Riots make it hard to sympathize

I've tried very hard to be open-minded about the racial unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, but I've found it increasingly difficult in light of the massive property destruction and violence.

I'm very fortunate to have been raised by parents who taught me that we're all created equal. One of my best friends in Vietnam was a young black man from St. Louis, Missouri. Even though he was killed over 46 years ago, he remains a positive influence in my life to this very day.

The Rev. Al Sharpton and Attorney General Eric Holder have received a great deal of media attention over their claims of racial injustice in the killing of Michael Brown.

According to FBI statistics, 27 law enforcement officers were killed in 2013 during the commission of felonious acts. Twenty-five of the police officers were white and two were black. Statistics indicate that 11 of the alleged offenders in these incidents were black.

My question is this. If Rev. Sharpton and Attorney General Holder are truly concerned about racial injustice, why don't we see them in front of television cameras talking the same rhetoric when a white police officer is killed by an alleged black offender?

My guess is it's because black on white crime doesn't generate as much media attention, and it doesn't serve to further their personal agendas.

Steve Haisley

Vernon Hills