I don’t want to sound too hopey (probably hokey as well) but, being an optimist, the fact that we’re all bitching about this is some progress. We need to turn this into action, but it’s always been too easy for this country to just go on and ignore what happened, and it’s not getting to happen right now.

The protesters in Ferguson are way braver people than I am, and I want to give them whatever props I can for doing what they are doing.

Now, it will be pointless if what happened to Brown and to others, and what didn’t happen to Wilson, just bleeds into everyday events. What would really be nice is if there was a party that could mobilize people around this, but that will have to happen from the ground up.

I’m publishing this even though it doesn’t quite carry the sadness of Brown getting killed they way I want to try to convey it.