the Michael Brown thread

[2clicker]

None of us have seen all the evidence like the grand jury has, so opinions expressed here are pure speculation as to what happened.
They sat thru 25 days of evidence, testimony, autopsy findings etc. We didn't

yep they sure did. they sat thru the evidence the way McCollugh wanted it presented. this guy should have been removed from the case from the start.

first off his dad, a white cop, was killed by an african american when he was young. so he has an agenda. also he has been on the job for 30 years and NOT once in his tenure has an officer been indicted despite having hundreds of these cases brought before him over the years.

i could have told you months ago that DW was going to get off. unfortunately a jurys decision isnt proof of truth. anyone who believes its 100% truth because of the jurys decision is drinking the koolaid.

this systematic problem isnt going anywhere.

 

[lwien]

I don't consider myself paranoid. I consider myself prepared.

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paranoia|ˌparəˈnoiə| nouna • suspicion and mistrust of people or their actions without evidence or justification:the global paranoia about hackers and viruses.
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I'm of the same mindset as Madcap.

What are the percentages of you ever having to protect yourself in a life threatening situation? I would think that the odds are about the same as being hit by lightening and for the same reasons, I don't walk around with a lightening rod to insure myself against a lightening strike.

I guess a lot of this depends on where one lives and if they put themselves in life endangering situations. For me, with my 70 years on this planet, the only time that I felt the need to proactively protect myself was during the LA riots.

 

[RUDE BOY]

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... I don't walk around with a lightening rod to insure myself against a lightening strike.

Why not just fly a kite with a key tied to it's tail ? I don't believe lightning rods ward off lightning.

 

[lwien]

Why not just fly a kite with a key tied to it's tail ? I don't believe lightning rods ward off lightning.

I KNOW you know the jest of what I was trying to say with that analogy, eh?

 

[Gonzo]

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paranoia|ˌparəˈnoiə| nouna • suspicion and mistrust of people or their actions without evidence or justification:the global paranoia about hackers and viruses.
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I'm of the same mindset as Madcap.

What are the percentages of you ever having to protect yourself in a life threatening situation? I would think that the odds are about the same as being hit by lightening and for the same reasons, I don't walk around with a lightening rod to insure myself against a lightening strike.

I guess a lot of this depends on where one lives and if they put themselves in life endangering situations. For me, with my 70 years on this planet, the only time that I felt the need to proactively protect myself was during the LA riots.

A lot depends on where you have lived and what you have seen.

Growing up in the Caribbean below the poverty line in a rough neighborhood taught me a lot of things. I don't force people to become criminals and I refuse to be a victim.

 

[grokit]

RIP

 

[2clicker]

Reality is he attacked an armed cop and lost the fight. Perception is a cop shot a poor unarmed young man.

a jurys decision does NOT make it reality.

i could say that reality is that darren wilson picked a fight with MB by grabbing him by his neck through the window. MB won the fight and then DW shot him from a safe distance.

and why would DW approach them with "get the fuck outof the street" in the first place? why start a situation off like that unless you are looking to start some shit? is that how cops should be acting torwards the public? i think not. and please dont give me the lame excuse of "well cops put up with so much shit daily that they should be allowed to...". thats a cop out. its a public service job that they chose to do.

again lets get cams all over our police force and their vehicles and these cases will be mich easier to settle.

im thinking if DW would have treated them like someone he is trying "to protect and serve", from the start that none of this would ever have happened.

DW aggressively approached them. HE screamed at them. they told him they were less than a block away from where they were going and that wasnt good enough. DW started the shit ala steve zimmerman.

i do not expect any african american males in this country to repsect, let alone trust the police. they have zero reason to do so. they do however have SHIT TONS of reasons why not to respect the police. it is what it is. you treat people like crap and they hate you. its simple.

 

[lwien]

Drives me insane to hear these old white talking heads on Fox telling everyone how those who are black should think about all this.

