Ferguson

[Content Note: Police brutality; racism; victim-blaming.]

Today, Michael Brown's funeral will take place. The state of emergency declared by Democratic Missouri Governor Jay Nixon remains in place, and police continue to make arrests during protests in the evening, but as the federal investigation proceeds, and the police presence remains strong, the number of protesters has decreased.

Michael Brown, Sr., the father of Michael Brown, has asked that today be a day of silence and peace: "All I want is peace. That's all I ask."

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There have been demonstrations in support of Officer Darren Wilson. They have been routinely described by the media as "peaceful rallies," rather than protests and certainly not riots. On CNN, a white female supporter of Wilson said, "We will no longer live in fear."

If you feel more fearful of black people protesting a killer cop than of the killer cop, you are well and truly fucked.

Anyway. You know what I think about privileged people's manufactured fears.

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In the New York Times, in an article most people will read on the day of his funeral, Michael Brown is described as "no angel."

Michael Brown, 18, due to be buried on Monday, was no angel, with public records and interviews with friends and family revealing both problems and promise in his young life. Shortly before his encounter with Officer Wilson, the police say he was caught on a security camera stealing a box of cigars, pushing the clerk of a convenience store into a display case. He lived in a community that had rough patches, and he dabbled in drugs and alcohol. He had taken to rapping in recent months, producing lyrics that were by turns contemplative and vulgar. He got into at least one scuffle with a neighbor.

No. He was not an angel. He was a human being.

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Finally: I have not been able to find any updates about any investigation into the shooting of Kajieme Powell. If and when I can find anything, I will provide an update.