Guest Commentary
by Michael A. Schwartz, SD Rostra Junkie
A couple of questions on the Ferguson shooting and riots…
1. If you are making the argument that Michael Brown was racially profiled by the police officer who shot him, aren’t you arguing that racially profiling works? Because Michael Brown had just robbed a store, beaten the owner, smoked pot, and turned out to be the kind of man who attacked and severely injured a cop while going for his gun while the cop was trying to question him?
2. If you have ever made the argument that firearm magazine capacity should be limited, isn’t the shooting in Ferguson strong evidence that you are putting gun owners in danger? Because it took a trained police officer 6 shots to finally stop Michael Brown from attacking him.
3. If you are making the argument that the frequency of white police officers shooting blacks is a huge problem in the black community, aren’t you being intellectually dishonest? Because dozens of blacks have been shot, tragically, in the last week since Michael Brown was shot and the vast majority of them were shot by other blacks.
4. If you’ve ever made the case that only cops should have guns and are making the case that in Ferguson, the cops are racist, control-freak, authoritarians who like to shoot blacks…well, do I even need to go any further with that question?
5. If you have ever made the case that civilians do not need semi-automatic rifles with normal capacity magazines to protect themselves during unrest because we live in a civil, modern society…aren’t the days and days of riots that instantly broke out in a fly-over state like Missouri strong evidence that you’re wrong?
6. If you are shaking your head pointing out how the shooting of Michael Brown is proof-positive that we’re a racist society and black mothers have an enormously tough time raising their black sons…shouldn’t you be making the case that anyone who robs a store, beats the owner, and attacks a cop will have a difficult time in society and that parents should raise their kids to not engage in that kind of activity in order to be successful and alive?
The reporting changes. I could be wrong with what I am suggesting above if some other facts come out. But as it stands now…any feedback on these 6 questions is welcome. Perhaps I am not looking at things correctly. I am truly all ears.