I do not, under any circumstances, condone the kind of violence that I saw on the tube last night, but until you walk in someone else's shoes, or at least have the empathy to TRY and understand what it's like being black in this country, than keep your damn mouths shut (aimed at the TV talking heads). These idiots have actually stated that racism no longer exists in the US and they base that on the fact that we elected a black president. It's the same crazy as fuck mindset from the same people who deny global warming because of the ice storms in the northeast for they can't fathom in their little minds that climate change due to global warming can produce extremely cold weather.

Totally agree with clicker above. He was kid who stole some cigars. The cop was in control of the situation and very easily could have diffused it and stood down and backed away. But rather than doing that, he CHOSE to escalate it over what? A few fucking cigars?? Way too many similarities to the Trayvon Martin debacle.

 

[2clicker]

Drives me insane to hear these old white talking heads on Fox telling everyone how those who are black should think about all this.

I do not, under any circumstances, condone the kind of violence that I saw on the tube last night, but until you walk in someone else's shoes, or at least have the empathy to TRY and understand what it's like being black in this country, than keep your damn mouths shut (aimed at the TV talking heads). These idiots have actually stated that racism no longer exists in the US and they base that on the fact that we elected a black president. It's the same crazy as fuck mindset from the same people who deny global warming because of the ice storms in the northeast for they can't fathom in their little minds that climate change due to global warming can produce extremely cold weather.

Totally agree with clicker above. He was kid who stole some cigars. The cop was in control of the situation and very easily could have diffused it and stood down and backed away. But rather than doing that, he CHOSE to escalate it over what? A few fucking cigars?? Way too many similarities to the Trayvon Martin debacle.

yes yes yes! totally agree lwien! i like to ask these people how they would handle all of this if they were african american. and they think they know. they have no idea so they do need to shut the fuck up.

the only thing i dissagree with in your post is that MB stole anything. the police edited that video to make it look like he was stealing. problem is that the full version of the tape was released and it shows MB pulling money out of his pocket and places it on the counter before he walks out. just ONE of the lies from the police during all of this.

 

[Gonzo]

Well as a person of color living in the US I disagree with you both but we can agree to disagree.

I will not defend bad behavior and I believe a person has a good deal of control on how their life turns out. I will give you guys one example.

As I said above, i grew up under very rough conditions as a person of color in a poor Caribbean neighborhood. I went to public school in a system where 95% of the student population is black. I was determined to get an education and worked hard in school. Because of this I was told by my fellow black students that I was trying to act white. This is a mentality very present in the black community, and I find it more frustrating than I can put into words.

I go back to the Caribbean once a year and see the same people I left behind still doing nothing with their lives and still blaming the system for them having no future. I had the same opportunity as them but made the effort to take advantage of it. I was not the only one, but fell well into the minority.

This is a mentality I see here since I moved to the US as well.

 

[lwien]

the only thing i dissagree with in your post is that MB stole anything. the police edited that video to make it look like he was stealing. problem is that the full version of the tape was released and it shows MB pulling money out of his pocket and places it on the counter before he walks out.

Really? Never saw that vid. This is the first I heard of it.

Well as a person of color living in the US I disagree with you both but we can agree to disagree.

I will not defend bad behavior and I believe a person has a good deal of control on how their life turns out. I will give you guys one example.

As I said above, i grew up under very rough conditions as a person of color in a poor Caribbean neighborhood. I went to public school in a system where 95% of the student population is black. I was determined to get an education and worked hard in school. Because of this I was told by my fellow black students that I was trying to act white. This is a mentality very present in the black community, and I find it more frustrating than I can put into words.

I go back to the Caribbean once a year and see the same people I left behind still doing nothing with their lives and still blaming the system for them having no future. I had the same opportunity as them but made the effort to take advantage of it. I was not the only one, but fell well into the minority.

This is a mentality I see here since I moved to the US as well.

Where you raised in a two parent household with good parental guidance?

