To the Editor:
As we move forward from the events in Ferguson, it is important to remember that violence is not the solution to the racial issues confronting this nation. Instead, we must combat the larger issues.
When will every person feel safe in this county? When will black males feel security from the law enforcement? When will relations between minority groups and law enforcement become a trusted partnership?
Our nation will see that day, but only if we move forward with hope, and dismantle the systematic methods of violence and oppression. Only if we join hands and take with us the message from the tragic death of Michael Brown: We are not yet a nation of equality, but we must journey on. We journey on to a brighter future, when African Americans no longer fear criminal justice system. We journey on, to a time when police officers no longer use excessive force. We journey on, to a day when we witness a legal system that protects all of our nation's inhabitants.
The events in Ferguson left a heavy imprint, and their echoes will live as a constant reminder that it is time for change. We must not use violence to achieve this change. Instead, we must communicate, educate and help our fellow brothers and sisters on the strenuous path toward equality. At the end of this path, we will reach the almighty light that cleanses our souls of the hatred of the past.
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No longer can we stand for the failure of our justice system. Remember the words of Dr. King: "Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice, and when they fail in this purpose, they become dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress."
No longer can we stand for the failure of our justice system. No longer can we let this dam prevent us from progressing as a nation. We must move forward, for those who no longer can. We must move forward, for a better tomorrow. We must move forward, for Michael Brown.
Emily Grode
Vermillion
