. Castile--it will be dismissed by the majority of Americans. It is a self-defeating strategy.
6
The fact that the NYTs and many of its readers continue to portray Michael Brown as a wholly innocent victim, illustrates that substantial elements of the Left and the Black community are not interested in solving the problems caused by disproportionate Black crime and also by police brutality. Where people are interested in solving problems, they search for the truth and don't repeat false narratives. If anything, Michael Brown is a poster child for disproportionate Black crime and the failure of many Black families.
We can all agree to root out police brutality, but Black America has to come to grips with its own disproportionate crime and disproportionate family dysfunction. The disproportionate failure of Black families and Black fathers to take care of their children is not White America's responsibility. If Black children came from functional families, there would be a lot less circumstances where they would come into contact with the police.
JD
We can all agree to root out police brutality, but Black America has to come to grips with its own disproportionate crime and disproportionate family dysfunction. The disproportionate failure of Black families and Black fathers to take care of their children is not White America's responsibility. If Black children came from functional families, there would be a lot less circumstances where they would come into contact with the police.
JD
34
Michael Brown is the worst possible example to use in discussions of the abominable police violence we are seeing. It is divisive to bring him up, and unnecessary, because there are so many other examples no one in their right mind would ever quarrel with.
26
To all of the commenters who seek to comfort themselves with the narrowly construed truth that Michael Brown's actions brought about his own death, go and read Michael Eric Dyson's letter to White America, http://nyti.ms/29lySVs. Mr. Brown's death is of one piece with the deaths of Trayvon Martin, and Alton Sterling and Philander Castile and the countless others we have witnessed and done nothing about. This is a make or break moment for America. We have one last chance to destroy the evil that will destroy us if left unchecked. We privileged, white Americans actually have a chance to repudiate and reject the racism that has blinded us the the humanity of African Americans and other ethnic minorities since the founding of our nation. We who hold the reins of power and privilege have this one chance to acknowledge the crimes we have committed through our greed and indifference and remake this society and this economy to reflect our equal humanity and our equal value to America and to each other.
21
Just as a side note, I wish there were less focus on 'mothers' doing this or that, and more focus along the lines of simply 'parents' (irrespective of gender). While in some instances fathers may indeed be less present (or not present at all), far too often society as a whole continues to demonstrate through words/actions, its belief that mothers matter far more than dads. This mentality does a grave disservice to everyone....the dads out there, their kids, and the mothers themselves. So long as society continues to tell dads they 'matter less', many men will internalize this message and act accordingly. A change in language can change minds and behaviors.
9
My agreement was with Icedteaparty's comment about the need to rid the country of Republican attitudes. My comment's placement - after someone's comment that Democrats are as much to blame too - does not reflect my view because I think Republicans are much more culpable in causing division in this country. We are all human - same race. The problem Icedyeaparty refers to is what I agree with - Republicans and their policies are the heart of the beast.
11
The smugness demonstrated in this comment is laughable. We're all human unless we're humans who are Republicans in which case we are to be blamed for all societal ills and erased. How do you propose ridding the country of Republican attitudes, Mr. Terrill? Now there's a scary thought. Look in the mirror and see that you are as capable of creating scapegoats and "otherizing" your political enemies as anyone else and your desire to eradicate thought you don't agree with puts you in league with authoritarians throughout history.
7
"I think Republicans are much more culpable in causing division in this country." Said with no apparent irony by Richard who follows in the next sentence with "Republicans and their policies are the heart of the beast." Very unifying language bridging our divides Richard - sarcasm intended.
3
Very unifying post Richard - sarcasm intended. It's nice to claim the high road while insulting folks who disagree with you as coming from the "heart of the beast." Yeah this division in our country is all the fault of Republicans.
3
The publication of this essay is one of the most shockingly cynical and exploitative acts that I have ever seen committed by an entity that identifies itself as being on the left.
28
I might be the minority here - I have very little sympathy for Michael Brown. All physical evidence points to him being the main instigator for what happened to him. His strong armed robbery right before he was killed was illustrative of who he was. The Micheal Browns are part of the reasons for the stereotype against black men. Having Michael Brown as the poster child for Black Life Matters movement is a really bad idea.
37
No, you are not in the minority. Michael Brown does not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Alton Sterling or Philando Castile. Doing so undermines the entire BLM movement.
4
Very good read and a very articulate person. But it's always the same thing and I suppose as parents you always want to see and believe the best of your child. I learn as a young man to follow the rules of society and authority and I think the Black community as a whole has been systematically made to believe that when it apply's to them it's racism. Why do Whites, Hispanic, Asian and so on understand that when a police officer tells you not to move or reach for anything they don't and why do most of those same races or people learn how to act out in society ? Your culture definitely has problems, but it's with itself.
12
Michael Browns Mom should have disciplined her son more effectively. If she had perhaps he would not have acted so stupidly as to attack a police officer and attempt to grab his gun. Any of us who had done the same thing would be dead as well.
28
And the five dead white sons?
Their lives don't matter?
Their lives don't matter?
17
I don't think anyone said their lives don't matter.
8
They do and that's what Black Lives is fighting for. Can't you see? Zimmerman and others who killed people who were lawfully minding their own business are clearly not better off after having murdered. We don't want anyone to suffer unnecessarily. I don't think this is hard to understand.
1
This was written before last night's events in Dallas.
2
The way police officers approach "suspects" needs to be reviewed and overhauled. In many instances they aggressively "roll up" on an individual with weapons at the ready and quick to start shooting at the slightest movement- the "perceived threat." More than 90% of these shootings could have been diffused if the officers applied less aggressive tactics. Cool heads prevail- that is not a sign of weakness! But this thinking doesn't bode well in COP culture where hyper aggression [wrapped in a very fragile ego] is the norm. I support the police- but not their methods.
11
Maybe, dear editor, the comments section need not be open when it comes to reports of racial killings. For some of us with black skin this is not a joke but real PTSD. Stop inviting the trolls. Have some humanity.
12
In other words, "...shut down any speech, protected or otherwise, that makes me feel uncomfortable."
7
Because only your truth matters?
6
Based on what we have heard, the police shooting in Louisiana and Minnesota do not make sense. I am awaiting more information. The snipers did not wait for more information. They may have been acting on a well of anger built up over previous shootings. The media did not always presented a full picture of the earlier shootings.
Let’s look at how the media reported on the shooting of Michael Brown. It whipped the public up into a frenzy by repeating that the police had shot an unarmed Black teenager who had given himself up by raising his arms and saying, “Don’t shoot”. Yet, the media did not make sure the public became aware of any contradictory facts, as they became known. The result is that few realize that most witnesses did not see Brown raise his hands or say, “Don’t Shoot”. Only Brown's accomplice claims he did this. Others contradict his testimony. One witness wasn’t sure. A woman who loudly corroborated the accomplice’s story, later admitted she had not seen any of the event.
A group formed around the Brown shooting. It sent out frequent twitter updates with the latest information. My friend carefully read every update as it came in. The twitter feed did not inform her that Brown had attempted to arm himself by reaching in the police car for a gun, with the result that it discharged. The group withheld information that helped explain the policeman’s actions.
Chances are the snipers acted on a jumble of incorrect and incomplete information.
Let’s look at how the media reported on the shooting of Michael Brown. It whipped the public up into a frenzy by repeating that the police had shot an unarmed Black teenager who had given himself up by raising his arms and saying, “Don’t shoot”. Yet, the media did not make sure the public became aware of any contradictory facts, as they became known. The result is that few realize that most witnesses did not see Brown raise his hands or say, “Don’t Shoot”. Only Brown's accomplice claims he did this. Others contradict his testimony. One witness wasn’t sure. A woman who loudly corroborated the accomplice’s story, later admitted she had not seen any of the event.
A group formed around the Brown shooting. It sent out frequent twitter updates with the latest information. My friend carefully read every update as it came in. The twitter feed did not inform her that Brown had attempted to arm himself by reaching in the police car for a gun, with the result that it discharged. The group withheld information that helped explain the policeman’s actions.
Chances are the snipers acted on a jumble of incorrect and incomplete information.
7
What people need to understand is that the police are NOT there to protect people. The police, the military and prison industrial complex are in the service of the wealthy 0.1%--the ruling elite. The police occupy our communities; the prisons are filled with the poorest of the poor caught in a cycle of poverty, racism and classism; and the military polices the whole world for the benefit of rich, their corporations and private property rights! We need a fundamental change from an economy based upon production for profit to production for the needs and wants of all and not private profits for the few. Only socialism can deliver real peace and plenty for all--a world without the war, chaos, murder, and incarceration of the capitalist system.
5
Ah that wonderful system of a planned and state controlled economy that has worked so well in the likes of Russia, Venezuela, Cuba etc etc etc. It's worked so well that I'm amazed it hasn't been adopted by more countries. Oh wait, they did try it and it failed. Dream on.
5
Thank you Ms. McSpadden for framing the issue so well. I wish this kind of injustice could end tomorrow morning. But I've learned that injustice is really hard to fix - because people don't change easily. I do believe that words like yours are how such change starts.
6
Lezley McSpadden I'd like to thank you for writing this moving and honest piece about your grief, the grief of the black community, and the injustice and racial prejudice this country is still unable to unite against to end gun violence.
As an Asian American immigrant who fled with my family to the US in the 90s I'm shocked to see this deep, centuries old racial riff continuing to perpetuate targeted violence on what the world stage still believes is a united, tolerant, and forward leading country. We have so much more work to do for you and for all people who have been laid victim to these prejudices. My heart breaks with every police shot fired and every death stamped on a news article that is then parsed by public commentary- displayed in this digressive and too often sickening comments section.
As Michael Brown raised his arms in surrender so Lezley McSpadden bravely and publicly displays the unknowable grief of a mother losing her son. And once again we as the public have failed her by aiming a barrage of toxic comments that both diminish her grief and diminish the impact of Michael Brown's, Eric Garner's, Trayvon Martin's, Alton Sterling's, Philando Castile's, and countless others' untimely deaths.
America, we've failed. We have not delivered on the promise of justice for Lezley McSpadden, Michael Brown, Alton Sterling, or Philando Castile. And so again we've failed to deliver justice for ourselves.
As an Asian American immigrant who fled with my family to the US in the 90s I'm shocked to see this deep, centuries old racial riff continuing to perpetuate targeted violence on what the world stage still believes is a united, tolerant, and forward leading country. We have so much more work to do for you and for all people who have been laid victim to these prejudices. My heart breaks with every police shot fired and every death stamped on a news article that is then parsed by public commentary- displayed in this digressive and too often sickening comments section.
As Michael Brown raised his arms in surrender so Lezley McSpadden bravely and publicly displays the unknowable grief of a mother losing her son. And once again we as the public have failed her by aiming a barrage of toxic comments that both diminish her grief and diminish the impact of Michael Brown's, Eric Garner's, Trayvon Martin's, Alton Sterling's, Philando Castile's, and countless others' untimely deaths.
America, we've failed. We have not delivered on the promise of justice for Lezley McSpadden, Michael Brown, Alton Sterling, or Philando Castile. And so again we've failed to deliver justice for ourselves.
11
It's people like you, still claiming Michael Brown died with his 'hands up' in surrender, that are the fuel to the fire we watched burn so terrible and bright last night in Dallas.
4
"As Michael Brown raised his arms in surrender..."
"Hands up, don't shoot" was shown to be a lie. Why blacks continue to want to paint Brown as a modern-day Medgar Evers confounds me. And hurts the BLM cause.
But obviously there are still too many people who don't want the facts to get in the way of a good story. Which is a huge part of the problem.
"Hands up, don't shoot" was shown to be a lie. Why blacks continue to want to paint Brown as a modern-day Medgar Evers confounds me. And hurts the BLM cause.
But obviously there are still too many people who don't want the facts to get in the way of a good story. Which is a huge part of the problem.
16
Michael Brown did not raise his arms in surrender. For the truth about the last couple of seconds of Brown's life, where his hands were, etc., read Part 3, Page 82 of the Dept. of Justice Report:
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
11
It's true. As with rape victims, people look to figure out how these individuals' actions caused their death/rape. People pick apart everything in their past and in the moment of the crime to figure out how it was really all their fault.
Thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us, Ms. McSpadden. We need so much help to fix this.
Thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us, Ms. McSpadden. We need so much help to fix this.
28
You could say Michael Brown acted like a brute to Asian store owner who stopped him about stealing items out of the store. You could say that if Michael was in same frame of mind and according to ballistics in police car, Michael grabbed the gun. You could say that you used the system to get big monetary award for yourself
You could say that there have been several white killings but those videos aren't shown on TV. You could say that Castille was innocent. Sterling had record for raping children and had been arrested often. You could say Eric Gardner was an overweight parasite who frequented emergency rooms for asthma and diabetes and jails for misdemeanor of selling bootleg cigarettes in front of stores that had to pay taxes for cigarettes they sold, along with property taxes and income taxes to support Eric Gardner's habits and children and hospital visits, and arrests and that the least Mr Gardner could have done because of his ill health was cooperate with his just arrest.
You could say that there have been several white killings but those videos aren't shown on TV. You could say that Castille was innocent. Sterling had record for raping children and had been arrested often. You could say Eric Gardner was an overweight parasite who frequented emergency rooms for asthma and diabetes and jails for misdemeanor of selling bootleg cigarettes in front of stores that had to pay taxes for cigarettes they sold, along with property taxes and income taxes to support Eric Gardner's habits and children and hospital visits, and arrests and that the least Mr Gardner could have done because of his ill health was cooperate with his just arrest.
21
You could say that some of the comments only prove the point that Michael Brown's mother makes. Is this what has come to? Distinguish between the deserving and undeserving when the outcome is the same: death.
14
You could say that someone who calls other human beings "parasites" and implies that being overweight is a crime is a heartless jerk.
4
You could say all of those things. Why do they matter? You could say they were human. They were imperfect. Is that a good enough rationale to kill someone?
7
Michael Brown was a thug who in the last moments of his life committed a strong arm robbery of a convenience store, refused an order from and attacked a police officer. His was shot by the officer who had a justified fear for his life. By giving Ms. McSpadden a forum in your paper you implicitly take the position that Mr. Brown's shooting was not justified, when the legal system has judged otherwise. We do not know all the facts yet in the Minnesota and Louisiana cases; so why does the New York Times want to gin up violence and protests? You already succeeded in ruining the life of Officer Darren Wilson who was merely doing his job.
