Racist Police Response to Ferguson Protests

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I didn't say that they do, so...?

You're basically insinuating that if you're a liberal, you just get race relations.

All I'm trying to say is that if someone identifies with one political leaning, or another, that does not mean that that person 1) Understands all of the subjects that side may focus on nor 2) Does it mean that a person on the other side of the line completely agrees with everything their contemporaries do.
 
it's pretty clear the teen did not pose a threat to the officer's life and the officer had no need to use his gun or apply deadly force.

Well, according to the officer, Michael did go after the officer's gun. If that is true, then he indeed posed a threat to the officer's life.

Also - there may be laws/rules in America that simply do no exist in your country (for better or worse). One of those is the fleeing felon rule:

At Common law, the Fleeing Felon Rule permits the use of force, including deadly force, against an individual who is suspected of a felony and is in clear flight -

Fleeing felon rule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Assaulting an officer is a felony. Once Michael hit the officer, his life was at serious risk (legally).
 
"The Media" did this?

This isn't about saintly blacks and racist cops. It's about the fact that black people have to deal with things that are evidently unimaginable to white people. That there are different standards of justice in this country. And that both Brown and Martin would be alive today if they were white -- because the cops or asshole Rambo neighborhood watch domestic violence purveyors would have treated them differently from the start.

This isn't to say that they are angels or absolved from doing stupid, illegal things. It's that there's a working assumption in place that's entire based in race that occasionally results in death.


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Translation - it's okay to crucify a white officer with an impeccable service record if it helps to bring "larger" and "more important" issues to light.
 
Translation - it's okay to crucify a white officer with an impeccable service record if it helps to bring "larger" and "more important" issues to light.

(and by doing so - completely erasing an otherwise stellar career and reputation)

..............

As for systemic racism, just look at how much more favorably the media portrays white killers compared to black victims:

When The Media Treats White Suspects And Killers Better Than Black Victims

Headline about white killer: Ala. suspect brilliant, but social misfit
Black shooting victim: Montgomery's latest shooting victim had history of narcotics abuse, tangles with law

White killer: Son in Staten Island murders was brlliant, athletic - but his demons were the death of parents
Black victim: Trayvon Martin was suspended three times from school

White killer: Oregon school shooting suspect had fascination with guns, but was devout Mormon, friends say
Black victim: Police: Slain Lakeland teen had been shot before, death possibly drug-related

White criminal: Straight A student plotted to bomb school
Black victim: Shooting victim had many run-ins with the law

Notice a pattern?
 
..............

Which media is this? Are you referring to WND? That is certainly NOT how this event has been reported by the major news outlets.

If a white man shoots a black man - it's a total media circus. If a black man shoots a black man, it's not even worth mentioning (to the media - there's no money in it).
 
Reminds me of how the media was treated in Venezuela during the protests in that country. Sad.


You're joking right? The US media has almost complete free reign here. They simply follow/create the stories that make the most money.
 
I was merely pointing out that you keep bringing up this cop's "impeccable record" and Brown's "not nice person". You are complaining about the media and yet your posting style is very similar to how media reports on white killers/black victims.
 
Because Darren Wilson murdered a teenager and the police responded by violating first amendment rights ever since?

"Murdered"...you don't know that.

Looting and shooting at cops (and at least one other protester) is NOT a first amendment right.
 
I was merely pointing out that you keep bringing up this cop's "impeccable record" and Brown's "not nice person". You are complaining about the media and yet your posting style is very similar to how media reports on white killers/black victims.

That is NOT how this has been played out. At first Michael Brown was shown as a sweet, lovable, huggable bear gunned down by the mean racist white cop. It is only well AFTER the circus has started that we find out that Michael Brown was not such a sweet guy after all and the mean racist cop had a perfect record serving that SAME community, day in and day out, for four years.

So, we're supposed to believe that after four years of terrific service - the white cop just suddenly decided to shoot a lovable, cuddly black man in the middle of the day for no reason other than he didn't like blacks? It's just a strange coincidence that only 10 minutes earlier that Michael was stealing from the convenience store and pushing around the clerks with ZERO fear.

Yet - the facts don't matter. The fire is set. The line has been drawn. The sides have been taken. Reason is out the window. Even if the facts clearly show this officer acted according to law and training - he's done. Why? So the networks can make more money on our clicks, visits, and viewing hours. They hype this stuff up for money, it's as simple as that.
 
Wow, this discussion just isn't worth it if you're going to keep missing the point (gross over-use of deadly force) or ignoring what's on record (journalists being arrested).
 
