RAISING BOTH ARMS IS NOT ALWAYS A SIGN OF SURRENDERING

There are many stories being presented by eye witnesses regarding the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO.  I want to state upfront that some of these stories may be true, but I want to offer another possibility, questioning the reason he might have raised his hands during the confrontation.  I think it is important to point out that I am of the white race.

I part-time teach in my public school system, and I like to teach in the middle and high schools.  In a classroom, I am frequently a witness to bad behavior, creating so much chaos  in the classroom it hinders the good students from being able to learn.  Naïve liberals have a simple solution: blame it on the teacher's inability to control his/her classroom.  Yeah! Sure!  Just make them behave.  No problem!

Back to the point of this blog about hands being raised in any confrontation.  In a classroom setting, I can see with my own eyes when a kid punches another one, throws something across the room, and other mischievous actions, and when I confront them...this is what I have seen numerous times:

The perpetrator will automatically throw up both of their hands and say, "What did I do?"  Somehow, this must be some natural instinct that is supposed to reinforce their innocence.

Back to the Brown case:  One eye witness account of Michael Brown's actions was that he turned toward the cop and said, "What are you going to do...shoot me?"  Did he instinctually throw up both hands as he taunted the cop?  Is it possible that he was trying to be a smart-aleck?

Everybody who has any interest in the Brown shooting case is making unconscious decisions based on their past experiences.  It is a natural phenomenon to be influenced by what has happened in the past.  In fact, it is hard to make any decision without being influenced one way or the other. 

My past experiences make me question why Brown might have raised his hands, if he did so.  However, the justice system is supposed to be absolutely neutral, not contaminated by past experiences, and decisions should be based on facts, and only facts, as to what really happened during the shooting of Michael Brown.