Time to set aside politics
Kelly Everitt

Ferguson raises key issues

Posted Wednesday, August 20, 2014, at 8:12 AM
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  • Where is the Presidential/Media outrage when its Black killing Black or White?

    There have been 69 homicides in St Louis area this year, where is the outrage over that?

    33 police were killed by gunfire in the U.S 2013 and 27 so far in 2014, where is the outrage over those stats?

    -- Posted by gmoney on Wed, Aug 20, 2014, at 2:48 PM
  • I agree that racism still exists. I agree that the FBI needs to investigate this. With all the weapons the police have why does one of them need to shoot an unarmed young man six times to stop him? Is the policeman not trained in taking down someone or is it a matter of frustration and anger or possibly cowardice?

    -- Posted by caspertghost on Wed, Aug 20, 2014, at 6:37 PM
  • It doesn't appear that Kelly was doing any speculating, nor was Casper. Random stranger and Cool Breeze why not wait for the facts to come out?

    Once again Cool Breeze nice try in blaming Obama for this.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Aug 21, 2014, at 10:13 AM
  • Why didn't the officer use a stun gun/taser? Why does it always have to be shoot and kill? Really !!! shoot a unarmed 18 year old 6 times because he stole a box of cigars. What happened to his day in court? If the officer was intimidated by Michael Browns size why didn't he wait for help to arrive?

    I heard on the news (cnn) that department has dash camera's and camera's to wear on uniforms. Guess where they are? Still sitting in a store room in boxes! Guess that's where the taser's are also.

    -- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Aug 21, 2014, at 11:11 AM
  • random stranger you are mixing up the words infer and imply. On what you say.

    1. Stealing a box of cigars is the only thing there is proof that Brown did. Your other claims aren't backed up by the currently known evidence.

    2. I believe that racism is live and rampant in Ferguson. It's population is mostly black, however it's police department is mostly white. It's police department does not all even live in Ferguson but in neighboring mostly white towns.

    3. A behemoth is hardly how you would describe a 6 foot 4 inch 18 year old. The officer had other tools at his disposal than his gun. If he was afraid he could have hopped into his car and backed off.

    4. On the broken orbital bone, that is a rumor but not shown as evidence and the policeman was not hospitalized. If he was afraid or injured it is much better to wait for backup, rather than to start shooting in a neighborhood street, unless he placed no value on the lives of Brown, his friends, and others in the neighborhood.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Aug 21, 2014, at 2:14 PM
  • I love the way everybody is speculating (guessing) about what they think happened based on their political views. How about we just wait for the official investigations to be completed. Then we can all choose which investigation we want to believe.

    -- Posted by TundraRat on Thu, Aug 21, 2014, at 3:10 PM
  • There is a petition with over 70,000 signatures asking the prosecutor to recuse himself in the case before it is brought before the grand jury. The prosecutor has strong ties with the police and has supported the police in police shootings before.

    I personally feel that the governor needs to appoint a special prosecutor since the prosecutor has no intention of recusing himself. The governor seems to be pretty weak.

    -- Posted by Soc7 on Thu, Aug 21, 2014, at 3:36 PM
  • A flibbertigibbet might think an 6 ft. 4 inch, overweight 18 year old as a behemoth. But it is interesting that you call him that because a behemoth is defined in dictionary.com as "any creature or thing of monstrous size or power".

    Perhaps you don't think of an 18 year old black kid as a human worthy of life but instead think of him as a creator of some kind. -- pretty shocking IMO.

    Police are not trained to gun down unarmed people.

    And, random stranger, maybe you should ask someone to help you with the words imply and infer. You've got that wrong too.

    -- Posted by Soc7 on Thu, Aug 21, 2014, at 5:35 PM
  • random stranger, you seem to be getting confused.

    I never implied that cowardice was the reason the officer shot so many times. That appears to be CasperTGhost who implied that.

    We don't know if he inferred that since we don't read his mind and so don't know if he really thinks that.

    I do infer from the news and facts that are known that something is not right with the excessive transparency on trying the victim, and the lack of transparency in investigating the crime from the city of Ferguson.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Aug 21, 2014, at 6:01 PM
  • They have a video of the other black man that was shot by police this week just 4 miles away in Saint Louis, from where Brown had been killed. He had a steak knife. The officers said that he was holding it as if he was going to use it but that can't be seen in the video.

    The officers got out of their car and in seconds from the point that they were called the man was shot several times by each of the police officers. They weren't shooting to stop him, they were shooting to kill. As soon as they killed him they rolled him over and put handcuffs on him.

    In this case, shocking as it is, there are no protests. The reasons for this may be:

    1. The man had a knife

    2. There was a video

    3. The police chief came right away to the scene to provide the police version of the incident and to say that the officers were on administrative leave while the case was being investigated

    (transparency).

