Guess they didn't deserve a burger or a future day in court, huh?

Too bad Terence Crutcher, Keith Lamont Scott, Michael Brown, and other black men shot and killed because police *thought* they were on PCP, reaching for a gun, carrying a gun, stealing cigarettes, looking at them the wrong way, acting funny, [insert excuse here], etc. weren't Dylann Roof (the white guy who murdered 9 black parishioners at Charleston's AME Emanuel Church) OR Robert Lewis Dear (the Planned Parenthood killer) instead.

If they had been Dylann Roof, then maybe they, too, would've been taken alive and driven to Burger King for a burger like Dylann was before he was transported to the police station. Gotta feed that murderous asshole, right?

Or maybe they would've been taken alive, just like Robert Lewis Dear was. He was the murderous asshole who took over a Planned Parenthood office here in Colorado Springs, killed a UCCS officer, injured other officers, and killed two innocent people. That son of a bitch is still alive, isn't he?

Now, what if Dylann Roof and Robert Lewis Dear had been black? Any bets on whether a black perpetrator would've been taken alive in those two scenarios? I guess allegedly stealing items from a store or walking with your hands up in the air both merit being shot to death right then and there as opposed to committing cold-blooded murder and being given the chance to remain alive for a future day in court.

And no, I'm not against cops, so don't start that bullshit with me. I used to work in a police department and I know how hard and risky being a police officer is because I've seen it firsthand.

However, I am against badly trained, psychologically unfit, or trigger-happy civil servants with bad judgment. Cops are human beings; therefore, not all cops are good, and not all cops are bad.

And yes, police officers' lives do matter. I never said they didn't and I never will. To assume such a thing is ludicrous and shows a lack of critical thought.

The entire system needs an overhaul because there is systemic failure occurring throughout the country. The more the issues are ignored, the worse things will become. Let's save lives -- both police officers' lives and civilian lives -- before more are needlessly lost.

Need I say more? I don't think so.

A house divided cannot stand

The easiest way to destroy a country is from the inside. Especially when you ignore the needy, the poor, the minorities, the disenfranchised within a country's midst. Unless a whole lot of stuff changes within the United States, our country will not survive. When you divide your people, others can conquer them. I'm sure you've heard, "Divide and conquer" before, right?

We have the power to address all of these problems. We are so busy propping up the infrastructures of other countries that we are ignoring our own, and it's crumbling...not just physical infrastructure, but cultural as well.

And when I say culture, I don't just mean European culture. America is, and always has been, a melting pot of various cultures, religions, ethnicities. In case you have forgotten, the words on the Statue of Liberty read thusly:

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

I say this a lot, but I'm PROUD to have one of the founding fathers, President John Adams, as a relative on my birth father's side. Same for his son, President John Quincy Adams. Now, listen to his words:

"Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."

If we do not take substantive, meaningful action to address the serious issues that are currently tearing our country apart, we risk losing our freedom AND our country. Because when your house is divided, it can be conquered.

Our house is fractured and divided into so many pieces. There is hard work ahead, but we must commit to bringing those pieces together as best we can. We have to be brutally honest with ourselves and see the truth, not coddle ourselves with comfortable lies.

There is work to be done, not for just some of us, but for all of us. As Americans. As people who love our country and do not want to see it crumble, only to be discovered centuries later in dusty history books. Right now, the biggest threat to our country's survival is from the strife we are fighting from within. Wake up, America. Let us take a cold, hard look at ourselves and commit to doing what must be done for the sake of our country and all of us who reside within it.

We can do better. You know this, right? Let's get to work on the problems facing us and SOLVE them, together.

Yes, police lives matter. Civilian lives do as well. It's a no-brainer!

This seems simple, so I'm amazed that some people don't get it.

First of all, lives matter, both those of cops and the general public. This whole 'police lives matter' stuff I see...well, duh! Of course their lives matter. Who said they didn't? Not me, for starters. Yes, police lives matter. Quit trying to muddy up the situation with that statement.

Saying that civilian lives matter does not mean police lives are any less valued. This is not a pissing contest. When possible, death should be avoided. That goes for police officers AND civilians. Police and community should work together, not against each other. They should be partners, rather than opponents. Now, what in the hell is so difficult about understanding this? Wish I knew.

The point is this: if you have to shoot an unarmed man ten times and kill him, then you had crappy training or were incompetent as a law enforcement officer. I don't know about you, but I like my cops to be trained well and not to resort to deadly force with unarmed people. There are other alternatives, so use them.

Just because you don't think it's okay to shoot an unarmed man ten times and kill him, that doesn't mean you think cops' lives don't matter. How you can even draw that assumption is, quite frankly, stupid. I've never said cops' lives don't matter; by the same token, I'll never say it's okay to sever someone's spine and commit second-degree murder.

