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

[alphanguy74]

It was founded on slavery as well, and women not having the right to vote. I don't have any sympathy for people that use that verdict as an excuse for violence.

[katie_9918]

I think Darren Wilson honestly believes everything he said. Whether he was wrong in what he was thinking, I think he was being honest.

This is all such a damn shame. That young man shouldn't have died, but who are any of us to say we wouldn't have responded with deadly force, especially in this day and age when cops' lives are collateral damage?

I come from an area where it seemed like a cop was killed in the line of duty at least once a year for four or five years straight.

Such a waste. My heart goes out to the Brown family. Their loss will last a lifetime and we'll never know who Michael could have been. And we'll also never know who Darren Wilson could have been if he hadn't answered his radio.

I'm just unfathomably sad over this whole thing, and now people are having their lives wrecked, their livelihoods taken away, because a small number of people can't think of more constructive ways to express their pain and rage other than violence and destruction.

[Vee]

I think he's convinced himself it's the truth.

He also appears to be (and sounds) about fourteen years old. He looked older in his pictures. It's easy to see this manchild being intimidated by a large black kid, panicking and blowing him away and then telling himself and others a tale that suited his fears. He seems like he shouldn't be anywhere near a gun or a position of authority.

The irony, of course, is that neither man is a monster - Wilson comes off kind of pathetic and boyish, less the shaved-head, hulking white stormtrooper some grainy pictures used to imply. I was expecting some sneering good old boy. He's just an incompetent hick who shouldn't have that job.

[katie_9918]

Most cops are that young once. Unfortunately, it's a career that not everyone is suited to and those who aren't stand a good chance of finding that in a horrific way such as this one. I think you're right, Vee. He's probably not cut out to be a street cop.

And just for the record, I think he should have been charged with one of the lesser counts the Grand Jury was fully briefed on. I don't think Murder One or Murder Two would have withstood a jury trial. Manslaughter had a better chance. It would have calmed everyone and Wilson still would have gotten his day in court.

Cops CANNOT fall down on the job like this, no matter how green and inexperienced they are. It would have been bad enough if he had wounded Michael Brown enough to stop him.

I can only hope everyone directly involved can find some peace.

[Vee]

Oh, he should absolutely stand trial and be prosecuted. But that's Missouri for you. A horrific injustice. And this idiot doesn't get it.

[Juliajms]

Seems likely he was coached. I would have liked to see a trial, so that we could dig deeper. I guess I don't believe this guy was a monster looking for a chance to kill. As a middle aged (ouch) white woman, I also recognize that I can't understand the relationship young black people have to the police. I don't have to have that same kind of fear every time I'm pulled over. Actually, I've never been pulled over, although I've been the passenger at stops.

Still, I did have one bad incident with the police when I was a teen (sitting with a female friend chatting in a car on my mother's property no less). It taught me that there are some really power hungry individuals in that job and we are all at their mercy to some degree. So, while I don't exactly fear the police, my guard is up when I interact with them.

What I hope comes out of all this is police being required to wear cameras and perhaps better training. Still, I don't think we are ever going to have warm cuddly police like they seem to have in Europe. There are parts of this country that are truly a war zone and I don't think we have the will (gun control) to change it right now.

[Eric83]

Oh.

[alphanguy74]

The only think I can think of as far as any kind of solution is a complete and mandatory racial quota. Federal legislation that would require every city of like 10,000 or larger to have a police force that is broken down EXACTLY along racial lines. Like with Ferguson, if it's 70% black, the police force would have to be 70% black, no more, no less.

[Juliajms]

I think something along these lines should happen, but making it exact would be hard. You can't make people want to be police, but you can find ways to encourage it.

[Soapsuds]

I read this and thought it was spot on….

There are people judging tonight's protests who will be trampling complete strangers for a slightly cheaper flat screen TV this Friday.

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[marceline]

We had a police shooting here in Cleveland. A 12 year old boy shot for having a toy gun. We had a protest where they shut down a highway. I was there for a little while. It was the first time since the decision that I'd felt anything other than anger or despair.

It was a fairly young group, extremely diverse. I think it was mainly college students home for the Thanksgiving holiday. It was amazing to be there then to see the way it was portrayed on the news along with the tsk-tsking of people on the internet appalled at these rabble rousers for causing traffic problems. Of course these people couldn't care less when the city is gridlocked for a Browns game or Lebron's return. I can only imagine the amount of twisting the media is doing with the activities in Ferguson.

[DramatistDreamer]

...or pumpkins apparently.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/10/whites-riot-over-pumpkins-in-nh-and-twitter-turns-it-into-epic-lesson-about-ferguson/#.VHVZE_SlnLg.facebook

[alphanguy74]

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[Mr. Vixen]

I heard about this. Terrible. I'm in Cleveland right now for thanksgiving, wish I could have made the protest.

[Eric83]

I saw the video of the incident. They claimed they told him to drop the weapon three times but they shot him literally 2 seconds after running up on him. If they thought he was holding a real gun why didnt they keep their distance and tell him to drop his weapon? SMH.