    4. The police aren't sending out negative things about the man that was killed.

    In this case, the police were at first safely behind the car. Then they moved toward the man and appeared to be ordering him, I assume to drop the knife. Then they dispatched him. What happened to trying to talk him down?

    Other people walked by the man before the incident and didn't seem threatened. One kind of laughed at the guy as he walked around him.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Aug 22, 2014, at 8:29 AM
  • The prosecutor has relatives in the police force, and his own father was a policeman that was killed by a black man. This is a case which is prosecuting a policeman that the prosecutor probably knows and has worked with in the past and will in the future.

    Yes, this prosecutor should ethically be recusing himself. I have a relative that was a prosecutor. When a case came up that involved someone that he knew in his personal life he recused himself and the county brought in another prosecutor for that case. It happens all of the time.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Aug 22, 2014, at 10:41 AM
  • Last year a poll was conducted by state. Missouri was rated 49 out of 50 on being a good state for a minority to live.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/08/22/what-happened-in-fergu...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Aug 22, 2014, at 10:46 AM
  • -- Posted by TundraRat on Fri, Aug 22, 2014, at 8:51 PM
  • random stranger the blog topic is about the event in Ferguson. If you don't care about it don't comment or read other's comments.

    Cool Breeze, apparently from earlier comments though you are unwilling or unable to list the lawless transgressions backed up by facts from a credible source. BTW, nobody wants to see any more doctored videos or other fake information presented as the truth.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 9:44 AM
  • random stranger your joke is in bad taste. Just curious but why is CasterTGhost's gender so important to you?

    On the topic of Ferguson, this is about a video of one of the police officers "keeping the peace" in Ferguson. He has been put on administrative leave for his comments, and another officer saying on social media that the "protestors should be put down like a rabid dog ...".

    http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/22/us/missouri-police-officer-suspended/index.html?hp...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 12:10 PM
  • random stranger, your video shows two things.

    1. According to the narrative in the video the woman police officer made a mistake by not keeping a safe distance between her and the suspect. It sounds like she needs to brush up on traffic stops, and one might infer other things.

    2. The video has a URL to a web page. When I entered it, it directed to a pure porn site. I wouldn't be surprised if MHN removes your comment for that reason but also because you aren't calling CasperTGhost by his name.

    In Missouri, we have had two shootings of young black men, one an 18 year old, by police. That makes me think that the police procedures are wrong. Added to this is the armored trucks where heavy arms were pointed at crowds of peaceful protestors by police. Something is not right with that.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 5:49 PM
  • That's a lot of whining random stranger!

    -- Posted by caspertghost on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:29 PM
  • random stranger, you are exaggerating. Michael Brown had not committed a felony. He had taken a box of cigars valued at about $50. In Missouri, he has to steal something valued at $500 or more for it to be a felony.

    As I said before, and I'm tired of repeating it, your own video has the narrator pointing out that the officer made a mistake by not keeping more of a distance between her and the suspect. It sounds like she needs additional training.

    If you are watching too many videos of women getting beaten up and it is upsetting you so much then my advice to you is to stop doing those searches on YouTube.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sun, Aug 24, 2014, at 8:52 AM
  • You are really working yourself into a frenzy on the two cases random stranger and don't seem to be thinking logically. Your grasp of the facts are off.

    The comments about caspertghost also seem inappropriate. I suggest that you cool off.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sun, Aug 24, 2014, at 2:39 PM
  • I see the discussion has degenerated into name calling and insults. Let put forth this as an idea.

    According to the Atlantic there is a difference in how white people vs. black people feel about what went wrong in Ferguson. Was it a senseless killing of a young black man, or was it justified and reasonable force?

    White people tend to think that it was justified and black people think it was a senseless killing. The problem, from the Atlantic's viewpoint is that most white people don't have black people in their social circle. A lot of them don't even know any African-Americans. This makes it hard for them to relate to the issues of being stopped for "driving while black", or frisked for "walking while black". They don't see why it would be a problem for law enforcement to be comprised of mostly white people, exercising authority over a mostly black population.

    I think the younger generation, growing up with social media, may have a more expanded view of the world, at least I hope so.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/08/self-segregation-why-its-har...

    -- Posted by Soc7 on Sun, Aug 24, 2014, at 3:55 PM
  • On your comment to Sam, Cool Breeze, the felony discussion was over the shoplifting in the convenience store. It has also not been shown that the officer had a broken orbital bone. Do try to keep up.

    -- Posted by caspertghost on Sun, Aug 24, 2014, at 7:20 PM
  • Two things are known from this. The prosecutor's office is leaking information to help the police officer and you can't tell the difference between evidence and a news leak.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Sun, Aug 24, 2014, at 10:40 PM
  • Back to the topic of the blog, the militarism of the police is a concern. CNN did a good story, showing how a peaceful crowd was treated like the enemy by a heavily militarized police force. What was also good about the article is that it identified the various people involved in the Ferguson troubles, what they said, what they did, and how their actions worked out or didn't. I felt that is was a very balanced article.

    http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/20/us/ferguson-power-players/index.html?iref=allsearc...

