Violence in Missouri - Lessons we might learn

The continuing violence in Ferguson, Missouri, is another sad reminder of how very deep-rooted race issues remain in one of the most integrated societies in the world.

They suggest that, even after six years of the Barack Obama presidency, that the old divisions remain and if they are not as pronounced as they once were, they are as profound.

It’s over a week since unarmed teenager Michael Brown, who had learning difficulties, was shot dead by a uniformed policeman. The facts around the death have yet to be established beyond reasonable doubt, but it is likely that no matter what conclusions are reached, they will be challenged by one or both sides in America’s never-ending debate, a debate echoed right across the world even if the players and vocabulary are very different. They will be challenged, just as the verdict in the OJ Simpson trial 19 years ago, was challenged largely along race lines. The report into the death may be as polarising as the death itself.