I will not condemn the rioters in Ferguson.

I abhor violence, but I will not condemn violent protest in Ferguson, Missouri tonight.

I will not bemoan property damage. I will not decry the fires. I will not sanctimoniously quote Martin Luther King Jr. or try to re-frame the discussion with bullshit like #AllLivesMatter.

If you have watched the past 100 days you've seen people out in the streets, in T-shirts, then jackets, and now coats.

And you've seen police, in uniform, then vests, then riot gear, then tanks.

This verdict was a message from the powers that be to black youth. "We can and will kill you whenever and however we see fit, and we will not be held accountable to you." The police have declared that they have an exclusive license to use violence with impunity -and the state has endorsed that position.

You don't get to declare war on a people and then be scandalized when they fight back.