Wow, this discussion just isn't worth it if you're going to keep missing the point (gross over-use of deadly force)
On this I am not sure about until we see more forensics...

or ignoring what's on record (journalists being arrested).
I do want to be clear that I think that the riots are another issue. The police certainly over-reacted those first few nights. From what I've read, even conservatives agree on this. However, since then, the "protesters" are turning violent in the absence of a strong police presence. Even forums with a strong liberal presence (reddit) - have turned on the protesters.

Yes - the media was caught in the crossfire those first few nights. However, there is not, nor has there been, an overall media blackout. The riots have been thoroughly covered - often with the reporters at risk of being caught in the middle of the action.
 
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Not sure if anyone happened to be watching CNN recently?
 
Which media is this? Are you referring to WND? That is certainly NOT how this event has been reported by the major news outlets.



If a white man shoots a black man - it's a total media circus. If a black man shoots a black man, it's not even worth mentioning (to the media - there's no money in it).


This is not just a white man shooting a black man.


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Yet - the facts don't matter. The fire is set. The line has been drawn. The sides have been taken. Reason is out the window. Even if the facts clearly show this officer acted according to law and training - he's done. Why? So the networks can make more money on our clicks, visits, and viewing hours. They hype this stuff up for money, it's as simple as that.


You do realize you're just as guilty as everyone you accuse, right?

You are bending over backwards to try and justify putting 6 bullets in an unarmed man. Do you realize how often cops get assaulted? Yet they find a way to apprehend without taking deadly force, which is how real cops are trained. And you've dismissed eyewitnesses as just sticking with their tribe(not a disgusting presumption at all).


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You do realize you're just as guilty as everyone you accuse, right?

You are bending over backwards to try and justify putting 6 bullets in an unarmed man.
No, I am questioning this notion that Michael was gunned down while peacefully surrendering to the charge of jaywalking.

Do you realize how often cops get assaulted? Yet they find a way to apprehend without taking deadly force, which is how real cops are trained.
Michael is 6'4" and almost 300 pounds, if he didn't want to be apprehended by hand, he wasn't going to be. And as we saw only 10 minutes before he was shot, Michael did not hesitate to use his size to do whatever he wanted to do.

And you've dismissed eyewitnesses as just sticking with their tribe(not a disgusting presumption at all).
Unfortunately I am. After watching the citizens being interviewed this week on CNN, it is obvious they are using this incident to lodge a bigger complaint at society. Also - their stories contradict on some of the most key parts of the incident. Some say he was shot surrendering. Some say he was shot running away. Another says he was shot while doubling back and charging the cop (this is also the officer's version).

I am simply challenging this notion that Darren Wilson, an officer with a reputation for gentleness and an unblemished track record, suddenly went into a racist rage and gunned down a black man who was peacefully surrendering to the charge of jaywalking. Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No.

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I am simply challenging this notion that Darren Wilson, an officer with a reputation for gentleness and an unblemished track record, suddenly went into a racist rage and gunned down a black man who was peacefully surrendering to the charge of jaywalking. Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No.
Under the same circumstances, would Darren Wilson have fired with the aim to kill if the suspect had been Caucasian.
Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No.
 
Yes he was murdered. He was shot six times while on his knees surrendering. The officer had no idea if he was a violent person. He only knew he was big and black and not on a sidewalk.
 
What are you referring to?

EDIT: Watch CNN and tell me honestly that the press coverage is being suppressed.


Teargassing a news crew and dismantling their camera equipment after they ran. Arresting two reporters for "not leaving a McDonald's fast enough." Pointing a gun at reporters and threatening to shoot them if they don't turn off a light.

So many first amendment rights violations, so little time. And for you to bring up the looters is sad. How many peaceful protestors are there compared to he people who looted six or seven days ago? Give me a break. The only person trying to frame a narrative here is you.
 
He was shot six times
Yes, and that is disconcerting at this point.

while on his knees surrendering.
That is certainly not proven to be fact.

The officer had no idea if he was a violent person.
Of course he did, Michael had just punched and/or pushed him.

He only knew he was big and black and not on a sidewalk.
And you really believe this was the reason he was shot? That he was big and black and jaywalking. And not only that - the officer even waited until for Michael to get on his knees before shooting him 30 feet away in broad daylight...?
 
Teargassing a news crew and dismantling their camera equipment after they ran. Arresting two reporters for "not leaving a McDonald's fast enough." Pointing a gun at reporters and threatening to shoot them if they don't turn off a light.

So many first amendment rights violations, so little time. And for you to bring up the looters is sad. How many peaceful protestors are there compared to he people who looted six or seven days ago? Give me a break. The only person trying to frame a narrative here is you.

I mentioned the looters because they were...well...looting. I am sure you would want the police to stop someone from burning down your neighborhood.

I don't think anyone has a problem with peaceful protests. I certainly do not.
 
