We still need to talk about Ferguson, NYC

I blogged yesterday on my concerns after I heard early Sunday of plans for a "die-in" protest outside Lincoln Financial Field after the Eagles game.

Having spent a lot of years in the 700 level of the Vet, I know what kind of mayhem can ensue as fans pour out of the stadium and jostle to get out of those parking lots.

Fueled by lots of beer, I've seen things turn ugly pretty quickly.

Luckily, those who held the protest at Broad and Pattison, lying down in the street for four minutes, 39 seconds, to commemorate the time that Michael Brown lay in the streets of Ferguson, Mo., after he was fatally shot by a policeman, went off pretty much without incident.

It looks like there were a few words exchanged, but that's about it.

Cooler heads prevailed.

At least there on the ground.

In the cyberworld, that apparently was not the case.

A guidance counselor at Central Bucks West High School, or at least someone using her Facebook account, posted this item on the social media site early Sunday:

"If my child cannot get to the Eagles game due to protesters, I will personally SHOOT every one of them. You've been warned, idiots."

The 37-year-old guidance counselor has been placed on paid administrative leave, and the school district contacted the district attorney's office, which has opened an investigation.

No charges have been filed in the case. It's not entirely clear who made the post.

It's been quite the year so far at CBW, where the final two games of the football season were scrapped in the wake of a hazing scandal involving the team.

I questioned the wisdom of having the "die-in" outside the stadium following the Eagles game. I feared an ugly scene. I'm glad that did not happen.

But I believe in what the message the protesters were trying to deliver.

Reading the Facebook post only reinforces that belief.

America no doubt has come a long way in terms of race relations.

We still have a ways to go.

Comments

Michael J. Smith said…
I for one believe that as an American soldier who has put his own life on the line that the respect for our police force has been decimated to the point that it is irreparably broken. This has only been fueled by the fires flamed by Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Barrack Obama. These people are overlooking the facts and only raising the race issue.