And yes, that person may have done wrong things in the past, but that is immaterial to the FACTS AT HAND FOR THIS SPECIFIC EVENT. Resorting to ad hominem attacks in order to justify second-degree murder is pathetic. You should know this if you're intelligent by any measure, so cut it out. You know what the issues and problems are, so stop it.

Not all cops are bad people; however, cops ARE human and, as you might expect, some cops AREN'T good cops OR good people. Some of them do not deserve to wear the badge. Get rid of them so we have the police forces we respect. Don't let bad apples spoil the entire barrel or taint your reputations.

It's NOT OKAY to call for violence against cops. 

It's OKAY to expect that law enforcement officers are held to a higher standard, and that they see their community (and all the people in it) as partners with them, rather than adversaries. Until this happens, you will continue to see incidents such as what happened in Ferguson and Baltimore happen over and over again. Treat the underlying cause, and not merely the symptoms. This is simple and common sense -- why don't some people understand it?

The police must get rid of the bad apples, stop protecting those who break the law (a uniform does not excuse lawbreakers), and get rid of the fabled 'blue wall of silence.' Otherwise, the police will eventually become no less than a gang of civil servants who believe they are, themselves, ABOVE the law.

Bad cops give good cops a bad name, and bad cops make it difficult for civilians to trust the very people who are expected to protect and serve their communities. In turn, when the public distrusts the police, then that makes the police officers' jobs that much more difficult. Police officers, the public is NOT your enemy. Most of us are silly, stupid assholes who fuck up, but mean no harm. It's okay to show your humanity, in other words.

Interpersonal communication is essential in all interactions, but especially when it involves people in the position of authority or uniform. And hey, without the public being stupid or people committing crimes, you wouldn't have a job. Just remember that you are not the Hand of God and you are not the judge, jury, and executioner out on the job. It's not okay to commit second-degree murder, whether you're in uniform or out of it.

Not all protestors are bad people (nor are they all on welfare or unemployed). If not for protesters throughout history, your asses wouldn't have some civil rights or protections you enjoy so much today. THINK ABOUT IT!

Not all people who are at a protest (or uprising) are there for the protest; some are criminals or opportunity seekers hoping to loot, damage, or burn. Don't trash the protest or protestors completely because of bad apples who also show up.

All races have protested -- white, black, Hispanic, etc. Protesters are not automatically 'thugs' or troublemakers because they protest. If you think this, then perhaps this country's forefathers were 'thugs.' I mean, they protested, fought, and went against the authorities of the day to FOUND this country.

Example: I protested against Westboro Baptist Church years ago here in the Springs when they came to town. I'm NOT a thug or a criminal, and I used to work in a police department. I have several friends who are law enforcement officers.

Do not paint everyone with a broad brush as if the entire situation is cut and dried.

Now, what do some of you not understand about any of this? It seems pretty clear to me.

Do the right thing. If you don't, this country will continue to suffer in a myriad of ways in relation to this issue.

[Guest Post] The War for Protest

This week I'm pleased to feature a guest blog from Jonathan Porter, a writer and editor based in Chicago, Illinois. He's also my son. I'm proud of him and excited to share his work. Please visit and follow his blog at https://jonathanporter.squarespace.com/blog/

The War for Protest

by Jonathan Porter

Last night, en route to an early morning encore of The Daily Show, I watched a city burn and smolder, and knowing now how it all came to pass, I can only feel sadness. Sadness for a community and generation that mistakes peace for inaction. Sadness for a society so insulated and paranoid that militarizing local law enforcement is touted as progressive. And sad for a culture that champions its witch hunt of bigoted language but still succumbs to closeted, hegemonic paternalism when mired in racial controversy.

But above all, I grieve for Michael Brown's parents. For their loss, and their (so far) unattainable single wish: peace. Despite a string of non-violence pleas from Michael Brown Sr. and Lesley McSpadden as well as a steady media narrative that condemned any act of looting or violence as counter-productive and disrespectful, the Ferguson saga always seemed like a racial crucible destined to boil over. This has to at least be the thinking of St. Louis County Chief of Police, Jon Belmar, who, when asked to assess the preparedness of his agency, implied that no amount of preparation could contend with a community hell-bent on tearing itself apart.

No one will contend that the Ferguson protests have been 100% diplomatic, but unilaterally characterizing every protestor as an unreasonable anarchist is symptomatic of the apathy that continues to erode the deep rift between Ferguson's white-washed law enforcement and its predominantly black populace. Belmar expressed disappointment when the first fires were lit Monday night and the St. Louis County police have taken that one step further on Tuesday by prohibiting all forms of protest or assembly along West Florissant Avenue and near Ferguson police headquarters.

