Racist Police Response to Ferguson Protests

[anitram]

I agree that it's mostly counterproductive because the people you are trying to reach are going to feel irritated and inconvenienced (and everyone's own problems are more important to them than anything, generally speaking).

That said I do sort of get Vlad's point that if we saw Arab students loading onto highways in their countries to oppose their system of government, the same people who are outraged here would be singing a different tune.

[LemonMelon]

I'm more than aware that a racial caste system exists in this country, so can protesters leave the 101 alone? LA is bad enough as it is.

[KhanadaRhodes]

Originally Posted by DaveC

By "citizens" do you mean pedestrians?

If so, then no. In Canada at least, slow-moving vehicles, animals, and pedestrians (basically anything that can't go at least 70 km/hr) are not allowed on limited-access highways. The police can ticket/fine anyone on foot on these roads.

it is the same here in the states. the law generally seems to be geared more towards people hitchhiking, as you won't get ticketed if you have to walk to the nearest exit because your car ran out of gas.

i think the protests are really more to try to get rid of the apathy in this country, where people may read about it in the papers, see it on the news, come across stuff on social media and other sites, but just not care because it doesn't affect them personally. i'm not saying they're right or wrong to take over a section of the interstate, though.

[Hewson]

Originally Posted by nbelcik

No, it wouldn't make a difference, because I have empathy for them and the cause they're supporting. Yes, it would be a major inconvenience to me, but I understand that sometimes you have to do drastic things in order to get people to pay attention to your cause. These issues have been ignored for so long and if it takes protests like these to bring them to the forefront then so be it.

Tell that to the parents who missed their child's chemotherapy treatment because of this, the guy out of work 9 months who missed his first job interview in that period, the guy in the ambualnce with spine fractures and more who couldn't get to the trauma center at Boston Medical after his car accident and was diverted to a hospital not equipped for his trauma etc. etc. Have heard of dozens of these stories here locally.

Coupled with the fact that nobody at the time had any clue what the protest was about (29 white people laying in the highway without telling you why doesn't automatically make you think of the plight of African Americans) and that local African American community leaders have denounced this "protest", don't be fooled into thinking this was done to help put an end to racism, these people didn't do this for any other reason than to create anarchy.

[BoMac]

Oh, Florida...

Family Outraged After North Miami Beach Police Use Mug Shots as Shooting Targets | NBC 6 South Florida

[corianderstem]

It is one thing to be inconvenienced by a highway blockage.

It is another thing entirely to cause actual harm to someone (even inadvertently) by blocking the highway.

If a loved one was in an ambulance with a heart attack, or whatever other life threatening problem, you would be okay with the ambulance being delayed by a protest? Or emergency response vehicles on their way to an accident?

It's entirely possible to be supportive of the issue the protestors are raising, but also not be okay with protestors being a public hazard. Not a nuisance, a hazard.

[DaveC]

Originally Posted by nbelcik

No, it wouldn't make a difference, because I have empathy for them and the cause they're supporting. Yes, it would be a major inconvenience to me, but I understand that sometimes you have to do drastic things in order to get people to pay attention to your cause. These issues have been ignored for so long and if it takes protests like these to bring them to the forefront then so be it.


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I'm not sure you actually read the post you quoted.

The post specifically asked if you were on your way to the hospital, would you be ok with it.

You really, honestly would be understanding if you or a loved one were in need of urgent medical care and were stuck on the freeway behind this protest? It would just be an "inconvenience"? You would truly say "so be it" if the paramedic told you you/they wouldn't be able to get to the hospital in time for the required treatment? Really?

I hope you simply didn't read the post you quoted, because an "oh well, they were here first" attitude to this kind of thing is out-of-control asinine. Please tell me I'm wrong, for the sake of your family.


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[bobsaget77]

Originally Posted by nbelcik

No, it wouldn't make a difference, because I have empathy for them and the cause they're supporting. Yes, it would be a major inconvenience to me, but I understand that sometimes you have to do drastic things in order to get people to pay attention to your cause. These issues have been ignored for so long and if it takes protests like these to bring them to the forefront then so be it.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

That will get a nice clap on the Oprah show or The View, but no human being who is dying or with a loved one who is dying will think, "glad they're getting their message out."
These protestors are so far out of control. MLK was against violent protest and I consider this an act of violent protest because they are putting lives at risk.



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[Oregoropa]

Originally Posted by bobsaget77

That will get a nice clap on the Oprah show or The View, but no human being who is dying or with a loved one who is dying will think, "glad they're getting their message out."
These protestors are so far out of control. MLK was against violent protest and I consider this an act of violent protest because they are putting lives at risk.

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It's only wrong to block traffic when it's done by staffers of a fat man in power.

I don't understand when protesting became inconveniencing the general public as opposed to actually doing something that will have an adverse effect on those who actually created the issues to begin with.

[Hewson]

[the iron horse]

After studying the evidence they came to the same conclusion as the grand jury.

As I have said before, I understand (and have experienced it) that some police do act inappropriately. Can any of us name a group of people that does not have a few bad apples?

Most law enforcement people do their jobs well and work at times in situations most us have never experienced.

That's what Darren Wilson was doing that day.

Now his career is over as a policeman, businesses ruined, people hurt, hatred fueled, and people murdered.

Yes black lives matter, all lives matter...and I hope we remember that truth also matters.


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/us...en-wilson.html

[LemonMelon]

Doesn't really deserve its own thread:

http://www.u2interference.com/forums...ts-216973.html

[the iron horse]

I think it does deserve its own thread.

[bono_212]

Why? It's not even an official report.

[Diemen]

Yeah, this belongs in the Ferguson thread.

[cobl04]

[cobl04]

Mapping Police Violence

[deep]

At least 302 black people were killed by police in the United States in 2014.

How is this fair and balanced reporting??

How many black people were not killed by police in 2014

[Diemen]

Originally Posted by deep

How is this fair and balanced reporting??

How many black people were not killed by police in 2014