The riots in Ferguson had shocked the country with their violence. Buildings were burnt, cars were totaled, and many goods had been stolen. What did these things accomplish? The protestors seemed to think that this would bring about their goal of justice. The martyr of their cause was Michael Brown. He was assaulted by a police officer after robbing a convenience store. The protestors made it out to be a racial crime.

There’s no argument from me about the police overstepping their bounds from time to time. But no amount of violence will change the fact that Michael Brown is dead and his family is grieving. No amount of burnt out cars will affect change in the police force.

Martin Luther King Jr. proved that the best way to change a nation is through non-violent displays. Likely these protestors think that they are of the same mold as King, while in fact they are exactly what he hated.

The only thing these protestors achieved was destroying their legitimacy by committing more and more crimes on top of what the police or Michael Brown might have done. They have only succeeded in making the country erupt into hostility. This has never helped swing the public opinion and never will.

For more opinions make sure to read the Dec. 12 editorial A Time of Restoration.