No, I am questioning this notion that Michael was gunned down while peacefully surrendering to the charge of jaywalking.

You're being intellectually dishonest with yourself, you are going beyond just questioning this notion. You're treating this as a black or white scenario; either Michael is an angel or a thug, either he assaulted warranting death or he peacefully surrendered. The majority of us believe there could have been a scuffle and a surrender.
Michael is 6'4" and almost 300 pounds, if he didn't want to be apprehended by hand, he wasn't going to be. And as we saw only 10 minutes before he was shot, Michael did not hesitate to use his size to do whatever he wanted to do.

Yeah against an unarmed 5' tall convenient store clerk. A gun will make most men, no matter their size hesitate.
Unfortunately I am. After watching the citizens being interviewed this week on CNN, it is obvious they are using this incident to lodge a bigger complaint at society. Also - their stories contradict on some of the most key parts of the incident. Some say he was shot surrendering. Some say he was shot running away. Another says he was shot while doubling back and charging the cop (this is also the officer's version).

Eyewitnesses are often going to have contradictory stories, you look for the consistencies.
I am simply challenging this notion that Darren Wilson, an officer with a reputation for gentleness and an unblemished track record, suddenly went into a racist rage and gunned down a black man who was peacefully surrendering to the charge of jaywalking. Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No.

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Wait, so now you know Darren Wilson? Once again you are doing the exact thing that you accusing others of. We don't know Wilson any better than we know Michael.

Is it possible that Michael surrendered after a scuffle? The autopsy so far suggest that the shots were not close range, so this didn't occur while reaching for his gun, so Wilson had control of the gun before shots fired, so that theory seems to be thrown out the window. At least 5 shots? Unless Michael was a zombie that kept moving towards him, most cops are going to see an issue with this. And perhaps the most damning is that one of these shots enter from the top of his head which suggests shooting after he had already fallen to the ground, which is consistent to some eyewitnesses.

So this whole notion that this is cut and dry, and you're sticking with your tribe is bullshit. Both sides deserve to be questioned.
 
He punched or pushed the officer according to whom?

And yes he had surrendered. He got shot in the palm. His hands were up. He got shot in the top of the head after he had already fallen.
 
You're basically insinuating that if you're a liberal, you just get race relations.

All I'm trying to say is that if someone identifies with one political leaning, or another, that does not mean that that person 1) Understands all of the subjects that side may focus on nor 2) Does it mean that a person on the other side of the line completely agrees with everything their contemporaries do.


I'm not saying all liberals get it. I'm saying all conservatives don't.
 
He punched or pushed the officer according to whom?

There are claims that there are photos taken at the hospital following the indecent of injuries to his face. Who knows what to believe, I have a hard time believing this police department who released an unrelated video just to win empathy for their side wouldn't have released these photos yet, but then again this police department doesn't seem to be the brightest group of cops out there.
 
He punched or pushed the officer according to whom?

And yes he had surrendered. He got shot in the palm. His hands were up. He got shot in the top of the head after he had already fallen.

Accounts of exactly what happened when Officer Darren Wilson stopped Brown while the teen was walking down a street vary widely.

Witnesses said they saw a scuffle between the officer and Brown at the police car before the young man was shot.

Missouri National Guard headed to Ferguson - CNN.com
 
Yes he was murdered. He was shot six times while on his knees surrendering. The officer had no idea if he was a violent person. He only knew he was big and black and not on a sidewalk.


Exactly. I don't think I the officer was in some kind of "racist rage" -- but he was much more trigger happy and nervousness because he was dealing with a large black male than had he been dealing with a large white male. In the same way that Zimmerman wouldn't have tried to play Robocop had TM been a white or Asian male.

We need to get beyond cartoonish understandings of racism and start to understand how race permeates everything, especially when it comes to young black men and the police in certain areas of the country.

Just because it's not Mississippi Burning doesn't mean there isn't a problem here.


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Both sides deserve to be questioned.

Actually - that is exactly what I am trying to do. I am trying to point out that there are other possibilities than the one people like PhilsFan are sticking with.

It may turn out that the officer did respond excessively after the scuffle, and he will be charged accordingly. But at least we are now at the point we can begin to discuss a little more motive behind the shooting other than racism (a very large man was just bold enough to hit a cop and possible reach for the weapon).

My hunch tells me (based on what we've heard from witnesses and police) that they will prove there was a scuffle and there was a shot fired in the squad car during that scuffle. Beyond that - it will be difficult to prove that Michael was surrendering or charging. One witness said he thought the cop was missing because Michael kept moving toward him (perhaps the arm shots were first?).

One problem is the lack of a dashcam and lapel cam. It's a rather inexpensive way to add clarity to situations like this.
 
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