The wrong side? Haha, David. Where did you get that? I love when people come here and try to put words in my mouth. And should I take it that you are the arbiter of the "right" side?

So let me be clear here: Your argument is that someone should be able to shoot someone they think (or say later; who knows?) is trying to steal their car multiple times -- and **there be no follow-up investigation**. That is what is being discussed here, you know. We're not talking about a young man who broke into a house with a gun in his hand and threatened the homeowner. Facts matter before you start trying to put words into my mouth.

And, no, brain science shows that teen brains are not fully formed, and many do stupid things. Most people know this because they've either been one, or raised one or more.

It's remarkable to me how many of you seem to think this precedent would never bite you or a family member in the ass. Do you assume these laws will only be used against young black thugs, and can't touch you? If you don't assume that, is it your contention that a young member of your family would never try to steal something and then get whacked for it, with no follow-up investigation? "Good" white kids often steal things on a lark, including cars for joyrides. I hope yours makes it home alive should he/she try such a dumb gambit.

And I don't have the power to make anything be about race any more than you're able to make something not about race. But we can stop the hate and value all lives.

We're talking about all of them. See post above.

Obviously, the shooter at Motel 6 didn't value his or his victim's life. Neither did Dedmon et al.. That's the point. We must stop devaluing any lives (and instilling inherited hate and distrust) and work to reverse the deep problems that our disgusting past caused. No devaluing of life is acceptable, including by you. It all leads to senseless violence one way or the other.

Rather than fill an unarmed teen full of bullets? Is that even a choice?

Why do all of you think it's either-or, that none of us has to choose to think one is better or worse than the other? it's all bad. Is it impossible for your brain to wrap around the idea that all of these deaths are tragic, Bill, that all of these lives are lost, and that there are very real reasons for it beyond the fact that some of the people involved have black skin--a fact that seems to make some of you lose all perspective.

Of course, the story spread on social media. There is nothing wrong with that. What is tragic is that so media, and the people they serve, devalue so many people's lives. You don't even hide it. You've said the unarmed teen deserved it because he was stealing a freakin car.

I want them both alive, tsmith. Neither of their lives is more valuable or important than the other one.

The tragic part is that we can do something about this if we could find the will and stop letting the guns-solve-everything crowd to control the dialogue.

I don't know much about the teen who shot Mr. Johnson, yet, but hope to. If our community can find the will to address the causes of violence, we can start curbing it. If we can find the will to support our public schools (yes, even after forced integration), we will stop more kids from choosing a life of crime. If the media will stop the "body bag journalism" that casts a hopeless light, and lets people like you control the narrative, we will have more young people of color growing up with confidence in their abilities. If we can force absentee landlords to clean up derelict properties that they rent to the poor, then children can stop growing up in atmospheres of hopelessness and "broken windows." If we can get people like you to value the lives of young blacks as much you value the life of an accomplished white man, we can create a world where we can stop the cycles of violence that resulted directly from black man being hunted down, abused and killed by whites because they wanted equal opportunities, or because they made the same mistake that whites made, but paid for it with their lives. And these days, some white folks still turn your ire on people who even want to address these historical issues in order to improve the present day. It's as if you just want to go to war with blacks. So tell me just what has changed, tsmith, at least for you and others like you who devalue the lives of black kids and defend killing an unarmed kid over a damn car? How are you better than those who came before us?

This is a double standard that makes our society more dangerous for all of us, regardless of race. Those of you who just want to shoot your way out of it are, purposefully or not, supporting the status quo. You are communicating the same thing to these young people that our nation told black citizens from our founding. They lives are not as important as yours.

What a crock, indeed.

And, yes, I would allow a "wayward kid" to steal my car before I pumped him full of bullets. Because a car is a chunk of metal and a wayward kid is a human being who can change and be taught. And he's somebody's baby and grandbaby, and some day he might find the cure to cancer if someone helps him soon enough. Or be the daddy to someone who does. I believe in human potential and the value of human life, regardless of that human's skin color or bad choices.

You think a car's value is more important than a human being? I think I'm in the Twilight Zone here. How do people's values get this distorted? Serious question.

How is the morality of killing over a car a rational discussion in a civilized society? Chilling.

Also, to the man who brought up the James Anderson murder: Do you realize that his family asked the prosecutors not to ask for the death penalty for Dedmon at his trial? That fact is very interesting to put next to arguments that someone who pumped bullets into an unarmed kid allegedly trying to steal his car should not even be investigated -- because, y'all tell us, the kid deserved to die because he was trying to *steal a car.*

Let's play John Grisham for a minute: Picture this very same situation (the Thomas one), but the kid in the car was an unarmed white honor student (remember the shooter was black). I'm sure each and every one of you would be saying the very same thing should have happened. No investigation needed. Positive of it.

And I can only imagine how this story would change if Mr. Brown had been white. He would have been carrying a gun for self-defense from the black man who unloaded the gun into him 12 times. He would be a hero by now and plastered all over gun blogs as the reason we all need to strap guns all over us everywhere we go.

Not to mention, y'all would have wanted the shooter hauled to jail and kept there until the investigation was done.

Admit it.

So, JS, you're arguing that anyone should be able to pull a gun and kill anyone trying to "take their belongings" with no follow-up investigation to make sure that was even the case?

Do you really feel good about that precedent? You have a kid, perhaps with a mental disability, who on a dare tries to steal a car? The owner, who was in no danger from the unarmed kid, comes out and unloads a gun into him. Neither the police or the DA try to seriously ascertain what happened because ... the kid seemed to be guilty of trying to steal a car.

Would you devalue your own kid's life in such a way? Maybe you would. But at least wash the race issues out of your eyes and try to see what you're really arguing for/against.

And that dangerous precedent, folks, is the bottom line.

As for your comment, Bill, it is so absurd and goofy that it doesn't merit a response. You see someone mention race, and you start firing blanks. So to speak.

OK, how about this for timing. In the midst of an explosion of whining about this column daring to mention the white flight that plagued west Jackson, expounding on how race isn't an issue in it all, a white man just came on the JFP Facebook under a post of this column and posted this. Under his real name, presumably, as Facebook rules require:

> **Mark Holder** In my opinion it needs to
> move to a nicer safer area... for
> Mississippians and for Visitors. You
> support it where it is if you please.
> I grew up not far from the Zoo.. when
> it was clean, safe, drug free. The
> area is now a dump... like most of
> Jackson. You can blame whites for
> blacks not taking care of their
> homes,, kids, etc. I dont buy it. Ive
> worked hard all my life. My parents
> had a nice home in Willowood near
> Forest Hill. **Blacks moved in & the
> Homes/Yards were not taken care of.**
> The house across the street had a tarp
> on the roof & boards rotting... while
> they bought new Rims. SMH. In my
> opinion the Zoo would be better placed
> in Jackson near Pearl river on
> Lakeland drive... right at the Flowood
> border.

Can you be more blatant?? I rest my case.