Ferguson Verdict: President Obama Speaks About The Michael Brown Verdict
The Michael Brown trial has just a received a verdict, and in what has been described as a last minute decision, President Obama gave an address to the protests and the nation. The Inquisitr reported just minutes ago on the verdict for the Michael Brown grand jury trial.
“The federal grand jury considering whether or not to indict Ferguson, Missouri Police officer Darren Wilson has announced its verdict: Wilson will not be indicted for the shooting of unarmed black teenager Mike Brown on August 9, CNN is reporting.”
The Brown family issued a statement for calm with their “resounding disappointment” response to the verdict, NBC News reported. As President Obama started speaking, protests began to erupt into violence on screen with tear gas and gun shots were heard. The National Journal reported on President Obama’s speech.
“We need to accept that this decision was the grand jury’s to make.There are Americans who agree with it, and there are Americans who are deeply upset, even angry. It’s an understandable reaction. But I join Michael’s parents in asking anyone who protests this decision to do so peacefully.”
In an unfortunate sense of irony, the calls for calm and other calls for peace in the president’s speech were the exact opposite of what was happening on the ground. As the president went on, his speech went out further than the Michael Brown situation, and extended to other parts of the country. He spoke of “communities of color” and poor neighborhoods with a distrust of law enforcement.
“The fact is, in too many parts of this country, a deep distrust exists between law enforcement and communities of color. Some of this is the result of the legacy of racial discrimination in this country. And this is tragic because nobody needs good policing more than poor communities with higher crime rates.”
Unfortunately, though President Obama, the Brown family, and others have tried to exude calm, the events thus far do not look like they have had any effect. According to Fox News commentator Megyn Kelly, officer Darren Wilson was scheduled to be on her program in the 9 pm hour, but the next show rolled in with no interview in sight.
Reports have suggested that tear gas has been deployed, but the police have announced via Twitter that this is not the case. They say they are using “smoke” to break up the riots.
What are your thoughts on the Michael Brown grand jury trial? Should President Obama have weighed in?
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[Photo Via Wikimedia Commons]