    -- Posted by Soc7 on Mon, Aug 25, 2014, at 8:36 AM
  • Good article Audi. It should be noted that the polarization on this issue seems to be extreme, almost as if the facts don't matter.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Mon, Aug 25, 2014, at 9:32 AM
  • Clearly, random stranger thinks it is a bad thing to be a "lady" because he is now calling the liberals on this blog "ladies" and "ma'am". That type of thinking is just too bad.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Aug 25, 2014, at 10:45 AM
  • I read your article Audi and looked around a little more on CNN.

    For those interested in actually discussing the blog topic, I saw an article there about the concerns about Bob McCullough and the petition to get a different prosecutor. According to this article.

    "The petition being circulated points to a 2000 incident in which two suspected drug dealers were killed by two police officers, McCulloch never brought charges against the officers, concluding they acted in self-defense. A subsequent federal investigation found that the men were unarmed and not moving in the direction of the officers, but because the officers felt endangered, the investigation found that the shootings were justified, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported."

    By this standard, a policeman just needs to feel scared and he can shoot to kill.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Aug 25, 2014, at 1:03 PM
  • It seems to me Sam that the appearance of fairness is very important right now. The governor should appoint a Special Prosecutor with no ties to the Ferguson police and with no questionable history of letting police shootings go unpunished.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Mon, Aug 25, 2014, at 2:44 PM
  • I agree Geordey. Unfortunately, the governor of Missouri seems weak and has let the situation drive him rather than him drive to a solution. Possibly the only solution is going to be a Civil Rights violation/federal case which would only happen because the system is broken in many states.

    I read an article that wondered if the Michael Brown shooting was going to end up being a defining moment or just another thing where people got mad for awhile and moved on. I hope that this incident, and the military reaction of the Ferguson police turn it into a defining moment.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Aug 25, 2014, at 8:03 PM
  • Oh for gawds sake---get a life sybil.

    -- Posted by MrMister on Mon, Aug 25, 2014, at 8:50 PM
  • random stranger, I had pretty much decided to ignore your posts but you keep making an error on your prosecutor comments. The prosecutor calls together the grand jury and provides information to the Grand Jury who would return an indictment if the prosecutor persuades them to, and he or she is usually able to do so.

    The prosecutor does not just start working after the indictment is made. I hope that I don't have to keep helping you to understand how the system works.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Tue, Aug 26, 2014, at 8:49 AM
  • Obviously you don't understand how it works, even with Google.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Tue, Aug 26, 2014, at 9:27 AM
  • CNN has reported a few things.

    1. There were several quick shots, followed by a pause and then 4 slow shorts.

    2. The officer had no fractures. He had an x-ray at the hospital and the result was that he just had a swollen face.

    3. The officer is standing around the body after the shooting and talking to another police officer. You can't see a swollen face from the video.

    4. Another witness who also reported shorts, followed by a pause and the slow shots, said that before the last shots Michael Brown's arms were around his own body and he was stumbling forward about to fall.

    It was interesting that CNN asks the question of of the witnesses, who was lying and they said maybe nobody is. Witnesses see different things and interpret what they see differently.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Tue, Aug 26, 2014, at 11:03 AM
  • Well let me see now, on the question of lying, you referenced the Gateway Pundit for your false accusation that the officer had a serious orbital fracture injury.

    These are other views supported by the Gateway Pundit.

    1. the Daily Mail is a credible web site.

    2. Invoking Godwin's law on Obama, and environmentalists

    3. Global warming denialism

    4. Birtherism

    5. Obama is a Muslim

    6. Gun craziness such as claiming that background check will lead to the second coming of Stalin's tyranny.

    7. Rampant homophobia.

    Godwin's law is basically the belief that if an online conversation goes on long enough a charge of Nazism or Fascism can be made against someone in the conversation.

    Was it the Gateway Pundit where you found your doctored video that you presented as the truth, Cool Breeze?

    Now CNN says that the orbital fracture isn't true. CNN, who has no apparent political agenda says it's not true.

    Finally, I am not trying to say "no one is lying" I am merely referencing a view point of CNN.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Tue, Aug 26, 2014, at 12:29 PM
  • The link to CNN is www.cnn.com. It's odd of you to request a link since you claim that you don't read my links.

    My comments came from general browsing on the CNN web site reading multiple articles on the Brown shooting. Don't be so lazy, and try to be more discerning. Break free of Gateway Pundit and the hold that it has on you. Try reading from an actual news organization for a change and try one that is accurate most of the time.