Ms. McSpadden, regardless of the fact that your son's death was a justifiable homicide, you have my sympathies for his loss.
Ms. McSpadden, regardless of the fact that your son's death was a justifiable homicide, you have my sympathies for his loss.
18
"you implicitly take the position that Mr. Brown's shooting was not justified, when the legal system has judged otherwise."
In fact Darren Wilson was exonerated TWICE.
Mr Obama did not apologize to him as he should have, and Wilson's life has been destroyed.
If only Mr. Obama had said to Wilson, "I am YOUR president just as much as Michael Brown's. and your life and your rights are also important to me."
To be the president of all Americans means the president of ALL Americans, not just black people and people who are transgender.
Mr. Obama can express outrage over the five cops who were killed, but what about reparations to Wilson who is not dead?
In fact Darren Wilson was exonerated TWICE.
Mr Obama did not apologize to him as he should have, and Wilson's life has been destroyed.
If only Mr. Obama had said to Wilson, "I am YOUR president just as much as Michael Brown's. and your life and your rights are also important to me."
To be the president of all Americans means the president of ALL Americans, not just black people and people who are transgender.
Mr. Obama can express outrage over the five cops who were killed, but what about reparations to Wilson who is not dead?
10
If you want to see who is responsible for your son's death, I suggest a mirror.
19
I feel so sorry for you. That all you can do is spew hatred towards this woman instead of compassion towards her suffering. Shame on you.
2
Michael Brown was nothing but a hoodlum and thief. I know his mother grieves his death as any mother would about her child. Unfortunately her love blinds her to the reality that her son was a petty criminal who died because of his braggadocio and swagger when the police spotted him just after he had robbed a convenience store.
He caused his own death. I am amazed that Black people can never see that these people they mourn over are often nothing but criminals.
He caused his own death. I am amazed that Black people can never see that these people they mourn over are often nothing but criminals.
27
This was obviously written as flame bait. Black or white if anyone did what Michael Brown did they would also most likely be dead. Rule #1 if you don't want to get shot - don't wrestle a police officer for his gun. Rule #2 if you don't want to get shot - don't charge a police officer. I'm sorry he's dead but really it was actions not the color of his skin.
27
It may sound irrelevant or even be a cliche, but one major cause of all this tragedy and disparity starts from huge difference in EDUCATION.
4
James Blake (former tennis player) is Harvard educated and he was violently assaulted by a NYC police officer. He did not resist arrest. In fact, he smiled and waved before the officer assaulted him. All Mr Blake was doing was standing waiting for his car to take him to Arthur Ash stadium. I believe he was wear chinos and a polo shirt. He had the "right" education, not an "inappropriate Black" name, and country club clothes; and in the middle of the day, he got assaulted for being black! Pretty sure if James Blake was white with similar credentials and education...he would not have been attacked by police officer.
33
All true, but so what? That was an outlier. Most of these situations hardly involve people like Blake.
1
I wish the moderators would explain their NYT Picks. The facts of the shooting of Michael Brown give a different story, based on witness accounts, locations of shell casings, and blood evidence in Officer Wilson's car.
If Brown had succeeded in getting Wilson's gun, what would he have done with it? Did the Picks get picked because they are truthful or because they are NOT truthful? Tell the truth.
If Brown had succeeded in getting Wilson's gun, what would he have done with it? Did the Picks get picked because they are truthful or because they are NOT truthful? Tell the truth.
34
Thank you for such a profound and moving contribution, Ms. McSpadden. You bear an unspeakable burden. Sane people can only weep for your pain. And we must change this awful, insane culture that allows for the horrific murder of Black Americans. Ignore the insane rants of sick people who have been given an outlet in social media. Black Lives Matter!
1
The shooting of Mr. Castile is a needless tragedy, but his death does not compare to Michael Brown's. Brown brought on his own demise by disobeying the law and taunting the police office. Mr. Castile did neither of those of things; he was killed in cold blood. Thank you.
25
Ms. Mcspadden, I am very sorry that you lost your son. As a parent, there is nothing worse then losing your child; no matter the circumstances.
To the NYT’s, you chose to make the killing of Michael Brown the poster child of your narrative of the police killing innocent black men. You did not bother to wait for the facts of the case to come out. Michael Brown was a criminal who chose to get into a confrontation with a police officer. The actions of Michael Brown are what caused his death, not his skin color.
To the NYT’s, you chose to make the killing of Michael Brown the poster child of your narrative of the police killing innocent black men. You did not bother to wait for the facts of the case to come out. Michael Brown was a criminal who chose to get into a confrontation with a police officer. The actions of Michael Brown are what caused his death, not his skin color.
34
Agree. Michael Brown was not an innocent victim. The Dept. of Justice Report, ignored by many/most, makes clear what he did.
If you have not read it, please consider doing so. Brown was an individual, a human being, not a symbol. He made choices, and one of them led to his death and to the ruined career of Darren Wilson who defended himself against Brown's assault.
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
If you have not read it, please consider doing so. Brown was an individual, a human being, not a symbol. He made choices, and one of them led to his death and to the ruined career of Darren Wilson who defended himself against Brown's assault.
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
34
I agree, but I think there is more to this. Darren Wilson fired 4 shots into Brown's arm. He backed him off. In that brief moment Wilson could have hit the gas and gotten away from Brown, then gotten out of the car, pointed his weapon at Brown and controlled the situation. Or, if Brown came at him again, shot at him again. Instead, Wilson stayed put, Brown came at Wilson again, Wilson fired 2 shots into Brown's head and killed him.
The incident is Brown's fault, but I don't hold Wilson entirely innocent or justified. I believe his training told him to stay there, stand his ground and fire at the threat - don't retreat, don't try to calm the situation down, aim and fire at any threat. Wilson had the opportunity to escape. There were 4 shots - then 2 shots. There was a moment between, and that was the moment where one of them could have backed off. Neither did. But Wilson was the professional.
The shooting of Michael Brown was justified. The killing of Michael Brown was not. But this is a complication that will never be closely examined or discussed, because the black community wants Brown to be seen as a victim and the police want to see Wilson as totally justified. What really happened is lost in the shuffle of what both sides want to have happened, but really did not happen.
The incident is Brown's fault, but I don't hold Wilson entirely innocent or justified. I believe his training told him to stay there, stand his ground and fire at the threat - don't retreat, don't try to calm the situation down, aim and fire at any threat. Wilson had the opportunity to escape. There were 4 shots - then 2 shots. There was a moment between, and that was the moment where one of them could have backed off. Neither did. But Wilson was the professional.
The shooting of Michael Brown was justified. The killing of Michael Brown was not. But this is a complication that will never be closely examined or discussed, because the black community wants Brown to be seen as a victim and the police want to see Wilson as totally justified. What really happened is lost in the shuffle of what both sides want to have happened, but really did not happen.
2
You've got several facts wrong. To understand what really happened and where Wilson and Brown were during the last minutes of Brown's life, I recommend the Justice Dept. Report.
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
Amen to that, Gerry!
My heart goes out to you as a mother. I cannot even imagine surviving the loss of my child, let alone in such a hideous way. I have been with you in your grief from the time I heard of Michael's death. I was outraged and disgusted when the grand jury did not indict Wilson.
All these cops who kill should be arrested immediately.
I send you my love, from the deepest places in my heart.
All these cops who kill should be arrested immediately.
I send you my love, from the deepest places in my heart.
5
Yup, two grand juries did not indict. But gee, why let facts get in the way of PCness.
8
"We cannot assume that justice will be done."
Truer words have not been spoken....
Truer words have not been spoken....
4
I am sorry to state the obvious, but the last image the world saw of Michael Brown was of him choking, shoving, and robbing a convenience store clerk who was half his size. There was also evidence that Michael Brown actually reached into the police car to grapple with the officer who shot him.
If I am to judge black people, as Martin Luther King, Jr., hoped, by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin, I don't see anything admirable in young Michael Brown.
I am sorry Michael Brown was shot and killed by a policeman, but from where I stand he was not a role model. No attempt should be made to make him one.
If I am to judge black people, as Martin Luther King, Jr., hoped, by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin, I don't see anything admirable in young Michael Brown.
I am sorry Michael Brown was shot and killed by a policeman, but from where I stand he was not a role model. No attempt should be made to make him one.
48
Not being a role model doesn't give anyone the right to kill you. If being a role model was a requirement to be secure from violence, particularly from the police, there wouldn't be much of anyone, of any color, left.
2
Completely and totally agree. I really don't want to be lectured by this woman who is grief stricken. Easy to find a target to blame, then you do t have to ask yourself hard questions, such as why was my son a bully to a storekeeper did I teach him not to take what wasn't his? Where was his father? Completely turned off by the NYT. This is why people hate so called political correctness. Parents, where Are your children ?
What have YOU instilled them?
What have YOU instilled them?
11
And after the release of the store video-- Just how hard do you think it would have been to ID and track this kid down? They would have found him a few days later at school or somewhere in the neighborhood and could have brought him in
safely. Instead- we had the lone ranger COP 'amped up and ready to use what he learned at the academy, and in the course of events- he's training flies out the window and MB is dead. Yes- MB and the others may have been a "thugs" but "thugs" entitled to due process under our constitution - not street executions.
safely. Instead- we had the lone ranger COP 'amped up and ready to use what he learned at the academy, and in the course of events- he's training flies out the window and MB is dead. Yes- MB and the others may have been a "thugs" but "thugs" entitled to due process under our constitution - not street executions.
2
The Washington Post’s authoritative database shows that so far this year police have killed 238 whites and 123 blacks. So, 238 white mothers and 123 black mothers are grieving. Lesley McSpadden appears to think only the grief of black mothers is worth reporting.
16
The definitive database includes ALL killings, justified, unjustified, and hard to determine. That makes no sense.
1
Michael Brown robbed a store, then charged an officer and tried to take his gun. Can't any one at the NY Times report the truth any more? Pretending that he was an innocent bystander shows how out of touch the current crop of editors at the paper are - GET REAL. NOW. TRUTH MATTERS.
31
Thank You Lezley McSpadden. Your words here will help to educate people. My heart is with you...
3
Waylon Jennings sang: "Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys"
Today the message from Michael Brown's mother should be "Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Gangsters and Hoodlums". That is the root of the problem. It takes a village and yours has failed at the most basic level.
Today the message from Michael Brown's mother should be "Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Gangsters and Hoodlums". That is the root of the problem. It takes a village and yours has failed at the most basic level.
20
Dear Ms. McSpadden,
Thank you for your courage in sharing your vulnerability and pain over the killing of your son. Please know that many people grieve his loss and realize the huge whole you are left with. In writing this commentary you have opened yourself up to comments from hateful people who are so self-righteous, small and in fear of losing their "superiority" that they would debate this issue of loss with you. May God keep you strong and please know that there are millions of Americans who would just wish to hold your hand and be there to help with whatever you need.
Thank you for your courage in sharing your vulnerability and pain over the killing of your son. Please know that many people grieve his loss and realize the huge whole you are left with. In writing this commentary you have opened yourself up to comments from hateful people who are so self-righteous, small and in fear of losing their "superiority" that they would debate this issue of loss with you. May God keep you strong and please know that there are millions of Americans who would just wish to hold your hand and be there to help with whatever you need.
2
My advice for parents and siblings of gun shot/violence victims is to resist the TV cameras and inquiring reporters. I lost a son some time ago - it was in an accident and not a media event - and I learned that my emotions were raw and out of control. Wait a month (or longer) and then carefully craft a statement IF YOU MUST. I guarantee whatever you say then will be wiser and healing.
3
Thank you for speaking out so compassionately and truthfully at a time that must feel like a knife piercing and tearing at your heart. Every one of these horrific killings of innocent Black men and boys by police officers who we know will never be charged for their crimes must bring back the day when your beloved son Michael was executed for being Black. We can never understand the courage it takes for you to come forward time and time again, knowing that so little has changed in two years. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones during these dark days and know that you are making a difference even when true change is slow to come. Michael did not die in vain because you are carrying on his legacy. Bless you.
3
I am really struggling with this Michael Brown thing. What am I missing? Michael attacked an immigrant shop keeper after he stole items from him. He then proceeded to attack a police officer who was just responding to the shop keepers plea for help and therefore doing his job. Yet Michael's death is held up as the reason for the Black Lives Matter movement. I believe there are other better examples of police brutality that should be used for BLM. I know I will be called out as a racist for my comments by liberal readers of the NYT but I have lived and worked in areas of the world where as a white man I was in the minority so please spare me as I have many close diverse friends. Anyway, I still don't get it. Why is Michael Brown still held up as some hero when the facts indicate something different?
35
One does not have to be an innocent angel to simply meet the bare standard of not being executed in the streets, with police acting as front-line judge, jury, and executioner.
3
See what happens to you next time you try to wrest a gun from a police officer.
2
Calling Office Darren Wilson an executioner is dishonest and unjust. Read the Report:
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
2
So much racism from the comments. When Whites wave and wag their fingers are Black communities, how many of you teach your kids not to commit crimes? Are they so innocent and perfect as well? 83% of Whites are killed by other Whites. Gang killings are done by White gangs moreso than Black ones. Don't believe me? FBI.gov.
But you don't want to talk about that. Let's wave our fingers in her face. White children shoot up schools every year and commit crimes, and yet however, it's so much fun to talk about Black people and what we need to do. Work in your own communities to combat the rise of White on White crime before you wag your fingers in our faces. Violence is not Black. It's Red, White, and Blue.
But you don't want to talk about that. Let's wave our fingers in her face. White children shoot up schools every year and commit crimes, and yet however, it's so much fun to talk about Black people and what we need to do. Work in your own communities to combat the rise of White on White crime before you wag your fingers in our faces. Violence is not Black. It's Red, White, and Blue.
11
When 50% of violent crimes are committed by 6% of the population, your statistic that 83% of whites are killed by other whites is meaningless.
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the...
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the...
10
White gangs? Where exactly are they?
2
Ms. McSpadden, please, NEVER stop talking. And, those of us who support you, and all the other parents, will never stop talking, never stop asking questions, never fail to vote, never allow another racists remark or action in our presence. While you fight your painful fight, we promise to TALK the talk, and walk the walk. Thank you. Bless you.
5
How about you raise your son not to be a theif and a mugger and a police assaulter. Let's start there and perhaps your son would be alive. Hands up, don't shoot is a lie. Yet, instead of you being ashamed of what happened, places like the NYT give you editorial space.
