Darren Wilson's Past

Okay, we had hoped by now to keep quiet, at least for a few days, about the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. But we simply can't.

It appears that Officer Darren Wilson began his police career at a department which has been disbanded because of allegations of racial tension. The Huffington Post reports that news here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/24/darren-wilson-jennings-police-department_n_5704133.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec3_lnk4%26pLid%3D519874

We actually have no problem with this revelation. Although it should not be a factor in whether Officer Wilson is guilty of murder or not we recognize that it's okay to look into the character traits of a person in determining whether they are capable of such heinous acts. Just like it's okay to look into Michael Brown's character to see if he may be the type of person to assault a cop, but being willing to set that factor aside should it be irrelevant to Officer's Wilson's actions against him.

What galls us is that we aren't supposed to look at Brown's history in determining his possible culpability in a very serious matter, yet are encouraged to study Wilson's past to see if we can glean evidence that he might be racist. If there's any such thing as a double standard, this is it.

Either stop looking at the past of both of the central characters involved in the incident or allow everyone in law enforcement to probe into them and draw their own conclusions. We can't presume Michael Brown a thug simply because of his personal history. And Officer Wilson isn't automatically guilty due to a past association with racism. All we ask is consistency, and a willingness to give the law a chance to follow threads wherever they may lead.