Iris lilies, how are things in your hood?

Hmmm.....just heard on the news that the police (in Ferguson) shot a guy who was stealing from a store, and wielding a knife and coming towards the police.
Are these people just plain crazy?? (the thief, that is).

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Originally Posted by CathyA

Hmmm.....just heard on the news that the police (in Ferguson) shot a guy who was stealing from a store, and wielding a knife and coming towards the police.
Are these people just plain crazy?? (the thief, that is).

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Actually, yes, this particular shooting victim was mentally disturbed (or is being portrayed that way) and this happened 4 miles from the riot area and in the City of St. Louis, not Ferguson.

Oh.....our local news made it sound like it was in Ferguson.

Interesting stat: only 25% of the people arrested during last nights' riots are actually from Ferguson.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/19/us/mis...son-agitators/

As was posted above, someone else was shot today - and my local news made it sound like it was in Ferguson, too. Glad to hear from IL that it wasn't. That said, I have two things to say. The first is that I am taking a 24 hour break from this thread. I find the topic very upsetting and honestly, by this point everyone pretty much knows where I stand on these issues.

The second thing is that I have a date Friday night due to my stance of Ferguson - can you believe it? For the first time in more years than I care to admit to in public I'm actually going on a date. Still stunned by that one. How it ties into Ferguson is after my banquet shift, a bunch of us were waiting for the light rail - and this guy I have worked with before went up to me and started talking about Ferguson and asked my take on it. Apparently I said what he wanted to hear as he asked me out but I was 100% honest. So we'll see how this goes. Very bizarre to me that the tragedy in Ferguson could lead to such a thing happening, I honestly thought that part of my life was over and had accepted it. Rob

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Originally Posted by Spartana

Back when I was getting my Criminal Justice degree I did one of my internship on a CSI unit with a large sheriff's dept for a semester and they often left bodies there for many, many hours. Standard procedure. It is commonplace though to put up tents and other coverage to protect the body - and any evidence - from the elements. However it is a HUGE no-no to physically cover the body with a blanket or tarp or anything else that touches the body and may destroy or taint any evidence. Just doing that, or changing anything on or near the body, can mean that any evidence collected can be thrown out of court.

As for Rob's (or anyone's) desire to see rioting and it's carnage go on without a police effort to stop it...well that's just something I don't understand. Yes, peaceful protest is OK and was allowed, but why cheer for looting and rioting? Don't get that at all. Citizen's and their property should be protected. Rioting and looting should be stopped. People who voluntarily choose to remain in those areas when violence starts need to leave asap or suffer the potential harm that can come either from rioters or from police who are trying to quell the riots. Personally I don't understand why such things are even applauded when WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED YET. There is an investigation, the Grand Jury be will be convened to hear the evidence against the cop, and most likely, if it's not ruled a justifiable homicide, that cop will be found guilty at trial and sentenced. Why lay waste to your city and run rampant in the streets until you know the outcome of a trial? Rob may think that the rest of the world looks at us a totalitarian police state where rogue cops rule, but I think they look at us as a bunch of crazed whacked out people who riot and loot and cause harm just for kicks and no one stops it.

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Hi Spartana. When did I say I wanted the rioting and the looting to continue without police effort to stop it? Please, and I mean no sarcasm here, where did I state this? Of course I don't want rioting and looting - I just want the heavy handedness and militarization of the police to stop. I don't want journalists getting arrested for doing their jobs and I don't want children and elderly exposed to teargas. Very different take from not wanting the police to check rioting and looting. Rob

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Originally Posted by Alan

Rob you just have a different way of viewing things, a way that's foreign to most adults. I was astounded to hear you say that it was perfectly ok to take a businesses shopping carts home with you and leave it there for them to come and pickup after you parked it at your curb. Actually, I'm even astounded that you brought it up again. I think your outlook blinds you to the inappropriateness of that action.