BTW, how much was the cash reward for your son's death?
BTW, how much was the cash reward for your son's death?
31
"When their children are killed, mothers are expected to keep the peace and to work for change."
Please! A little less feminist self-righteousness here.
Fathers feel pain, too.
Please! A little less feminist self-righteousness here.
Fathers feel pain, too.
5
Lezley... your son should not be grouped in the same article as these other men. They were clearly law abiding and unfortunately your son was not. He did not deserve to be killed but he was by no means innocent.
15
I can't believe the NYT is still laboring under the fiction that Mike Brown was some sort of gentle giant, a scholar who would never hurt a fly. Even Eric Holder's justice department cleared the cop. Mike Brown's shooting was justifiable in the line of duty and not particularly tragic.
17
Yikes I am surprised the nytimes printed this. Michael Brown's situation was unlike the recent events in Baton Rouge or Minnesota and lumping them together as Ms Mcspadden does is irresponsible and unhelpful to working toward a solution.
24
This op ed is in bad taste. Although tragic, Michael Brown was found to be guilty of committing a crime he was stopped for and assaulting the officer who ended up shooting him. Not a good example, not a good situation but an ending that Michael Brown was fully capable of preventing.
31
Comparing Philando Castile and Michael Brown is ridiculous. Castile was a law-abiding citizen and was complying with the policeman, when he was shot. Michael Brown was killed after he attacked a police officer and robbed a convenience store, while high on drugs. That is indisputable, based on exhaustive investigations by a variety of local and Federal law enforcement and civil rights agencies. If you want people to take this issue serious, stop diluting it with phony examples, like Michael Brown. Giving his mother a podium, like the NY Times editorial page, borders on journalistic irresponsibility.
26
As far as we know now, the men in Baton Rouge and Minnesota were completely innocent.
What is clear is that Michael Brown was not innocent. Just in the hours before he was shot, Michael Brown was a drug user, a thief, and a person who assaulted a store clerk half his size. And forensics showed that he rushed the police officer, showing that the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" statements were complete lies.
To compare your son's death to theirs is insulting.
What is clear is that Michael Brown was not innocent. Just in the hours before he was shot, Michael Brown was a drug user, a thief, and a person who assaulted a store clerk half his size. And forensics showed that he rushed the police officer, showing that the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" statements were complete lies.
To compare your son's death to theirs is insulting.
32
She's not comparing their death's. She's comparing her suffering with the suffering these families will soon go through. She didn't say anything about her son being a saint.
But she has suffered publicly, these family members will also suffer publicly. There will be conclusions made about the victims, and the surviving family members will not get to mourn properly because they will have to defend their loved one in the court of public opinion. And then become political beings for a cause they may or may not want to be a part of. That's what she has had to do in the last two years.
That's what she's talking about.
Have you had to do that? Give up your life and speak about losing your child, again and again and again? Have you had to be an expert Black mother who the media turns to every time a black man or boy has been killed?
I have a feeling the answer is no.
What is truly insulting is that you've dismissed her for simply speaking her truth.
But she has suffered publicly, these family members will also suffer publicly. There will be conclusions made about the victims, and the surviving family members will not get to mourn properly because they will have to defend their loved one in the court of public opinion. And then become political beings for a cause they may or may not want to be a part of. That's what she has had to do in the last two years.
That's what she's talking about.
Have you had to do that? Give up your life and speak about losing your child, again and again and again? Have you had to be an expert Black mother who the media turns to every time a black man or boy has been killed?
I have a feeling the answer is no.
What is truly insulting is that you've dismissed her for simply speaking her truth.
6
No one is forcing her to "give up her life" and speak of her loss again and again. She seems to have made a career of it, much to the detriment of the BLM movement, which needs to focus on true victims, of which there are all too many.
3
" When justice comes to the one who didn’t pull the trigger, that’s when I’ll believe you." Interesting comment, because I saw that only one of the policemen in the Baton Rouge shooting discharged his weapon. We shouldn't leap to conclusions in any shooting.
1
I'm trying to understand why anyone would want to refute this mother's pain? Why anyone who has not lost their child to a shooting...any shooting, would write such nonsense like what I've read here today.
And why does the NYT even have a comment section for this op-ed?
This op-ed was not about Michael Brown. But since some of you want to go there, where in the constitution does it say "We think you did something wrong, now you must die for it." Please point it out for me. Or where it says that any mother should wait in the hot sun for four hours before someone moved her son's dead body off the street, as though her were an animal.
Do you get her pain now?
There are millions of mothers who fight for their children who have died because of drunk drivers. They write op-eds and everyone rallies behind them. No one goes into their children's backgrounds or sullies their names. They rally for the victim.
When the killer wears a blue uniform, the victim is guilty. The killer is suspended with pay.
I will say that I am hopeful, because there are many white people on this comment page that "get it" and see black lives as human lives. And see that there is a problem. What all of you need to do now, is go and let other white folks know, this isn't okay.
Go change some minds.
Because racism and bigotry against black people isn't black folks' problem. It's white folks' problem. You need to solve it.
We're waiting.
And why does the NYT even have a comment section for this op-ed?
This op-ed was not about Michael Brown. But since some of you want to go there, where in the constitution does it say "We think you did something wrong, now you must die for it." Please point it out for me. Or where it says that any mother should wait in the hot sun for four hours before someone moved her son's dead body off the street, as though her were an animal.
Do you get her pain now?
There are millions of mothers who fight for their children who have died because of drunk drivers. They write op-eds and everyone rallies behind them. No one goes into their children's backgrounds or sullies their names. They rally for the victim.
When the killer wears a blue uniform, the victim is guilty. The killer is suspended with pay.
I will say that I am hopeful, because there are many white people on this comment page that "get it" and see black lives as human lives. And see that there is a problem. What all of you need to do now, is go and let other white folks know, this isn't okay.
Go change some minds.
Because racism and bigotry against black people isn't black folks' problem. It's white folks' problem. You need to solve it.
We're waiting.
18
Black Americans are their own worst enemy. If you don't want to be stereotyped, scary and discriminated against then don't be those things. Stop playing the victim card and man-up. Don't listen to Rap, don't dress like a ganster and learn to speak correctly. Stop saying things like "da man is out to get us".
11
Some commenters are saying , "Do what the police tell you - no matter what." Yes, that is how many women get raped by police and men and women get brutalized and murdered by them. Good cops across the land must step up and get the monsters out of their ranks. The leaders of their associations and unions, and elected officials who allow the illegal behavior, is a great place to start.
9
Like Darren Wilson? What exactly did he do wrong? Not let Micheal Brown grab his gun and shoot him with it?
9
Thank you Ms. McSpadden. As with your own son, law enforcement has again made life-or-death choices based on a few seconds of information. Why must it be live or die? Black or white? Good or bad? Why is there no other option for but for police to shoot first? Since it's so widespread, so clearly unrelated to time or place, so endemic, it's not happenstance. It's not occasional. It's not "last resort." It's routine.
It should never be routine for someone to die.
Please continue your activism. Use your powerful voice. I believe you offer to these families in grief comfort that no one else could. Godspeed.
It should never be routine for someone to die.
Please continue your activism. Use your powerful voice. I believe you offer to these families in grief comfort that no one else could. Godspeed.
6
How did Lezley McSpadden become the moral authority on policing in America? Her son, Michael Brown tried to wrestle away a police officer's firearm and he was shot and killed by that officer. As President Obama said, police officers also have a right to go home to their families.
Notwithstanding the Michael Brown case, there is a collective racial injustice to American law enforcement. But police officers are born of our society and they are just a reflection of all of us. When a police officer stops a black man in an expensive car, he is reflecting our bigotry that most black men are criminals and if they have nice possessions, it must have been ill gotten. When every man that even hints of a look of someone from the middle east is stopped at the airport, the airport security is showing us our own (mostly irrational) fear of people different from ourselves and we probably don't understand. What is remarkable is that far from trying to address these taught and embedded racial profiles, the GOP nominee for POTUS is emboldening the use of racial/religious stereotypes. Anything less is considered "political correctness." Far from healing the rifts that separate us, we are tearing open the fissures to lay bare our core divisions in this country. Maybe this is cathartic and needs to happen every so often in such a diverse country. We need to let our hatred and bigotry air so that we can talk about it honestly, and somehow begin to see some common ground.
Notwithstanding the Michael Brown case, there is a collective racial injustice to American law enforcement. But police officers are born of our society and they are just a reflection of all of us. When a police officer stops a black man in an expensive car, he is reflecting our bigotry that most black men are criminals and if they have nice possessions, it must have been ill gotten. When every man that even hints of a look of someone from the middle east is stopped at the airport, the airport security is showing us our own (mostly irrational) fear of people different from ourselves and we probably don't understand. What is remarkable is that far from trying to address these taught and embedded racial profiles, the GOP nominee for POTUS is emboldening the use of racial/religious stereotypes. Anything less is considered "political correctness." Far from healing the rifts that separate us, we are tearing open the fissures to lay bare our core divisions in this country. Maybe this is cathartic and needs to happen every so often in such a diverse country. We need to let our hatred and bigotry air so that we can talk about it honestly, and somehow begin to see some common ground.
6
I guess I don't care about the initiation of the events that led to Brown's death nearly as much as the events at the end of his life. He deserved a trial and likely a conviction for the theft and assaults. To me the issue is why were so many shots (11 or 12) fired. Brown was unarmed and there were other officers in route. A calmer response was warranted. In the end Brown was shot 6 times, and the final shot was the fatal one. What if he had been shot only 5 times, or 4? Knowing that the final shot killed him is hard to take.
9
I resent the comment that Eric Garner was killed for selling cigarettes on the street. There was no evidence that he was selling cigarettes that day regardless whether he sold them on a prior occasion or not. No witness complained of it, no cop saw it (at least not in any report). He was killed because he had a previous history of arrests (good arrests, bad arrests, convictions, it doesn't matter) for selling cigarettes on the street and a police-officer decided that even though there was no evidence ON THAT DAY that Garner was selling cigarettes, Garner should be arrested for it anyway, evidence or not, simply because he was standing on a sidewalk. This is what happens when cops are judged by statistics. They make false arrests and they report rape as groping if one more rape blows some statistical goal that the precinct has.
3
Watching all of these events from afar is so saddening. I think that living outside of the US has given me some perspective I didn't have when I was there. America is such a deeply racist country, with divisions that desperately need healing. What I don't understand is how the New York To is allowing some of the very racist and cruel comments from white readers to be published. These people do not deserve to have their " point of view" shown. Comments that all black men are behaving violently should be deleted upon receipt. The fact that these comments are seen as acceptable even by this newspaper shows how deep the racism runs.
3
What I don't understand is that the New York Times is lending its platforsm to some sanctimonious foreigner whose own country is a complete mess.
4
Michael Brown is not a good example here and not a good example in the Editorial Board's lecture. By choosing him as a victim (after he had robbed a store and grabbed an officer's gun) this paper diminishes the true victims here and I think it is clear that Mr. Sterling and Mr. Castile were victims. And I will say that I am so sorry for the victim's families, because I am. It's another sad day for America, but instead of running with lectures and invective against white people, on this day that five police officers have been killed in Dallas, maybe the NYT, could pull these down and give us something more hopeful.
15
This is coming from the mother of a kid who was murdered after her reached into a cop car for the cop's gun, right? Who was approached by a police officer after he violently robbed a store and decided to try to kill a cop instead of taking responsibility for his crime?
16
Right, I am going to sit here and be lectured by one of the worst parents in America, who raised an out of control criminal whose actions led to his own death, his town being burned down, and national strife.
18
So many of these comments make me incredibly sad - where is the compassion? Where is the understanding? Where is the decency? Where is the desire to do better, to be better?
8
When, if ever, can we work up the courage to say that Michael Brown was not on his knee's with his hands up, begging for his life when shot and killed? When can we admit that the image of a man committing a strong armed robbery of a store was actually Mr. Brown, or that the finger tip and other blood evidence inside the police car was evidence of Mr. Browns struggle for a cops gun within that vehicle? What about witness statement's and ballistic/ forensic evidence indicating a strong possibility of an impending second attack? Local, state and federal probes (including Holders Dept. of Justice) indicated no crime committed by the cop? Instead we hear recycled accusations put forth as 'a given' which only serves to destroy credibility and create yet more division and misunderstanding.
19
Michael Brown's mom does not have the authority to speak about this based on being Michael Brown's mom. Michael Brown attacked a cop - right after he assaulted the store clerk who was trying to stop him from stealing from the store. She is changing the story.
Trayvon Martin's mom has succeeded in doing the same thing, and gullible media and politicians have allowed it. Martin attacked the neighborhood watchman who was following him. Martin should not have been killed, but nonetheless, he attacked her person who shot him. He was not an innocent who was gunned down because he was black. The man who shot him was half Hispanic, and there was no indication of racism.
Cops are to blame for many of these incidents, and the cover ups have been going on for years. They are only exposed now because everybody is carrying around a video camera on their phone and they no longer can lie their way out of it.
Arguments about police injustice need to have at least some integrity. In St. Petersburg Florida recently, 3 young teenage girls with criminal histories stole a car at 3 am and drove it into a swampy pond and drowned. Local activists have blamed and are suing the sheriffs. The sheriffs did not chase the car, the incident occurred at night, the car had darkened windows, and the sheriffs did not know who was driving, what their skin color was, etc. The girls sped into a dark area, took a wrong turn and sank in the pond. The activists blame the sheriffs. And so it goes.
Trayvon Martin's mom has succeeded in doing the same thing, and gullible media and politicians have allowed it. Martin attacked the neighborhood watchman who was following him. Martin should not have been killed, but nonetheless, he attacked her person who shot him. He was not an innocent who was gunned down because he was black. The man who shot him was half Hispanic, and there was no indication of racism.
Cops are to blame for many of these incidents, and the cover ups have been going on for years. They are only exposed now because everybody is carrying around a video camera on their phone and they no longer can lie their way out of it.
Arguments about police injustice need to have at least some integrity. In St. Petersburg Florida recently, 3 young teenage girls with criminal histories stole a car at 3 am and drove it into a swampy pond and drowned. Local activists have blamed and are suing the sheriffs. The sheriffs did not chase the car, the incident occurred at night, the car had darkened windows, and the sheriffs did not know who was driving, what their skin color was, etc. The girls sped into a dark area, took a wrong turn and sank in the pond. The activists blame the sheriffs. And so it goes.
