Tribute to Michael Brown

It's only an hour after Thanksgiving, but it should be enough time for people not to become quickly offended with what I have to say and what I have to say is very important. To those who don't know me and do know me this may come to a surprise to you, but I only hope that your eyes will be open to the injustices that are happening - none of which have only happened lately but have been happening and we have overlooked it.

I am an advocate for all people, no matter their religion or race, their sex or who they love; I support all people. 

After my school was visited by the Rachel's Challenge foundation four years ago, I have been an advocate for all people and to not judge a person by what our society would label them as. Because of this, I thank Rachel Scott and her family for spreading her message, touching the lives of thousands to teach the new generations of children to not hold hate in their hearts if a person is not what society approves them as. Rachel Scott is a spokesperson for love and life and I hold her ethics close to my heart, so it hurts me when my country is spitting on her memory.

No doubt many of you have heard of the death of Michael Brown by the officer of the Ferguson police force Darren D. Wilson, but if you have not I pray that you do so that you may understand my pain and the pain of many others. Michael Brown was an innocent person. An innocent person! I stress this because the man who took his life killed him out of injustice and because of the color of his skin. Darren D. Wilson was charged to serve and protect the people of the United States, and he abused that power by shooting Michael Brown six times even though his hands were up in surrender.

I had heard of what happened and the protesting in the beginning of August, just when school was starting, and kept up with the story, but on Tuesday, November 25, 2014, I heard very disturbing news. For over 100 days, a grand jury got together to look at the evidence of Michael Browns death. 100 days passed, and Tuesday night at 9 p.m. they were scheduled to give their verdict on Darren D. Wilson, and what they said shattered not only my heart, but also the hearts of the people of Ferguson, America, and possibly the world. The grand jury of St. Louise, Missouri ruled that officer Darren D. Wilson, the officer and man who shot and killed 18 year old honor student Michael Brown would not be indicted for the murder of Michael Brown.

How is this possible? How could this have possibly happen? How were these people going to let Michael Brown's killer walk loose after several eye witnesses saw him kill Michael Brown?

Those who don't live in the United States and/or possibly see this injustice every day should understand; the United States may not have started on it, but it was built to give justice to the people, to serve the people, to give people hope and human rights. We see people protesting against the removal of the second amendment that gives the people the right to bear arms (guns), we see protests against against our President Barack Obama, we see protests against abortion, but when the people of America protest because of the death of an innocent, police officers suddenly arm themselves as if they are going to war and shoot tear gas and rubber bullets at unarmed innocent people. Here in the United States we are given the right to protest and the freedom of speech, but when the people are attacked for exercising those rights, people have to see that there's something wrong going on.

And do any of you know what Darren D. Wilson was doing while the grand jury was coming to this decision? Officer Darren D. Wilson was on paid vacation and got married. How messed up! Paid vacation and marriage? Oh, and it doesn't stop there, because Darren D. Wilson was getting paid for interviews. Paid interviews, as if the media didn't mind paying a killer for his side of the story, a story that made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

If given the chance, I would be in Ferguson protesting against this injustice, but I can only give my support and prayers to them and be a small voice among the many that speak out against this. It hurts me because it has been over sixty years since the start of the Civil Rights Movement and African-Americans are still being preyed upon because of the color of their skin, because the KKK is still alive and killing innocent people, because the United States is taking a step back in history and repeating it instead of making it.

The problem is this has been happening for years; police officers killing innocent people and children as if they believe they hold the power to choose who is good or who is bad. So, when you get the chance, hold your loved ones close and share your love for them and know in your hearts that, wherever you are, it's better than the United States, because we're being killed by the people who have sworn to protect us with their lives, we are being killed by the ones we are told over and over again to always trust based off of the color of our skins. Right now, anywhere is better than the United States, the land of the free and home of the brave.

As sad as it truly is to admit it, it's the truth; America is not the greatest country in the world anymore. But, there's a solution; we can learn to eliminate the walls the society has created to separate the people, eliminate the walls of racism and discrimination, eliminate the bonds that tie us down to labels and learn that everyone is one very important thing; a human being. Rachel Scott was right to preach kindness to others, because it's a step, a chain reaction to make the world equal to all people. It's true; nothing has gotten done with just peaceful protesting. And, though this is true, we have to teach the importance of human beings, not based off of their religion or sex or race, but because they are a human being, nothing more and nothing less. This can be achieved, this is a fact because here I am, the end result to seventeen year process of my parents teaching me that everyone is equal and as important as I value myself, that everyone deserves respect and kindness.

This future is possible and it all starts right now with you.