Before the Ferguson Announcement

The whole Ferguson thing makes me sad.  Some random thoughts before the announcement:

• Just because someone calls you racist doesn’t mean you are.

• Conversely, just because you don’t (want to) believe you’re a racist doesn’t mean you aren’t.

• Just because you don’t see (or understand [or it’s not your problem]) a problem doesn’t mean there is no problem.

• Protests, going back to before the American Revolution, have always been led by “radicals” and have always been opposed by those who favor the status quo.

• It only takes one random act to turn peace into violence. (See the Boston Massacre)

• If you’ve referred to protesters (as a group) in derogatory terms, you might think about the dangers of stereotyping. It damages both the typer and typee, because now both have to overcome preconceived identities.

• Name-calling has never, to my knowledge, helped to solve a problem.

• If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem, like it or not.