With Highway Patrol, hugs and kisses replace tear gas in Ferguson

[applegrove]

With Highway Patrol, hugs and kisses replace tear gas in Ferguson

By Wesley Lowery at the Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/08/14/with-highway-patrol-hugs-and-kisses-replace-tear-gas-in-ferguson/

"SNIP.......................


“OK! Go ahead,” Johnson said, smiling and stepping aside as hundreds of residents streamed past him.

Protesters said they were still angry, demanding justice for Brown and answers from local police about why he was shot and who the offending officer was.

But, they said, Johnson’s willingness to physically interact with them, rid the streets of heavy police equipment, and help them coordinate protests was a welcome change in tone.

“Thank you so much for being here,” said Karen Wood, who fought back tears as she held both of Johnson’s hands imploring him to bring answers to residents and maintain calm in the streets.


.........................SNIP"

[Cali_Democrat]

1. You mean TALKING and INTERACTING with the protesters like they're actually human.....worked?

Whooda thunk it?

K&R

[Agschmid]

2. Yup.

Kick.

[applegrove]

3. Yeah. And the police helping them organize. That is how demonstrations

used to be in my neck of the woods. Until neocons came along.

[sheshe2]

5. ^^^^This^^^^

[littlemissmartypants]

11. Ditto. eom

[sheshe2]

4. Only a day away...this is humanity.

One man stopped, telling Capt. Johnson that his niece had been tear gassed earlier this week – “What would you say to her?”

Johnson reached out his hand and replied: “Tell her Capt. Johnson is sorry and he apologizes.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/08/14/with-highway-patrol-hugs-and-kisses-replace-tear-gas-in-ferguson/

Thank you, Capt. Johnson.

[sheshe2]

6. Say it out loud, I'm black and I'm proud!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/08/14/with-highway-patrol-hugs-and-kisses-replace-tear-gas-in-ferguson/

[el_bryanto]

7. That is nice to see. nt

[Nuclear Unicorn]

8. Better but much left to do. nt

[frylock]

9. gosh, could the problem lie with the local police department?

That cop shop needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.

[frazzled]

10. He's from county, went to high school near Ferguson

He knows the people. He also understands what community policing is about.

One of the big issues with the policing in Ferguson that led up to this event is that, in a majority African American community, only 3 police officers (out of, I think, 53 in that town) are African Americans. That is crazy and unconscionable.

[cer7711]

12. Humanism . . .

. . . works.

Now, if only--everywhere and always--thoughtful, empathetic, decent folk were the only adults allowed in the room . . .

[BuelahWitch]

14. This! ^^

[Voice for Peace]

13. "I'm not afraid to be in this crowd."

[Leith]

15. It's the Story of the Sun and the Wind

For those who have heard it, skip the rest of my post.

The sun and the wind were having an argument as to which of them was stronger. Neither could convince the other so they decided to test themselves out on a lone traveler on the road below. Whoever could take the cloak off the man would be the winner,

The wind went first. It blew and blew. Wind blustered around the man. But it seemed that the harder the wind blew, the closer the man held his cloak around him. The wind eventually tired and gave up.

The sun took its turn. It merely rose and shone. The man stood up straighter and loosened his shoulders. It wasn't long before the man shrugged off the cloak and held it across his arm.

This shows that gentle warmth is a better way to achieve your goals than blow and bluster.

I'm not much of a storyteller, but the terrifying show of strength with rubber bullets, reinforced vehicles, and teargas didn't achieve peace in Ferguson. Johnson was probably shakin' in his boots, but going out and talking to people - and listening to them - settled the situation a thousand (times a million) times better than sending in troops to beat the citizens down ever could.

It would be great if tragedies like this never happened again, but they will. We can only hope that militarized police departments leave the wartime paraphernalia in the warehouse and go out as people to talk with people?

[applegrove]

16. Very well said. It is how Demonstrations

used to happen in Canada before the neocons got some power and turned what used to be cooperation between the police and demonstrators into armed standoffs every time. I hope the pendulum is swinging back to cooperation. I think so. I hope so.