Black Ferguson Residents Protect White-Owned Business...

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There are, from time to time, heartening stories such as the following.

By Kathryn Schroeder - Amid the riots in Ferguson, one white-owned business has not had to close up shop—all thanks to a group of heavily armed black men.

Since the announcement that white police officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted in the shooting of black teenager Michael Brown, the streets of Ferguson have been in an uproar of rioting and looting. Businesses in a 2 square mile area outside of Ferguson have had to close and take measures to protect their property.

The white-owned Conoco gas station has remained open, though, because a group of male black Ferguson residents are keeping guard.

Derrick Johnson, a 6-foot-8 man, held an AR-15 assault rifle as he stood in a pickup truck near the station's convenience store entrance. Three other men joined Johnson, each armed with pistols.


The men said they are protecting the store out of respect for the white owner, Doug Merello, who employed them over the course of several years, reports Inquisitr.

“He’s a nice dude, he’s helped us a lot,” said one of the men who identified himself as R.J.

The men are not being paid by Merello, nor were any of the others that joined them on-and-off since the rioting began.

"We would have been burned to the ground many times over if it weren’t for them,” said Merello.

According to R.J., the men have chased away several groups of teenagers that were rampaging through the area.

Of course the image of any civilian in American having to stand guard over a legitimate business with an AK-15 during rioting caused by racial unrest is troubling and alarming. Isn't it time for a frank and rational discussion about our past as well as our present in regard to race? Understanding and facing the underlying mistrust and fear causing the riots in Ferguson will be essential to getting beyond the current reality with respect to race relations in America.

There are good and honorable black folks as well as good and honorable white folks, and the make up the majority in America. These are the folks that will be the ones to find a way out of the racial tensions that have always been a part of the United States of America. It is time it stops. For that to happen will require building trust between the brothers and sisters of different color.

Are we up to the task? We should all hope so. But much more importantly all Americans of good will must work to make it happen.

More of the article BELOW THE FOLD.

Via: Memeorandum