9
Including Michael Brown in this discussion tarnishes the memory of the innocent black victims. Your son was a thug and the policeman who shot him was exonerated. There was physical evidence (Brown's blood on the cop's pants) that Brown was trying to get the officer's gun while the officer was sitting in his car. He also turned around and charged him. He was not an "unarmed" teenager but a huge young man with the build of a linebacker. There are videos online of him tossing the immigrant shopkeeper like a bag of chips and also another video of him beating up an older black man.
17
AH says, "By printing this commentary, the NYT continues to perpetuate the myth that Michael Brown was a victim. He was not, but this may help his family as they pursue damages in a civil law suit." What a heartless comment, AH. I am disgusted there are people who think like you in America or anywhere in the world. Many of us, of every color, do not agree that the police were innocent in the Michael Brown murder no matter what the system says. The life of a child - and justice - mean much more than "money" to most mothers and fathers.
6
Does it mean anything to you that Micheal Brown was reaching in, wrestling the gun from the police officer, the police officer who had a family waiting for him at home?
8
I'd like to see that video, luna? Is there one?
No video of Michael's attack on Office Wilson, but plenty of blood evidence. Read the report. Maybe you'll give up on the myth and settle for reality.
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
3
None of this will change until white voters, made unreasonably afraid of crimes far segregated from our own enclaves, stop voting for politicians who place "getting tough on crime" ahead of humanity and justice.
White voters hold the keys to this problem, but if comments on other articles hold any predictive power, we will fail to acknowledge it.
White voters hold the keys to this problem, but if comments on other articles hold any predictive power, we will fail to acknowledge it.
Michael Brown was the perpetrator, not the victim. He robbed a convenience store and assaulted a police officer. A grand jury and the Department of Justice, headed by a black man who was appointed by a black man, said so. Hillary's campaigning with his mother, Justice Sotomayor's opinion about "parents of color having the talk with their kids after Ferguson", and this editorial perpetuate the eternal victimhood narrative which around the world always causes more violence.
Sometimes African Americans are victims of the police,, sometimes law enforcement acted within its rights-investigations determine which is right. In cases where the police acted inappropriately justice should be done. But Michel Brown's mother is not the vehicle for social change. Unfortunately, the perpetual victimhood mantra always leads to more injustice.
Sometimes African Americans are victims of the police,, sometimes law enforcement acted within its rights-investigations determine which is right. In cases where the police acted inappropriately justice should be done. But Michel Brown's mother is not the vehicle for social change. Unfortunately, the perpetual victimhood mantra always leads to more injustice.
12
STOP THE KILLINGS! I am devastated that the killings of persons of color have begun again, this time two in as many days. In some of the other cases, the police officers had histories of uncontrolled rage; in one case, the past supervisor of the officer had written in his dismissal summary of the officer that the officer did not appear to have the temperament nor self control to perform adequately. However that information was either not reviewed and/or ignored. So the officer, already found to be dangerous, with a personality unsuited for police work was hired anyhow. These tragic errors can be stopped with more citizen oversight. Every locality needs to include community civilian representatives in the review / hiring boards to assure that those unsuited for police work are NOT hired. The board also needs to review performance evaluations and disciplinary actions taken against all officers on a yearly basis. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If it is required, the identities of each officer can be concealed by using an identifying code instead of the name, gender etc of the officer. Such transparency prevent inappropriate employees. In officer training there must be modules where there are simulations of impermissible traffic stops and questioning given each year to all officers to assure that they are able to observe the civil rights of all citizens they encounter for any reason. Congress must pass laws requiring transparency and oversight NOW!
1
The author, a mother, knows the truth because she has been forced to live it. The racism and hate is systemic. Americans simply don't care enough to change. Just compare us to all other industrial nations. All we measure is how our 1% are making us "great." My bank account cannot cure my heartache. There is a holocaust in our midst, perpetuated by elected officials who refuse to lead.
2
We *must not* continue to keep using the name Michael Brown in the same breath as Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The latter list were no threat to police, some children, all shot down in cold blood because of overt of subconscious racism on behalf of the police officer.
Michael Brown is a case that discredits the Black Lives Matter movement. The Department of Justice found Officer Wilson's claim of self-defense to be true, both from witness corroboration and forensic evidence. But the BLM movement didn't want for facts here, they ruined Ofc. Wilson's life for defending his own. Michael Brown was an adult who made the decision to reach into an officer's car and attempt to wrestle a gun from his hands. I don't think he deserved to die, but I think Ofc. Wilson had all authority to use lethal force and most of us would have done the same.
I feel awful for Mr. Brown's mother. I can't imagine what losing a son must feel like, regardless of the circumstances. But we have to recognize that not every shooting of a black man is unjustified. There are more than enough examples of tragedy to spark outrage and reform. Let's not give the opposition reason to discredit our push to achieve meaningful change in how our police and communities interact.
Michael Brown is a case that discredits the Black Lives Matter movement. The Department of Justice found Officer Wilson's claim of self-defense to be true, both from witness corroboration and forensic evidence. But the BLM movement didn't want for facts here, they ruined Ofc. Wilson's life for defending his own. Michael Brown was an adult who made the decision to reach into an officer's car and attempt to wrestle a gun from his hands. I don't think he deserved to die, but I think Ofc. Wilson had all authority to use lethal force and most of us would have done the same.
I feel awful for Mr. Brown's mother. I can't imagine what losing a son must feel like, regardless of the circumstances. But we have to recognize that not every shooting of a black man is unjustified. There are more than enough examples of tragedy to spark outrage and reform. Let's not give the opposition reason to discredit our push to achieve meaningful change in how our police and communities interact.
7
Some dangerous thinking being offered on this page today. Some commentators seem to be insinuating that the police should be empowered to "shoot to kill" any man they're chasing from a robbery scene. I don't ever remember that argument having anything in common with justice.
4
She wrote this? A woman so eloquent should have been better able to persuade a son from developing a life style bent on thuggery. Because, at root, Michael Brown was a thug - no other description better fits. Certainly no one expects that a mother turns on her child; and so, heartfelt as these words are, they are not the truth. They are biased and predictable. They are meant by a skilled author to deflect a collapse in social order in black communitities that is barely contained by authorities on wider America.
Chicago is witnessing the effect of police pullback in soaring murder rate within black communities. Whose to blame when the police are absent? But for the police there would be anarchy or criminal domination by the likes of Michael Browns. Clearly, no contribution for the MB Foundation from me.
Chicago is witnessing the effect of police pullback in soaring murder rate within black communities. Whose to blame when the police are absent? But for the police there would be anarchy or criminal domination by the likes of Michael Browns. Clearly, no contribution for the MB Foundation from me.
10
It is tragic when anyone dies. But it is appalling to see the comments to this heartfelt sincere article attempt to excuse police violence against a member of the community. Police have one job: protect the citizens. It isn't an easy job. If any one of the citizens dies on their watch then they have failed. If one of them is killed by the police themselves then they have failed miserably. It doesn't matter what that citizen was doing, who they were, or even if they were breaking the law. Taking a life represents failure. Until we take responsibility for that and stop making excuses for our failures we cannot succeed.
3
"Police have one job: protect the citizens."
Yes, and their job is Not to die at the hands of thugs.
Yes, and their job is Not to die at the hands of thugs.
3
Two years ago I was so ready to support an unarmed individual of color downed by a hasty and / or racist police officer. Twenty years ago I experienced police officers in DC bragging about getting in "stick time," which is flat out sadistic. I was chastised to find that the individual, Michael Brown, had indeed freshly committed a crime, was armed, and was aggressive when confronted by the officer. This person is not an innocent martyr to rampant police brutality. He is the face of why the police react so badly on so little information as merely "black male". The police have much to answer for, but so do enabling mothers and absent fathers and babies having babies and black males themselves, and so do we with our attitudes about throwaway citizens in a capitalism-on-steroids society.
7
It's up to white people. In America, the truth is we and only we hold the power and the ability to make change. We continuously choose not to change. An abused child is not responsible for coming up with a plan to transform his abusive parents. An abused wife is not responsible for teaching empathy to her abuser. The people who wield the power must consciously decide to change. It is scary, because It means an honest self-assessment, followed by hard work, followed by sacrifice of some of the power we hold to so tightly. It is up to us.
2
I just don't think the hysteria matches the problem.
The last tally of dead for this year that I saw was just over 500 total people of all races (somewhere in the mid-100s for black people). The cops are no angels, trust me, I know that from personal experience. I rarely side with the police. However, 500 people is only 0.00016% of our population. We have bigger things to worry about.
The last tally of dead for this year that I saw was just over 500 total people of all races (somewhere in the mid-100s for black people). The cops are no angels, trust me, I know that from personal experience. I rarely side with the police. However, 500 people is only 0.00016% of our population. We have bigger things to worry about.
4
So it's just a numbers thing for you? What if it was your son or daughter?
2
This article, though poignant emotionally is nothing less than a total abdication of any responsibility on the part of the black community. Black on black crime? Social structure and institutional racism caused that, no choices by the people involved to pursue crime over wages. Officer "walk into the neighborhood and killed people without remorse or punishment." Must be that everyone is racist, not just those two cops, and the system is rigged, not that there are myriad legal complexities when it comes to prosecuting police officers. Very disappointing read
5
I agree with everything Michael Brown's mother is saying. But in addition, I would stress the almost complete lack of accountability that the police enjoy. Although I am not a young black man, I truly believe that any police officer, especially outside of the well managed NYC police department, can shoot me at any time and never face anything worse than paid administrative leave--something that sounds to me a lot like paid vacation. In saying that I do not mean to disparage the good intentions or bravery of police officers in general, who have a very, very hard job under extremely stressful conditions. But clearly there are too many easily enraged or offended officers, and until they face a real possibility of serious punishment they will cause many more mothers to join Ms. McSpadden's grief and helpless anger.
5
Frankly, I can't believe this author would trot out Browns mother to face more pain by the response to this article. My estimation of the author has plummeted as she based the commentary on a false premise. I.e. That Brown was innocent and not complicit in his own death. The damage done to the cause is great if this line of argument persists. The author tried for an emotional appeal, instead if a reasoned argument. Browns mother is being used.
7
The author IS Brown's mother.
2
Uh, Brown's mother IS the author of the article.
2
Uh no, the author is a ghost writer WRITING for Browns mother.
2
I am appalled that commenters have taken this opportunity of this mother's bearing witness to her profound grief and pain from her son's death to litigate its causes, to minimize her right -- no, her oh-so-human need -- to assess blame. There are times to simply listen and absorb, and this is one of those times. Michael Brown's mother saw her son in a pool of blood for hours lying in the middle of the hot pavement as the life she gave him bled away. No mother should have to witness that. Permit her, for mercy's sake, to express the meaning of that horror without telling her how awful her son had been.
7
Riley, you are absolutely correct at least in one sense. If I had to guess, I would guess that Michael Brown's mother is a good woman who did her best to teach her son values and raise him as well as she could in whatever circumstances she was in. But she must recognize the destruction her son caused, the ruining of a good police officer, the "black mark" on the black lives matter movement. We should all sympathize and empathize with this woman, but she should realize that for Tamir Rice and for so many other blacks, her's is not the case which rational people should hear about.
1
I just watched Rep. Sessions, R-Tx, on national TV, current or former Chairman of the Republican Congressional Committee, segue his comments regarding the police shootings in Dallas into a political shot at President Obama for being out of the country while this tragedy occurred, implying that Obama's non-presence in the United States somehow contributed to this violent act. He followed up his comments with stating that we should all rally around Donald Trump and his efforts to make America great again which would somehow reduce the chances of a Dallas like tragedy from occurring again because Trump would add 10,000,000 jobs and increase the GDP. What? Taking advantage of the terrible events in Dallas by blaming Obama and promoting Donald Trump is unconscionable. I simply cannot believe he was not immediately called out by the interviewing media on his heartless and opportunistic act. My sympathies to the family and friends of the Dallas officers and to those of the two black men shot and killed by police in Minnesota and Louisiana.
4
1. I can't help but notice that several commenters and much of the media use the black-white meme as seemingly definitive. Other people don't rate a mention. American First Nations Peoples who have a long history of sometimes harsh contact from US and Canadian police rarely get covered in the Times. Coverage is better in state papers where Native Indians are populous. 2. The killing of those who in no way resisted, and in every way complied with an LEO's orders can never be justified. The horrific shooting in Minnesota is clearly the case in point. Mistreatment of citizens such as Sandra Bland in a traffic stop in TX must stop--- but it won't. Good professional and mature LEOs are to be respected. Thugs who are badge heavy need to be fired. Mostly, it won't happen. 3. Michael Brown wasn't a civil rights martyr. He manhandled a small shopkeeper and stole from the store. He assaulted and then charged at an LEO whose career and reputation were destroyed when he genuinely feared for his life and fired in lawful self defense. Ferguson burned. Strange are the ways of people. The broader issue for us is that collectively we have entered a new era of decline. Hope I am wrong. MHO, the number one civil liberties issue facing us is arbitrary police and corrections officer misconduct which can at times be hidden from public view. The smart phone cameras may be a new best friend for protection of cutizens--- and police.
6
Agree in particular with your #3.
After stealing the cigarillos and shoving the little shopkeeper, Brown went outside. He was home free. He could have gone about his smoking with no problem, BUT, as the video shows, he went back inside and gave the little shopkeeper another shove.
Same thing with Officer Darren Wilson. After assaulting him and trying to take his gun, Brown ran away. He could have kept going, or stopped and surrendered, BUT, as the witnesses explained and as the shell casings show, he turned back and charged at Officer Wilson, who defended himself by shooting Brown.
Since that day, there have been many, including Brown's mother, who want us to believe something else happened. Do the editors agree that we should take part in a charade and pretend Brown was a victim of "police brutality"?
If Lezley McSpadden really wants to help young men, she should tell the truth about her son and his upbringing. Why did he want to die? Were lies he had told about to catch up with him? Was he really enrolled at Vaterrott College? Who was going to pay? Why didn't he have a job? Who was paying his tuition and buying his books? Why was he living with his grandmother? Have you bought a tombstone yet? Where has the money gone that poured in for that purpose? Etc.
After stealing the cigarillos and shoving the little shopkeeper, Brown went outside. He was home free. He could have gone about his smoking with no problem, BUT, as the video shows, he went back inside and gave the little shopkeeper another shove.
