Where do we go from here?

The causes of the Long Hot Summers of the 1960's went unacknowledged, and the highly negative social consequences were never meaningfully addressed. The particularly nasty results of the 1980 "Liberty City" (Miami) riots led to some measurable hand-wringing, especially among Liberals; but adequate and appropriate action to ameliorate the gaping socio-economic tears in the the national fabric was never taken. The cataclysmic Los Angeles riots of 1992 inspired an interesting series of ABC "Nightline" reports, but we still find ourselves, as a people, in much the same old bind. We can surely expect "more Fergusons" in the future. This country, it seems, will NEVER come to terms with the causes; it can only grapple stupidly and futilely with symptoms. And it grapples with those symptoms in just about the worst possible way. More armored personnel carriers - including the one Chief Koval appreciates so much. More lead and rubber bullets - more helicopters. Maddening. All of us who've been paying minimal attention know a wide range of racial disparities are even more pronounced in Madison than in Ferguson. I leave to your fertile imagination what sort of actions would really be required to mitigate the situation.