Ferguson has generated a lot of buzz these past few months, especially online. Every time the town comes up, it brings with it a discussion of race and authority, with people giving most attention to the former.
Allow me to present yet another column about Ferguson. No, I will not beat the dead “race” horse—excuse the pun—but instead to discuss authority.
After Darren Wilson killed Mike Brown, there should have been a police report, an autopsy and witness report checkup, and that should have been case closed. Whether Brown committed a crime or not and whether Wilson acted outside his authority would be decided later, race aside. We as citizens are supposed to put our trust in the people who supposedly protect us and believe what they say happened. This was not an issue of race, but it has certainly become one.
In these southern states, it’s easy to get caught up in the controversy of race, especially when race is brought into pretty much every major social issue.
Being one of few Filipino people from my small southern town, I often met people who only identified me by my race. The expectations for who I am, as a woman of Asian descent, dictated that I should be tiny, hairless and good at math—end of story. You can decide for yourself if I fit the standard.
So, even though I’m not a black American male, I can relate to the subject of race and identity—though, maybe not in quite the same way as black people. And with my understanding of that subject, I plead with you to turn your attention to the fact that fellow Americans have problems putting their trust with those protecting us because this is the real problem.
The law is put in place for the good of the people; the forces of law enforcement work to uphold said law. Despite personal preferences and even despite the massive amount of freedom we have as Americans, I think it is pertinent to put trust in people who have chosen to dedicate their lives to serving the law, serving the people and, above all, serving us.
Excuse me if you think I’m landing on cliché, but law enforcers do put their lives on the line directly for citizens. When people scoff at cops or other figures of the sort for doing their job or “getting us in trouble,” I can’t help but think how pathetic it is that we have to blame others when we break laws.
They have jobs, just like we as citizens do. Their job, which they picked, requires them to stop people from breaking the law. So, when people break the law, why do we question or blame the police?
I give recognition to the fact that we do not live in a perfect country—or a perfect world for that matter. But when we say that we are the greatest country in the world, shouldn’t we act like it? You don’t have to be a model citizen to respect other people doing their job, even if that job entails giving you a speeding ticket.
The next time a cop takes your drunk-self back to your residence or writes you a ticket for double parking, just remember: It’s not about you, and it’s not about race, either—it’s about someone doing their job. We should trust them for that.
