OUR VIEW: Racism, brutality spark anger in America

One would think that in the year 2014, we, as a nation, would be above some of the violence and brutality that we’ve seen depicted on our television screens over the past several days.

But as the protests and anger continues to spew in Ferguson, Missouri, we’re painfully reminded that maybe we’re not quite rid of the demons that plagued in our country in years past.

Whatever side of the fence one sits on, the shooting that left Michael Brown dead is a tragedy that involves no winners.

Whether right or wrong in his actions, Officer Darren Wilson’s decision to pull the trigger on the young, unarmed teen sent beams of anger throughout the country. The venom spewed is understandable, but sometimes unfair, often including blanket statements that all uniformed officers are inconsistent in how they handle situations based on the color of the victim involved.

No one reading our paper was in Ferguson on the night of that shooting. Race may have been a factor in the shooting, but regardless, a lone act does not depict the morals of the law enforcement community as a whole – a group consisting of tons of great men and women.

Likewise, the violent acts of retaliation don’t look good on the TV screen and may make it seem as though those angry are out of touch. But again, the reality is that the vast majority of protests have been conducted peacefully.

But in 2014, it’s sad that these same issues continue to rear their ugly head. One would think that at some point, we could move on and unite as one.

Sure, there have been major strides. The income gap between blacks and whites continues to close slightly – a move showing that the ways of the past seem to be fading away.

Our nation has its first-ever black President and many others are holding positions of power in the world of business and politics.

But for as many steps forward as we take, there are always a few incidents that remind us that maybe we’re not as far along the road of progress as we’d like to be. Maybe we’re not quite as perfect in our quest to equality as we’d like to believe.

But no matter it’s sliced, it’s a lose-lose situation for us all.