Mayhem ensues after no indictment over Michael Brown killing

  On 11/25/2014 at 10:10 PM, StephenG said:

It's probably because I come from a country where this shit isn't really an issue. It's hard to understand from the outside looking in.

I'm concerned with the big picture. I'm upset that someone was shot and killed when they weren't armed for sure. Something I think happens too often. If police were really concerned with serving and protecting they would be making a huge priority out of non-lethal options of control. Of which there are many available. The officers in this situation even said himself, "we only have one taser in the department, and I opt out of carrying it because of it being bulky." (paraphrased) The particulars of this situation concerning Mike Brown are way less important to me than the operations of the police as an extension of the corrupt government. I've experienced this overreaching behavior first hand, and I'm a middle-class white dude. I can only imagine the way that low class minorities get treated. I mean you see the videos everyday of cops behaving badly. They use their position as a way to justify the use of unnecessary levels of force and advancing situations to greater degrees of violence than they should be doing. There is a reason we have a thread dedicated to this type of stuff.

Still relevant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=935xZdnVwq4

StephenG - sure not every incident involving people of colour has race as a precursor, but because racism tends to be systemic, it's not hard to understand why police shooting an unarmed black kid (and regardless of what Brown did immediately before, he was unarmed) and then not getting indicted might trigger some sort of response.

Now whether or not rioting and looting in the neighbourhoods where you live is the best response is a totally different story...

http://www.bustle.com/articles/36096-do-police-shoot-black-men-more-often-statistics-say-yes-absolutely

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/119060/michael-brown-studies-show-racial-bias-police-shootings

Just some interesting points I've come across.

Darren Wilson claims he was punched twice in the face by a giant black man yet he has literally no marks of damage on his face. That's really weird.

Second, Grand Jury composition was 6 white males 3 white women 2 black women 1 black man. Hmm...

  On 11/25/2014 at 10:10 PM, StephenG said:

It's probably because I come from a country where this shit isn't really an issue. It's hard to understand from the outside looking in.

if you don't understand something you're expressing an opinion on, it's probably not a good idea to call those who have an opposing opinion "sheeple".

do a little research, there are plenty of articles out there about why this is bigger than the way you're describing it.

  On 11/25/2014 at 10:48 PM, pattern recognition said:

 

  On 11/25/2014 at 10:10 PM, StephenG said:

It's probably because I come from a country where this shit isn't really an issue. It's hard to understand from the outside looking in.

if you don't understand something you're expressing an opinion on, it's probably not a good idea to call those who have an opposing opinion "sheeple".

 

do a little research, there are plenty of articles out there about why this is bigger than the way you're describing it.

 

Through having a conversation, is how many people learn.

Maybe I have learned through this conversation. I don't see why that's a problem. I express an opinion, then someone expresses theirs, and sometimes I have a little lightbulb that goes off and then wow I've learned something!

Amazing how it happens really.

PS I never said people with an opposing opinion were sheeple. It's the people who are controlled by the mass media I am referring to. Those are not ALWAYS one and the same.

I had kinda stopped following the story until the verdict came across... His stepfather you could say is pretty much responsible for inciting the riots...

"Burn this bitch down!"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY8eUsAoKIA#t=196

Nothing will happen though, because charging him would be "racist"

Also here's the 6'4 290lb "innocent kid" everyone is rioting over videotapped just before shooting... you know... just, robbing the liqour store....

Maybe if you don't want to get shot by the god damn police, you shouldn't rob a fucking liquor store when you look like you're in your mid-twenties. Then, say continue approaching the arresting officer after being fired upon. And maybe if parents don't want their fucking teenagers to get shot they should raise them a little better to not be the kind of little shit that robs a liquor store.

Perhaps the officer misjudged the situation, but Mike Brown wasn't innocent, fuck the Brown Family...

I'm not saying racial profiling doesn't exist either, it certainly does and there's been cases of it in my own city and it is wrong. Cops are certainly not innocent of corruption either, but not all cops are racist. This is not the particular incident to bandwagon behind in justice for Mike. But, I suppose tensions still exist in this sort of issue after the whole Treyvon Martin issue.

