Kats’ Korner: Has This Country Changed?

This country is changing, or is it? As I watch the events play out from one day to the next in Ferguson, Missouri, I wonder if things have changed.

The National Guard has been sent to assist with the civil unrest in Ferguson, MO. The National Guard has been called up many times over the years for such situations.

One of the most controversial of times was in 1957. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called on the troops to block nine black students from attending the Little Rock Central High School. The nine black students were treated very badly by the white students, who spit on them and taunted them when they attended school. It took an action of President Eisenhower to stop such actions. He sent more than 1,000 troops to the school to comply with court-ordered integration.

In a more recent event, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the National Guard was called upon to assist law enforcement in an attempt to prevent crimes occurring after such a horrific act of mother nature. 1.833 deaths were reported from the storm, which created looting and violence in New Orleans. The National Guard was on every block to prevent further criminal actions until all were safe.

There have been many instances over many, many years where an event has caused civil unrest, requiring more agencies to come to the aid of those in need, providing the security necessary so more violence does not occur.

I don’t know if this will help those in Ferguson, MO. I have heard there are people from other communities involved in the protesting. Whether that is true or not, I don’t know.

What will it take to stop this? Those in the charge need to get to the bottom of the situation. I think this is taking too long. Or, they are not releasing all of the facts yet.

We do know the deceased was shot six times. Prior to the shooting, he had apparently stolen cigars from a store and had an apparent altercation with the police officer in question. The victim, according to the autopsy results, had been shot six times.

I find the number six a bit outrageous. Why would a police officer shoot someone six times?

We don’t have all the answers. I hope more information is provided soon. The victim’s family needs closure, and maybe more will happen for them. That is unknown at this time.

But, at the end of the day, has this country changed or not?

Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.