It's time to stop talking about which celebrity got a haircut and which new mother named her baby after a weather condition. We can make a difference. Our words matter, so let's use them to spark something GOOD... keep reading...

If you’re like me, you probably spend a few hours a day (or more) on social media. With all of the obnoxious ads, click through links, and shameless self-promotion I see every time I open Facebook, I tend to stick with Twitter. 

Twitter has always been my favorite social media platform because it allows me to control my experience. I choose the people I want to follow, the hashtags I search, the people I block (or mute). With the exception of the occasional promoted tweet, my Twitter feed is nothing more than exactly what I’ve signed up to see. 

One of my favorite things about Twitter is the ability to create lists. Name your list, add the handles of the accounts you want included on the feed and you’re done. Immediately, you have access to a stream of breaking news, pop culture, exclusively sisters’ tweets, celebrity conversations; you name it, you can create it. 

One day last week, I was scrolling through the Twitter list I'd created that contained some of my favorite Twitter personalities, when my eyes skimmed over something that had been  retweeted: “@mletterle: At this point #Ferguson should be pissing everyone off. White, black, right and left. If you’re not upset, you’re not paying attention.” 

Not having any idea what “ #Ferguson” meant, I clicked through the hashtag and started exploring. I couldn’t believe the things I found. 

I hadn’t heard about any of this. Nothing was on the news, nothing had been shared to my Facebook (which as of lately has been my main source of news), yet there it was; what seemed to be the start of a revolution unfolding on Twitter. Millions of fiery tweets all connected through one hashtag and eight letters. 

My next swipe down brought a photoset to my attention.  Tweeted from @theblogpirate’s page, the caption read, “Be aware. What you are seeing, isn’t Middle East. This is United States, a War Zone in little city #Ferguson.” 

The tweet contained four photos, each overpowered by gigantic clouds of smoke (engulfing those in its way), heavily armed policemen holding what appeared to be military grade weapons while standing in front of bullet proof vehicles, and an otherwise average looking street.

I continued looking for information. 

Naturally, I turned to mass media giants such as CNN and FOX News. Surprisingly, I found little to no information on the insane situation I was reading about in Ferguson. 

Back to Twitter I went. 

For hours I scrolled through #Ferguson only fueling my anger more. I was surprised to see that nearly no one I followed was talking about the miniature warzone. 

Was it really that unknown at the time it was all unfolding? Were the media trying to pretend it wasn’t going on? Was this all supposed to blow over? 

Photos of rubber bullet wounds and protestors (including children) who had been tear gassed, angry tweets from journalists and locals about unlawful arrests combined with police brutality, videos of cops yelling derogatory things to protestors… it was chaos. Rights were being violated, though, and that was clear to see. 

However, it remained unclear to me whether or not the protest turned into a riot as a reaction to police force, or if the use of force was in response to the protest turning violent. 

One thing was evident: it all began as a protest seeking justice for the killing of 18 year old Michael Brown. 

Knowing how clueless I was on the matter and how little of my friends were discussing Ferguson over the Ice Bucket Challenge, I decided to summarize the situation in Ferguson as best I could. 

6 Things You Should Know About What is Happening in Ferguson, Missouri: 

1. Who was Michael Brown? Michael Brown was an 18-year-old black male who was shot and killed by a police officer on August 9th, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. 

2. Why was Michael Brown shot? Brown and friend Dorian Johnson were stopped for jaywalking by Officer Darren Wilson. It is unclear as to what happened next. While the officer’s testimony and witness accounts do not match up, St. Louis County Police Chief Joe Belmar stated that Brown struggled with the officer over his weapon and physically assaulted him prior to the shooting. Lines remain blurred on whether or not the officer acted out of self-defense. However, Brown was not armed, and witnesses claim he held his hands up in surrender. 

3. Who shot Michael Brown? Officer Darren Wilson shot and ultimately killed Michael Brown. Wilson has been a police officer for six years with no disciplinary action on his record, according to Belmar. The name of the officer was not released until Friday, Aug. 15, six days after the shooting, which further enticed anger and unrest in Ferguson. The officer is on paid administrative leave.

4. Is the death of Michael Brown being investigated? Yes. As the St. Louis County police department conducts its own criminal investigation, President Obama has ordered the FBI to conduct a civil rights investigation. Obama has also ordered US Attorney General Eric Holder to personally oversee the investigation into Michael Brown’s death. 

5. What are the results of Michael Brown’s autopsy? “There was no evidence of a struggle,” said high-profile forensic pathologist Michael Baden, who performed the second autopsy on Brown’s body. What is clear, however, is that Brown sustained at least six gunshot wounds, two of those to the head. One bullet entered the top of Brown’s skull, suggesting that his head was bent forward as the shot struck him. This could suggest that Brown was surrendering, or held his head down as he charged the officer. According to Baden, the shots did not appear to be fired from close range, as there was no gunpowder present on the body. It is not clear if Brown’s hands were up or not. More details are needed and are being actively pursued. 

6. What’s currently happening in Ferguson, Missouri?  Following the shooting of Michael Brown, Ferguson residents took to the streets to demand justice for the young man’s death. The protests have ranged from essentially festive, calm, and peaceful, to extremely hostile. The worst night of violence in a week struck the city Sunday night, as armed riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets into a crowd marching towards police. Protestors threw back tear gas canisters, rocks, and Molotov cocktails (makeshift bombs) at police. All the while, police respond to reports of multiple shootings and the looting of local businesses. 

“We will not allow vandals, criminal elements to impact the safety and security of this community,” 

Highway Patrol Capt. Ronald S. Johnson said in a press conference earlier in the week. Johnson blamed the rioting on outside agitators and vowed to maintain order. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and set a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m., but violence, rioting, and looting of local businesses continued into the night. 

As a result of Sunday night’s violence, Nixon was prompted to deploy the National Guard in order to help keep the peace and rein in violent rioters. President Obama stated on Monday that the “vast majority” of people are protesting peacefully while a “small minority” are acting criminally. 

“While I understand the passions and anger that arise over the death of Michael Brown, giving into that anger by looting or carrying guns and even attacking the police only serves to raise tensions and stir chaos,” said Obama. “It undermines rather than advancing justice.”   

The situation in Ferguson shows no signs of ending, with tensions still high and riots as well as protests continuing. I hope all of you will educate yourselves, form an opinion, and talk about this situation with others. Feel free to comment below, too.   

It is impossible for me to cover all of the Ferguson related news in just one post, but I urge you to ask your own questions and conduct your own research.   

What was the racial tension in Ferguson like before Michael Brown? How is the black community represented in Ferguson’s government? How many people are enticing riots vs. how many people are begging for lawful and peaceful protests? Are the cops justified in their use of force? How have police handled all of this? How has our government handled all of this?   

Keep up with what is happening in Ferguson every minute by checking the hashtag on Twitter. Feel free to tweet me your thoughts or engage in conversation with me over Twitter. I'm really interested to hear what people think about this:  @asapjenn

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