FERGUSON, BUDWEISER

Berger's Beat
November 26, 2014

http://bergersbeat.com/

The scene at Marley’s Bar in Ferguson last night was a snapshot of our divided town.  Inside, a nearly all-white crowd stayed largely quiet while looking through windows at the turmoil outside. Just a foot or two away, the sidewalk was crowded with largely African-American protestors. A white bouncer stood in the doorway, essentially letting police and reporters in from the cold to use the restroom (including the N.Y. Times’ John Eligon). On South Florissant in front of the bar, more than 75 police officers wearing heavy military gear milled around, making and enforcing a perimeter to prevent demonstrators from joining their colleagues nearer to the police station. A team of four clerics – representing the Presbyterians, United Church of Christ, and Eden Seminary – did what they could to maintain calm among all parties.
McGraw Milhaven and Bishop Geoffrey Dudley of New Life in Christ interdenominational Church were interviewed last night by Bill O’Reilly discussing the Ferguson controversy.
Among the local clergy protesting outside the Justice Center in Clayton: Rev. Deborah Krause of Eden Theological Seminary; Rev. Shaun Jones of the St. Louis Clergy Coalition; Rev. Erin Counihan of Oak Hill Presbyterian; Rabbis Susan Talve and Randy Fleischer of Central Reform Congregation and Rev.David Gerth and Rev. Susan Sneed of Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU). The event was spearheaded by Rev. Dietra Wise of Liberation Christian Church in north County, who also co-chairs the “clergy caucus” of MCU.
DRINK UP!
According to Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Budweiser parent company, nearly 44 percent of 21-27 year-old drinkers today have never tried the brand. Craft beer sales now outstrip the “King of Beers.” Craft beers and flavored malts have contributed to a 9 percent decline in shipments of Budweiser. To reach that demographic, this year’s holiday ads are replacing the Clydesdale horses with people in their 20s looking directly into the camera and calling out friends’ names as a narrator asks, “If you could grab a Bud with any of your friends these holidays, who would it be?”
CHILD MOLESTER BACK IN TOWN
Former teacher David Kramer, who pled guilty to two counts of child molestation in St. Louis county in 2008 and was sentenced to a seven-year prison term, has been released and is now living on South Grand. He had taught in U. City and in Australia.