This country was founded on violent rebellion. Our constitution drips with the blood of the American Revolution and our success as a nation is rooted in the genocide of Native Americans and centuries of legalized homicide, rape, and unthinkable brutality to enforce the chattel slavery of African-Americans. This is our reality. Racism, violent crime, rape culture, gun worship and police brutality are part of an American nightmare for many. It is up to each generation to take steps to heal these wounds.

Most cops are good. They are our friends, neighbors and family. But, like civilian criminals, there are also criminal police who cannot be allowed to violate policy and/or brutalize the public with impunity. Many citizens (especially young Black and Hispanic males) live in communities terrorized by both gang violence AND by police brutality. This terror is heightened when we embed increasingly militarized police forces [who often have little connection to the communities they serve and are sworn to protect] into places like Ferguson to enforce discriminatory policies (racial profiling, stop-and-frisk, broken window, etc.) that disproportionately target and harass law-abiding people of color. The lack of trust between some communities (especially those defined by poverty and/or race) and law enforcement is diminished even more by the conflicts of interests when local prosecutors defend police officers accused of violating that sacred trust. Why are people protesting? Because many blacks, browns and whites are simply sick of it.