It's not entirely a racial issue. It's a police brutality issue. a broken system issue. it's more than just one dude getting shot. and you're portraying it as if your explanation of the issue is what actually happened. looking at the evidence it doesn't even all add up. unarmed people should not be shot to death by someone who is trained to serve and protect. there are better ways. ways that a professional at this type of thing should be able to take advantage of. but even regardless of all that there are obvious holes in darren wilson's testimony. huge glaring holes that were not questioned during this trial.

Land of the free

Why does Oakland seem to go up in flames every time anything bad happens anywhere in the country?

:(

Is there any context to that video, IE was there any violence etc? Like why was it considered an illegal gathering...?

  On 11/26/2014 at 12:21 AM, doublename said:

Why does Oakland seem to go up in flames every time anything bad happens anywhere in the country?

because, together with los angeles and new york, they're veterans of police brutality

  On 11/26/2014 at 12:33 AM, StephenG said:

Is there any context to that video, IE was there any violence etc? Like why was it considered an illegal gathering...?

because doing or behaving in any other way other than how the system wants you to behave/act is illegal. if a cop stops you for no reason in the middle of the street- you're supposed to stop and put your hands up. even asking them why they stopped you is illegal

http://youtu.be/-XFYTtgZAlE

Wrong answer.

"Forty-three people were arrested in Oakland on suspicion of crimes including assaulting police officers, burglary, resisting arrest and vandalism."

Rocks and bottles were thrown at officers and crowds shut down a freeway.

"suspicion"

"I suspect you might be a terrorist" - throws person in jail

  On 11/25/2014 at 11:05 PM, ghOsty said:

I had kinda stopped following the story until the verdict came across... His stepfather you could say is pretty much responsible for inciting the riots...

 

"Burn this bitch down!"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY8eUsAoKIA#t=196

 

Nothing will happen though, because charging him would be "racist"

 

Also here's the 6'4 290lb "innocent kid" everyone is rioting over videotapped just before shooting... you know... just, robbing the liqour store....

 

 

Maybe if you don't want to get shot by the god damn police, you shouldn't rob a fucking liquor store when you look like you're in your mid-twenties. Then, say continue approaching the arresting officer after being fired upon. And maybe if parents don't want their fucking teenagers to get shot they should raise them a little better to not be the kind of little shit that robs a liquor store.

 

Perhaps the officer misjudged the situation, but Mike Brown wasn't innocent, fuck the Brown Family...

 

I'm not saying racial profiling doesn't exist either, it certainly does and there's been cases of it in my own city and it is wrong. Cops are certainly not innocent of corruption either, but not all cops are racist. This is not the particular incident to bandwagon behind in justice for Mike. But, I suppose tensions still exist in this sort of issue after the whole Treyvon Martin issue.

If you think that getting shot is the appropriate answer for some petty theft, then there's a bigger problem to look at.

No one (or at least I'm not) is saying that Brown was innocent, but goddamn, some perspective yo.

Also blaming the parents for issues that are affected in large part by socio-economic issues is not really a valid criticism.

Long but relevant: http://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/killed-robert-mccullochs-father/#

@ Adieu

They always have to use that language though Adieu you know that. Innocent until proven guilty and whatnot. Even when a person obviously murders someone and admits to it publicly (tons of cases are like that) the media has to use words like "suspicion" and "allegations" until it goes to trial and a conviction is made....

Here's the article:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-arrests-oakland-los-angeles-michael-brown-protests-20141125-story.html

According to the article massive looting and violence was going on in the area including people from the "protest" so they were disbanded.

If anyone wants to accomplish anything I don't think they should be resorting to violent or illegal tactics...

Sure, but it's also an easy way to get people out of the way when they aren't listening to you. I'm not claiming that shit wasn't going on. I mean it always does to some extent in these situations. I just thought that video was uber creepy. reminds me of a sci-fi or an anime or something.

I agree, I found it really eerie... Especially the generic type stuff the officer was reciting over the loudspeaker regarding contraventions of criminal code this and code that.... Really creepy!

