Observing all this from North of your Border I can't help but have a sick feeling for the future of those who must face daily life on the streets of your cities. Based on the explanations provided via the Prosecutor I can understand why no charges will be brought against Officer Wilson. But it only makes sense in the context of a US gun culture that has spun out of control. Where firing one's gun is always a first option. Had this scenario happened in England or Scandinavia or Australia or Canada where gun culture is restrictive, I doubt that this young man would have been killed. Make no mistake about it, Mr Brown was acting like a punk. He deserved to be arrested. He did not deserve to die.
Police officers are highly trained and paid a comparatively high salary. They are supposed to use good judgement in protecting the public. They are not supposed to be armed vigilantes acting as judge, jury, and executioner on our streets. Laws that authorize the police use of deadly force against unarmed citizens are bad laws. An encounter between an armed policeman and an unarmed citizen that leads to the death of the unarmed citizen falls outside any acceptable scenario for a civilized society. Our so-called justice system is broken when the perpetrator of police violence walks away unaccountable after causing the death of a citizen. Riots are what happens when powerless and desperate people are pushed against the wall of hopelessness by a broken system that sets free uniformed murderers. Police forces must be DE-militarized. Police must wear body cameras. The laws must be changed to make the use of deadly force a rare event, not a routine one.
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