Our reactionary leaders: Tied down with petty concerns and paralyzed by real crises

◼ President Obama surprised the nation Thursday afternoon by showing up on his way to the golf course to deliver a statement on the death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African-American man who was shot to death by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., and the increasingly volatile protests that the young man's death has inspired. - T. Becket Adams/Washington Examiner

Obama's remarks were preceded by a statement from Gov. Jay Nixon, D-Mo., who also called for calm and restraint after days of passive silence on the issue....

Remember: We are now entering into the second week of a town being torn apart over the shooting death of a reportedly unarmed 18-year-old -- and the president and Missouri’s governor have just now decided to make their presence known.

Yes, there’s always the question, “What would you have them do?” And this is an excellent question. Calmly assessing the situation, weighing the pros and cons of a given crisis before offering comment, is the mark of prudent and wise leadership.

However, in a situation where heavily armed law enforcement officials have been deployed to face off with American citizens, where the people are begging for their elected officials to listen to them, this hands-off approach, this silence from our leaders, is unacceptable. At the very least, they can offer a comment or some sort of effort to help alleviate tensions.

...America deserves better than this. The people of Ferguson deserve better than this. Michael Brown’s family deserves better than this.