Damned if you do, damned if ...

The community, and media talking heads, are enraged 

when police in Ferguson use 'military style, heavy handed tactics' 

against protestors when looting begins;

these same folks are expressing outrage this morning 

after police stood by last night,
watching from their cars,
letting looting occur,

basically telling store owners 

to "let their businesses go".

The community, and media talking heads, demand answers

and information from police,

filing 'Sunshine law requests' for all details

 surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown;

these same folks are now enraged when video,
taken immediately prior to the incident,

 seems to show the dead teenager as something other than

the "Gentle Giant" their narrative requires.

Media plays - on an endless loop -

 the statistics about a fractured community

that has a power base with people of one color

while the majority of the community is comprised
of people with a different skin color.

Anyone who thinks the fix is as simple as
having a police force and elected officials
who are all the same color as residents in a community,
might want to check with East St Louis, (IL)
and see how that's working for them.

Do I think the mind set and history of the police officer
prior to the shooting is important to know?
Yes.
Do I think the mind set and history of the teenager
prior to the shooting is equally as pertinent?
Yes.

Do I think stealing some cigars deserves the death sentence?
No.
But neither do I think that willfully breaking the law
and using your size to intimidate some poor clerk
should go without consequence.

One news item that might have gotten overlooked this week
during the melee in North County
is that the Oxford Dictionary has officially recognized the term
"hot mess".

Coincidence?
No,
I don't think so either.