Ferguson

DancingLady

DancingLady

Well-Known Member
What do you cops think about what is currently going on in Ferguson? Do you think law enforcement could have made better decisions in the last few days?
 
As always I feel that this is a very difficult issue to address, we need to hear all sides of the story before we can make any conclusions. One thing we should all be able to agree on is that the ongoing looting and rioting is unwarranted, and largely being conducted by opportunistic crooks who have no interest in the case whatsoever.
 
That is a good point. I often forget that when there are issues like this going on, there are crooks who come out of the woodwork to take advantage of the situation, even though they may not have any stake in the real issues at hand.
 
I feel that it's very easy to judge when we are outside, but when it's our life on the line that is not so easy, we need to make a call in a matter of seconds.
 
This is very enlightening to know that I am not the only one that believes everyone needs to hear all sides of the story before making any sort of conclusions. I feel like the media is bad for this, before having any information or data on the incident they make a newscast that can turn the country on each other. I think before anyone can really have any say, they need to sit down and read and see all the evidence and data from this trial.
 
I was taken aback by the violence in Ferguson, MO.,. I was so in tuned with the popular African American blogs and online forums that talked of peaceful protest. I often saw Mr. Brown, the victim's father, consistently requesting calm and peaceful protests. I assumed that was what would happen. Initially there were parents out with their children. They wanted to demonstrate to their children what civil disobedience would look like. Once the violence commenced, those children were quickly whisked away to safety.

I was angry and disappointed. I was born during the civil rights era. I have experienced a lifetime of witnessing consistent miscarriage of equal justice and treatment by the law. However, there is always hope.

What was most shocking was the report that Michael Brown's step father was one of the first to scream and shout, “Burn this town down." Think about it burning down your own community. Then where would you be able to walk to and shop nearby?
 
I think it's sad that a person got killed, but justice concluded something that is causing riots, so something is certainly wrong.
 
Perhaps what is wrong here is the way the laws in that state are written. I don't know that it is possible for us to find accurate information at this point to form an independent opinion on this, but if you take the assumption that the jury was right according to the laws on the books, then I think some revision is in order.
 
Yeah, that is true, law sometimes is far from fair and in those cases the populations are totally right, but what will be the outcome of this?
 
He should have been indited. The grand jury process is in general more fair to the prosecution than the defendant. The famous attorney Alan Derchowitz said that you can indite a ham sandwich. The defendant is not allowed to have an attorney present and the prosecutor decides who he wants to put on as witnesses. Officer Wilson killed someone and although there are conflicting stories as to how it happened it is only fair to us and to the family that all the witness be heard. I assure you that if Al Sharpton had shot a white guy, even if he was in the right he would have been indited.

I think Michael Brown was a thug and most likely was in the wrong, maybe even left Officer Wilson with no other alternatives but that should have been decided by a jury that heard all the evidence.

Now lets look at was is happening because of a really bad prosecutor. People are protesting around the country and destroying property. This is not going to change any laws at all. The only thing it is going to accomplish is white people are going to be able to call blacks animals and blacks are going to call our society racist. It is just a big cycle of blame. When mexicans want to make a change here in the US they ban together and silently work to get us to change our culture to meet their needs. When blacks want to try to create change they use violence and destruction. And whites usually wait until it is to late to work to prevent change that is going to hurt them.
 
I never knew this. Mr & Mrs. Brown may see justice for their son sometime in the future.

I just discovered that April 1992 police officers were acquitted of state charges of beating Rodney King. The video tape of that beating was so well known that that the prosecutors requested the trial be held in another part of California, Simi Valley. There, those officers were found not guilty of state charges. It was that acquittal that precipitated the Los Angeles riots of April 1992.
Some called those riots an uprising I call it a riot.

It was four months later that federal charges were brought against at least two police officers. They were ranking officers who were in a position to tell others to stop beating King. Those two men were found guilty a year later. They served two years in a federal prison.
 
Wilson is not off the hook yet. There's an ongoing Federal civil rights investigation that might yet either prove Wilson's innocence beyond reasonable doubt or find him guilty of having shot someone who had his hands up as it is alleged.

As for the Ferguson protests which fast degenerated to something worse, it has been established that some of the protesters aren't even Ferguson residents. One of the arrested is a German. Now talk of opportunists taking advantage of an unfortunate situation to cause trouble.
 
Tonys Toys wrote, " ... When blacks want to try to create change they use violence and destruction. And whites usually wait until it is to late to work to prevent change that is going to hurt them." That statement was shamelessly racist.

I am shocked at your lack of knowledge of history of these United States. First, Mexicans do not seek to change their plight of injustice "quietly".

Next your statement blankets a few hundred years for people of African descent striving for equality and equal treatment under the law. You just characterized the act of seeking equal parity as "... violent and destruction"

Then, you characterized Euro-Americans as " ... waiting until it is too [sic] late to work to prevent change ... " That is tantamount to calling white people as lazy and ineffective. That simply is not true!

Now, I see that you may be an administrator, and may very well give me a low rating for speaking out or giving my opinion. However, I think it is crucial to speak truth to power!
 
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They only got two years for beating up Rodney King, that was not enough, but in the end justice is always served, though they should not have burned up the police cars like that.
 
I feel that there is no reason to be protesting. These 12 people on the jury have looked through all the evidence and have made a clear decision. If you are angry, bring it up peacefully through the justice system. The fact that these people are rioting and looting just shows how hypocritical they are, saying that it's for justice. I hope the police force in Ferguson is safe. Some have already been injured by firearms used by citizens.
 
They should have peacefully protested the finding of the grand jury. However, a violent riot serves no purpose. That type of senseless violence belied the purpose of civil disobedience!

Going forward, remember one fact. It was a Grand Jury convened by a district attorney who represents the state of Missouri. However, the federal government has the right to investigate the killing as well as the state.
 
Looking at both sides of the issue...

First, let me say that the police officer did say that he doesn't feel any remorse for what he did. That's something I really don't understand. He took a life. Even if he was justified, it was still a life and he should feel something.

Secondly, I think that there's a lot of unnecessary police brutality going on. I'm not wanting to take either side of the issue as each case is different but I think that we all need to think twice about our actions.

On yet another side, I really don't condone the unpeaceful demonstrations. I can understand peaceful demonstrations but destroying your own community, come on...
 
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