The repercussions still ripple in Ferguson, MO after the death of Michael Brown. After the media's weak attempt to garner sympathy for the officer by posting a phony photo of the officer having been beaten up (it wasn't the officer), the citizens have continued their protests. But now they will be taking to the polls instead of the streets.
Voter registration is skyrocketing in Ferguson. Anthony Bell, a St. Louis 3rd Ward committeeman, arrived shortly after the shooting and watched Brown's body lay on the street for hours. That's when he decided to begin to actively register voters. And he's not alone. Rita Days, the St. Louis County Director of Elections says that her office has been fielding questions from individuals and groups asking how to register voters. The NAACP's League of Women Voters, as well as sororities and fraternities have taken classes to learn how to register citizens.
In the election coming this fall, the biggest issue will be the race for county executive of St. Louis County between Republican State Rep. Rick Stream, and County Councilman Steve Stenger, a Democrat. However the real impact may not be felt until next spring when three Ferguson City Council seats are up for grabs.
In a town that many still count the days by how many days police officer Darren Wilson remains free since killing Brown, over 8,000 new voters will weigh in in November, and maybe many, many more by next spring. And perhaps a new era can be ushered in without bullets and tear-gas.
And maybe this can be a lesson for the rest of the country. Register. And vote.
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