The "Don't Shoot" Greeting

 Old Style Victory Greeting

The "Don't Shoot" greeting has actually been around for quite a long time, and pre-dates Michael Brown's passing. In the photo above, we see US President Franklin D. Roosevelt using the old-timey "V for Victory", which in time morphed into a V for  "Peace" in the Vietnam Era.

These greetings expressed positive desires for the actualization of positive goals: victory and peace.

The "Don't Shoot" greeting is more apotropaic in nature, designed to good-naturedly turn away a bad event; i.e., getting fatally shot while standing in the street in the downtown of a highly weaponized society.
There is, however, a small component there which suggests the good outcomes of - if not long life - at least continued life.

Witness its use by these important figures;

The Dalai Lama has a truncated version:

Pope Paul The Sixth displayed it frequently back in the 1960s and the 70s:

Pope Benedict followed that tradition:

So also did Karl Rove:

Vladimir Putin of Russia followed suit:

independently adding his own variant:

Prime Minister Modi of India:

and Pope Francis:

We have it from good sources that the European form is often a "Don't Shoot" followed by another symbolic greeting: a "You Betcha!":

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The New Peace Sign

I did my first general, everyday, silent à la St. Louis Rams  "Don't Shoot"  greeting, and it was accepted with pleasure, and a measured "Hands Up" response was returned on its own.

It is much easier  - and feels much better, too - than pretending I am in a choke hold and being suffocated.

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