As the nation braces for the aftermath of the grand jury’s decision in Ferguson, Mo., we are left to question just where do we go from here.

The death of any young person is a tragedy, a loss of potential and hope. That much we all can agree on, but after that the lines of common sense get blurred.

Who did what to whom and when is the subject of what has become a national debate.

It is no longer about a teenager shot by a policeman, but rather more about us as a country.

It seems that we are just as divided as ever when it comes to the subject of race. And the national media is all too willing to fan the flames of division whenever it can.

Ferguson has become more than a tragedy, it has become a referendum on us all. Which side we line up on tells more about the person than it should.

Now that the grand jury has done its job we can only expect the debate to heat up even more. By not indicting the officer, anger and protests will follow.

A political game of name-calling and mud-slinging has made it hard to remember how this all began, with a young man and police officer caught in a situation neither one could back out of, or seemed willing to.

We can and will continue to debate who was at fault but truth is we will never know. The grand jury won’t be able to tell us, nor will its decision likely ease any pain. Sides had been taken long before, and the judgement will likely only confirm what either side already believes.

Mistrust is at the center of this issue. There are no winners in this case, just losers.

Meanwhile, other issues are put to the side. Crime in cities like Chicago, where young people kill other young people at an alarming rate, get swept aside.

That’s not to say Ferguson isn’t a big story. It is. However it is just part of a much larger topic, one that needs more than a few discussions to solve.

We can only hope that more people take to talking than take to the streets.

How we talk to each other, how we treat each other and how we find a way to come together through these tough times is a much bigger issue and one we must find a way to cure. Only then, when we stop shouting at each other and learn to listen will we be able to find common ground and fix what really needs fixing.(MGNonline)