Ferguson protestors' tactics may backfire

The professional protesters in Ferguson -- few of whom actually are Ferguson residents -- are committed to disrupting life in St. Louis once the grand jury announcement is made public.

And they promise to continue their public disruption through the holiday season and beyond.

Their stated goal is to "make the comfortable uncomfortable." That starts with halting traffic on major streets and disrupting holiday shopping.

To their credit, the countless "spokesmen" for the protest movement have urged peaceful protests, though they quickly acknowledge that some among them feel otherwise.

The protesters - according to statements released over the weekend - will take their message of police brutality, racial profiling and assorted other concerns to public venues to spread their protests to the widest possible audience.

The outcome of the grand jury findings matters little.

By spreading their message through peaceful demonstrations and disruptive tactics, the protesters somehow believe they will generate support for their position.

They are wrong. So very wrong.

Ferguson is no longer about Michael Brown. The protests are more about the media and money. Without media and money, Ferguson would quickly fade into the night.

The professional race baiters are already using Ferguson to generate funds. The NAACP sent out letters last week asking for money to fight racial profiling, using Brown as their latest poster child.

Al and Jesse will be back - looking for the ever-present media spotlight and twisting arms to line their pockets.

These "in your face" tactics never work. Disruption of lives far removed from Ferguson will only widen the gap of misunderstanding even among some who surely agree with the motives of the protesters.

The core of the problem is this: Even if the grand jury fails to indict the police officer and releases a mountain of evidence to support their decision, the protesters will never agree with that decision.

In the minds of the protesters, there is no evidence of any sort that will convince them that, in this particular case, the victim was actually the bad guy.

That train has left the station.

Let's say this ongoing protest harms retailers for holiday shopping in a big way. Let's say some of us who would surely have traveled to St. Louis to do some shopping decide that perhaps this year we'll stay closer to home.

Believe me, these conversations have been had thousands of times.

So what is accomplished?

Do these tactics advance the narrative of police profiling? Do these tactics make us more sympathetic to the cause advocated by the protesters? Do these tactics expand the national dialogue on racial issues?

You'll have to answer these questions yourself.