I have not followed this episode closely at all. As such I am unable to sit in judgment on this tragedy in any way. Whatever the culpability of each party, it is irrelevant but in my mind it offers some confirmatory views of American race relations in particular and American societal values in general.

Before the rioting a few weeks ago in Ferguson Missouri, I, like countless other people in the world, had never heard of the place. The closest that I had ever come to knowing a Ferguson was Road Running with the grand old running stalwart by the name of Alan Ferguson in his Joburg Harriers vest. But that is a story for another day.

Main picture: An alternative view from the other side of the fence

A cardinal or pivotal issue in my mind was the use of deadly force by a police officer. Not being au fait with the details and hence whether the Officer was impelled to use deadly force in order to subdue an assailant, I cannot comment. From a perspective of continent away, as an American the right to bear arms is an article of faith and a God-given right. In comparison with its use whether by police officials or members of the public it is much more prolific in the US than any other English speaking or even any European Country.

Rioting on day 6 of Ferguson Missouri rioting

With its strangle-hold over national politics especially the right wing of the Republican Party, the National Rifle Association bears an influence out of all proportion to its membership. America has the dubious distinction of not only possessing the most number of privately owned guns in the world but also the converse; the most deaths through its use.

The defenders of the right to own guns might argue that it is not the gun per se that kills but rather the user thereof. That might well be true but the point is both moot and trite. In the absence of a gun especially in a domestic situation, the magnitude of any injury is unlikely to be life threatening in most situations.

An unflattering image of Michael Brown used in disparaging articles

Contrary to the claims of the gun advocates that it can be used to protect oneself, I contend that when it is required it is either too dangerous to use it or alternatively one is surprised and hence is unable to use it.

A personal experience will illuminate this dilemma. In the year 2000 while I was away hiking over the weekend, his wife suffered a most disturbing and terrifying experience; one that I was quite pleased not to have endured.

With a huge crashing of glass, a garden chair was thrown through the main lounge window. As Janine came through from her parent’s side of the house, she was confronted by a black assailant. Fortunately only the electronic goods such as TVs were stolen and nobody was hurt but this incident did have one severe side-effect on Janine apart from the trauma of the event: a burning desire to possess the wherewithal to protect her family. That protective instinct translated itself into owning a gun.

An example of inappropriate images being distributed

Having handling various weapons whilst in the Army, I was extremely wary of them. A clearly distraught Janine would not listen to reason. It was a gun or the marriage. Reason would not prevail. The risks of having a gun on the property or the fact that it would anyway have been in the gun safe which would have been on our side of the house made no impression on a mind clearly intent on its purchase. Even my impassioned pleas for reason, inflamed rather than subdued the debate. So it was a gun and not a divorce order that I opted for.

In order to have it handy at night –what about the day when a home invasion was equally as likely – Janine slept with it under her side of the bed. Of course, the effort of placing the revolver in the gun safely in the gun safe during the day rapidly became a chore. The corollary of chores is shortcuts. It this case, the gun was left under the bed all day. Ultimately the maid had to move the gun in order to clean the room. The fact that the maid was aware that we owned a gun made us not a less likely target for a burglary but in all likelihood a prime target.

If this was your child, would you not be the one demonstrating with a placard?

Ultimately the inevitable happened. After having acquired a gun licence with a maximum of a two dozen shots fired to her credit, she accidently fired the gun. The bullet struck the bed where I would have been sleeping if I had been in bed. Perhaps Janine was using my pillow as target practice in frustration but I am unable to substantiate that supposition.

In short order Janine realised the dangers of possessing a gun and rapidly disposed of it.

This incident once again reinforced my viewpoint that the ownership of guns should be restricted.

An example of inflammory “comment”

The gung-ho attitude to guns in America has resulted in needless suffering to countless millions. It is not just the victim who suffers but the family especially when the shot results in paralysis or disabling injuries.

The second issue relates to race relations in the USA. Due to the experience based on centuries of ill-treatment by whites and the law enforcement officials in general, there is a natural tendency to automatically blame the white police office if they kill a black.

This fact is also abused by the black racists in the USA to their own advantage. One such egregious abuser of the Race Card is none other than the Reverend Sharpton. In this case, the said Sharpton is embroiled in the controversy. The initial response of the black community was that an innocent black youth was wantonly killed without provocation while peacefully out shopping naturally inflamed racial tensions within the community.

Michael Brown caught on CCTV video footage

When video footage revealed that in fact this youth was not the innocent shopper that he was alleged to be, what Al Sharpton’s riposte was? “The only reason why incriminating footage is being shown is to denigrate the victim.”

What convoluted logic? Do not show incriminating footage if the victim is black!

In certain quarters the black reaction with its rioting and civil disruption is contrasted with the white reaction when OJ Simpson was found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson. The whites might have grumbled about prejudice but there were no incidents of rioting.

Al Sharpton

Perhaps outward appearances of black or white dissatisfaction with the course of events make them comparable but that is a facile viewpoint. If the whites in America had experienced thousands of incidents where black perpetrators of violence against whites had not been convicted, there would surely have been a violent white backlash. Similarly the intense distrust by the Irish of the English was bred by generations of ill-treatment by the British.

In society like in relationships, it is never an arbitrary event but a sustained series of events which creates the resentment. For example an annual drinking binge will not elicit the same response from one’s spouse as a daily or weekly drinking binge. With the trust factor absent in American race relations, all such incidents will enrage the black community and reinforce their long-held belief that black lives in the US have no value.

In the resulting tumult, the actual facts of the case are disregarded and the issue immediately becomes a race issue. In this case, I am not sufficiently conversant with the facts to be made a pronouncement or culpability. More importantly perhaps is whether the use of deadly force was appropriate in this instance. Is the use of one’s weapon in non-life threatening situations tolerated or condoned by a gun-loving society?

In all such similar cases, the acid test that I apply is: what would I feel if it was my child. Even if my children had been guilty of robbing a store would the use of live ammunition to apprehend them be comparable with the crime? In all instances no or at least very seldom in the affirmative!

The combustible mix of fragile race relations and a gung-ho overzealous use of the gun as the deterrent of first choice will always result in tragedies such as Ferguson Missouri.

Police sharpshooter at Ferguson’s protests

In contrast the British Constabulary epitomises in my mind what the modus operandi of a first world police force should be.

Until such time as American society views guns not as a protection but as a curse to be eradicated and amends the Operating Procedures for the use of deadly force more stringent and restrictive, unwelcome incidents such as this and the Columbine High School Massacre will continue to haunt the USA.