Same thing with Officer Darren Wilson. After assaulting him and trying to take his gun, Brown ran away. He could have kept going, or stopped and surrendered, BUT, as the witnesses explained and as the shell casings show, he turned back and charged at Officer Wilson, who defended himself by shooting Brown.
Since that day, there have been many, including Brown's mother, who want us to believe something else happened. Do the editors agree that we should take part in a charade and pretend Brown was a victim of "police brutality"?
If Lezley McSpadden really wants to help young men, she should tell the truth about her son and his upbringing. Why did he want to die? Were lies he had told about to catch up with him? Was he really enrolled at Vaterrott College? Who was going to pay? Why didn't he have a job? Who was paying his tuition and buying his books? Why was he living with his grandmother? Have you bought a tombstone yet? Where has the money gone that poured in for that purpose? Etc.
10
A direct line of responsibility is burned into the pages of every story on interracial death. Barack Obama does not care about racial harmony, working class success, economic freedom, human life here or abroad or fair and equal opportunity. Every drop of blood can be traced to either poor judgement or stupidity or perhaps both. Twisting the discussion of the massive failure of our first "whatever" president does not change the tension and mistrust created from the top.
5
Really, every drop of blood is traced to Obama? Ignorance is what does not solve problems. Ignoring facts is what does not solve problems. Dr. Mysterious is why we cannot solve problems.
5
Our police are not adequately trained in people management or crowd control. Too many cops have anger management issues!!!
Even when white people are stopped for routine traffic violations, many times we encounter a cop with a less than professional attitude.
The loss of life in this country to violence (police & civilian) is unacceptable and should serve as a uniting force between all people. How ironic that so many states allow civilians to carry a legal firearm but do not train their police how to deal with that legal firearm during a routine traffic stop. I guess it is only legal for white people to carry a legal firearm.
Even when white people are stopped for routine traffic violations, many times we encounter a cop with a less than professional attitude.
The loss of life in this country to violence (police & civilian) is unacceptable and should serve as a uniting force between all people. How ironic that so many states allow civilians to carry a legal firearm but do not train their police how to deal with that legal firearm during a routine traffic stop. I guess it is only legal for white people to carry a legal firearm.
25
If, as has been stated frequently over the last day or two, so many police officers are recruited from the ranks of veterans, it is imperative that in-depth psychological testing be done to ensure that police recruits drawn from the ranks of veterans are not bringing untreated PTSD issues with them as they shift from military to civilian work. Untreated previous trauma of any kind must be a reason for elimination from the police force. The hair trigger response that appears to be responsible for these most recent of deaths may have to do somewhat with the intersection of trauma and temperament.
3
Yes, most mothers and fathers of any color would feel the exact way, Ms. McSpadden. Those of us who have not endured murder-by-gun and/or murder-by-police-gun cannot know the grief you must feel. WE must change America and we can do it with our votes for socially conscious women and men. Things will change when one half the power positions in America are held by socially conscious women and bring balance to our systems and laws at all levels. But the real answer is to get guns off the streets of America.
The fact is: Bullet-Riddled Bodies Do Not Lie. GUNS KILL. WE must DEMAND that EVERY gun in America be REGISTERED on a national database, state LICENSED and FULLY INSURED FOR LIABILITY. NOW is the time.
Gun lovers we do not want your guns. We want your guns to stop killing us.
The fact is: Bullet-Riddled Bodies Do Not Lie. GUNS KILL. WE must DEMAND that EVERY gun in America be REGISTERED on a national database, state LICENSED and FULLY INSURED FOR LIABILITY. NOW is the time.
Gun lovers we do not want your guns. We want your guns to stop killing us.
8
Yes you do want our guns. Many of your liberal publications. including Rollin Stone, New Republic, and Salon, have called for confiscating all guns. Soon enough, you'll be doing the same.
2
I'm not a parent. I'm a sister, a daughter, a cousin, a friend, etc. I've worried about my brother's possible encounters with the police because he's autistic. He has Asperger's so he's high functioning but a "good person with a gun" could still decide to shoot him because he doesn't respond the way they think he should. It saddens me beyond words to think of what has happened to men who were doing nothing more than being black while living. It also saddens me to realize that the black men who fought the police and were killed might have felt such a reaction would save them. That speaks to a very high level of fear and it should be unacceptable in this country.
All the things that whites are taught about the police are being shown as false. It may have taken 9/11/2001 to start proving them false but since then the police do not come across as protectors. The ones we hear about or see on the streets often stay in their cars with the windows closed, look at us as if we're already guilty, treat us like nuisances, and do not act as if they're interested in protecting and serving. Blacks have lived with this much longer. If the police want us to trust them, want to be seen as more than a symbol of brutality they need to reacquaint themselves with the communities they serve.
All the things that whites are taught about the police are being shown as false. It may have taken 9/11/2001 to start proving them false but since then the police do not come across as protectors. The ones we hear about or see on the streets often stay in their cars with the windows closed, look at us as if we're already guilty, treat us like nuisances, and do not act as if they're interested in protecting and serving. Blacks have lived with this much longer. If the police want us to trust them, want to be seen as more than a symbol of brutality they need to reacquaint themselves with the communities they serve.
5
This woman has only her son to blame fir his death.
His robbery and assault of convenience store owner necessitated a police stop- a stop at which he tried to kill an officer with his own weapon before charging at him.
There was nothing needing correction in that officer's action at any point in his encounter with Mr. Brown.
His robbery and assault of convenience store owner necessitated a police stop- a stop at which he tried to kill an officer with his own weapon before charging at him.
There was nothing needing correction in that officer's action at any point in his encounter with Mr. Brown.
8
You are wrong. The police did not stop Michael Brown because of the convenience store. Officer Wilson testified he did not know about that when he stopped Michael Brown for walking down the middle of the street.
2
My hope is that a greater respect for police is inculcated in our children from an early age so that the response to police instruction is compliance rather than disobedience.
5
Michael Brown was the big black guy who stole cigars and pushed that tiny store clerk around physically, just because he could. It wasn't a death sentence offense but he wasn't innocent. And I'm sure he thought he could bully the police officer too. No sympathy here.
8
Is this the same mother who assaulted and robbed a couple of t-shirt vendors? Oh wait, she's black so it's okay. And her violent son was black, so that fine too. As long as they're black, any crime is just fine with the New York Times.
10
I find it odd to attempt to compare the Michael Brown case with the tragedies of Mr. Castile and Mr. Sterling. Michael Brown was high, had just committed a strong-arm robbery, and ended up half in the police cruiser wrestling for the officer's gun. All the hype around the case turned out to be false. Sorry, I'm going with the police. The other two men were murdered for doing nothing whatsoever. Tragedies.
5
Agree, and for McSpadden and others to attempt to use Brown as a symbol instead of acknowledging that he was an individual whose death was a result of his aggression is dishonest. Tell the truth, Lezley, in "Michael's honor".
2
Michael Brown manhandled that little Asian grocery clerk. He attacked Darren Wilson and tried to take away his gun. The first is proved by the video. The second is proved b Brown's blood on the inside of the police car.
Do these facts NOT matter?
Of course the punishment for Brown's misbehavior should not be death.
But not to discuss his misbehavior as part of the picture is to do disservice to the truth and ultimately to racial healing.
Do these facts NOT matter?
Of course the punishment for Brown's misbehavior should not be death.
But not to discuss his misbehavior as part of the picture is to do disservice to the truth and ultimately to racial healing.
11
Dear Ms McSpadden:
I am in total agreement with your letter and message. It is unconscionable for anyone to think this epidemic of police killings of young Black men and many other victims every day is justifiable or acceptable or explainable in any way. The whole people of the United States must awaken to the horrible, unimaginable suffering of Black mothers and families and say not one more! How can a mother or father not feel fear for what may happen to their child when they step out? NO, people, Michael Brown did absolutely nothing to deserve to be gunned down, he was the victim of a brutal, racist police, Darren Wilson, who was given months to create his lying version of that day. I was in Ferguson the week after your son was murdered, to march and protest and the week after that, with so many other people. I was so moved by the solidarity of the community for your son. We must keep protesting and demanding justice until we finally achieve it. You have my total solidarity. I thank you for your great courage that I have witnessed these past two years. I deeply sorry for your loss and that of your family. You are a beacon for the other mothers, who, as you say, are part of a group they never asked to be a member of.
I am in total agreement with your letter and message. It is unconscionable for anyone to think this epidemic of police killings of young Black men and many other victims every day is justifiable or acceptable or explainable in any way. The whole people of the United States must awaken to the horrible, unimaginable suffering of Black mothers and families and say not one more! How can a mother or father not feel fear for what may happen to their child when they step out? NO, people, Michael Brown did absolutely nothing to deserve to be gunned down, he was the victim of a brutal, racist police, Darren Wilson, who was given months to create his lying version of that day. I was in Ferguson the week after your son was murdered, to march and protest and the week after that, with so many other people. I was so moved by the solidarity of the community for your son. We must keep protesting and demanding justice until we finally achieve it. You have my total solidarity. I thank you for your great courage that I have witnessed these past two years. I deeply sorry for your loss and that of your family. You are a beacon for the other mothers, who, as you say, are part of a group they never asked to be a member of.
5
Michael Brown was proven to have grabbed the cop's gun through the window and the gun even went off while inside the police car. He then turned away and then charged the officer when ordered to surrender. He was then shot and killed in a completely justifiable use of force. There are other shootings by policemen that are not defensible and they should all be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But Michael Brown should not be held up to be an example of police killings. He was simply a bad person who attacked an officer and could have easily killed that police officer if Mr. Wilson had not been able to keep his gun.
8
Unfortunately Mamma Brown didn't teach her 6-foot-4, 300-pound son not to rob convenience stores, assault convenience store clerks, walk down the middle of busy streets causing motorists to avoid him, assault police officers, and get killed for trying to kill a police officer. When black mothers learn to teach their kids how to conduct themselves in a responsible manner, maybe we won't have so much gratuitous weeping in the media. And another thing, have black mothers teach their children not to kill other black children, as they do in Chicago regular.
9
And White parents should teach their kids the same things, seeing that white on white crime is on the rise, and that so many White kids commit shootings as well. Or have you forgotten about that? Don't you dare wave a finger at our communities! Where are your children now? Do you even know?
3
Sonya, blacks commit murder at 7 times the rate of whites. Oh yes, we WILL point the finger, and more.
3
Michael Brown's mother should keep her mouth shut. Her son was a thug who attacked a store owner and a policeman and who did not raise his hands to surrender to authority. White or black or whatever color must obey the law. We are not going to create a new policing system to accommodate those who think the police are against them or those who aggravate authority. Teach your children to be humble with authority and they will be fine and hopefully they will grow up to become respected adults who respect the law.
Protesters killed policeman in Dallas demonstration. They planned to shoot from strategic locations to kill cops. The shooters will be caught. The intentional irrational killing should lead to a life of incarceration. There is a reason blacks are the major population in prisons. They are the majority because they commit most of the crimes. Case closed. Hard cold facts. Black people and all people need to teach their children to obey the law and you will be rewarded in American society.
Protesters killed policeman in Dallas demonstration. They planned to shoot from strategic locations to kill cops. The shooters will be caught. The intentional irrational killing should lead to a life of incarceration. There is a reason blacks are the major population in prisons. They are the majority because they commit most of the crimes. Case closed. Hard cold facts. Black people and all people need to teach their children to obey the law and you will be rewarded in American society.
8
Who are you to tell someone to keep their mouths shut? You felt the need to write what you wanted to say. Why shouldn't she? This is ridiculous.
3
Not sure Michael Brown's mother is the right person to be speaking for the families of innocent young men shot by police, considering the facts of his case.
19
While I can't imagine what Ms. McSpadden's grief must be like to endure, the sad fact is that it can't change the reality that her 6 ft 4 inch "baby" committed a robbery, then assaulted a police officer who was determined by both the local DA AND the Justice Dept. to have responded reasonably to Brown's assault, which could have been fatal as a result of his trying to grab the cop's gun.
11
I pray for Lezley McSpadden. And Samaria Rice. And Mr. Sterling's family and Mr. Castile's family. And the families of the five police officers killed in Dallas and the police officers fighting for their lives after being wounded.
Please, God, give me the wisdom and strength to do more than pray. Please, God, give me the wisdom and strength to find a way to make a difference. Please, God, help me to find a way to make this country one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.
Please, God, give me the wisdom and strength to do more than pray. Please, God, give me the wisdom and strength to find a way to make a difference. Please, God, help me to find a way to make this country one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.
2
My heart goes out to a mother who has lost her son. Her grief must be unimaginable. However, she clearly believes what she needs to believe, because the facts do not indicate that Michael Brown actually was the victim of unmotivated police brutality. He attacked Officer Darren Wilson in his police car, who then acted in self-defense. That is why both a local and a federal investigation reached the conclusion that there was no case against Officer Wilson. Had Michael Brown been white, the outcome would have been the same. As a newspaper of record, the New York Times has the responsibility to report objectively. By treating Michael Brown as an innocent victim in the face of the evidence, the Times creates disbelief in the reader and weakens the argument against police brutality in other cases. It also tarnishes the reputation of a police officer who apparently behaved appropriately.
58
The police are out of control killing both whites and blacks. Something needs to change. The killing of black people is a metaphor for the racism that has been used against African Americans since the founding of our country.
8
Nothing changes? Two Black people were killed, and every single article in every single newspaper, even Fox News, is carrying the story. Millions and millions of people are waking up and demanding police reform.
Do you think 50 or even 20 years ago any of this response would have happened? The answer is no. People do care, and people are changing things. There are almost 400 million people in America, it's going to take time to change everything. We are on our way though, so don't say nothing changes. There is hope, and there is action.
Do you think 50 or even 20 years ago any of this response would have happened? The answer is no. People do care, and people are changing things. There are almost 400 million people in America, it's going to take time to change everything. We are on our way though, so don't say nothing changes. There is hope, and there is action.
12
Stop with the Michael Brown comparisons. It's completely out of line and unequal. He caused his own death with stupidity. That said, there is police brutality and killing that is completely out of line and must be protested and dealt with. To bring Browns aggressive actions in and hang on to his death as if he were an innocent bystander, as these other deaths are. Is to marr and defeat the argument in the first place. Brown acted like a thug and an aggressive idiot. Wake up and reframe your argument. You are hurting the cause!
68
Your hateful language proves the point that it's simply wrong for a stranger to judge a person based on a few seconds of video. You don't know who Michael Brown was. And his actions did not warrant his death.
