Grand jury decision in Ferguson

[Rampage]

It's still not right when anybody is judged by their appearance, nor is it right no matter who is rioting and looting.

When are whites judged by their appearance other than given the benefit of the doubt? Similarly, why is most of the focus on the looting, the breaking of things, instead of the loss of life? THINGS are insured and can be replaced. No one can bring that mother her boy back.

 

[Mary Stuart]

As a ginger I am often judged by my appearance and it is seen as acceptable to make jokes about it.

Yes I do realise there is a different between being black and ginger and the history behind it all. To me however it doesn't matter what colour, sex, sexual preference you are. If you're a knob i'm going to treat you like one.

On a different matter, i'm going to be honest, i've not really followed it as much and our coverage here has not been as strong as is there as we are still dealing with the fallout of the small matter of Scottish Independence. One thing that is clear to me is why it is only tactical weapons units that carry guns here. We don't have things like this because our officers on the streets don't carry guns. I fully appreciate I may change my opinion when I hope to join the force next year.

 

[Clara Oswald]

When are whites judged by their appearance other than given the benefit of the doubt?

Give me a break. Seriously. EVERYONE is judged by their appearance EVERY DAY. That is the society we live in. You are judging me right now because I'm white. I have been passed over for jobs because of how I look. In this case, that officer is being judged because he is WHITE. There was no way that officer could have been found not guilty and it be acceptable, just because he is white. Despite the overwhelming forensic evidence.

Similarly, why is most of the focus on the looting, the breaking of things, instead of the loss of life? THINGS are insured and can be replaced.

I don't think the focus IS on looting. You were the one who brought that up. But it is ridiculous to say it's okay to destroy other people's property just because they are angry. It doesn't help anything, and it weakens their position. And for the record, idiots who loot and riot because of sporting events a) are not just white and b) not given a pass.

The focus SHOULD be on loss of life and why its happening. This whole thing is a tragedy and this SHOULD be a call to work to solve the problems so it doesn't have to happen again. Were there mistakes made in Ferguson? Yes, probably. Did the grand jury bring the correct verdict? Yes, I think so. Protest all you want, but protest the right things and keep violence out of it. Do the rules of what's acceptable force for police need to be changed? Do officers need to be better trained to deal with threats without using their firearms? Let's look at changing the 95% of blacks who are killed in this country that are at the hands of other blacks. Let's shine a light on how ludicrous it is that so many people straight out LIED to the authorities about what they saw that night. These are the changes and discussions that should come out of this, not hypocrisy and more violence.

 

[Karma]

Give me a break. Seriously. EVERYONE is judged by their appearance EVERY DAY. That is the society we live in.

I'm on the fence w/ this b/c I think SOME ppl are judged for their appearance (fat, pale, dark etc) , i think WOMEN in general are judged more harshly for their appearence than men, but appearance is one thing, race is another. how you look vs your skin color (in America) are two different things & that does factor into how ppl are treated good or bad in this country.

You are judging me right now because I'm white.

how was he doing that?

I have been passed over for jobs because of how I look. In this case, that officer is being judged because he is WHITE. There was no way that officer could have been found not guilty and it be acceptable, just because he is white. Despite the overwhelming forensic evidence.

I've been passed over for jobs b/c of my age & gender but never b/c of my race. that's not something I've faced & that's not something most whites in America face. there are many things whites DON'T have to face or worry about. white privilege.

The focus SHOULD be on loss of life and why its happening. This whole thing is a tragedy and this SHOULD be a call to work to solve the problems so it doesn't have to happen again. Were there mistakes made in Ferguson? Yes, probably. Did the grand jury bring the correct verdict? Yes, I think so. Protest all you want, but protest the right things and keep violence out of it. Do the rules of what's acceptable force for police need to be changed? Do officers need to be better trained to deal with threats without using their firearms? Let's look at changing the 95% of blacks who are killed in this country that are at the hands of other blacks. Let's shine a light on how ludicrous it is that so many people straight out LIED to the authorities about what they saw that night. These are the changes and discussions that should come out of this, not hypocrisy and more violence.

Whites kill whites @ a rate of 78-85% depend on which crime reporting agency stats you read in recent months. I don't understand how "black on black" crime factors into the very real problem of police officers brutalizing & murdering unarmed black men?

Rioting & looting aren't okay BUT again, what about when WHITES do it...over things far less important? (sports, a PUMPKIN FESTIVAL!?) why is it that its painted as "letting off steam" but when it happens in a situation like Ferguson, it's this horrible, terrible thing. if it's bad, it should be bad across the board & like it or not, there ISN'T the same level of scrutiny applied to white rioting that is to black rioting.


Wilson's cowardice & bad choices shouldve been scrutinized more harshly. He painted Brown to be some scarey, giant, super powered black demon man that he couldn't possibly have handled & that he was the helpless well meaning officer...everytime I read or listen to his account...I roll my eyes so hard they could come out of my head! police officers take their jobs full well knowing that there will be risks. if Wilson or any other officer is that damn AFRAID, they need to sit their ass behind a desk. They should not get a pass for emptying their firearm into an unarmed man b/c the are AFRAID. that's a bunch of BS.

We definitely need to change some things b/c while ppl act like this cant happen to them, it can...regardless of skin color. Police officers don't walk on water & shouldn't be treated like they do. they should be held accountable for their actions. Further more, investigations & prosecution of police brutality & misconduct should be handled by a special prosecutor, not someone w/ any local ties or connections (as was the case in Ferguson where the prosecutor had suspiciously close ties to Wilson ). Let's talk about how key witnesses were omitted from the grand jury hearing & so, key testimony was never heard. There's LOTS to talk about & lots that does need to be changed.

