Even if Darren Wilson is indicted, will that bring peace to Ferguson?

Today, the grand jury began hearing evidence on whether or not to charge Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson with fatally shooting Michael Brown.

The grand jury will meet every Wednesday and will serve a three to four month term.

According to St. Louis Post Dispatch, county prosecutor Bob McCullough said the decision could take up to two months and that the “target is mid-October.”

The Washington Post outlined information on how the grand jury will proceed:

The county prosecutor will present evidence from the investigation of the shooting to the jury, which will determine whether Wilson should be indicted on any criminal charges, including homicide.
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The county prosecutor has not said whether he will call witnesses. But legal experts say that it is likely and that the jury may eventually hear from Wilson. He may be considered a powerful witness — juries have a track record of wanting to believe police.

Peace To Ferguson?

Wednesday night will make the 12th night of civil unrest in a St. Louis suburb that seeks justice for Michael Brown, who was unarmed when he shot and killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.

While authorities attempt to restore order in Ferguson, commentators believe it will take much more than an indictment to restore peace in a town that has a long history of police misconduct.

In a story on slate entitled Why the Fires in Ferguson Won’t End Soon, writer Jamelle Bougie documents the long history of frustration of police conduct in Ferguson.

In 2009, a man was wrongly arrested, beaten by police, and subsequently charged for bleeding on their uniforms.

More than 10 years ago, in 2000, a man was shot and killed by Ferguson police.  A story that has conveniently been swept under the rug by Ferguson police who said the man supposedly shot first.  Everyone or at least, every black person can recall an incident in Ferguson. Everyone can attest to friends and relatives who have been harassed, assaulted, or worse by the police.

As writer Jamelle Bouie put it:

This abuse is so ubiquitous that the shooting of Michael Brown might seem like static against a backdrop of awfulness. But even for the area, Brown’s death was brutal. Which is why—in an otherwise quiet town in an otherwise quiet area—we’re dealing with an explosive fire that shows no signs of ending.

It is evident the people of Ferguson are tired, and quite frankly America is too.