Over a week has passed of daily protests from citizens and nightly tear gassing by law enforcement. Police are clearly making a protesting statement just as much as citizens. However, the law enforcement’s message is a resounding “These are our streets, not yours, and we can do what we want!”
It’s like an abusive relationship where both sides are arguing and neither one is listening to the other. Except this relationship does not come with a prenup agreement.
A few months from now, when the marches have ceased (maybe) and the anger is channeled toward getting a just trial, all of Ferguson, Missouri’s citizens will have to open their wallets and chalk up those taxes. Every paycheck right now is funding the very people throwing tear gas in their yards and shooting them with rubber bullets. This is a horrible relationship. I’d want a divorce. But, they cannot divorce the police department, nor can they stop funding them.
According to United For Missouri’s website (unitedformissouri.org), the Missouri Supreme court defines the St. Louis Police Department as a state agency and taxpayers are REQUIRED to support the decisions of the agency by paying to defend it.
Wait a minute!I hope the same is not true for the Ferguson PD. That would mean the very people who are getting curfews and pelted with rubber bullets, and Mike Brown’s mother who lost her child, are REQUIRED to financially support the police’s decisions. Damn.
The sad part is that they still have to pay up, and later have to trust these same officers to patrol the streets as usual. After all is said and done, how can Ferguson citizens trust the police department? How do you rebuild a relationship where they happily give you their money and trust you to not use it AGAINST them and their children? Non-violence would be a good start.
Cause A Current 