 

[Clara Oswald]

Whites kill whites @ a rate of 78-85% depend on which crime reporting agency stats you read in recent months. I don't understand how "black on black" crime factors into the very real problem of police officers brutalizing & murdering unarmed black men?

Because the focus is on a small (and declining) percentage, rather than the big picture. Not that the problem of lack of confidence in police neutrality should not be addressed, but violence in general (anyone aimed at anyone else) is a bigger problem that needs addressing and resources.

Rioting & looting aren't okay BUT again, what about when WHITES do it...over things far less important? (sports, a PUMPKIN FESTIVAL!?) why is it that its painted as "letting off steam" but when it happens in a situation like Ferguson, it's this horrible, terrible thing. if it's bad, it should be bad across the board & like it or not, there ISN'T the same level of scrutiny applied to white rioting that is to black rioting.

I completely disagree with you here. Rioting and looting is rioting and looting. I think you are seeing what you want to see.

They should not get a pass for emptying their firearm into an unarmed man b/c the are AFRAID. that's a bunch of BS.

If a 280 lb man was charging at you, you would be afraid too. But that was why I pointed out that instead of assuming the officer acted in the wrong, people should be calling for revisions to where the line is drawn between acceptable and unacceptable force. As I think it was Eric Holder said, those officers have a right to go home at the end of the day.

We definitely need to change some things b/c while ppl act like this cant happen to them, it can...regardless of skin color. Police officers don't walk on water & shouldn't be treated like they do. they should be held accountable for their actions.

I completely agree. But at the same time, you have to allow for due process. Our system is not perfect, and it needs people to work to make it more perfect, but you can't override the system just because a white cop was found not guilty. Ferguson is a completely different situation from New York and it cannot be treated as the same. It is equally wrong to assume Wilson's guilt because he is white than to assume he is innocent because he is white. People need to look at facts, not hearsay and spin.

Further more, investigations & prosecution of police brutality & misconduct should be handled by a special prosecutor, not someone w/ any local ties or connections (as was the case in Ferguson where the prosecutor had suspiciously close ties to Wilson ). Let's talk about how key witnesses were omitted from the grand jury hearing & so, key testimony was never heard. There's LOTS to talk about & lots that does need to be changed.

I completely agree that this should be handled by a special prosecutor, not by someone who has to work with the police force day in and day out.

I'm not saying there aren't problems, I'm not saying changes don't need to be made, but ALL PEOPLE need to be held to the same standard - and playing the blame game gets us nowhere. Let's focus on the solutions rather than finger pointing - blacks are not in the right 100% of the time, and whites are not in the right 100% of the time, and acting like either is true just pulls us backward.

 

[Rampage]

Young black males are over 20 times more likely to die at the hands of the police during an encounter. This has NOTHING to do with Wilson being white and EVERYTHING to do with the assumption that an unarmed Black man is dangerous enough that a police officer with training and several non-lethal weapons feels it necessary to empty a clip into him. Or that he needs to choke him to death even though the man is outnumbered 5 to 1. And that people seem to think that is somehow reasonable.

Meanwhile, armed whites are routinely negotiated with and handled in a non-lethal manner. That is simply the plain truth. And that is what Black people are reacting to.

My own hometown is dealing with an apparent lynching that the authorities are trying to call a suicide even though the evidence does not support any such thing.

I am not anti-white by any means. I live, work, worship with whites and each person is indeed an individual. But I also cannot ignore that our society is setting a precedent whereby Black males are so demonized that even an unarmed African American male is somehow enough of a threat to be killed by an armed police officer/officers. That is unacceptable. Police officers have a right to go home, but they also have a responsibility as a part of their jobs to understand that every bullet that leaves their gun has their name and reputation on it and they had better damn well be sure that they are doing the right thing NO MATTER WHO the person is on the other end of the confrontation.

 

[Karma]

Young black males are over 20 times more likely to die at the hands of the police during an encounter. This has NOTHING to do with Wilson being white and EVERYTHING to do with the assumption that an unarmed Black man is dangerous enough that a police officer with training and several non-lethal weapons feels it necessary to empty a clip into him. Or that he needs to choke him to death even though the man is outnumbered 5 to 1. And that people seem to think that is somehow reasonable.

Meanwhile, armed whites are routinely negotiated with and handled in a non-lethal manner. That is simply the plain truth. And that is what Black people are reacting to.

there are others who notice too & they are reacting to it as well. i do think its important to remember that this is a problem EVERYONE needs to get involved in, & it starts w/ acknowledgement & voicing disapproval about it.



all these things are connected & one can't be addressed w/out all the other parts being addressed.

 

[Prophet]

Well..I will interject...I live in the area that a lot of the riots for sports games happens, and trust me...It gets a TON of media coverage here as destructive and NOBODY likes it.

 

[DonDaddyD]

The BBC have a really thought provoking article and references how black people, especially black boys are perceived:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-30284312

"To get some sense of how this plays out, one need only review the grand jury testimony of Darren Wilson, who defended killing Michael Brown by describing Brown as an inhuman, unstoppable beast. "It looked like he was almost bulking up to run through the shots, like it was making him mad that I'm shooting at him."

This stereotype of the hulking black brute, impervious to pain, capable of crushing strong white men with a single slap of his massive hand has been with us for a very long time."

Its a large part of the problem. (In the UK too).