Ferguson, MO

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Alright, I haven't seen any threads about it on here, but I thought it would be important to share this:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_TyUuTbuK8[/youtube]

If you wanna know what's going on, the general overview is that the police force in Ferguson, Missouri is seriously abusing their power and bringing police brutality on to a 1950s-60s level.

And I say 1950s-60s because they are attacking innocent people because of the color of their skin.

Anyways, it's just escalating like crazy there, but the only footage of it being released is by these people who are literally risking their lives to show the world what's going on.

Doesn't look like anything "scary" is going on in the video though.

Unknown if that's a disproportionate use of force. Could be illegal to hold gatherings of that many people in said area, and that's one way to break them up.

I suppose that things like this can happen when you make it a point to hire people [for law enforcement] who are not the sharpest pencils in the box. I have read that there are many police departments that restrict their application process to candidates with an IQ under 106. as it is, I trust not one word that comes from that town's police brass. apparently the governor jay Nixon has come to the same conclusion [the Ferguson police brass are not trustworthy] as he has called in the state police to take over Ferguson's police functions, shoving the existing police force aside.

Also, the locals called the anti-riot stuff down on themselves with all the looting.

I have no idea why anyone thinks looting and burning down local businesses actually accomplishes anything.

I have a family member who works in that area...

people who expect the beleaguered people of color to just lie down and play dead, forget that the absence of war is not peace.

The media is at it again. sensationalism to get ratings, poor reporting and lack of facts.

The area that the shooting happened and that the protests take place is a rather bad part of town. Think the streets in your own town you would not walk alone in broad daylight. There's a lot of criminal and gang activity. The really bad kind (gangs, guns, drugs,etc).

Its important to realize that it was the so called 'community' that began clashes with the police which then came out in riot gear and it has been escalating ever since.

Yesterday the governor of Missouri dismissed the local police force and brought in state troopers and it went much more smoothly last night.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/1 ... 80639.html

Nothing but savages, no matter their skin color.

Just for the record, Ferguson had exactly ZERO murders to date this year, unless you count the unarmed 18 year old shot by an officer. The most murders in one year they have ever had was 5, which is less than the record of 8 in the all white country town of <10,000 people where I grew up.

So don't go around trying to use the old "those people are dangerous monsters" defense that those cops were trying to use.

It actually has significantly lower crime rates than the nearby (and higher up on the socio-economic ladder) Country Club Hills neighborhood.

The various classifications of theft are the crime rates in Ferguson that are higher than national averages, which you will get in any poor community, regardless of race or population density.

What does any of that have to do with anything?

A police officer killed someone. No specific details given. "Unarmed", but unarmed doesn't mean a threat to life, so you'd have to wait and see what the investigation reveals.

A heap of black people go full ret*d and loot/riot. Police respond with basic anti-riot drills. Tear gas, flash bangs and rubber/wooden baton rounds to disperse crowds -- that's normal, especially after looting starts.

I fail to see the logical* connection said black people made for the latter being a good course of action to take at all, even if the officer murdered someone. He'll go to jail like anyone else in due time if he's guilty.

*anyone want to help?

The big issue is that police did not limit their anti-riot tactics to rioters or even realistically potential rioters. They launched tear gas at news crews, arrested journalists at a McDonald's, pointed loaded firearms and launched tear gas at many unarmed peaceful demonstrators, instructed protestors to disburse after dark with no legal basis for enforcement yet enforced it anyway, brought out armored vehicles capable of withstanding IEDs in a war zone, and treated the entire population as dangerous supects based on the actions of a few. If the whole of Ferguson had engaged in riots and looting, a whole lot more than one store would have been burned down. And just for the record, no one ever said that the looters were all black people. Nearly a third of the population there is white. It is more likely that they were black based on the demographics of the town and the demographics of the majority of the protestors, but definitely not a certainty. Even in the huge LA riots (Rodney King) there were plenty of white folks doing some opportunistic looting.

And as for a police officer going to jail, even in the case of an unlawful shooting is not guaranteed. It is quite possible that the worst he will suffer is losing his job. Officers fair quite well in the system, even when the evidence stacks up against them, based on their ability to claim they feared for their life being a solid defense even when there is no evidence to show that this fear was justified. And many never even go into the actual legal system, as many cases it can be ruled as justifiable by his co-workers at that precinct.

Yeah, journalists around people throwing stuff; whose fault is that? The same with peaceful protestors. When you're in a crowd that has a few bad apples, you will be caught in it. That's one reason why you don't let crowds of peaceful people accumulate in angry situations.

Not saying the police didn't make mistakes, but it's far from being out of the ordinary considering events on previous nights, with looting, burnt businesses, armed individuals shooting at officers/vehicles, lots of potentially dangerous reports that they have to respond to, and etcetera.

That's what's ironic. People ask for police to respond to potentially deadly situations (and the precedent is set here), then people get irked when they respond in a way that is safe to them.

The MRAP is just a free bulletproof truck. Free and bulletproof being why they'd have it. It's no different to any other truck that can carry people and gear.

You mean like the Aljazeera news crew that was filming the police from a sidewalk (and not among the protestors) who had their equipment dismantled by the cops after they fled the teargas which landed right at their feet? Or the two journalists arrested in a McDonald's after being ordered to leave and not complying fast enough (you could watch their video of the event if you want).



Most of the protestors that were mistreated by the police did not have "bad apples" among them. And even if they did, the blanket targeting of crowds is not something that should happen in a nation that values human beings as human beings.



That has got to be one of the most un-American things I have ever seen.



The fact that this is not out of the ordinary behavior by the police is exactly why this is a major issue. And as for the people shooting at police, I have seen that nowhere. I have seen molotov cocktails mentioned, but no bullets coming from anyone other than police so far.



The problem is that showing up with military grade equipment and having less restrictions on using it than the military is not something that should be A-ok with anyone, regardless of the circumstances.



It is much different. Showing up armed for battle is the absolute least effective way to calm down a frustrated and angry crowd that is demanding answers. It did not work well in the long run for any of the military dictators we've helped overthrow, and it won't work in what our democracy is becoming.

And all this free military equipment issued to small police departments is a big part of a major growing issue in this country. There is no reason for a jurisdiction with 30,000 people needs that much hardware. Even some of the proponents of the posession of that kind of equipment have been quite vocal about it being completely misused in the current situation. That is why the Sate Highway Patrol (who should have no reason to be there) has taken over; the local force has gone bat-sh*t crazy with their paranoid "the people are out to get us" mentality.

People need to wake up to this militarization going on with our police, it is just a matter of time until they turn their guns on us. Barack Obama said that weapons of war have no place on our streets then how can he justify this?






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I've been to St.Louis several times.I never felt that I was ever in danger.
We were suppose to meet some friends downtown at the old Shafliy's tap room and we cruised down there in my old pontiac with the windows down blasting Bill Monroe.After we arrived they asked us how we enjoyed our drive thru the hood.
I stayed at Richmond Heights and the next time over by Tower Grove Park.I did notice a skinny white boy selling drugs on one corner but the next day 5-O was parked there so I guess someone called him in.He was doing a booming business,we set on the deck guzzling beer and watched him.I heard gun shots one night but no one started screaming so I went back to sleep.