Rioting is a way of rhetorical communication. Many people feel this is the most effective way to get their point across to their intended audience (Glenn). The rioting in Ferguson erupted after a African-American was shot to death by an officer after being stopped on the street. Dissonance is a blog written about the Ferguson shooting that began August 10th 2014 by an officer involved. There are many different sides and perspectives this situation can be viewed due to race, job title, and personal beliefs. This particular take on this story is from a white police officer from the county over. On August 10th he received a call from his friend Rick stating, “We’ve got to go. They’re rioting in Ferguson.” The officers were not given a large amount of information besides the fact that an African-American was shot by an officer before being asked to show up at these extremely large and violent riots. They soon discovered these crowds were much more than “protestors”.
As readers, we tend to believe who we respect. This blog is a very credible source because it is from an officer who was not only there but involved. He has first hand, detailed information and stories that make you feel like you are there. Being a white officer, he was taking a huge risk standing before this crowd and through his stories you can really hear the fear that was crossing his mind. They put their life in danger by being constantly outnumbered with people and weapons but they stayed for the better of the town and community. Racial slurs and death threats were being thrown at them like they were nothing. These “protestors” went as far as saying things along the lines of raping their wives. By using pathos, we were able to connect with this officer on an emotional level due to the amount of hate and violence being used towards them. The officers, white and black, went through so much during that riot and the news gave them no justice for what they were doing.
This blog was written in a appropriate medium, not coming off too strong but leaving you with an impact. Before reading this I did not take into consideration how hard it was for these officers who had none to little involvement with the initial situation. He leaves us with a very powerful quote at the end that really ties together the entire post.” I am a police officer. I’m not perfect but I’ve never shot anyone. I’ve never used force when it wasn’t called for. I don’t treat people disrespectfully unless they disrespect me first. I’ve never treated anyone differently because of the color of one’s skin, simply the content of their character.” The media portrayed the entire police force to be racist and unjust, but really there were good officers just like this one out there trying to keep our streets safe.
What happened in Ferguson is appalling, and it is simply another chapter in a completely true story on racialized policing. I feel bad for both the officer who had racial slurs yelled at him and the citizens who felt the need to use those slurs. When race becomes a polarized game in a city like that, there’s really no telling how unrest will play out. In Ferguson, it clearly manifested itself into rioting.
I really enjoyed how you touched on the officer’s point of view.
A situation like this is heart breaking. No matter what race you are, if you are living in Ferguson you are being attacked. And there are a lot of good people there. I have not had a chance to know this officer personally so I do not know if he is truly guilt-free, but it is important to know that there are always people who mean well and are doing the right things. I was reading Christina’s comment and it seems like there will have to be some change in the leadership of this city before any meaningful change can happen in Ferguson.
The situation in Ferguson is a difficult one to explain because, as you said earlier, there are numerous opinions depending on each person’s perspective. I appreciated that you immediately explained the blogger’s background as a white police officer because that’s crucial in understanding his perspective. Even if he tries to write as objectively as he can, it is nearly impossible to remain unbiased on a topic like this.
I really liked how this post was written. I think you presented your point clearly and effectively, and you took a stance without necessarily stepping on other people’s toes. I thought it was clever to pull in the police officer’s blog as a means of discussing rhetoric. My only suggestion would be to add another image or two, but altogether I think you wrote a strong post. Nice job!
One of the most interesting things I have learned about the Ferguson case is that in a majority population of 67% black people, only three officers on the police force are black. The city council only has one black member, the police chief is white, and the mayor is also white. Therefore, race does seem to be playing into Ferguson quite astonishingly. Although I understand the white cops point of view you stated, there is no denying that race is involved in this case. The proportion of blacks to whites in the community clearly demonstrates this idea of race as a key factor.