For people outside the US, the State of Missouri is not a place known to many, let alone a small town named Ferguson. It’s is a small town located in St. Louis County, which has about 20,000 people. The town lives in the shadow of Missouri’s largest city, St. Louis. For the last few weeks, things have changed and Ferguson became the barometer of the fragility of any society, more so that of the American one.
Missouri has been in news since a young African-American, Michael Brown, was shot dead in Ferguson by a cop, Darren Wilson, which led to huge protests. The death of Brown has put the police action in the spotlight.
But, should the police bear the whole burden? The American police is the world’s best and the most well-equipped. Their military arsenal and equipment are stronger than many armies in the world. They are professional and highly respected and most important very polite and courteous in dealing with the public. They are at the same time very disciplined and strict and one is supposed to cooperate with them if ever required. The police force in any case work at times in a very hostile situation and hence will not hesitate to use force when needed.
In this recent incident of protests against police action, tear gas was fired at the crowd, bullets were fired, people were arrested and Missouri State National Guard was deployed.
The lesson that we learned from the riots in Ferguson is that disturbing peace is a red line that should not be crossed.
In other words, the human rights activists in the US would take a break and media such as CNN would not report everything they see. This is the reason many people around the world saw protesters at the door steps of the CNN Hqs. in Atlanta, Georgia.
The other lesson we learned is no society is immune from national disorder even in such democratic country like the US. And the people outside are asking if there is a real social divide and the protests could have spread to other places and other cities in the US. But, the final and most important lesson that we can learn is that the US media and US decision makers should not jump to conclusion when even a similar or even a smaller event happens outside their borders. Each and every country should protect its national interests. It is true that we still don’t know the final details of the investigations in regard to what happened in Ferguson, Missouri, but, events showed if law and order is not restored quickly, things can get out of hand. The beautiful American State of Missouri with its breathtaking plains and Gateway Arch had changed the course of history of the US since its admission to the union, but, a small town like Ferguson can also change the image of the US.
The State of Missouri is seen through many historical events, which not only shaped the course of the American history but the history of the world.. The state was under Spanish rule when Napoleon Bonaparte took over the Louisiana ownership in 1800. Three years later Louisiana became part of the Louisiana Purchase by the US. In 1803, the US paid 4 cents per acre to the French and acquired an area of more than two million square kilometers, thus making Missouri gateway to the west of the American continent.
Missouri’s other notable information include President Harry Truman who was a senator from here, and the Empire of Japan signed the surrender agreement aboard USS Missouri to end WWII. Missouri has had its impact on world science, agricultural and aviation industry.
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