So what is this kid now, the martyr for thugs that strong arm store owners and tell the cops to fuck off when asked to take the sidewalk. He was a thug, plain and simple.

I was moved to hear his friend though, he was like "I'm not rioting bc violence doesn't solve anything"

The crowd could learn from him. Also Brown's stepfather inciting the crowd to "burn this bitch down" can he be charged with something? He's basically responsible for millions in damage. Like maybe apologize to the store owner who's life has been fucked up twice by this shit?

  On 11/26/2014 at 12:57 AM, StephenG said:

Wrong answer.

 

"Forty-three people were arrested in Oakland on suspicion of crimes including assaulting police officers, burglary, resisting arrest and vandalism."

 

Rocks and bottles were thrown at officers and crowds shut down a freeway.

  On 11/25/2014 at 10:50 PM, StephenG said:

PS I never said people with an opposing opinion were sheeple. It's the people who are controlled by the mass media I am referring to. Those are not ALWAYS one and the same.

you should compare those numbers with the number of corrupt government officials thrown in jail on suspicion of corruption, money laundering and accepting money from bank ceos, corporations and private investors in order to push laws that favor them and screw the everyday citizen. i'll give you a hint: zero

don't let that media change your opinion though

  On 11/26/2014 at 1:26 AM, Nebraska said:

 

  On 11/26/2014 at 12:57 AM, StephenG said:

Wrong answer.

 

"Forty-three people were arrested in Oakland on suspicion of crimes including assaulting police officers, burglary, resisting arrest and vandalism."

 

Rocks and bottles were thrown at officers and crowds shut down a freeway.

 

  On 11/25/2014 at 10:50 PM, StephenG said:

PS I never said people with an opposing opinion were sheeple. It's the people who are controlled by the mass media I am referring to. Those are not ALWAYS one and the same.

you should compare those numbers with the number of corrupt government officials thrown in jail on suspicion of corruption, money laundering and accepting money from bank ceos, corporations and private investors in order to push laws that favor them and screw the everyday citizen. i'll give you a hint: zero

 

don't let that media change your opinion though

 

They're both wrong.

Just because the system is corrupt doesn't mean violence and rioting is right.

And for the record you're completely wrong about officials being thrown in jail or fired for being corrupt. I see more than "zero" in this short list here?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_state_and_local_politicians_convicted_of_crimes

  On 11/26/2014 at 1:34 AM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

 

  On 11/25/2014 at 2:31 PM, data said:

was watching someone on ustream livestream from his phone last night, and as he was walking around filming some dude ran up and snatched his phone and ran away with it while it was still streaming. the last thing you could hear before the stream went down was the robber telling someone "it's an iphone 6!".

 

was very weird. 90k people watching the stream at the time.

oh ffs. i hate the idiots that do shit like this and allow others to be tarred with the same brush. at the same time it's fucking insane that the jury were such goddamn assholes on this one. eat a bag of dicks you (probably white) dbags

 

9 white people 4 black people I believe on the jury

err...I was wrong

  On 11/25/2014 at 10:14 PM, vincentvc said:

dude...

  On 11/26/2014 at 12:10 AM, AdieuErsatzEnnui said:

Land of the free

 

fuuuuck me that's some totalitarian shit

  On 11/26/2014 at 1:31 AM, StephenG said:

 

Just because the system is corrupt doesn't mean violence and rioting is right.

 

And for the record you're completely wrong about officials being thrown in jail or fired for being corrupt. I see more than "zero" in this short list here?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_state_and_local_politicians_convicted_of_crimes

 

did you read the link you sent me? without even getting too complicated, the first 2 state representatives didn't spend a day in jail despite accepting $3000 in bribes, wire fraud and tax evasion. the state representative for arkansas, hudson hallum, was sentenced to one year home detention for voter bribing.

on the other hand, here is a woman who was sentenced to 20 years in prison because she fired warning shots in an attempt to stop her abusive husband from beating her. btw she used the same defense as george zimmerman: i was being attacked, i had no choice but to defend myself by shooting (except in her case, she wasn't shooting at him, she was shooting to scare him)