    But I know that is a stretch so here is a similar web site where it references Jim Hoft, apparently the writer and owner of Gateway Pundit. You may enjoy it because the level of writing including spelling errors and grammatical mistakes matches the Gateway Pundit.

    http://wonkette.com/558220/stupidest-man-on-internet-pretty-sure-restaurant-figh...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Tue, Aug 26, 2014, at 3:23 PM
  • I'm sorry but your question doesn't pass the smell test.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Tue, Aug 26, 2014, at 6:16 PM
  • That's an interesting, illogical, and ridiculous translation. I would guess that the smell was the smug, pompous, and misguided fools comments.

    -- Posted by caspertghost on Tue, Aug 26, 2014, at 7:23 PM
  • Random,

    I wondered if I was the only one that even noticed that that shooting happened.

    -- Posted by TundraRat on Wed, Aug 27, 2014, at 6:50 AM
  • I believe that race was a factor in the death of Michael Brown, however it wasn't the only factor.

    I read an article about a young white man who was shot in the head in front of his mother and sister. His apparent crime was being over 18 and riding in a car driven by a drunk under 18 year old driver. The police did a cover up, working with the District Attorney and got off. The young man's father who was an officer in the military, made the point that if the police could do this to someone in his family what would they do to a black person from a poor neighborhood.

    http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/08/what-i-did-after-police-killed-my...

    Just as an additional comment, I think that the umbrage from people about the protesting in Ferguson, has a racial basis. Of course the people in Ferguson are protesting. They want to know what happened and they think that Brown was brutally murdered. Why is their protesting such a problem to a few white people in Idaho?

    -- Posted by Soc7 on Wed, Aug 27, 2014, at 9:38 AM
  • The incident in SLC took place two days after the Michale Brown case and the police still haven't released the officers name. There have been protests but no rioting or looting. The police chief has stated that the officer involved was wearing a body camera but they will not release the video until the investigation is completed, they also won't release the audio of the 911 call that resulted in the officer being dispatched to the scene in the first place. It's interesting that one story gets as much attention and the second story is totally ignored by the media.

    -- Posted by TundraRat on Wed, Aug 27, 2014, at 10:33 AM
  • Audi, to your point, I found an article on what the FBI is investigating in Ferguson and the possible outcomes. There are apparently a lot of things that they are being urged to investigate, but they are setting limits, possibly picking their battles.

    http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/08/department-justice-civil-rights-viol...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Aug 27, 2014, at 2:16 PM
  • I've read before Sam that they were going to also investigate the hiring policy as it pertains to race and where people live. It seems to me that you should live in the city that you police. Maybe that is a long term investigation. The actual shooting should be a first step though

    -- Posted by Geordey on Wed, Aug 27, 2014, at 8:48 PM
  • I'll tell you one time, random stranger. Because you are as silly as dudewheresmycar and gainfully employed, always wanting attention. Boring.......

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Aug 27, 2014, at 9:00 PM
  • Geordey, I agree with you.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Aug 27, 2014, at 9:02 PM
  • Random stranger since you object to assuming that the commenter is a man, I'm guessing that Sam should call you a silly girl in order to satisfy your need.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Wed, Aug 27, 2014, at 11:22 PM
  • Cool Breeze what legitimate site did you use to provide your link for the doctored video which you tried to pass off as a speech by Obama.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Thu, Aug 28, 2014, at 12:40 AM
  • CNN had a discussion of the legal issues that Wilson has. While the police do have a right to use deadly force, they must meet certain criteria. See below.

    "If Brown was trying to get away from the officer, Cevallos said, the Supreme Court case Tennessee v. Garner allows the use of deadly force when an alleged felon is trying to flee if "the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others."

    But given the number of times Brown was shot, along with newly released audio that may show a pause in rapid gunfire, Wilson has a lot of explaining to do, the analysts said.

    "Evidence suggests that he wasn't fleeing and was facing the officer," Cevallos said. "If that's true ... the officer has to explain six shots. He has to explain a reason for each of those six shots. He has to have justifiably been in fear of his life or fear of some imminent serious bodily harm."

    http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/26/us/michael-brown-shooting-legal-questions/index.ht...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Aug 28, 2014, at 8:45 AM
  • Which came first the chicken or the egg? It's all speculation ! The facts aren't in yet. The shooting of Michael Brown is still being investigated and the public won't know anything until they wrap up the investigation. Facts & evidence will bring Justice to one or both involved.

    OK Carry on ! (smile & a wink)

    -- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Aug 28, 2014, at 10:48 AM
  • Yeah but it's interesting looking at the evidence as it S-L-O-W-L-Y comes in. I am most interested in what the FBI finds.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Aug 28, 2014, at 11:58 AM
  • My speculation is Michael Brown was running away but stopped when a bullet hit him the first time. He then turned around and put his hands up and started walking towards the police officer surrendering. The officer shot at him several times, and a couple bullets hit him then. And as he was falling forward he was shot in the top of his head.

