Sarah Kendzior

On Nov. 28, protesters across America boycotted Black Friday retailers to draw attention to police brutality in wake of the death of Michael Brown and the failure to indict the policeman who shot him. Noting that black Americans contribute over a trillion dollars to the US economy yet routinely have their civil rights violated, organizations asked shoppers to stay home so that corporations, and the politicians they often fund, will feel the economic impact. Protesters marched and chanted in shopping malls, staging “die-ins” in which they lay prone in imitation of victims of police shootings.

On Nov. 17, Governor Jay Nixon issued an executive order placing Missouri under a “state of emergency.” The nature of the emergency was unclear. In the order, Nixon cited “the possibility of expanded unrest” and the need to “ensure public safety.” What is less clear is, in Missouri, who is deemed a threat and who in need of protection.

In early November, as rumors spread that the grand jury decision in the case of Darren Wilson was about to be released, Ferguson began to board itself up. Nearly all stores on the small area of West Florissant Avenue that has been the hub of protest activity are boarded, save for Ferguson Burger Bar, a popular restaurant among protesters.

About 25 years ago, when the era of irrational exuberance allowed enough disposable income for irrational anxiety, the concept of “helicopter parenting” arose. A “helicopter parent” micromanages every aspect of his child’s routine and behavior. From educational products for infants to concerned calls to professors in adulthood, helicopter parents ensure their child is on a path to success by paving it for them.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI—“I am Darren Wilson.”