Riot erupting in St. Louis after police shooting of Ferguson youth

[alphanguy74]

http://www.kmov.com/special-coverage-001/Reports-Ferguson-protests-turn-violent-270697451.html

Such a shame, 150 police in riot gear, talk about a mess. Let's hope that this young man that was killed gets justice, and cooler heads will prevail in the coming days.

Please register in order to view this content

[quartermainefan]

I am not familiar with this case, but looters should be shot on sight. I cannot think of a single leap of logic that gets you from "I am mad about this civil injustice" to "let me rob a TV"

[alphanguy74]

I live in central Missouri, but it's been all over the news here this morning and through the day. I've been listening to the live coverage on KMOX, they are saying the police are now sending SWAT teams to the Walmart and Target stores in nearby Florissant, this seems to be spreading and turning into a serious situation. The Quik trip in the above video has been set on fire, and the news reporters are saying that the building is a total loss.

[ChitHappens]

I will never understand how folks equate an unjustified shooting with destroying and stealing people's sh!t!

May the police officer's be brought to justice. In 2014 this continues? Black men still are not safe?

[marceline]

Get used to it.

Part of the problem is that little by little, avenues for nonviolent redress are being cut off. Gerrymandering and Citizens United continue to tear apart our democracy. Police departments are becoming increasingly militarized even as their unions are constantly under attack. The NRA is obsessed with putting as many guns on the street as possible and the open carry nuts have made it impossible to tell a good guy with a gun from a bad guy with a gun. Throw in the increase in violent rightwing groups, the corporate media narrative around shootings of black people and the racial disparity between how blacks and whites are treated by law enforcement (see: Cliven Bundy vs Michael Brown) and we have an ever-growing powderkeg of rage waiting to blow.

One of the things that made America successful was that we had a stable and robust middle class. As the middle class continues to shrink, society becomes less stable. Fewer and fewer people have any reason to play by the rules. The problem with looting and riots is that it doesn't take the pain to the people who deserve it. It hurts the most vulnerable.

[ChitHappens]

That's my point. Looters are not hurting the racists/oppressors, they are hurting themselves and black business owners.

[quartermainefan]

And this all leads to "I know how I will fight the power...I will rob me an entire wardrobe!" how?

Looting has been around long before the rightward lurch of our courts. They just want to steal whatever they can via the power of the mob. They don't care about the issue they pretend to be upset about, they just want free electronics. Shot on sight is the only way any society should deal with looters, and that answer has been debated as long as there has been looting.

[marceline]

People want to burn down the world and they usually start with their own section of it. It's not sensible but it is predictable. Plus you're often dealing with opportunists. It's troublemakers using the rightful anger of the populace as an excuse to do what they want. Unfortunately, the media isn't going to go through the trouble of differentiating peaceful protestors from criminals. That's a courtesy that seems to be limited to white deadbeat ranchers.

I agree that rioting and looting is as old as time itself. Whether it's been called "peasant uprising" or "civil unrest" or "white punks on dope." My point is that income inequality destabilizes a society so we are going to see more and more of this.

I don't agree with shooting on sight. In this post-Zimmerman culture, I don't see how that will result in anything other than dead bystanders. It's not like people will only shoot people with merchandise in their hands, they'll shoot anyone who "looks funny" and then the media will turn around and blame the victim by saying he/she shouldn't have been out on the street.

[DramatistDreamer]

The very sad thing is the looting will obscure the fact that yet another unarmed teenage kid of color was killed.

There are definite societal issues that lead to these riots but I don't understand why people decide to take such a destructive measure, as opposed to a more productive measure (like the bus boycotts of the Civil Rights era).

There is a definite rot in American society-- whose economy was not just built on middle class and creative class ingenuity but it was also built on the backs of slaves and exploited people (Native Americans, immmigrants, children).

I just have an uneasy feeling that until America opens itself to address some long neglected truths, the vicious cycle of violence and retributive destruction will continue. There are certain (open) wounds in the U.S. that have never been addressed, let alone acknowledged. Healing cannot take place.

People can scoff at my sentiments if they wish but this is what I truly believe.

[Taoboi]

THIS.

ETA: Not scoffing, I believe it as well since I see it even in something as simple as asking someone on a date.

[Max]

It's total bulls#it to blame race riots on GOP gerrymandering, Citizens United, or income inequality. I seem to recall that at the height of the race riots, none of these factors even existed. The Democrats controlled the House by large margins (and did plenty of gerrymandering of their own), and Citizens United was forty years in the future. And the shrinking middle class wasn't possibly a factor, because according to the liberal "experts," the income inequality problem was single-handedly caused by Ronald Reagan.

[Eric83]

The OP would make this thread about the few dozen people looting and not the fact that a cop shot a child in the chest and head and emptied his clip in him. The protests wrre peaceful until the cops antagonized them and brought in tanks.

So what's the reason? you seem to have all these answers but I doubt you live in any of these communities.

These people are oppressed. Yall really expect blacks to keep taking it when black youth are being shot in cold blood by cops and their bodies left in the street for HHOURS?

Whites need to recognize the hypocrisy and toxicity of white supremacy. America doesn't need to have a discussion, racist whites and complacent whites need to take a look in the mirror.

[Eric83]

There are no black business owners in thw area. The establishments are owned by whites, Asians, Arabs that hate blacks but love tthe money they bring. I could not care less that they burned down their sh-t. They're part of the problem. Taking these people's money and not putting it back into the community.

[alphanguy74]

In a town of 21,000 people , there is a 68% black population. And no black business owners? I'd like to see a receipt for THAT. Got a receipt of my own, here's footage of looting of a black owned wig and weave shop:

Please register in order to view this content

[Eric83]

Weave and beauty supply stores in predominantly black areas are typically owned by Koreans who stereotype blacks but take advantage of the billion dollar hair care industry. You have provided no receipts.

Banks will give an immigrant with no collateral a business loan before they'd give one to a black person. But yall swear up and down that all blacks have to do is work hard and they can have what whites have.

This country is a hot mess. Sad when Obama will comment on some actor commiting suicide but says nothing about the genocide of black youth at the hands of barbaric, angry, trigger happy cops.

While you are posting things can you post the cops throwinf tear gas and shooting rubber bullets at peaceful protestors tonight?

But I am done with this thread as you chose to focus on the little bit of looting and not the murder. Night!