    I'm waiting to see if that newly released audio video is authentic and the shots in the back ground were of the Michael Brown shooting.

    -- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Aug 28, 2014, at 1:14 PM
  • My opinion the officer shot at Brown because Brown being a punk kid wasn't listening to the Officer and didn't stop when ordered, instead he chose to run ..........IF the officer said stop or I will shoot. The officer is suppose to shoot to stop someone from leaving not to kill!

    How many of us can say when we were 18 we made right choices ?

    Why did they leave his body out in the street uncovered for hours? Why did the police allow their K9 to urinate on his memorial and later run over candles and flowers with their police cars?

    -- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Aug 28, 2014, at 2:19 PM
  • I agree with what you are saying MsMarylin. I also wonder about firing so many shots in a neighborhood like that. Wilson is lucky he didn't kill more people.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Aug 28, 2014, at 3:46 PM
  • Have you slipped a little off topic Cool Breeze?

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Aug 28, 2014, at 11:24 PM
  • Serious commenters, you may enjoy the Jon Stewart discussion of Ferguson, and how Fox News is mad about the Ferguson protests being about race. It was funny, but makes some very good points.

    The problems in Ferguson is about race, and of course, the protestors are mad about it. Most have not done looting, but some local white people are really emphasizing the looting.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/27/jon-stewart-ferguson_n_5720622.html?utm...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Aug 29, 2014, at 10:31 AM
  • Now the United Nations is investigating our racial issues, police brutality, and the stand your ground laws as a result of the problems in Ferguson.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/un-police-brutality-stand-your-ground_n...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sat, Aug 30, 2014, at 2:41 PM
  • I read the article Sam posted Cool Breeze. You appear to be missing the point from the UN. How can the United States tell countries how to address their problems if we aren't addressing our own? I'm happy to clarify other things that you are struggling with too.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Sun, Aug 31, 2014, at 10:59 PM
  • Back to the topic of the blog, the Ferguson police are now, finally, wearing body cameras.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/01/ferguson-cops-body-cameras_n_5747266.ht...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Sep 1, 2014, at 8:40 AM
  • So an on topic comment about the UN about racial violence in the U.S. has launched Cool Breeze into an off topic tirade about the U.N. I guess the Tea Party is saying its loyal followers should hate the U.N.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Tue, Sep 2, 2014, at 9:26 PM
  • Geordey, you are right on the question of the U.N. investigation being on-topic, and we should all try to stay on topic. Subjects that are not on-topic, and could be called frivolous and annoying are:

    1. Comments on Geordey not being "too bright". This premise is based on Cool Breeze's misunderstanding of how he strayed off topic with a U.N. tirade.

    2. random strangers quilting and who is a he or a she talk which is based on silliness.

    On topic:

    1. Hillary Clinton has spoken out on Ferguson, finally, saying imagine our reaction of whites were stopped more often than blacks for driving while white and their arrests were more frequent, and their sentences longer. Good for her.

    2. Some people are trying to get Michael Brown's juvenile record. Experts say to what point? The issue is not previous behavior but what happened on that street the day Brown was shot several times.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Sep 3, 2014, at 11:18 AM
  • RANDOM STRANGER.........could you please refer to Michael brown in terms that denote a human being and not some beast 6'5 292 is big,not a rhino for example .If he were white would you refer to him this way ,I wonder........or would he be just big???

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Sep 3, 2014, at 2:29 PM
  • RANDOM STRANGER.......there were other remarks I just used that one.......the problem with the incident is this his hands were up and officer Wilson kept on firing and there are tapes to that effect.....hands up international known as I give up.....now considering adrenaline etc the man is down on his kness and your still firing doesn't look good.

    Now we are looking at mr browns jeuvenile record lets also look at the fact that officer wilsom came from a police department that had been disovlved because of bigoted actions.Now that doesn't make him guilty of anything but it does make you wonder.

    COOLBREEZE YOU DONT LIKE BLACKS WHO DONT LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE, TO BAD REV SHARPTOM AND JACKSON HAVE RIGHTED MORE WRONGS THEN YOU WILL EVER SEE BECAUSE YOU SEEM TO THINK EVERYTHING A WHITE PERSON DOES TO A BLACK IS OK.I DONT THINK EVERYTHINGS THAT BLACKS DO TO WHITES IS OK.BUT YOU DONT KNOW THAT BECAUSE YOU THINK WE SHOULD ACCEPT YOUR PREMISE AND NOT COMPLAIN WELL TOUGH I DONT.I HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO THE FORMS OF RACISM THAT STILL PERMEATE US TODAY IN AND OUT OF UNIFORM TO THE TUNE OF SUEING THIS TOWN.

