Brown had the power to prevent being shot

When will the law become the law that people follow? The recent riots in Ferguson, Mo., resulted from a crime. Michael Brown broke the law when he performed a strong-armed robbery and assaulted the shop owner, then assaulted a police officer in his squad car. Those are crimes.

There are consequences for breaking the law. As former President Reagan was quoted, "It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his action." Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson need to concentrate on the Chicago black-on-black killings that are daily events.

Many of my friends are black, and I am appalled at what is going on in Ferguson, Chicago and New York. Even with the police presence in Ferguson, look what happened. How much worse would it have been had the police just walked away? The men and women of the police department put their lives on the line every day to protect us and our property. The looters and rioters in Ferguson hid their faces and ran away. What did Walgreens, or the shoe store, have to do with the grand jury decision? Nothing, but they paid the most.

I am sorry that the boy died, but he was the only one who could have prevented the end result.

Earl Hobbs

Rolling Meadows