Ferguson

We've rounded up 10 of the best stories to make sure you have the information you need to stay up-to-date.

The Stories You Need To Read As Protests And Controversy Continue

The situation in Ferguson, Missouri has not calmed down since protests started soon after unarmed 18-year old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer on Saturday. We’ve rounded up 10 of the best stories to make sure you have the information you need to stay up-to-date:

1. In Ferguson, The Blurred Line Between Law Enforcement And Combat. “The armed patriots who rode to deliver Nevada Rancher Cliven Bundy from the tyranny of cattle grazing fees will not be seen attempting to rescue Ferguson residents from ‘rubber’ bullets and wooden pellets, from tear gas cannisters lobbed into the front yards of their homes,” writes MSNBC reporter Adam Serwer. “The line between heroic resistance to tyranny and frightening lawlessness begins to look rather like the color line.”

2. 4 Unarmed Black Men Have Been Killed By Police in the Last Month. Michael Brown’s death is not an isolated tragedy. From New York City and LA to Ohio, three other individuals also died under disputed circumstances.

3. How Police In Ferguson Should Have Handled Crowd Control. Police cannot restore the life of Michael Brown, but they can deescalate their standoff with protesters in Ferguson.

4. The Most Outrageous Police Tactics In Ferguson. Overnight Wednesday, a stark picture emerged of residents chanting and screaming as cops treat them as if they were at war.

5. The Racist Housing Policies That Helped Fuel The Anger In Ferguson. St. Louis, the area around Ferguson, is one of the most racially segregated areas in the country.

6. Michael Brown, Police Violence, And Why It’s So Hard For Victims To See Justice. Brown is part of a long and painful trend of black, unarmed men killed by the cops. Why does this keep happening?

7. In Ferguson, Washington Post Reporter Wesley Lowery Gives Account Of His Arrest. Lowery was in a McDonald’s near the protests recharging his electronic devices when officers entered, demanded that he stop recording the encounter, and arrested him and another reporter.

8. How Police Are Keeping Journalists From Doing Their Jobs in Ferguson. In another first person account, two National Journal reporters were threatened with arrest and repeatedly blocked from witnessing demonstrations in Ferguson late Wednesday night.

9. The United States’ Press Freedom Problem Goes Beyond Ferguson. The U.S. isn’t at the top of global press freedom rankings. Ferguson is just one example of why that is.

10. Activists Explain Why The Mike Brown Shooting Is A Feminist Issue. Reproductive justice activists argue that Americans need to connect the dots between police brutality and the black community’s ability to raise families.

BOTTOM LINE: The stories from Ferguson have been horrifying and heartbreaking–an American community that looks like a militarized war zone. We need to find unity, which cannot be attained through violence and separation or through oppression and secrecy. What is needed instead is trust, respect, and cooperation between law enforcement and those they have sworn to serve and protect.

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