The Ferguson police contend that the forced dismissal of protestors is a necessary action needed to prevent further arrests, injuries and property damage, and unfortunately they're right. Despite possessing what I classify as the moral high ground, the majority of peaceful Ferguson protests have been undermined by sporadic shootings, looting, assaults, arson and death threats. Those that have wept for Michael Brown were emboldened tonight by spontaneous protests in more urbane, racial diverse and progressive metropolises like NYC, Philly and LA but the decisive battleground for racial equality remains in the heart of the nation.

The Ferguson protests have been bookended by disheartening violence and have raised real concerns about its core leadership despite coming off an atypically peaceful October, but one constant has rightfully attracted the ire of Ferguson's citizens and that is local law enforcement's unrelenting apologist campaign to absolve itself of any responsibility. This near four-month saga is the equivalent of absolutely irate person being sequestered by a steady stream of "I'm just doing my job." When I see reports from Ferguson, I see citizens having their right to assemble unabashedly stripped away from them under the guise of civil protection. When law enforcement starts disassociating the ideology behind public action, they become better at indiscriminately suppressing perceived threats but they also risk viewing their fellow man as a collection of hazards that need to be suppressed.

Honestly, I think we're past risking that. If you turn on the news, it looks like Missouri is being invaded by another country. There are manned armored vehicles patrolling assembly areas and police officers armed with military-grade weaponry. The reason: to bring peace to a public afraid of the police shooting them. The militarization of local law enforcement is an undeniable national trend and a surprising blemish on the already-well-tarnished Obama administration. This, the recent revelations of Edward Snowden and Project PRISM and the booming growth of the prison industry have bred even more distrust of law enforcement in America -- the place that gave the world this:

It's the responsibility of local law enforcement to ensure order but it's also their prerogative to facilitate a society befitting the needs of its people and, right now, the peaceful Ferguson protestors need to be demonstrative and exorcise their repressed dissatisfaction with those charged to serve and protect. I wasn't on Canfield Drive when Michael Brown was shot. I don't know if he reached for Darren Wilson's gun or if Brown charged him after initially fleeing. I don't know if twelve rounds was way too many or just enough. All I know is what I see, and that is an embattled public looking for justice and transparency from their law enforcement. On the opposite end, I see a police force that sees its heartbroken masses as lunatics looking to start a few fires and ransack some convenience stores. If those actions were all we saw, that would be one thing; but they're not. Ferguson's protest nucleus may not be able to completely curtail the anarchistic whims of those on the fringe but their leadership structure and message are clear. Across the nation, people are walking in unison, galvanized by their fear of law enforcement without restraint and fueled by prejudice. The grand irony though - and perhaps our nation's biggest failing tonight - is that they're marching everywhere, except in Ferguson. Reading Darren Wilson liken an already-twice-shot Michael Brown to something between Hulk Hogan and a feral animal, it's hard not to suspect Mr. Brown is dead because of deep-rooted racial fear, but it's our national prerogative to prevent this from being the dying ground of protest and new ideas. Ferguson police officials in the press spent their air time condemning the needless and irresponsible destruction of local small businesses. There's no need ruining the dreams and livelihoods of your fellow residents just because the law didn't break your way. While the burning of businesses is undue and reckless, they are just brick and mortar and no insurance company is going to risk the potential PR clusterfuck of harassing a small business owner from Ferguson, Missouri over a policy pay-out. Peoples livelihoods are being compromised but it's not because someone decided to lob a Molotov cocktail into a Nissan dealership. Not once has the Ferguson police department offered their sympathies or demonstrated their understanding following Officer Wilson's full exoneration. Not once have they offered to reveal their criminal apprehension and training protocol to the public, or offer to reform it. Instead, Ferguson PD has systemically restricted core civic rights and demonized the public for labeling their actions as anything less than heroic pragmatism. These people need to have their voices heard. Ferguson and St. Louis County police should leap at the opportunity to listen to the concerns of the protest's core leadership while continuing to arrest the citizens whom are actually vandalizing, assailing, stealing and incinerating. It's not a hard distinction to make. All it takes is a little empathy and discernment. Ferguson PD may be too entrenched in the protocols of ass coverage to ever see the light and, as a result, these protests could go on for weeks while the specter of police state becomes more firmly embedded in the American psyche.

* * *

Here's to the safety of the peaceful Ferguson demonstrators and those that have lost loved ones to gun violence. Here's hoping Ferguson PD apprehends all truly violent and dangerous offenders. But mostly, here's to ideas and protest, not as tools of dissension, but as keys to sustained growth, prosperity and social harmony.