I want to leave no doubt as to where I stand. I'm a law and order guy. I realize that the right of the people to peaceably assemble is guaranteed by the First Amendment, but peaceable assembly doesn't give anyone the right to riot, pillage or burn down the property of others.
In this light I'm trying to understand what's going on up in Missouri and elsewhere. On Saturday I read in the paper that about 100 people, led by members of the NAACP, marched from the town of Ferguson to the Missouri capitol, and some of the marchers were chanting "hands up, don't shoot."
That this woeful utterance is still being bandied about by an unruly mob -- led by representatives of the NAACP and encouraged by members of the Congressional Black Caucus -- is not just unfortunate, it's a perverse travesty that makes a mockery of our system of justice. These people who are keeping a lie alive have no interest in knowing or promoting the truth. They are so blinded by their own prejudices that they completely disregard the facts in their zeal to bestow hero status to a person of questionable repute.
By now the story is well known, but some of the facts have been obscured by the liberal media and disregarded by mobs who don't seem to care about the facts. My quick, factual summation follows: A 6-foot, 5-inch teenage bully and thug committed a strong-arm robbery and roughed up a clerk half his size. He was confronted by a police officer who shot him dead after he failed to peaceably surrender. The bully's accomplice lied to police when he indicated that the officer shot the teen in the back when he had his hands over his head. The truth is the officer fired several fatal shots as he was being charged, and three autopsies proved conclusively this to be true. There were several truthful witnesses to the shooting. A few more facts of the case are cited below for those who are interested in the truth. The facts were taken from a transcript released by the prosecuting attorney, Bob McCulloch.
A 12-member grand jury had been empanelled in May, long before this shooting. It began hearing evidence in this case on Aug. 20 and held 25 meetings. All members were present for every session and all 12 heard every word of testimony and examined every item of evidence. They heard 70 hours of testimony from 60 witnesses and recorded 30 interviews and met with three medical examiners and numerous other experts. The grand jury considered whether the officer was the aggressor or whether there was probable cause entitling the police officer use of deadly force, or if he acted in self-defense. The grand jury was instructed on the law and was presented with five possible indictments, ranging from murder in the first degree to involuntary manslaughter. After weighing all the evidence the grand jury determined that no probable cause existed to file any charge against the officer and they returned a "no true bill" on each of the five indictments.
Unfortunately, the NAACP, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Al Sharpton and other radical racists will not accept the findings of the grand jury. They challenge its efficacy even though the concept is enshrined in the Fifth Amendment. The grief industry and rabble-rousing race baiters are determined to disregard this core constitutional provision. It doesn't fit their victimhood agenda.
Leaders like President Obama and Eric Holder could have quelled the demonstrations with a few simple words, had they not always begun their comments with words of sympathy for the family of the slain bully. Instead, they could have pointed out that criminal activities and resisting arrest many times result in unforeseen and tragic consequences, and they could have been sympathetic without sympathizing. Sharpton and others should have been told in no uncertain terms to mind their manners and to encourage the law abiding rather than emboldening the lawless.
I opine, you decide.
-- Willie Williams is a Siloam Springs resident. He can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 12/10/2014