Please don't give me too many donuts. And Kos, please don't ban me! For the record, I am 100% against what the policemen in Ferguson have been doing. I've been watching MSNBC the past 2 nights in horror as these policemen appear to have been itching to try out their new anti-riot/all-out-war toys against unarmed innocent African Americans (and journalists). I'm also in agreement with Kos on the Ferguson cops continually fucking up by performing yet another bonehead maneuver in releasing the names of the looters.
I'm also going to say that this cop that shot and killed an unarmed man should be arrested, jailed, and tried for his crimes. I have no sympathy for him in this regard as the evidence against him is becoming very obvious. The unnecessary grief of Michael Brown's family and friends, let alone the unmitigated terror and fear they are currently undergoing is also horrific.
With all that being said, I simply cannot condone going after the cop by releasing his name publicly. And again, it's not that I think he deserves any less scrutiny or justice. I firmly believe he will receive justice in due time. I just have a difficult time swallowing the tit-for-tat rationale of returning the favor to terrorize him and especially his family as a consequence. Even if I were to believe he may deserve similar terror that he has catalyzed on all the family and friends of Michael Brown, let alone the rest of the African American citizens of Ferguson (and yes, a big part of me does feel this way), I am not one who believes in the so-called eye for an eye reciprocation justice. What's more, and perhaps most importantly, his family members most certainly do not deserve this terror, though it's likely going to come their way regardless.
I'm sorry if my disagreement offends anyone here, and I hope no one misconstrues my point on this. I often tend to put myself in people's shoes, including my enemies, to see if I can somehow gain a bit of perspective on them. I can see this cop sitting at home having numerous "Oh Shit!" moments while watching TV and knowing everyone in the freaking country will be coming for him very soon. And while he likely may have that justified terror seaping through his veins, my empathy of his terror over what may become of his family members is also present. It's the same empathy I have for any innocent persons out there, including those who've been in the streets peacefully protesting as well as family, children, and innocent bystanders caught in the middle of the police war-like tactics. I just don't think calling for his blood, which will inevitably be spilled eventually, and by proxy his family's blood, is good for anyone. He will have to answer for his crimes - I just don't think he and especially his family needs to answer to the threat of the entire country coming for them.
Update: A common argument that I'm seeing in the comments is that police authorities should not receive any special treatment and should not receive a separate class of justice. It's hard for me to disagree with this sentiment, and I think that's a valid concern. Someone also posted that by not outing him it may potentially be making the situation worse by making all cops suspect. Again I think that's a valid concern.
My strong hunch is Internal Affairs is receiving extremely heavy pressure to review the situation with close scrutiny, and will likely come out soon to charge the cop with a crime. My concern is that this is indeed a special situation, one that needs to be carefully considered. Because if he and his family were to be outed, if his residence was to be given out to the public - what do you think is the likely scenario? What is the probability that his life and especially his family's lives (they are innocent, by the way), could be put in serious jeopardy as a consequence?
Will that really help this situation much? Again, I respectfully disagree with that.