 

[grokit]

What Black Parents Tell Their Sons About the Police

A Tumblr quote floated over to me about around the time of Trayvon Martin's murder, from a Jonathan Lethem book that I've never read (The Fortress of Solitude). At this point, I don't really need to read it, because it's already asked me the most important question I've heard in a long time: "At what age is a black boy when he learns he's scary?"

This question retains its relevance now more than ever. Some have called Michael Brown's killing and the newly newsworthy manifestation of systemic racism and state-sanctioned brutality against black men a reproductive issue, arguing that it prevents women and men from their right "to parent the children we have in safe and healthy environments:" It makes people afraid to have black babies, because they won't stand a chance. As a black woman, nothing will stop me from bearing and raising my future child, but nothing will stop me from raising them in fear.

Such is the burden of black parenting. Being a black parent, especially of a black boy, comes with the added onus of having to protect your child from a country that is out to get him—a country that kills someone that looks like him every 28 hours, a country that will likely imprison him by his mid-thirties if he doesn't get his high school diploma, a country that is more than twice as likely to suspend him from school than a white classmate.

This fear has fueled a generational need for a portentous, culturally compulsory lecture that warns young black men about the inherent strikes against them, about the society that is built to bring them down. It is a harbinger of the inevitable, a wishful attempt at exceptionalism, passed down like an heirloom.

Every black male I've ever met has had this talk, and it's likely that I'll have to give it one day too. There are so many things I need to tell my future son, already, before I've birthed him; so many innocuous, trite thoughts that may not make a single difference. Don't wear a hoodie. Don't try to break up a fight. Don't talk back to cops. Don't ask for help. But they're all variations of a single theme: Don't give them an excuse to kill you.

(more...)

 

[Gonzo]

Really? Never saw that vid. This is the first I heard of it.



Where you raised in a two parent household with good parental guidance?

No, my mother died when I was young from Breast Cancer (Because the leaders of her Chuch told her not to seek medical attention because God would heal her). No one needs to tell me about the struggle. I've lived it.

And if parents are not raising their children properly that is the fault of the parents, not the man.

 

[RUDE BOY]

and why would DW approach them with "get the fuck outof the street" in the first place? why start a situation off like that unless you are looking to start some shit? is that how cops should be acting torwards the public? i think not. and please dont give me the lame excuse of "well cops put up with so much shit daily that they should be allowed to...". thats a cop out. its a public service job that they chose to do.

You Know I think he would say " get outof the fucking street" Because they were walking straight down the middle of a lane in a street where the cop was actually driving, blocking the way and in doing so were breaking the law as well as endangering themselves and others. And as a cop DW was doing his job. Brown in being belligerent about something the rest of us in the country see as common sense(Streets are for cars) and starting shit with an armed cop over something so stupid started the whole episode.

Why or how does everyone overlook that this guy was stopped for a valid reason, then resisted arrest. Black or white don't matter. He was breaking the law and fought with a cop and lost.

 

[Caligula]

Oh great... well I suppose there are worse songs to get stuck in my head. Thanks for that @RUDE BOY

I'm going to have to listen to this at least 3 times before the earworm will die

 

[RUDE BOY]

Oh great... well I suppose there are worse songs to get stuck in my head. Thanks for that @RUDE BOY

I'm going to have to listen to this at least 3 times before the earworm will die

Then listen to the Clash version followed by their song "Know your Rights" !

 

[2clicker]

And if parents are not raising their children properly that is the fault of the parents, not the man.

when the system is working against you in just about every way this is easier said than done. especially when its usually only the mother.

back to the prosecuting attorny...http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...459e16-74d5-11e4-a755-e32227229e7b_story.html

pathetic indeed!

 

[Gonzo]

when the system is working against you in just about every way this is easier said than done. especially when its usually only the mother.

Like I said, we can agree to disagree.