    RANDOM MY PROBLEM IS HIS HANDS WERE UP AND THE OFFICER KEPT FIRING....... SO THE QUESTION IS WHY???? HAVE A GOOD DAY

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Sep 3, 2014, at 7:42 PM
  • The Justice department is investigating the last several years of police racial policies and police use of force in Ferguson. The news came out on this tonight.

    I am not interested in what the name callers have to say, Sam and Lamont have you heard about this?

    -- Posted by Geordey on Wed, Sep 3, 2014, at 7:51 PM
  • I heard a brief news item about it. I'll look at it more tomorrow. Today was very busy and tomorrow will probably be the same.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Sep 3, 2014, at 8:27 PM
  • YES I HAVE.... I wonder how many offecers came over to ferguson from the force that was desolved,I am sure Wilson wasn't alone.THERE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE INTERESTING.I dont want to prejudge but when your officers point assault weapons in people faces and say I will.....kill you there is something wrong with there attitudes.Granted he got suspended but the damage was alredy done..........We shall see.

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Sep 3, 2014, at 8:31 PM
  • And the punishment for a teenager talking back to a policeman is death if you are black. That is police out of control and a racist situation.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Wed, Sep 3, 2014, at 10:16 PM
  • The incident that comes to mind right off hand happened right here in seattle,handcuffed hands behind back the kid was shot in the back of the head........ruled and accident....hello !!!! why were they stoped ....ruling there was no reasonable reason......dead child doesn't come back.yes done by law enforcement. adella in N.Y. told to show I>D> when he did they yelled gun shot 19 times in door way. ........ruling........mistaken id no gun was shown nor found he was showing his wallet.law enforcement walks away clean.

    RANDOM .....WILSON CAME FROM ANOTHER POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS DESOLVED NOT THIS ONE.

    COOLBREEZE your hate for anyone who stands up for a black person is evident, we get it.I DONT THINK ANYONE HERE CARES ABOUT YOUR HATE COOLBREEZE.RIGHT IS RIGHT WRONG IS WRONG if you are motivated by the color of my skin you are probally wrong.ILL REMIND YOU YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME YOU SHOULD KEEP THE NAME CALLING TO YOURSELF.

    Random they did 3 autopsy's and I thought they said his hands were up when he was shot all 3 of them,I could be mistaken,and there is a video that shows him with hands up.As far as comparing black teens killing black teens believe it or not they were killed based on the color of there skin.Self worth is one heck of a motivator it is something we study all the time in social physc,especially how it plays out in communities.

    Well got to go see you later.....

    -- Posted by lamont on Thu, Sep 4, 2014, at 10:13 AM
  • It sounds like there is going to be an announcement shortly on the justice department investigation of the police in Ferguson. That is good news for those that want full disclosure and justice.

    "The Justice Department will soon announce an investigation into the conduct of police forces in Ferguson, Missouri, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

    The investigation will be separate from the ongoing federal probe into the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager fatally shot by a white police officer in Ferguson on Aug. 9. The investigation into police practices could be announced as soon as Thursday afternoon, the Post reports.

    The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division will conduct the investigation, which will focus on police practices in Ferguson but could also include other police departments throughout St. Louis County. As the Post notes, many of the police departments in the county are primarily made up of white officers serving majority black communities."

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/03/justice-department-ferguson-police_n_57...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Sep 4, 2014, at 12:39 PM
  • RANDOM........I THOUGHT THE FBI DID AND AUTOPSY ALSO,......I COULD BE WRONG. I will go with what the FBI say's because I wont believe fergusons coroner anymore than the browns, they both have the same motivation just on opposite ends of the spectrum.I wonder if the browns knew this person wasn't accredited?? There lawyer should have caught that.

    Also my caps were not meant to holler at you just me, sometimes it's easier if I am in a hurry to just type........later

    -- Posted by lamont on Thu, Sep 4, 2014, at 4:05 PM
  • I notice that random didn't provide any reputable links, let alone any links to back up his claim about the coroner. When I checked a couple of weeks ago, I just saw comments from extreme right wing web sites about the coroner not being good.

    Lamont, you are right on the FBI autopsy being the best source.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Sep 4, 2014, at 4:23 PM
  • Random im not sure about the FBI THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT I read somewhere I could be wrong. Im not in the research mode never have been.IS there a grand jury sitting I thought they hadn't MADE up there minds yet????? wHAT WOULD POLITICS HAVE TO DO WITH RELEASING THE REPORT FROM THE FBI,PLEASe exsplain that thought I don't get it.

    -- Posted by lamont on Thu, Sep 4, 2014, at 6:27 PM
  • COOLBREEZE what is amazing is how you twisted what I said but that is not unusual.Your statements so deftly made exsude your attitude you don't need my help in that area.Please have at it you can make me your target I didn't start this you did.You prove what you are evrytime you open your mouth about blacks to include your accusations about me,so carry on it makes you feel good I am happy for you.I FOR ONE AM PROUD OF WHO AND WHAT I AM.AND YOUR INUENDO'S WONT AND CANT CHANGE THAT,NICE TRY. I SUGGEST THAT YOU KEEP YOUR MIRROR CLEAN.

