To the Journal editor:

How amazing it all is with the big uproar and protesting over the failure to indict the police officer who shot Mr. Brown in obvious self defense.

I always thought our country was founded with the belief that self defense is OK. Anyone who watched the video from the police car could see plainly that the officer did all he could to avoid using his firearm.

He went to assist the man after he crashed his car while running away from the officer, only to be assaulted by Brown. Then he ran to his car to call for backup when Brown came after him.

The officer clearly yelled for Brown to stop and he kept coming toward the officer in a very aggressive manner. It was only after the officer told Brown to stop several times that he finally shot him. The officer was clearly afraid for his own safety and being that Brown had prior convictions he did what he felt he had to do for his own safety.

The fact that so many people protest what I believe to be fair justice and self defense amazes me. I am even more surprised by the fact that certain aspects are trying to make this a racial issue when it clearly is not.

Where is the common sense of society today. I worked in the Detroit riots of 1967 and saw that blow up into a clearly racial issue with the blacks destroying mainly their own neighborhoods and stores, are we to see this again. I certainly hope not.

I think it is time for the media to let go of this and I’ll bet this whole mess calms down very quickly.

By the way Merry Christmas and Happy and Peaceful New Year to all.

Robert Whitaker

Skandia