2
My thought after reading Ms. McSpadden's searing commentary is that the only way that change in this country regarding the ingrained, institutionalized racism that we refuse to come to terms with, as exemplified by so many of the pathetic comments here, is that she, Tamir Rice's mother, the mother of Trayvon Martin and all the other mothers, fathers, siblings, children and friends of the men and boys being struck down repeatedly need to run for public office, starting at the community level, working toward state and federal office. The institutionalized racism that has infected the police forces around this county since their inception won't change until there is systematic change in the public face of authority in this country on all levels. The redlining of communities via the segregation of living spaces, working spaces and our pre- through high schools, etc., will continue as Republicans work themselves to the bone to make sure that all people of color remain second class citizens, unable to vote, work, drive... Jim Crow policies are alive and well in every American city. I hope that Ms. McSpadden's strength and passion will affect change on so many levels, most importantly laws.
12
I can't believe there wasn't a video of Michael Browns's interaction with the police. He clearly robbed the store and threatened the owner. Let's not compare this to the events of the last few days where the cops seemed to commit unjustified homicide. That said I see a serious policing problem. When did it become okay to assault (or kill) someone and ask questions later? Recall the assault of tennis player James Blake? That cop should've been fired immediately! I recall when a cop knocked down a bicycle rider during a demonstration for greater bike safety in NYC. The action was caught on video and the cop was fired.
40
Your racist comments and lack of empathy sicken me. Racism in the US is pathological. I am glad I am not from here
2
You bet there were videos. But all those have been 'disappeared.' Why show a counter-factual to a story that allows hate-mongers (eg Rev Al "Tawanna" Sharpton) to have more air time than the President? Where is the rage about Chicago? 11 deaths of young Black men since July 1. (https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016-chicago-murders) No outrage? That is Outrageous. That is hypocrisy!
Really, Achilles? Must you take the profound witness of a mother's grief to litigate the details of her son's death? How heartless and cruel to do so.
1
Lezley, thank you so much for your courage in sharing this beautiful and wrenching piece. I am so deeply sorry for the loss of your son Michael, and for the fact that now, 2 years later, you must watch as young black men continue to be murdered by the police, with no justice for those killed, and no consequences for their killers. I cannot imagine how torturous that must be. I also apologize for the commenters here who are claiming that your son deserved his death; he did not. I cannot imagine what it's like having to read those comments, and I wish I could erase them. Mostly, I want to say that I am thinking of you and your son. White people, myself included, are failing our fellow Americans of color, and for my part at least, I promise to do better.
23
Brown was seen on tape assaulting a store owner and tried to take a police officer's gun. If he hadn't committed these acts, he would probably be alive today. Why is this aspect never discussed?
7
Have you read the Justice Department's Report on the shooting of Michael Brown, or are you relying on what you imagine happened?
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
3
Not all police-involved shootings are the same. There are clear-cut cases where police officers shoot unarmed civilians (i.e. Walter Scott), but the water gets muddier where the victims are armed or appear , resist arrest, or otherwise act unpredictably. The way that Michael Brown has ended up as a poster child for activists is really disappointing and I think, hurts their cause. If you assault a police officer, the outcomes are less likely to be good. That alone seems like a foregone conclusion. In a situation where firearms are potentially involved, I can understand police officers' instincts for self-preservation.
Does this mean that we don't need to address police brutality/violence, institutional racism, and create more accountability in the system, like independent prosecutors who investigate police-involved shootings? No, absolutely not. But it does not mean every single police shooting that involves a minority is unjustified. Each case should be considered on its merits.
Does this mean that we don't need to address police brutality/violence, institutional racism, and create more accountability in the system, like independent prosecutors who investigate police-involved shootings? No, absolutely not. But it does not mean every single police shooting that involves a minority is unjustified. Each case should be considered on its merits.
60
Michael Brown was unarmed and had no weapon. The police have other means to stop an angry person than to shoot to kill.
2
You still don't get it.
True, there are other "options" available to police, but Brown struck the officer multiple times and grabbed for his gun. There has to be a line, and I'm pretty sure Michael Brown crossed it. To put this on par with other shootings of unarmed civilians is a bit silly, and frankly, peoples' attempts to defend Brown are a bit off-putting.
I understand Ferguson may have been the proverbial straw but it doesn't mean that every shooting is unjustified. There are multiple examples since Ferguson where black civilians leveled guns at law enforcement and were shot dead. The blanket criticism that law enforcement gets, I think, is a bit undeserved.
I understand Ferguson may have been the proverbial straw but it doesn't mean that every shooting is unjustified. There are multiple examples since Ferguson where black civilians leveled guns at law enforcement and were shot dead. The blanket criticism that law enforcement gets, I think, is a bit undeserved.
1
Thanks to Ms. McSpadden for this powerful piece. I can't imagine the horror of knowing that your child is at risk from law enforcement because he is black, nor the ultimate horror of hearing that your son has been gunned down.
No words of condolence are enough. What matters is change. While we haven't yet seen sufficient change, we have seen some positive developments. Body and dashboard cams are being deployed widely. Citizens are capturing encounters with the police on their cellphones. There is widespread recognition and outrage that black men are being targeted and killed by the police because of their race, not their actions. While these changes are not sufficient, they do represent slow progress.
Ms. McSpadden's editorial is important as a call for the radical change that is needed. Thank you.
No words of condolence are enough. What matters is change. While we haven't yet seen sufficient change, we have seen some positive developments. Body and dashboard cams are being deployed widely. Citizens are capturing encounters with the police on their cellphones. There is widespread recognition and outrage that black men are being targeted and killed by the police because of their race, not their actions. While these changes are not sufficient, they do represent slow progress.
Ms. McSpadden's editorial is important as a call for the radical change that is needed. Thank you.
8
This comment is totally false and ridiculous. Michael Brown robbed a store assaulted the clerk, then when confronted by the police officer tried to grab the officers's service weapon and the gun went off in the car. The gun shot the suspect in the hand or arm and the round went into the roof of the police car. Those are the facts that were proven beyond any doubt. Michael Brown then briefly fled and according to black witnesses then charged at the officer who then shot and killed him. Completely justified shooting. Case closed. End of discussion.
This mother raised a violent criminal who was killed by a police officer fighting for his life. Several of the other shootings especially that of Walter Scott in South Carolina are not justifiable and that officer is facing murder charges. When these videos are put out now things happen like the mass shooting of innocent police in Dallas. We still don't know what happened exactly in these two recent shootings. They look to be of concern but we still cannot really see what happened on the ground behind the car and officers. The second shooting in Minnesota was not on a video and sounds very suspicious but these incidents have now triggered violent killings of completely innocent police officers in Dallas.
This mother raised a violent criminal who was killed by a police officer fighting for his life. Several of the other shootings especially that of Walter Scott in South Carolina are not justifiable and that officer is facing murder charges. When these videos are put out now things happen like the mass shooting of innocent police in Dallas. We still don't know what happened exactly in these two recent shootings. They look to be of concern but we still cannot really see what happened on the ground behind the car and officers. The second shooting in Minnesota was not on a video and sounds very suspicious but these incidents have now triggered violent killings of completely innocent police officers in Dallas.
3
So eloquent and so very, very sad.
21
Toni Morrison profoundly explored what it means to be a black women. My mother's favorite T.M. quote:
"Agression is not as new to the black women as it is to white women. Black women seem able to combine the nest and the adventure. They do not see conflicts in certain areas as do white women. They are both the safe harbor and the ship; they are both the inn and the trail.
We black women, do both."
God give you the strength to not be engulfed in your grief.
"Agression is not as new to the black women as it is to white women. Black women seem able to combine the nest and the adventure. They do not see conflicts in certain areas as do white women. They are both the safe harbor and the ship; they are both the inn and the trail.
We black women, do both."
God give you the strength to not be engulfed in your grief.
15
"Agression is not as new to the black women as it is to white women. Black women seem able to combine the nest and the adventure. They do not see conflicts in certain areas as do white women. They are both the safe harbor and the ship; they are both the inn and the trail.
We black women, do both."
True! Today black women are aggressive, as are white women.
So get off the feminist pedestal. Men feel the pain, too.
We black women, do both."
True! Today black women are aggressive, as are white women.
So get off the feminist pedestal. Men feel the pain, too.
a nice, suffict, racist generalization by Morrison. You like that?
That's right nothing changes. With Republicans having a strangle hold on Congress for many years now, it is impossible for the country to make social progress. We've got gorillas on the police force. We've got 200 million guns in private hands. We've got police assassinating citizens. We've got citizens cutting down citizens with myriad of guns. And there's no gun control
The Republican Party needs to be vanquished in November, not just Trump, but the whole Republican House and Senate need to be washed away in the deluge of the vote, so that America can live.
The Republican Party needs to be vanquished in November, not just Trump, but the whole Republican House and Senate need to be washed away in the deluge of the vote, so that America can live.
42
The republicans have had control for 2 years, the democrats for the previous seven. Your argument holds no water. There is always a huge outcry when a white cop kills a black person. Two black men were killed this week by police, and that is terrible. However, dozens of blacks are shot and killed by other blacks in South Chicago each month and there no outcry from the press or the people. Why is that?
Democrats have done next to nothing to help blacks, except for maybe enslaving generations of them on the welfare plantation. The worst cities in the country are run by Democrats.
2
as usual the Democrats and progressive seem to be against democracy you can not change policies if you can not get elected. All degrading language of the public and accusing them of racism has had just opposite results that you want.
the more democrats and republican yell racism the more the public vote against you. the general public are not generally racist.
the reason poor and lower class are stopped for minor traffic violations is simple there cars are generally in less road worthy condition.
the more democrats and republican yell racism the more the public vote against you. the general public are not generally racist.
the reason poor and lower class are stopped for minor traffic violations is simple there cars are generally in less road worthy condition.
1
Beautifully written, sad commentary on where we are as a nation. People, enough! This has to stop. It's time the politicians stopped ducking the issue and tackled the systemic problem with the way police are trained and allowed to conduct themselves - particularly when they engage with minorities. It's just not right.
17
A couple of men entered a store whose owner had been in the news a couple of times for shooting it out with people armed with guns seeking to rob him. One of the would be robbers was shot to death. This man's mother was outraged that the store owner was not prosecuted for murder. This is not a surprise. Parents routinely accuse teachers of mistreating their kids and denying that their kids failed to do what they were expected, as a matter of course. People cannot be blamed for reacting with deep grief for the harm done to people that they love and for feeling that what happened was not right and was unjust and even malevolently intended. When the harm results in death, the loss will never be relieved, regardless of the circumstances of any particular case. Nobody has the ability to affect how people feel about such things nor the right to try.
But the rest of us are obliged to consider what is fair for all of the members of society. To do this requires accepting that all people do have the right to live and to protect their lives. Furthermore, sometimes people can behave in ways that threaten others or would seem to a reasonable person to be threatening others, which requires immediate reactions to stop. In some of these cases, that was the situation, in others it was not, but this could not be determined until all the available facts could be considered well.
But the rest of us are obliged to consider what is fair for all of the members of society. To do this requires accepting that all people do have the right to live and to protect their lives. Furthermore, sometimes people can behave in ways that threaten others or would seem to a reasonable person to be threatening others, which requires immediate reactions to stop. In some of these cases, that was the situation, in others it was not, but this could not be determined until all the available facts could be considered well.
34
6 Dallas police officers are dead and neither of these recent incidents took place their. Has the media finally achieved their goal of an all out race war? Why do they avoid headline reporting of the dozens killed in South Chicago each month. Because it is black on black? Because it has to do with the drug gangs that are getting their product through our southern border. I wonder!
2
Ms. McSpadden, as I read through your essay, I mentally prepared a long and fiery companion piece to yours. Then, I thought, "why the anger? It won't bring back her son."
These twin murders in two days have robbed me of more than my citizenship in a country that never valued it. People call on Jesus at times like this; we're reduced to "where is He when He's needed"? He didn't stop the bullets that took your Michael from you. Or Tamir Rice from his mother and sister. Or Alton Sterling from his devastated son. Or Philando Castile from the love of his life and his dear one's child. So what's left? A broken heart is the curse that comes with black citizenship in America.
Your heart is not the only one emptied of tears, replaced by a forever grief that many Americans only see from afar but never experience themselves. All I can offer you is the beginning of Psalm 51: "Have mercy upon me, oh God, according to thy loving-kindness." And may God bless you.
These twin murders in two days have robbed me of more than my citizenship in a country that never valued it. People call on Jesus at times like this; we're reduced to "where is He when He's needed"? He didn't stop the bullets that took your Michael from you. Or Tamir Rice from his mother and sister. Or Alton Sterling from his devastated son. Or Philando Castile from the love of his life and his dear one's child. So what's left? A broken heart is the curse that comes with black citizenship in America.
Your heart is not the only one emptied of tears, replaced by a forever grief that many Americans only see from afar but never experience themselves. All I can offer you is the beginning of Psalm 51: "Have mercy upon me, oh God, according to thy loving-kindness." And may God bless you.
7
Tears flow from me, Lezley....your suffering is not in vain.
Dolly
Romans 8:26-27..."the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words...."
Dolly
Romans 8:26-27..."the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words...."
2
May you, and all of those in your tragic circumstance, Ms. McSpadden, find peace. And may you use your pulpit to educate young men, white and black, to obey the law and refrain from resisting lawful authority. The precursor of all of these tragedies is resisting authority. When will young men learn?
10
CFBoyle
You need to research before making sweeping statements of blame. Mr. Castile was reaching for his wallet to retrieve his license, how was that "resisting authority"? George Zimmerman wasn't an "authority" on anything but racism, yet he got away with the murder of Trayvon Martin.
You need to research before making sweeping statements of blame. Mr. Castile was reaching for his wallet to retrieve his license, how was that "resisting authority"? George Zimmerman wasn't an "authority" on anything but racism, yet he got away with the murder of Trayvon Martin.
2
This is ridiculous. Michael Brown robbed a store, bullied the owner, left and was confronted by police as fitting the description, stolen articles in hand. He proceeded to attack the officer through the window of the police vehicle, and during the struggle was shot in the hand. He then took off, a man of 290 pounds, and as his duty the police officer pursued and when charged by Mr. Brown, he shot. The shooting was brought on entirely by the deceased. End of story. When a 290 pound man breaks the law, attacks a police officer, this may well be the justified outcome. Cut us all a break and stop pushing this nonsense on reader. He was no baby, he was the size of an NFL linebacker.