    -- Posted by lamont on Thu, Sep 4, 2014, at 8:30 PM
  • Random understand how you feeli have much the same but I am having a problem with the cell phone video of brown with his hands up.I have faith that the justice dept is the last bastion of truth.for me 6 shots is to many and I therefore question the competence of this officer with a firearm.

    I don't know if the FBI leak info or the parents lawyer did after getting the results.Of course people are upset unarm black men being shot dead is and epidemic most whites don't hear about it because it is not happening to them therefore no intrest,for blacks it's significance is real.iI should not be fearfull of being a citizen,i should not be subjected to insuts such as being told >>>>>>move that car (boise cop)to me and my wifei should not be peofiled and then have a weapon pointed at me because that is what he/she wants to do.SHOULD I be fearfull I THINK SO BUT I shouldn't be.THAT IS THE POINT ACCEPTING WHAT APPEARS TO BE A MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE SAYS IT'S OK IT IS NOT.AND THE COMMUNITY DOESNT SEE JUSTICE WHEN TIME AFTER TIME THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER GET EXONERATED FOR THINGS OTHERS GET THE DEATH PENALTY FOR.That is part of the reason people are angry.Justice as I know you know is not BLIND.I wish it wereWILSON eill walk and it will only foster more bad feelings and the belief that justice favors whites like it or not that is a realty in terms of peoples feelings. Living discrimination is one of the most stressfull things that you can do it shortens our lives is that fair// I don't think so.Anyhow we shall see.have a good one

    -- Posted by lamont on Thu, Sep 4, 2014, at 9:29 PM
  • According to the Washington Post, the Justice Department feels that racial issues need to be investigated in Ferguson.

    "A federal investigation of the Ferguson, Mo., Police Department -- announced Thursday by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. -- will examine whether officers have routinely engaged in racial profiling or a pattern of using excessive force.

    Holder said the Justice Department will also conduct an "intensive review" of racial profiling, stops, searches, frisking and the handling of mass demonstrations by police officers in the St. Louis County Police Department, which voluntarily agreed to the review."

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/holder-announces-ferguson-probe-review-of...

    I could find no information on the Web about the results of the FBI autopsy. I don't think that it has been released.

    There doesn't seem to be a video of Michael Brown with his hands up before being shot. There is a You Tube video of someone describing this, and the headlines in some irresponsible sites seem to be trying to make people think that the video is more than it is.

    What we do know, and I know that I am repeating myself, as others are, is that an unarmed 18 year old was shot at least six times by a policeman, from a town where there appears to be racial discrimination by the mostly white police force, policing a mostly black city.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Sep 4, 2014, at 11:00 PM
  • There was a video from a lady who stoped her car as the shooting was taking place.THEY MAY HAVE TAKEN IT INTO EVIDENCE.That video was out at the very beginning of the incident,that is were the hands up came from.The lady who took it was a secretary and on the way to work.IT'S there I would have to go back to the very beginning to find it ,if I get time I might do that.I am not saying that fergusons police force is racist I am saying that the community make up is not reflected in it's police force and yes that is a problem.The militarization of any police force is a problem to say the least of a 50 man force.Justice is not served up at the end of a weapon.AS a black man in America I question the administration of justice towards me and the statistics bear that out.You see examples every day 30 yrs for a crime you didn't commit based on fixed evidence and you get a were sorry..hello !!how about jailing the evidence fixers for 30 yrs???How about fair justice for all that is how it should be served up but it isn't.

    Fergusons police force will stand or fall based on the numbers, the statistics will shed a lot of light on what they are doing.We do know that a neighboring towns police force was desolved because of discrimination and that towns ethinic makeup mirrored fergusons. So we shall wait and see, also officer WILSON came from that force which makes him guilty of nothing.

    -- Posted by lamont on Fri, Sep 5, 2014, at 11:01 AM
  • The Washington Post in an editorial brought forward "three troubling things" about Ferguson. I have cut and pasted the main the three things as written in the Washington Post

    1.) Criminalizing and profiting from the poor through fees and fines

    2.) Alleged bad apples in the FPD

    3.) The militarization of the police

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2014/09/05/three-troubling-...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Sep 5, 2014, at 12:27 PM
  • The bad apples are true with some worse than others. One was forced to retire after some hate talk and another pointed a gun at protestors saying that he was expletive deleted going to kill them.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Fri, Sep 5, 2014, at 1:40 PM
  • You are right, Geordey, bad apples that the Ferguson police had to know about but did nothing about until they got caught on video.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Sep 5, 2014, at 1:54 PM
  • RANDOM....I am 72 yrs young I don't look my age I am from Brooklyn N.Y. BORN AND RAISED THERE.I atteneded ERASMUS Hall H,S. 28 YR AF VETERAN WITH A DEGREE IN SOCIAL PHYSCOLOGY,WITH MASTERS WORK IN THE SAME FIELD.I HAVE LIVED IN IDAHO 41 YEARS COMMING HERE FROM VIETNAM IN 1972.Anything else you need to know ask.