I'm having the same problem trying to understand your thoughts on the Ferguson events. You get so wrapped up in indignation, seeing only what you want to see and coming to conclusions based on your biases rather than facts, it's hard to have an adult conversation about it. You're watching a group of people destroy a neighborhood, something that may take generations to overcome, and you want to punish the only people on the scene working to prevent that destruction. That just doesn't make any sense.

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It seems the way I view things is foreign to many on this board, that much I will give you. There is not one adult I have spoken with in the neighborhood that doesn't agree with me and what I have said here. Much of this board's views on this topic would be foreign to them. Does that mean either of us is wrong or right?

Interesting aside - the topic of Ferguson has helped me decide whether or not I'm going to my 30th high school reunion - I'm not. I was districted into a snotty upper end school back then - which now has done a 180 and is one of the lower performing schools in the state due to demographic changes - and I have been in touch with a few people from then that take the dominant view posted here. Which is fine, they have that right, but knowing that depresses me to no end. Better that I don't go as back then I was afraid to open my mouth - today I'm not. And here I am leaving this thread for at least 24 hours. May it prosper without me. Rob

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Originally Posted by gimmethesimplelife

Hi Spartana. When did I say I wanted the rioting and the looting to continue without police effort to stop it? Please, and I mean no sarcasm here, where did I state this? Of course I don't want rioting and looting - I just want the heavy handedness and militarization of the police to stop. I don't want journalists getting arrested for doing their jobs and I don't want children and elderly exposed to teargas. Very different take from not wanting the police to check rioting and looting. Rob

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You are right - you didn't say that (I apologize) but that was the take I got from some of your posts - not that you supported the rioting (don't think anyone does) but that you didn't want heavy handed police tactics to stop it. I felt that, in this case, those tactics were needed to protect people and property if rioters didn't leave on their own accord and were continuing their violence. I felt it was needed mainly to protect those innocent people, children and elderly you mentioned from the actions of the rioters.

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Originally Posted by Spartana

You are right - you didn't say that (I apologize) but that was the take I got from some of your posts - not that you supported the rioting (don't think anyone does) but that you didn't want heavy handed police tactics to stop it. I felt that, in this case, those tactics were needed to protect people and property if rioters didn't leave on their own accord - mainly to protect those innocent people, children and elderly who were in the melee of rioters.

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Thank you, Spartana. Apology graciously accepted. Of cource I'm OK with the police doing what they need to do re the looting and the rioting. Let me state that clearly right here and now. My issue is that beyond that, I have seen heavy handedness that I'm very much not OK with. Rioting and looting don't work for me so if anyone else thinks they do - please dispel yourselves of that notion if you would be so kind. And thanks again, Spartana, I do appreciate it. Rob

And now I'm going to leave for 24 hours. I just had to respond to your kind apology and reasonable post. Rob

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Originally Posted by gimmethesimplelife

It seems the way I view things is foreign to many on this board, that much I will give you. There is not one adult I have spoken with in the neighborhood that doesn't agree with me and what I have said here. Much of this board's views on this topic would be foreign to them. Does that mean either of us is wrong or right?

Interesting aside - the topic of Ferguson has helped me decide whether or not I'm going to my 30th high school reunion - I'm not. I was districted into a snotty upper end school back then - which now has done a 180 and is one of the lower performing schools in the state due to demographic changes - and I have been in touch with a few people from then that take the dominant view posted here. Which is fine, they have that right, but knowing that depresses me to no end. Better that I don't go as back then I was afraid to open my mouth - today I'm not. And here I am leaving this thread for at least 24 hours. May it prosper without me. Rob

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But Rob what is the dominant view here? And why is it so different from you're? I really don't think it is. It seems to me that most everyone is saying "lets wait for the evidence before passing judgment on any one - Brown or the cop." "Lets not riot and destroy property and people's livilyhoods with violence." Why is that the "wrong" view to have? That is due process each person should be afforded under the law.