Hands up, Don't shoot an ineffective racism fighter

Hands up, don't shoot, has become a catchphrase now to the point of distraction. The trouble is that it's an attempt to make a statement about something which belittles the very cause it portends to support.

That there are longstanding troubles between police and black communities is almost without question. The causes are myriad, and we don't know what to make of them. We're skeptical of the blanket charge of institutionalized racism (by all the evidence it really doesn't apply with the Michael Brown case except to left libertarian zealots) but are not so naive as to think racism has been eradicated in these United States (or anywhere else for that matter) and neither so naive as to believe it can't in fact be institutionalized. Sometimes police forces and government agencies fail to represent the community but for reasons which aren't racially motivated in any direct sense. Some cities such as Highland Park, Michigan here locally saw the makeup of the communities change so relatively quickly that, due to public service contracts and such, there was no way that the makeup of their police, fire, and civil service workers could have been expected to keep up with the demographic changes. If those changes were racial, and it seems unlikely that they weren't, then at least the charge of racism wouldn't necessarily reflect upon government structure or policies. Still, to where racism borne both of individuals or civil units exist, we must all strive to reign it in.

But that cannot be done successfully if a less than sympathetic character should become the symbol of the movement.

Like it or not, the Grand Jury looking into the issue has made up its mind, and the decision is in favor of Darren Wilson and the Ferguson Police. There is little compelling evidence that Brown acted properly within his rights, and no obvious reason to cry racism over the troubles. As such, raising the banner of 'hands up, don't shoot' to fight racism must be seen more as a group seeking a cause rather than as a group of concerned citizens who desire justice. They will be dismissed as extremists who see racism everywhere, as they should.

What we need in America today is a mentality which wants justice for everyone, not any one group. This means studying the issues with a blind eye which, should it see racism, call it out. But should it it see simple and offensive criminal acts, call them out too. Without that as our guideline we will have little but mob rule. And we should not want to be ruled by either the pro or anti Michael Brown rabble.