    I have been part of the civil rights movement even in the military, all my life.The points I make I HAVE LIVED.When I say little has changed I have facts and statistics to back that.I do not lay all blame on whites blacks are as much to blame.For not voting,for allowing the destruction of there neighbehoods,there financial institutions,there newspapers,the family.I understand the reasons why but they were not encouraged to do that by there own.The media in a lot of repects has been and enemy,there is more to us than sports and music.How we are portrayed as a group is less than real and the media plays people not reality. No one in my family is on welfare it is frowned on in most black family's but you never hear that.Most blacks like everyone else have the same values you do.to work,provide,raise your children to be good citizens,get educations,have a decent job we are no different.James brown said it best in his song I don't need nobody to give nothing open up the door i'LL GET IT MY SELF.Take down the barriers that's all that is asked and all that is needed.

    Discrimination is alive and well and to believe it is not is to ignore the obvious.You can see it and hear it if you want if you don't you won't.The incidents I speak of are recent within the last 5-10 yrs.

    WE probally need to talk face to face.......anytime........have a good day.

    -- Posted by lamont on Fri, Sep 5, 2014, at 3:35 PM
  • The article below is a balanced account of Officer Wilson, his troubled past, including working for a police department that was playing fast and loose with the rules although he didn't appear to have broken any. The part of his past that had to do with wrong-doing came from his mother and not him.

    The commendation that Wilson received is odd, because there are questions about Wilson even accosting the suspect in that case. The suspect was sitting in his car, WHILE BLACK, in his grandmother's driveway, when Wilson ordered him out of the car and when he declined to let Wilson search the car, locking the car door, Wilson wrestled the keys from him and then handcuffed him. I wonder why Wilson didn't wait for backup and got into a tussle with someone right away? The suspect wasn't going anywhere.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/25/us/darren-wilsons-unremarkable-past-offers-few...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sat, Sep 6, 2014, at 6:17 PM
  • Please Brenda, oh please Brenda, please cut sybil off.

    -- Posted by MrMister on Sat, Sep 6, 2014, at 7:10 PM
  • Who are you calling Sybil, MrMister?

    -- Posted by Soc7 on Sun, Sep 7, 2014, at 11:46 AM
  • Sam when you have a mother like Wilson had that can affect you, not that I'm saying that it did but six shots just doesn't make sense to me. It's overkill.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Sun, Sep 7, 2014, at 4:46 PM
  • The FBI autopsy is not out yet but it appears that two shots were fatal. What battle was there in Ferguson? The 18 year old was unarmed.

    I highly doubt that you have been in battle random stranger. You are just a big talker. I have also noticed that most people who say "thank you for your service" have never served and you said that to Lamont. Is how you appear to others starting to dawn on you yet?

    -- Posted by Geordey on Sun, Sep 7, 2014, at 6:30 PM
  • I have a name on this blog and it isn't ma'm unless you want me to call you by a gender of MY choice for you which I believe may be transexual.

    I served three years in the Army as did one of my brothers. Another brother was in the Navy for 4 years and another brother was in the Marines for 3 or 4 years. I received an honorable discharge as a Sergeant E-5 after which I earned my bachelors degree then I worked for awhile and went to school at night to earn my Master's degree. I am employed full time in my chosen field.

    Like you I have not been in combat so don't imply that you have been. Your behavior downgrades the blog and prevents a respectful discussion. Grow up.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Sun, Sep 7, 2014, at 9:16 PM
  • Better to ignore random stranger, Geordey. She isn't on here for a serious discussion of politics, her purpose is diverting conversation in an attempt to get herself some attention.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Sep 8, 2014, at 7:38 AM
  • On the topic of the blog, the NBC news article provides a positive outlook of the Ferguson police by taking a look back 20+ years to the Rodney King beating by police and the riots that followed. Not well know is that the Federal government got involved in helping the LAPD department get back the trust that they needed from the community by improving their policing methods. It would be good if the Ferguson police can follow a similar path.

    http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/michael-brown-shooting/what-ferguson-cops-can-l...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Sep 8, 2014, at 9:44 AM
  • 2 more witnesses coraberate what the first3 said and the silence is deafening.I GUESS THAT'S CONSERVATIVE GROUP THINK.

    -- Posted by lamont on Sun, Sep 14, 2014, at 6:52 PM
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