122
What does size have to do with his murder? He was still an adolescent. And, as far as this woman's parenting skills, she could have been an exemplary parent to her son. Children do go astray regardless of what parenting was condone onto them. I think you just saw a large, black boy and already is was guilty. If he had been white, I don't think you would have seen him as guilty as charged.
1
There are NO NFL linebackers who weigh as much as Michael Brown did (he weighs less now, rotting in his grave). He was the size of an NFL LINEMAN.
1
Apples to oranges, Ms. McSpadden. Your son was not innocent. He was high, robbed a store, roughed up a clerk, and then climbed into the police car and assaulted a police officer. He was advancing on the police officer when he was shot.
Michael was not Freddie Gray. He was not Alton Sterling. He was not Philado Castile. Trying to group him with those tragedies is absurd.
What about justice for the community that was burned to the ground in Michael's name? Any justice for those innocent people?
Michael was not Freddie Gray. He was not Alton Sterling. He was not Philado Castile. Trying to group him with those tragedies is absurd.
What about justice for the community that was burned to the ground in Michael's name? Any justice for those innocent people?
132
Point well-received. Yet, it is also "apples to oranges" to compare violence meted out by the state to criminal acts (or violence) by disparate civilians.
..."Community burned to the ground?" I think you're being hyperbolic here. And, sadly, the "community" being mostly their own.
And about "justice?" I'm sure the insurance replinished the structures rather nicely--better than they would've ever been in the first place.
..."Community burned to the ground?" I think you're being hyperbolic here. And, sadly, the "community" being mostly their own.
And about "justice?" I'm sure the insurance replinished the structures rather nicely--better than they would've ever been in the first place.
As a mother, I cannot understand how anyone could read this without crying. This recent history of black people being killed by the police is just horrible beyond words. As my son said, watching the video of the Erik Garner killing on Staten Island is like watching a snuff film. And those cops suffered no punishment? I'm so glad you wrote this, and yet I don't see any change in attitude in the U.S. even after all this. I tell myself it's good that white people are also marching against these horrible events, but it doesn't seem to make any difference.
6
More black men are killed by other black men than are killed by the police. Perhaps when this is thoroughly addressed, things will change.
1
Comments from American white readers already posted here prove this mother's view that many white people believe these black men deserved to die. Their utter lack of respect or empathy for a grieving parent sickens me. The refusal to acknowledge blatant violent repression of black people, even when live streamed for all the world to witness, is astounding. I grew up in the racist white suburbs of Chicago but I thought American society had evolved since I left many years ago.
84
Mike Brown comes as close to "deserving to for" as one can get. Once he attacked the cop there was no reason for him not to die.
2
Do you have an app that gives you the ethnicity of commenters? Care to share it?
4
Did you not wonder why the girlfriend was more intent on streaming her video than trying to help her injured boyfriend? C'mon let's be real here.
2
Not to minimize the tragic loss of another important black life, I want to offer a solution. Acceptance of people from divergent cultures is something that is learned within the family. Religious groups are typically the most culturally intolerant and racist. The most tolerant people are those who have shared positive experiences in mixed cultures. My suggestion is to implement a federal program for middle school students to work as public servants in divergent cultures as paid interns so that whatever career they may later choose, perhaps law enforcement, perhaps selling single cigarettes on the street, perhaps in astrophysics, they will have obtained knowledge of the people they may encounter as we live out our divergent, unique lives.
5
Honestly, this fine essay does not need an association with Michael brown, who was not an innocent victim. He was a criminal who battered a shopkeeper and then assaulted a police officer before being shot.
77
Most of these deaths, including Michael Brown's was the result of resisting arrests. Michael Brown actually reached into the police vehicle and tried to take the gun of the police officer from his holster, while sitting in the police vehicle. The gun went off. Michael Brown then left the vehicle and turned around and did a full scale frontal charge toward the officer when the officer fired. Any rational officer, black, white or green would have shot for self protection....."literally." Each case is different, but the pattern seems to be resisting arrest with many cases. That does not excuse police abuse, but it does give reasons for the results in many cases.
52
"When their children are killed, mothers are expected to say something. To help keep the peace. To help make change. "
I didn't know that.
I don't "expect' anything from the mothers, or fathers, of killed children. Except that they should deal with their grief as best they can and go on with their lives.
Your son roughed up a store proprietor half his size, took what he wanted and
left.
Did he "deserve ' to die? Of course not. Is he the poster boy for cop on black violence? Of course not.
Good luck to you.
I didn't know that.
I don't "expect' anything from the mothers, or fathers, of killed children. Except that they should deal with their grief as best they can and go on with their lives.
Your son roughed up a store proprietor half his size, took what he wanted and
left.
Did he "deserve ' to die? Of course not. Is he the poster boy for cop on black violence? Of course not.
Good luck to you.
39
Lumping all these incident's together is just not right. Do I think there is something here and the police are out of control in many cases, yes. But it's so ironic and wrong the Michael Brown shooting is the lynch pin so many writers & activists use. Michael Brown should not be dead. But sometimes a spark starts a fire. He went into a store, manhandled (assaulted) the clerk, stole cigars. He was high on pot which can magnify and make paranoid every situation. When the officer in his car rolled up to him he most likely was afraid he would be arrested for stealing. He reacted badly & stupidly by attacking the officer. Many witnesses (black & white) testified to this. There was never any Don't Shoot Hands Up, that's a farce. The real atrocity was the fact Mr Brown was left lying in the street for so long. Ms McSpadden misses her son as any mother would. But it has really nothing to do with what happened to Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray ..
There is racism, there is mistrust, there's an uncaring and so so attitude from the authorities, I think that will always be here to one extent or another. But for me the biggest problem are police officers who just aren't very smart. They don't know how too or are unable to react to these situations. They can't go through the options fast enough. Plus the fact in most communities they are armed to the teeth & look like invading soldiers. They have a militaristic mentality, but so does our whole society. That affects us all.
There is racism, there is mistrust, there's an uncaring and so so attitude from the authorities, I think that will always be here to one extent or another. But for me the biggest problem are police officers who just aren't very smart. They don't know how too or are unable to react to these situations. They can't go through the options fast enough. Plus the fact in most communities they are armed to the teeth & look like invading soldiers. They have a militaristic mentality, but so does our whole society. That affects us all.
25
This mother is 100% correct about the demonization of black victims of police violence. Just reading these mean spirited comments underscores her belief and my perception that there will never be any justice! Although there are many good police officers, I have yet to hear any of them calling for reform of their methods and why should they. When Police officers kill someone they are automatically given a paid leave of absence and top cover with the best lawyers and support from the majority community writ large...regardless of the facts. After a few months of paid leave or vacation, they are exonerated and the black victim is demonized and blamed for his or her on death. There is no reason to embrace police reform when you are rewarded for murder with a paid vacation and then exonerated and called a hero. Presumption of innocence before guilt should go both ways but the reality is it does not. I have lost confidence in our Police force because they will not implement much needed changes and reform to protect and serve the public rather than suspect and kill the public.
45
Totally agree. That people can't even pause to reflect on her words is really disheartening. This is a woman who had gone through so much pain and is trying to communicate her experience. She deserves so much more from all of us. Can't people stop and try to understand the fear that many of our fellow citizens rightfully feel in each and every interaction with the police that are supposed to protect all of us?
Justice was done in the Michael Brown case. Officer Darren Wilson is a free man.
2
The problem is that White America still hasn't awakened to the reality of this problem. White people hold the reins of power in every meaningful way in this country, and until this happens in white communities with the regularity of black communities many white people don't relate.
White collective ignorance and naiveté comprise possibly the most deadly form of racism, because it's apparent that years of black voices rising in opposition to our police state aren't sufficient to address this problem. Whether we like it or not, substantive, lasting change will not happen until white people recognize the problem.
It has been 17 years since Amadou Diallo was shot at 41 times by four NYPD officers when he reached for his wallet. Seventeen years and NOTHING has changed! The only difference now is that we're seeing these executions on video (some of the time).
The question becomes, how many more people must die before we come to understand that police officers in this country are trained to shoot first and ask questions later. Yes, that is how they're trained. They aren't trained to ascertain whether they actually see a gun. Simply believing a gun MAY exist is sufficient justification to shoot numerous times into the torso. Even a subject armed with a knife standing 15 feet away will be shot numerous times, which clearly isn't necessary. Fearful, poorly trained officers keep frantically shooting until they're confident the "boogeyman" is dead.
Time for change, America!
Now!
White collective ignorance and naiveté comprise possibly the most deadly form of racism, because it's apparent that years of black voices rising in opposition to our police state aren't sufficient to address this problem. Whether we like it or not, substantive, lasting change will not happen until white people recognize the problem.
It has been 17 years since Amadou Diallo was shot at 41 times by four NYPD officers when he reached for his wallet. Seventeen years and NOTHING has changed! The only difference now is that we're seeing these executions on video (some of the time).
The question becomes, how many more people must die before we come to understand that police officers in this country are trained to shoot first and ask questions later. Yes, that is how they're trained. They aren't trained to ascertain whether they actually see a gun. Simply believing a gun MAY exist is sufficient justification to shoot numerous times into the torso. Even a subject armed with a knife standing 15 feet away will be shot numerous times, which clearly isn't necessary. Fearful, poorly trained officers keep frantically shooting until they're confident the "boogeyman" is dead.
Time for change, America!
Now!
55
I am addressing your statement that "White people hold the reins of power in every meaningful way in this country." You just disrespected so many of our highest government officials, including our President, our Secretary of Education, our Attorney General, and many others who hold high offices including Governor, Supreme Court member, member of Congress, and Mayor. You disrespected business leaders and School Superintendents. You disrespected General Colin Powell and the multitude of other military leaders. You disrespected Court Judges and yes, many Police Chiefs. All of these people are aware of the problem under discussion and all of these people have influence. Investigate their thoughts and solutions. They do hold power.
12
Yes, I believe you're right. We have far too many police officers whose claim of fear is enough to warrant a deadly reaction. I do wonder about the caliber of the recruits. I'm very troubled by the response to this essay, people are behaving as though the shooting of Michael Brown was justified by his immature and reckless behavior. Police are given ultimate authority and because of this they must be the adults on the scene. It appears they are consistently unable to do this, so the sentence for aberrant behavior is often death.
1
Yes, we have a black president, black senators, and so forth. But the vast majority of the people holding the reins are still white. I'm white and I can see that, so why can't you?
3
I'm so sorry for Lesley McSpadden's loss. I'm a mother too and I also live in St. Louis. I know this terrible event devastated her family but it also devastated our city. The consequences continue to ripple.
When I read the horrible accounts of yesterday in Baton Rouge and Minneapolis I was, and am, devastated. By all accounts these men were victims. It sickens me.
But there is a point when you have to accept the facts. Michael Brown was not innocent. He had a record. He had just robbed a market and bullied the much smaller, and much older, owner. All the evidence, and the testimony of witnesses testifying to the Grand Jury, corroborate the police officer's account.....Michael Brown was attacking the officer and the officer shot in self defense.
This information is widely known and accepted.
By printing this commentary, the NYT continues to perpetuate the myth that Michael Brown was a victim. He was not, but this may help his family as they pursue damages in a civil law suit.
When I read the horrible accounts of yesterday in Baton Rouge and Minneapolis I was, and am, devastated. By all accounts these men were victims. It sickens me.
But there is a point when you have to accept the facts. Michael Brown was not innocent. He had a record. He had just robbed a market and bullied the much smaller, and much older, owner. All the evidence, and the testimony of witnesses testifying to the Grand Jury, corroborate the police officer's account.....Michael Brown was attacking the officer and the officer shot in self defense.
This information is widely known and accepted.
By printing this commentary, the NYT continues to perpetuate the myth that Michael Brown was a victim. He was not, but this may help his family as they pursue damages in a civil law suit.
71
The police should not be permitted to carry guns. They should be armed only with nightsticks the way they are in England. If that gives an edge to criminals, they should pay the ultimate penalty for murder, especially of a policeman. That might increase the incidence of crime, but it would be a relatively small price for reassuring our black and brown fellow citizens, who are victims of both criminals and the police.
If this doesn't happen, our country will be torn apart by riots and insurrection.
If this doesn't happen, our country will be torn apart by riots and insurrection.
2
Are you serious? You realize that it is us black and brown citizens who will be the victims of these crimes, right? That we will be robbed, assaulted, and brutalized so you can feel less white guilt? No one will want to be a police officer, and those who do serve will refuse to go into many neighborhoods and communities, leaving us without any protection at all. The bizarre collective self-flagellation of white regressive liberals over this issue is shocking.
4
Perhaps before you make a statement of this nature you should ride along with some police officers in more violent sections of our cities and do some unarmed confrontation! The felons will always have guns, you cannot stop them, and they will use them. They will use them on you should you choose to volunteer to perform this suicidal stunt.
4
I wrote my comment before the events in Dallas. My prediction, alas, is being borne out as we converse.
Lezley, I hope you will permit me to address what you so movingly represent in this commentary, and that is the grief and pain of such terrible loss. I, too, lost a beloved step-daughter: in her case, it was to illness, rather than the horror of losing a child to police bullets, but the grief and loss is real, and it must be acknowledged. What I have learned, and what you so poignantly imply, is that even with the passage of time, such grief does not ever truly leave us, although it may ebb in raw intensity. It is a journey, rather than an event, and it will, sadly, accompany you and your family for the rest of your lives. I hope that you can find some small measure of solace in the certainty that despite those who try to vilify the dead, millions of us share your pain and rage, and I, for one, have repeatedly and forcefully spoken out against this horrific epidemic of police violence against people of color. My heart breaks for you, and for everyone suffering the aftermath of this terrible, criminal police conduct. Millions of us will not forget - will continue to amplify your voice, and those of other families similarly impacted. Somehow, we will find change, but I fear that it will be slow, uneven, and traumatic along the way. Shalom, Lezley.
132
Thank you for so eloquently stating what those of us who never have had to endure your loss need to hear.
81
Need to hear? Ae you kidding me? Where was this mother when her "child" was growing up as a criminal who thought nothing of robbing a store, beating the store owner, and then confronting a police officer in a violent manner. Here in Baltimore, we had the tragic Freddie Gray death that lead to unrest. Notwithstanding this death, there were 28 homicides in the past 30 days! All of them were perpetrated by black men on other black men. This is the real tragedy the cannot defies control. The death of Freddie Gray in police custody is dwarfed by the murder of more than 300 black citizens of our City each year almost exclusively at the hands of other black males. Let's stop the killing whether at the hands of the police or at the hands of thugs and criminals, white or black. I can only wish that the people of our City were as outraged by this violence as they are about Freddie Gray.
