Decision in Ferguson

On August 9, 2014 an 18-year-old African American man was shot in the small town of Ferguson, Missouri. He was shot by policy officer Darren Wilson, a white, 28-year-old man. On November 24, 2014 the Grand Jury announced its verdict: that officer Wilson was not guilty. The aftermath of this event and the verdict have had this nation in incredible uproar.

It's safe to say that by now, millions of Americans have heard about the Ferguson shooting and have their own strong opinions on whether officer Wilson is in fact guilty. Much has been written and shared about the facts of the case, the guilty verdict and how this highlights the inherent racism that still exists in modern day American society. However, what is most important is What's Next? Where do Americans go from here in dealing with the complex and intertwined issue of police brutality and racism?

Although the United States, one of the most advanced countries in the world, has made strides towards becoming a country where equal rights for all is the norm, racism is still sadly prevalent. The Ferguson shooting is just one of many similar incidents with two examples being the 12 year old African American boy, Tamir Rice, who was shot in a park by a white police officer for waving a fake gun around, and the shooting of Ezell Ford, a mentally ill African American man in Los Angeles. This country needs to stop thinking these are just random and rare cases and stop these tragic shootings.

First and foremost, body cameras on police officers must be implemented immediately. This will serve both potential victims and the police officers themselves by explicitly showing what occurred during a specific confrontation. Half the reason why American opinions are so divided and confused regarding the Ferguson shooting is due to the fact that no one other than officer Wilson and the now deceased Michael Brown truly know exactly what happened during their exchange. President Obama's potential police reform action will hopefully lead the way on this.

Secondly, education starting from the youngest to the college level must stress the importance of the fact that all lives matter, while race does not. Teaching the younger generations from the minute they can understand that race and ethnicity should be a nonfactor in making decisions is crucial. Various media campaigns with the popular hashtag #blacklivesmatter and powerful Twitter and Facebook support messages and groups are great, but are also just the beginning as reaching out to the youth regarding this issue must continue to expand. It is of extreme importance that we keep pushing this cause because enough innocent lives have been taken.

Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Ezell Ford among many others lives have not been lost in vain. Change is coming.