Regarding the death of Michael Brown and the events in Ferguson, we intentionally have attempted to avoid a rush to judgment.
Some facts are not in dispute. Brown was unarmed when he was shot and killed by a police officer. Questions remain, however, about the confrontation that led to the shooting.
Demonstrations in the Ferguson community, and elsewhere, have made clear that a range of issues must be addressed.
They include the facts surrounding Brown's death, but also radiate to issues of race, credibility and justice.
Brown, a black teenager, was shot and killed by a white police officer, Darren Wilson. The racial disparity is reflected in the makeup of Ferguson - the population is about 70 percent black; the elected government and police force largely is white.
Responses have radiated from Ferguson throughout Missouri and the nation. Gov. Jay Nixon has mobilized both the Missouri Highway Patrol and National Guard, and President Obama has involved the U.S. Department of Justice.
Among those responses, the perceptions of blacks differ sharply from those of whites, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Monday.
A McClatchy-Tribune news item about the poll reports: "Blacks, by 4 to 1, said events in Ferguson did raise important racial issues. Whites were more closely divided, with 37 percent saying the case raised important racial questions, while 47 percent said they thought race was "getting more attention than it deserved.'"
Protesters also have voiced concerns about whether a fair and impartial investigation will be conducted.
The report about the poll states: "Whites had far more confidence than blacks about the official investigations into the shooting, with about half of whites, but only about 20 percent of blacks, saying they had at least a "fair amount' of confidence. Roughly three-quarters of blacks said they had "not too much' or no confidence at all in the investigations."
The death of Brown and the events in Ferguson have galvanized national attention on issues of race, credibility and justice.
The goal is establish the truth regarding the shooting and restore confidence in law enforcement and government, including our system of justice.
Suspicions, doubts and disparate perceptions will make that a formidable, perhaps impossible, task.