<p>I haven’t heard the actual argument for “justice was not served.” Anyone?
They keep saying there is no justice for black people. That white cops are racists.
Honest question: do black Americans believe that blacks in a situation such as this one should be let go just because they are black? A white policeman is supposed to just drive away and what? Call for a black officer to take care of it?
Isn’t that racism?</p>
<p>In all the calling for how to prevent future incidents like this, there’s something I have not heard. No one has said “Don’t steal”. and “Don’t mouth off to a police office, don’t try to grab his gun, don’t charge at him”. </p>
<p>We think t here should have been a trial. where both sides are presented. You know, the American way?</p>
<p>I haven’t read all the way through this thread. too disgusted by all the “white moderates” (see MLKing’s condemnation of yourselves in “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”) The excusers, the false-equivalency fallacy folk. The “reasonable–pour me another cocktail, darling” clueless.</p>
<p>I am done with you all–you know who I mean.</p>
<p>"it’s ok to notice patterns, is it ok to notice any patterns about who commits violent crimes? Not saying I have any fount of knowledge, but just asking here.,</p>
<p>Yes, so long as you’re looking at the full picture. Human beings tend to see the specifics among those like themselves, while seeing the generalities of people not like themselves. If a soldier opens fire and kills fellow soldiers, we notice he’s Muslim and many people immediately associated him with “those Muslims”. A series of white Christian fundamentalists kill law enforcement officers and strangers to strike against the government, and white Christians don’t think “oh, those crazy religious people”. </p>
<p>So having said that, just look at the FBI crime statistics. You’ll see right away that more violent crimes, by far, are committed by whites than by blacks. However, the pattern I see isn’t the racial divide but the social/economic divide. </p>
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<p>Wow! Xiggi here sure could give Marie Antoinette a run for her money in the “let the eat cake” type commentary here. </p>
<p>It’s also eerie as it’s very similar to the line of arguments advanced by various fascist/communist totalitarian/authoritarian dictators vis a vis their protesters/dissidents. Would never think I’d see a supposed American make the same types of arguments which are oldhat to tyrants from history…</p>
<p>It’s also one type of argument teachers/educrats who don’t want to deal with bullying in schools try to use on the bullying victims. As one of the latter, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard such BS arguments from lazy or “could care less” type teachers/educators while in junior high. </p>
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<p>And here’s another instance of how Black communities who suffered historical and continuing systemic victimization at the hands of local/state authorities and local elites are put in a no-win situation.</p>
<p>FYI, some who were involved did run voter registration drives. However, the response has either been obliviousness as demonstrated by the comment above or worse, loud denunciations by local politicians as seen here some months back:</p>
<p><a href=“Missouri GOP leader calls Ferguson voter-registration drive 'disgusting'”>Missouri GOP leader calls Ferguson voter-registration drive 'disgusting';
<p><a href=“http://mediamatters.org/research/2014/08/21/right-wing-media-continue-to-decry-ferguson-res/200509”>http://mediamatters.org/research/2014/08/21/right-wing-media-continue-to-decry-ferguson-res/200509</a></p>
<p>Some of the commentary here is hysterical. In both senses of the word.</p>
<p>The only time I’ve ever been stopped has been for a couple of traffic stops and the policemen are extremely serious and professional and they are NOT my friends in that situation. They are law enforcement and they are not friendly and they are not supposed to be friendly. Period. We may not like it, people rebel against it, but in a situation, they have the upper hand and the law on their side. Anyone with a rebellious, stubborn, “I’m-always-right” teenager needs to have a serious discussion with them about law enforcement. It’s not a game and it’s not something minor nor is it going to “go away” if it escalates into an actual arrest. You don’t “go for” a police officer. That is unacceptable. They’re in charge when they have probably cause to stop…arrest…you. And they can shoot you. Doesn’t matter what color you are or if you’re angry because you don’t have a job or your gf just dumped you or your dealer stiffed you or…
I have white sons. One was visited in our home by the “good cop, bad cop” because they were convinced that he had committed a crime. Another was arrested and jailed overnight for trespassing, and he was also stopped for breaking curfew. White. And what did I say? I told him he was in the wrong, no matter how much it pissed him off, the officers were right and that was the way it was. Get over it and learn from it. Laws are supposed to keep us civilized.</p>
<p>I think those that are protesting do not believe that Brown did those things. I think many believe that there are frequent interactions with police that the police are the instigator.</p>
<p>I see it often in my line of work where business people claim my tax agents treat them unfairly and rudely. Now I would bet that many here who think those whosupport police might take the exact opposite view on the interaction between tax agents and business people. </p>
<p>There clearly is an issue between minority citizens and the police that really needs to be fixed by the police just like when the IRS or other tax authorities abuse their powers in the opinion of those they deal with the responsibility should be on those authorities to take corrective action.</p>