3
My condolences to Ms. McSpadden on the loss of her son--a pain that we all hope no parent endures. Suggesting that all police-involved shootings of black men are the same (and that all lack justice), however, is fallacious. We're all familiar with the Department of Justice's conclusions following its exhaustive investigation into Mr. Brown's shooting. We can't point to the DOJ's conclusions to suggest that every police shooting of a black man is justified. Just the same, however, no one should suggest that every shooting of a black man is unjustified. Many people are reacting to social media videos and, understandably, are angry. It doesn't help that politicians make conclusory statements without knowing all of the facts--such pronouncements have the intended effect on the listeners, unfortunately. Rather than paint with a broad brush to suggest that every shooting is justified police work or unjustified racism, we'd all benefit from evaluating the facts, many of which can't be known for quite some time. Again, my condolences to Ms. McSpadden.
54
Thank you for sharing ... may God continue to give you the grace you need to carry on, and grant you peace.
47
I grieve for every black woman who has stumbled, staggered and fallen while I was not paying attention.
I call you sister, I call you sister, I call you sister.
I call you sister, I call you sister, I call you sister.
45
As s white woman, I also call you sister. Please accept my deepest feelings.
2
Her son didn't suffer from 'police brutality'. Her son attacked a police officer and paid a price for his actions when the officer defended himself.
169
He also robbed a convenience store and violently threw a clerk to the ground.
19
Nor was her son a choir boy or gentle giant. He was a huge intimidating figure and a bully. That's on video.
5
In fact, the Brown case undermined the bona fides of the BLM movement. It was all smoke and mirrors, as the USDOJ conceded. Sorry.
6
All condolences Ma'am.
The young man (your baby) in question assaulted a police officer and attempted to kill him. That was the finding of the district attorney.
May time lessen your grief.
The young man (your baby) in question assaulted a police officer and attempted to kill him. That was the finding of the district attorney.
May time lessen your grief.
147
That's why you can't have local prosecutors deal with charges of homicide against police; they're in bed together...so the D.A.'s finding you refer to means nothing. Except that he has power and uses it the way he does, towards keeping bedfellows more than justice.
May time increase your awareness.
May time increase your awareness.
103
I live near Ferguson. I followed this closely for more than a year. There was an exhaustive investigation. Witnesses came forward that disputed the early account of Michael Brown's "friend." All of the forensic evidence corroborated Officer Wilson's account and he was cleared not just by local authorities but also by the DOJ.
In my opinion, Officer Darryl Wilson was a true victim. He was slandered, threatened, and lost his job.
In my opinion, Officer Darryl Wilson was a true victim. He was slandered, threatened, and lost his job.
28
The real circumstances of the shooting will never be known as there is no camera recording of it. The young men were running away from the police officer and if he didn't know how to handle the situation then he should have called for backup. Police are not judge, jury and executioners. I understand that police have a dangerous job, however they seem to target African Americans with more roughness.
2
Maybe what we do in fact need is "stand your ground" and "open carry,"
if only to help black men and black boys fight back against the horrific daily assault, abuse and death that American police inflict on them.
Who was the lunatic that called police "New York's finest," or the "finest" in any part of America.
Violence doesn't solve violence (as our wars in the Middle East show). But the video reports that give us a little insight into the mayhem that black Americans have endured since slavery, must move us to consider the most extreme actions. Daily cold blooded murders of black Americans by American police have got to stop. We can't just keep on talking about it. We have to make it stop.
if only to help black men and black boys fight back against the horrific daily assault, abuse and death that American police inflict on them.
Who was the lunatic that called police "New York's finest," or the "finest" in any part of America.
Violence doesn't solve violence (as our wars in the Middle East show). But the video reports that give us a little insight into the mayhem that black Americans have endured since slavery, must move us to consider the most extreme actions. Daily cold blooded murders of black Americans by American police have got to stop. We can't just keep on talking about it. We have to make it stop.
13
Since a significant percentage of black males already have criminal records they would probably not be able to legally purchase, let alone carry, a gun. A felony conviction results in the loss of their Second Amendment rights.
5
So. I have read this twice. It still sounds as if you wanted black individuals to shoot approaching police officers based on WFF (well founded fear) is ALEC's term. Your solution would certainly change the dynamics of routine police stops.
Next time the officer stops behind you and fires the heat seeking missile to destroy the car and all occupants.
That will be a big advance................eh.
Next time the officer stops behind you and fires the heat seeking missile to destroy the car and all occupants.
That will be a big advance................eh.
8
Mr. Castile may have been shot because he felt compelled to explain that he had a permit to carry and possessed a gun. Would his open carrying of a gun changed that? I can only imagine that open carry will aggravate and increase shootings of civilians by police.
1
Does Ms. McSpadden realize that almost twice as many Whites were killed by police last year than were Blacks? Does she realize that while Black's account for more than half of the gun violence and murders in the U.S, only about a third of individuals killed by police are Black.
So where is the bias? 95+% of individuals killed by police are men. Does this statistic show extreme sexism among police in the U.S.? Of course not.
Also, while not all the details of Mr. Sterling's death are known, on one hand it appears that police could have handled the situation without shooting him. On the other hand, at what point is a police shooting of an African-American justifiable to Ms. McSpadden? A policeman answers a call about a man threatening someone with a gun. The officer finds this individual and he won't comply with the officer's orders. He resists arrest. The officer uses a taser but with no effect. In struggling with the individual his partner realizes the man has a gun and is attempting to get it from his pocket. If the officer isn't justified in using deadly force in this situation, can Ms. McSpadden at least admit that this shooting isn't as clear cut a case of police bigotry as the media makes it out to be?
So where is the bias? 95+% of individuals killed by police are men. Does this statistic show extreme sexism among police in the U.S.? Of course not.
Also, while not all the details of Mr. Sterling's death are known, on one hand it appears that police could have handled the situation without shooting him. On the other hand, at what point is a police shooting of an African-American justifiable to Ms. McSpadden? A policeman answers a call about a man threatening someone with a gun. The officer finds this individual and he won't comply with the officer's orders. He resists arrest. The officer uses a taser but with no effect. In struggling with the individual his partner realizes the man has a gun and is attempting to get it from his pocket. If the officer isn't justified in using deadly force in this situation, can Ms. McSpadden at least admit that this shooting isn't as clear cut a case of police bigotry as the media makes it out to be?
85
Do you realize that despite accounting for more than half of the victims of police killings, blacks make up just 12% of the U.S. population? Did you realize that young black men are killed by police at 5 times the rate as young white men? Do you realize that young men of color are overwhelmingly more likely to be "randomly" stopped and frisked than their white counterparts? That they are sentenced to harsher sentences for equivalent crimes than their white counterparts? That they receive the death penalty more often for equivalent crimes than their white counterparts? Do you realize that you have tried to cherry-pick arguments and statistics when the overwhelming evidence says that black men aren't treated the same way by the police, courts, and criminal justice system as white men are? Do you realize that you're wrong?
7
Do you realize that Blaxk people are only 10 to 12% of the population?
5
These killings are inexcusable and shameful. Blaming the victims is worse.
Facts on the risk of black men vs. white men being killed by police from "The Real Story of Race and Police Killings"
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/the-real-story-of-race-an...
"The statistics Mr. Moskos uses are deeply flawed. He drew his conclusions from a website called killedbypolice.net, which tracks news reports of fatal shootings by police. Some 25 percent of the entries have no race listed.
"In any case, the numbers are misleading. “Based on that data, Mr. Moskos reported that roughly 49 percent of those killed by officers from May 2013 to April 2015 were white, while 30 percent were black,” the Washington Times article said. “He also found that 19 percent were Hispanic.”
"That may be true, but whites make up 63 percent of the population of this country. Blacks are just 12 percent.
"When Mr. Moskos adjusted his data to account for that, he found that black men were 3.5 times more likely to be killed by cops than white men. That’s inconvenient."
The rest of the article is worth reading.
Facts on the risk of black men vs. white men being killed by police from "The Real Story of Race and Police Killings"
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/the-real-story-of-race-an...
"The statistics Mr. Moskos uses are deeply flawed. He drew his conclusions from a website called killedbypolice.net, which tracks news reports of fatal shootings by police. Some 25 percent of the entries have no race listed.
"In any case, the numbers are misleading. “Based on that data, Mr. Moskos reported that roughly 49 percent of those killed by officers from May 2013 to April 2015 were white, while 30 percent were black,” the Washington Times article said. “He also found that 19 percent were Hispanic.”
"That may be true, but whites make up 63 percent of the population of this country. Blacks are just 12 percent.
"When Mr. Moskos adjusted his data to account for that, he found that black men were 3.5 times more likely to be killed by cops than white men. That’s inconvenient."
The rest of the article is worth reading.
1
Michael Brown robbed a store and attacked police officer prior to his killing, sorry but there isn't anything else to discuss there
156
So for those crimes he should perhaps be in jail, not dead
5
So you believe the death penalty is an appropriate penalty for robbing a store (or attacking a police officer)? Without a trial, too.
8
Your empathy deficit is showing. No court of law would punish petty theft with the death penalty.
3
YOU DO NOT FIGHT WITH COPS! Some people just don't seem to be getting this message , it will not end well for you! Cops are not here to play around with you when their lives are on the line.
If only people had as much concern over African Americans killed by other African Americans maybe 50 of them would not have been shot in Chicago alone this past weekend! The media and the general public only seem to care about black lives when they are snuffed out by white cops!
Black lives matter 100% of the time or they don't matter at all!!
If only people had as much concern over African Americans killed by other African Americans maybe 50 of them would not have been shot in Chicago alone this past weekend! The media and the general public only seem to care about black lives when they are snuffed out by white cops!
Black lives matter 100% of the time or they don't matter at all!!
98
I don't know what videos you have been watching. In the ones that I have seen the victims are pinned to the ground, holding their hands in the air, fleeing, children playing or doing nothing at all. That's the point.
11
I wasn't aware that reaching for your wallet at an officer's request constituted "fighting" these days, but thanks for clarifying.
How about cops don't initiate violence by attacking people who are selling CDs and cigarettes? Then nobody will fight back.
How about cops don't initiate violence by attacking people who are selling CDs and cigarettes? Then nobody will fight back.
2
Michael Brown was not pinned to the ground. He was charging at Officer Darren Wilson. Why not recognize that all these men are individuals? It's racist to lump them all together.
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachmen...
3
Yes. A Mother's duty unrecognized. I worked as a camp nurse once. When five African American male counselors were late in getting back to camp, missing the camp curfew, and they mentioned it to me the next day, I asked what happened. Quickly the reason explained. They had missed the camp bus. I asked why they didn't then take a taxi? This explanation stuck with me:
"do you really think a taxi is going to pick up five black boys, Miss MIMA?"
What would I, an older white woman from a very white home town, possibly know about not being able to get a taxi? And I will never take for granted anything racially charged again.
If many of us cannot understand something as simple as my above example, how can we possibly understand having our lives threatened because of our skin color, as I've said before, melanin content.
I'm a mother. Have I ever had to tell my children "just do what the police tell you?" And the reason for telling them - to save their lives.
How many of you have had to tell your children, "just comply!" like African American moms do? How many of you tell your kids "just do what they say" because your kids might have dark skin - something us white moms probably don't say much.
What about the black woman in the movie "Crash" when her husband complied with the police and she felt shamed. Bet his mom told him to comply at a plenty early age...
What has happened to the Civil Rights we marched for 50 years ago?
Anything? A very sad commentary on 2016.
"do you really think a taxi is going to pick up five black boys, Miss MIMA?"
What would I, an older white woman from a very white home town, possibly know about not being able to get a taxi? And I will never take for granted anything racially charged again.
If many of us cannot understand something as simple as my above example, how can we possibly understand having our lives threatened because of our skin color, as I've said before, melanin content.
I'm a mother. Have I ever had to tell my children "just do what the police tell you?" And the reason for telling them - to save their lives.
How many of you have had to tell your children, "just comply!" like African American moms do? How many of you tell your kids "just do what they say" because your kids might have dark skin - something us white moms probably don't say much.
What about the black woman in the movie "Crash" when her husband complied with the police and she felt shamed. Bet his mom told him to comply at a plenty early age...
What has happened to the Civil Rights we marched for 50 years ago?
Anything? A very sad commentary on 2016.
180
I am a white father and I've always taught my children to comply with police. They are now adults and I continue to reinforce that teaching. I always tell my children and practice myself to keep your hands in plain and unquestionable sight, move slowly, ask for permission and explain what you doing before you do it. And never, ever carry a gun. Never make a police officer feel uncomfortable or not in control of the situation! I grew up in non white gang and crime infested environments and I treated gang members the same way. As a child, gang members gave me the nick name "Clark" as in Clark Kent, because I always dealt with them with confidence, not threatening and not submissive ("while shaking in my boots")
1
The worst part is that in this latest "incident", the victim did comply, and was doing what he was told.
There just isn't any way to act anymore, if you're living while black.
There just isn't any way to act anymore, if you're living while black.
22
My condolences to Michael Brown's mom. No mother should have to be in her position, unable to right the injustice wrought upon her and her family.
I do not think people like Michael Brown's mom believe that American is already great, or believe in status-quo. But who is listening to their voices and values their votes ? -- only Bernie and Trump. Sadly, neither has a chance to Presidency to effect change.
I do not think people like Michael Brown's mom believe that American is already great, or believe in status-quo. But who is listening to their voices and values their votes ? -- only Bernie and Trump. Sadly, neither has a chance to Presidency to effect change.
6
A tragedy of course, but perhaps self generated by Brown's attempt to grab the police officer's weapon? Perhaps the initial link in a tragic chain of events was Brown's strong arm robbery of the convenience store?
106
You have just proven the author's point.
1
@bd,
That is a simplistic way of looking at the tragedy. I meant the injustices in a broader context relating to education, drugs, unemployment, racism, and income.
That is a simplistic way of looking at the tragedy. I meant the injustices in a broader context relating to education, drugs, unemployment, racism, and income.
Very well written. Very moving.
68
We need you to run for office, Lezley
45
oh no.
4