What happened in Ferguson, MO was an emotional reaction and incredibly irrational at that. That's what happens when people are reactive in a situation. I am not talking about the shooting itself. I'll have to reserve judgement on that until I know the full story on what happened. Apparently there is a newer video that may show better Brown's actions with the police officer.

If the shooting was based upon departmental policy specifically profiling blacks (would the officer have told white kids to get on the sidewalk?) then it starts as a political issue. There is a strong possibility that this is the case. I suppose we could reduce everything to a political issue if we really wanted to, but emotion tends to be an overriding factor in many cases and can fuel political decisions. Another difference between liberals and conservatives actually - liberals tend to be more emotionally driven here whereas consertives tend to be more logical. Rush Limbaugh and other media pundits are not the best examples of conservatives, rather extremists. He is a bloviating buffoon in many cases.

I am actually appalled on Citizenship Day in America that this story of Scottish independence is relegated to the back pages of the news. I would think in a country that in 2011 designated April 6th as Tartan Day we would make a bigger news item of it, particularly since our own Declaration of Independence was based in part upon the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. But America does tend to be self-absorbed. I can't ever recall being taught anything about Scotland in regards to our Declaration whilst in school; sad.

There's a lot most Americans don't know about the Scots. Contributions by Watt, Fleming, Baird, and Bell quite dramatically influenced America. I also never heard this from Churchill:
 

I have to agree with you the process is/was fascinating. On one hand we have guys who want to ensure that they continue in their pursuit of wealth unfettered by the English monarchy. That was the main thrust of the quest for independence, nothing more. They were monied, propertied whites of priviledge yet they were not without ideals. Those ideals included freedom for all men, but the definition of who was to be free or maybe more correctly considered men was not quite clear at the outset. There were those for whom this idependence thing was not so important as to be acquiescent to giving up their slaves (property), upon whose labours their profits depended. Quite a sticky wicket at that time and basically they kicked the can down the road on that one and we know how that went.

Unfortunately, in our own educational system I do not recall getting into the depth of the American Revolution as much as would have been done over there. Your knowledge (or education) is far superior to ours in the terms of history and geography. I don't think it is just because I was lazy and inattentive; I was to a good measure but I recall the main thrust of the American Revolution to be Lexington and Concord, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Stamp Tax, Tea Tax, Mean, Old King George, Redcoats (evil) Quartering of Soldiers, and Sugar Tax. Bastards! Of course I am leaving a few things out such as Bunker Hill and Saratoga. But the reasons why all these things happened are the important part of why they happened at all. Surely by the time is was in school through the later 60s throughout the 70s we were no longer justifying our actions; what would be the point? We were nearly to 200 years by that point. Or was I really that inattentive...

The lesson I think is that we need a return to patriotism in our politics here and stop the party bickering and get things done. But it seems these people we have in Congrefs (heheh) today are nothing more than an extension of the moneyed, propertied white situation of the past, maybe even more so today because they do not seem to exhibit the ideals of our Forefathers. They are more in tune with getting money for themselves, staying in power and obtaining pork barrel legislation for their states and constituents, more in tune with deals than ideals. Case in point: Look at any Congressman today and see what he was worth when he was voted in and the incredible increase in wealth since. What did Nancy Pelosi have before? Eric Cantor (now on Wall street)? John Kerry? All of these folks and many more have been accused of insider trading. Ever hear of the STOCK Act? Read about it and know this:

 

and

 

Now you know partly why most members of Congress are millionaires and the D and the R doesn't matter, each is as bad as the other.