One of the numerous things learned as a counselor is that certain emotions are rooted in deeper feelings. One such emotion is anger. Anger is rarely the root of the issue; more often than not, anger is an expression of hurt, loss or disappointment. In other words, anger is rarely the core problem but acts as a red flag for deeper pain.

We must remember this when we examine the current events in Ferguson.

On Monday night, a grand jury decided not to press criminal charges against Darren Wilson, a white police officer who shot and killed Mike Brown, a black 18 year-old male, earlier this year. Previous to the decision, local and national authorities urged for a peaceful reaction from citizens. Nonetheless, the decision sparked widespread violence in the town; protesters fired guns into the air, burned and looted local shops and attacked police barricades. Within hours over 29 arrests had been made in