The Oshkosh Independent!

Oshkosh has a new online newspaper that I believe is relevant, dynamic, and so important for Oshkosh's autonomy. If you were a fan of the Oshkosh Scene (which is now the Fox Valley Scene), then you'll be a fan of the Oshkosh Independent.

Many of the same writers we found in the Oshkosh Scene are present in OI.  Just like the Oshkosh Scene, you can find "Diversity Matters" in the OI.

This month, I strayed away from my typical article concept of writing about Oshkosh being careful to not entertain too much of my own opinion. That would not describe my first article for this publication.

Check out ..... "Ferguson: Your Questions, My Answers" and let me know what you think.

Its not about a death - its about continued injustice

In the last few months I hear my friends asking why there is a need to protest the deaths of criminals. You guessed it, these conversations usually revolved around the protests in Ferguson, MO, New York City, Columbus, OH, and Cleveland, OH. Yes, again, these friends are white.

The Washington Post had a great article last week: The Many Faces of Rage. There are some key points I'd like to pull out of it. No, they will probably not change my friend's minds, but it may help others understand what is happening here.

First, an important point ..... these protests are not about 1 death. The deaths that are tied to the protests are just straws .... straws that have broken on the camel's back. They are the boiling point. 

Within the article, there was a video that I'd like to share with you. Please watch and then share your insight, opinions, or point of view.

If for some reason the video does not come up on its own, please use this link:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/national/brotherspeak-exploring-rage-after-ferguson/2014/12/12/1338d1ac-8223-11e4-b936-f3afab0155a7_video.html

Words and Actions Make a Difference

We've all seen the footage on CNN and USAToday - violent protests in Ferguson after the reading of the Grand Jury decision last night. The headlines today read:

The latest from the Ferguson fallout (USAToday)
Missouri governor boosts National Guard presence (USAToday)Streets of Ferguson Smolder (CNN)

All of them centered on the violence in the streets of Ferguson. Not one of them talking about the 700 non-violent protesters that were also on the streets last night. 

Do you remember hearing about PumpkinFest in Keene, NH? It was in the headlines for a total of five hours. Here is a summary from Sally Kohn (When White People Riot), 

"In mid-October, during the annual Pumpkin Festival in the small New England town of Keene, New Hampshire, some white college kids apparently had too much to drink and turned violent. They were hurling broken glass and rocks at police (as well as, apparently, pumpkins). At least a dozen people were arrested and 30 injured, with 20 taken to area hospitals. The troublemakers seemed to revel in the chaos and damage they caused, with one telling a local newspaper, "It's just like a rush. You're revolting from the cops. It's a blast to do things that you're not supposed to do."" 

Do you remember hearing about Morgantown, WV? It didn't even make the headlines in any of the main news agencies. Here is a summary from the Mountaineer News Service (How WVU’s couch-burning tradition spawned riots):  

"In the hours after West Virginia University’s football team beat the University of Texas Oct. 6, more than 1,000 students filled the streets of Morgantown, toppling a light pole and setting fires to the pole and nearby cars. Approximately 40 fires blazed that night and when the firefighters and police arrived to quell them, students threw rocks and beer bottles at them. Police eventually had to use riot gear and pepper-spray to break up the mob."

So, what's the difference between the Ferguson riots and the other two riots? The effects of media scrutiny and over-reacting police force ..... and race. Ms. Kohn noted that the National Gaurd was not called to Morgantown, nor was there a state of emergency declared. The city is, "considering a law to ban upholstered furniture from outdoor areas, since the "tradition" of setting fire to couches apparently fueled the protests."  She goes on to say .... "Could you imagine a news story about a black community with a "tradition" of burning couches? The media would be pointing out how they're "destroying their own community" and the right would make assertions about black people not deserving public assistance." 

Instead of vilifying the protesters in Ferguson, maybe we, as a nation, need to start looking at the words and the actions we use to control others. Maybe the problem is deeper than a grand jury not indicting a police officer. 

But then, to admit that would mean we would have to change.