Ferguson Needed a Black Patsy

*****UPDATE*****

I take it back. Captain Ron Johnson (like too many good brothas) appears to have been co-opted.

—–Original Post—–

Captain Ron Johnson is being scapegoated! Pay attention to the racial storyline:

Saturday noon, 8/9 – Unarmed black teenager is killed in broad daylight by a white police officer.

Saturday afternoon, 8/9 – Interracial protests form in response to the killing, the way the body is being treated and the lack of information being shared with the family of the victim by the authorities.

Saturday evening, 8/9 – Before the black teenager’s body is secured, the white Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson secures the riot support of 15 additional law enforcement departments, even though no one was rioting.

Saturday evening, 8/9 – Violent policing ensues, with the use of rubber and wooden bullets as well as tear gas and military assault weaponry being trained at protestors.

Sunday evening, 8/10 – As peaceful protestors continue to take to the streets, opportunistic looters take advantage of the heightened emotions and misdirected attentions of law enforcement.  Police show of force remains primarily directed at protestors.

Monday, 8/11 – Looting stops, but Police Chief Jackson as well as the news media continue to talk about it throughout the week as if it is still happening in the present. Overly aggressive, yea even violent, policing continues throughout the week directed at protestors.

Mon – Thurs, 8/11 – 8/14 – The white governor of Missouri Jay Nixon acts clueless about the whole situation until Monday, but it takes until Thursday before he engages the people of Ferguson. Meanwhile more and more images surface of black people staring down the business end of assault weapons wielded by white police officers in military gear.

Thursday afternoon, 8/14 – white Governor Jay Nixon finally steps in to take responsibility for protest security from the Ferguson PD and giving it to MO State Troopers. Instead of having to relate to authority being exercised over them by white Police Chief Jackson, the predominantly black Ferguson citizens were given 1 day to relate to black Captain Ron Johnson who lives in Ferguson.

Thursday evening, 8/14 – Tensions immediately abate. Interracial protestors and interracial law enforcement in regular uniform are in the street walking and talking and taking pictures with one another all Thursday evening. Protestors are told by Captain Ron Johnson they can be out as long as they would like. No arrests or injures are reported the one night black Captain Ron Johnson got to call the shots in a way that was respectful of the citizens of Ferguson.

Friday morning, 8/15 – Six days after the killing, Police Chief Jackson finally releases the name of Officer Darren Wilson who perpetrated the fatality, but instead of accompanying the announcement with a photo of white Officer Wilson, white Police Chief Jackson releases video footage alleging that the black shooting victim Michael Brown robbed someone 10 minutes before being shot. Four hours later Jackson clarified that the stopping of Michael Brown had nothing to do with him being suspected of robbery. However, by releasing the video in conjunction with the officers name without releasing the officer’s photo, Jackson ensured that every Google search of the officer’s name in the first 24-48 hours would bring up the video.

Friday evening, 8/15 – Even after the press conference shenanigans of the Ferguson PD earlier on friday when everybody in support of the brown family got mad, young black males protestors rally to protect local store from the handful of opportunists trying to loot.  Police concern and displays of force remain directed at protestors.

Saturday afternoon, 8/16 – White Gov. Jay Nixon announces in quite the paternalistic tone a return to the heavy-handed tactics from earlier in the week: enforcement of a now official, previously de facto, curfew for protestors. Black Capt. Ron Johnson is ordered to enforce the curfew by any means necessary. The military weaponry returns to the streets–a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Monday early morning, 8/18 – After 2 nights of RENEWED UNREST THAT WE NOW SEE COMES IN RESPONSE TO the use of rubber bullets as well as tear gas and military assault weaponry and black Capt. Ron Johnson having to explain each morning his execution of the orders he has been given (not the tact he would have taken), white Gov. Jay Nixon calls in the national guard who arrive a little later Monday morning.

Watch the storyline as it has developed and ask yourself:

1. Why not call in the national guard in the middle of last week when Police Chief Thomas Jackson was failing so miserably for days on end?
2. Why install Ron Johnson just to give him the orders to go back to what hadn’t worked all week?
3. How can there ever be different results if we allow authorities to keep following the same old racial script?