- Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Reportedly, at the time of his death Michael Brown was walking in the middle of the street, imperiling his safety and impeding traffic. Police Officer Darren Wilson, sitting in a patrol car, told him to get out of the street. Mr. Brown is said to have gone over to the patrol car and challenged Officer Wilson.

Envision yourself sitting in the driver’s seat of your car as a 6-foot-4, 292-pound person comes over and reaches inside your vehicle. Where are you going to go? If necessary, how are you going to defend yourself?

The end result in this case was the death of Mr. Brown and the clearing of Officer Wilson by a grand jury (“Ferguson erupts: Officer Darren Wilson cleared in Michael Brown shooting death,” Web, Nov. 24).

What if Mr. Brown had obeyed fully the Commandment “Thou shalt honor your parents,” a directive that extends into honoring civil law and authority? What if the citizens of Ferguson had obeyed the Commandment “Thou shalt not steal,” which includes the admonition against destruction of others’ property and livelihoods?

The pushing aside of the Ten Commandments — that roadmap on how to behave — into virtual oblivion has been a great disservice to our nation, students, parents, teachers, civil authority and everyone else.

TOM PIERPOINT

Woodbridge, Va.

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