 

[2clicker]

Like I said, we can agree to disagree.

just to be clear, my point was "the man" is the reason for the oppression. of which destroys the family structure.

kids that grow up in these areas have almost no chance of not being stuck in the cycle. this shit is by design.

 

[Madcap79]

You Know I think he would say " get outof the fucking street" Because they were walking straight down the middle of a lane in a street where the cop was actually driving, blocking the way and in doing so were breaking the law as well as endangering themselves and others. And as a cop DW was doing his job. Brown in being belligerent about something the rest of us in the country see as common sense(Streets are for cars) and starting shit with an armed cop over something so stupid started the whole episode.

Why or how does everyone overlook that this guy was stopped for a valid reason, then resisted arrest. Black or white don't matter. He was breaking the law and fought with a cop and lost.

How do we know the Brown got belligerent first? All we have at this point is Wilson's testimony. Until the full transcripts are released, we don't know who said what. Since it has been said that one should shoot to kill in order to save your own life, wouldn't one also lie to save ones life? Self preservation? If there are no witnesses that heard what was said between the two, what's to stop Wilson from lying?

 

[Gonzo]

just to be clear, my point was "the man" is the reason for the oppression. of which destroys the family structure.

kids that grow up in these areas have almost no chance of not being stuck in the cycle. this shit is by design.

Don't get me wrong, we are not that far apart in our way of thinking. It's the "Almost no chance" part that I am having trouble with. IMO, based on what I have seen black people in the US have a much better chance than many minorities around the globe.

I have been to places like Haiti and Cuba and I have seen what "Almost no chance" looks like. And I don't want to offend anyone but it doesn't look like Ferguson Missouri.

 

[Madcap79]

Isn't the standard of living a little higher in this country though? Maybe I'm misunderstanding?

 

[2clicker]

You Know I think he would say " get outof the fucking street" Because they were walking straight down the middle of a lane in a street where the cop was actually driving, blocking the way and in doing so were breaking the law as well as endangering themselves and others. And as a cop DW was doing his job. Brown in being belligerent about something the rest of us in the country see as common sense(Streets are for cars) and starting shit with an armed cop over something so stupid started the whole episode.

Why or how does everyone overlook that this guy was stopped for a valid reason, then resisted arrest. Black or white don't matter. He was breaking the law and fought with a cop and lost.

kids walk in the street all the time. i see white kids do it all the time and they dont get shot for it. and what law were they breaking again...? jay walking? this wasnt a busy street and there were no other cars on the road at the time. no reason at all why DW should scream at them. he screamed at them because thats prolly how he treated african americans many times. you dont know that they were blocking DWs path on the road. in fact from the pics it looks like DW drove out of his way to get where his truck ended up.

and what was he being arrested for? there was no robbery. just ask the store owner. he had no idea why the cops called him for his shops video. so what arrest did he resist?

so i dont see how MB started anything with the DW. looks to me like DW initiated the whole thing.

 

[Gonzo]

Isn't the standard of living a little higher in this country though? Maybe I'm misunderstanding?

Not quite understanding the question. The standard of living is much higher in this country, as it should be.

My example was to point out is that public education and government assistance is much better in this country so the excuses I hear a lot of the time don't hold as much water IMO. This is just based on how hard I have seen some people have it yet they worked hard and were able to rise above.

I guess it's all relative to what we each have experienced

 

[2clicker]

Don't get me wrong, we are not that far apart in our way of thinking. It's the "Almost no chance" part that I am having trouble with. IMO, based on what I have seen black people in the US have a much better chance than many minorities around the globe.

I have been to places like Haiti and Cuba and I have seen what "Almost no chance" looks like. And I don't want to offend anyone but it doesn't look like Ferguson Missouri.

with all due respect... youve never been to ferguson or any of the inner city areas of STL have you?

its very much a "not much chance" situation just like it is in areas all over this country. these are my neighbors. i know them. i am friends with them. i see it every day.

products of their environment. of which the man created.