Do You Feel Fear over Ferguson?

Somewhere we have it all wrong.  In the 60's we passed all sorts of legislation to make sure that everyone had equal access to opportunity.  It wasn't 100% equal opportunity, but to give everyone access to the chance to do better.  This wasn't limited to any color, race or Religion.  As a teenager, I felt that if I worked hard, I could do about anything I wanted.  In 1966, I was drafted into the Army and given the opportunity to go to OCS.  I bootstrapped that opportunity by finishing my College Degree on the GI Bill.  I can walk down most streets and meet all kinds of people with a smile.  I don't feel fear from anyone.  I also don't give anyone any reason to fear me.  I talk to old people and children equally.

One of my friends is a young black man starting his production career in Atlanta.  He wrote on Facebook that he is even considering if he wants to have a child in this world of hate and strife.  I know his dad was a Warrant Officer in the Army.  I hope he had a great role model to base being a parent on.  My dad had a few bad qualities and I think I took those bad things and worked hard to overcome them.  I took the good things he did and what I am now is the best I can be.  I hope he does that also.

I don't have the entire story on what happened in Ferguson and am not sure if the truth will ever really be known.  Was it an execution or a policeman defending himself from a thug?  No matter what the outcome, the world will be short one person that didn't have the opportunity to live and love and be a better person.  The part that makes me the most sad is that I don't have even a glimmer of the truth that can fix it.  The hard fact is that there is 100% probability
that young man won't get the chance.

One thing I hear over and over from people is they want to know "Why" a person did some act.  I am pretty sure that if it seems senseless, it probably doesn't have some magic "Why" as a cause.  I would hope that in the charge to make or education system better, we can find that one missing step that helps out children stop and say, "I wonder what could happen if I do that."  I know that I would be a better person and would have lived a better life if I had been able to listen to that signal. 

One thing I want everyone to know is that I have the faith in my fellow man that it is possible to live together and not have any reason to know what color, religion, sexual identity of their neighbor.  I know that there is a black man living up the road from me but only because I see him out mowing his yard now and then.  I don't feel bad because he's there.  I'm sure he knows me as that old guy that drives that old truck and waves when I go by.  Oh well, moving on.

I hope we can find a way to help everyone to feel a lot more like I do and all live a better life.

Liven life as well as I can

MUD