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<p>There have been enough instances of police abuses and lying…including the Ferguson PD’s recent past history of lying even in court about beating up a suspect AFTER they found they got the wrong man due to mistaken ID*…but felt they had to beat him up and blame him for blood splattering on their uniforms that in many Black communities where is is a common problem,the police aren’t given the benefit of the doubt. </p>
<p>How could they do so when most in such communities have seen too many instances of police abuses…including the lies to cover up/downplay them? </p>
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<li> <a href=“The Day Ferguson Cops Were Caught in a Bloody Lie”>http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/15/the-day-ferguson-cops-were-caught-in-a-bloody-lie.html</a></li>
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<p>I’ve never been ordered out of my vehicle. I was always taught that you put your hands on the steering wheel as the officer approaches, so he can see you are not reaching for something (such as a gun) - you wait for him to ask for your ID and insurance card, so he sees you beginning to dig around. It’s also my understanding that they approach you from behind and that they have their hand on their gun as they stop you. And, of course, you say yes sir, no sir and thank you sir.>>>>>>>>></p>
<p>Oh and this reminds me of the one recently, was it in SC, where the officer asked for ID and when the black man leaned over to get it, the policeman started shooting at him and shot him as the guy got out of the car etc. Now THAT policeman should fry. It was simply ridiculous.</p>
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<p>I will speak for myself and how my friends and I feel. I am not sure if you saw the image I posted earlier upthread, but it displays the disparate treatment we receive at the hands of officers. If a person is accused of stealing cigars, no I dont expect a cop to chase and shoot the suspect, if he is running away. It was some cigars, it doesnt rise to the level of bodily harm. White youth are typically apprehended, not shot for the same offenses. We just want fair treatment. No we dont think all white cops are racist, but we do think a large number of them instantly get scared when they encounter blacks, and overreact. You will never understand how it is to be harassed, how it is to be treated differently in the store depending on how you are dressed, to feel the sense of dread when a cop is driving behind you, even as a black woman. I have a son in his senior year of college, and sadly, I am glad he is rather thin and medium complexion. Unfortunately, taller, darker men are seen as a bigger threat,(Eric Garner) and that is so sad.</p>
<p>Except that the physical evidence doesn’t show that he was shot as he was running away. That was the early story that got everyone all riled up but it now appears to be false.</p>
<p>He may have been shot facing the officer, but many eyewitnesses said his hands were up, so the officer did not have to keep shooting.</p>
<p>Grand jury witnesses or TV witnesses? Because they are not the same thing. And at least two of the TV hands up people changed their story later. Really, I think the blood evidence is more convincing. He dropped a trail of blood from the cop car to the away location and then back again until the final shot at which point he was within 8 feet of the officer. That’s very close if you’re angry, running, and 290 pounds. The whole thing took only 90 seconds. I know people wanted a trial but I doubt they would have liked the verdict.</p>
<p>The ‘accused’, that is Darren Wilson chose to testify in front of the grand jury. That is very unusual. He could not have his lawyer present. His statements could have been used against him in a trial. He was not trying to evade, hide, or assert his Fifth Amendment rights. A guilty person doesn’t do that.</p>
<p>eyewitnesses are completely unreliable… there are plenty of studies that show this</p>
<p>WaPo already wrote on it regarding the Ferguson situation <a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/11/25/why-many-eyewitnesses-in-the-darren-wilson-investigation-were-wrong/”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/11/25/why-many-eyewitnesses-in-the-darren-wilson-investigation-were-wrong/</a> </p>
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<p>A lot of guilty people don’t think they are guilty.</p>
<p>Yes, a trial wouldve been better, even if Wilson was found not guilty.</p>
<p>Can I ask people on this thread a question?</p>
<p>Well, I’m going to ask it anyway. And It’s a genuine question, because I really don’t know the answer.</p>
<p>What happens in a country when so many people are so upset with the way the power class is exercising it’s power that they actually will not stop protesting, even in the face of indifference, even in the face of the national guard?</p>
<p>If you were seeing this from another country, I wonder what you would think with the military bearing down on our own citizens who have reached a tipping point in a place in the country where there are only 3 people of color on the police force and most of the community is of color?</p>
<p>Also, if this were happening in Birmingham Alabama, or small town Mississippi, what would you say then?</p>
<p>I’ve said on this board repeatedly that there is much more real integration in the south. But, really, if this were happening in Louisiana or Southern Georgia, what would you be saying then?</p>
<p>I think we are in a lot more trouble than we think we are, guys. And I think a trial was the least this community was owed.</p>
<p>I guess that was more than one question. :-/ </p>
<p>The guilt or innocence of Wilson does seems kind of secondary to expectations.</p>
<p>It may very well be an elaborate conspiracy… The prosecutor, along with the grand jury and contrary to evidence, conspired to protect a white cop guilty of the intentional murdering of a black kid. Yep, under the spotlight that’s been shone on this one for months.</p>
<p>Michael Brown shoving the storekeeper around like a toy poodle speaks volumes but there are a lot that can’t seem to hear a thing.</p>