Iris lilies, how are things in your hood?

[LDAHL]

I'm of the opinion that this will still be on the radar screen a year from now, provided there is no indictment of the officer. I take this stance due to my belief that what will happen if there is no indictment is going to shock and awe a great deal of what is left of middle America and above. Funny thing is my attitude - if this happens - will only be surprise that it didn't happen sooner as I understand what leads to such things happening. Whether or not it is right is irrelevant to me in the sense that I understand what leads to such situations and I also understand that some changes need to be made or this is going to continue. Rob

What makes this particular incident different from so many that have come before? If prosecutors lack sufficient evidence to indict this guy, they should not indict him. Hopefully we have not degenerated to the point where the threat of mob violence is a determining factor.

[bae]

I take this stance due to my belief that what will happen if there is no indictment is going to shock and awe a great deal of what is left of middle America and above. Funny thing is my attitude - if this happens - will only be surprise that it didn't happen sooner as I understand what leads to such things happening.

Yes yes, if they don't throw the officer to the mob, the cities will burn. Should be fun times, that'll show The Man!

I wonder if Twitter will be up to the load?

[jp1]

But isn't that sort of what's happening? The parents of these violent young adults probably have 4-6 other children at home, being raised to turn out the same. While the more educated/"civilized", couples are choosing not to have children.

What you're describing is not genetics, it's culture. And frankly, if you took away all the low level drug offenses I suspect you'd find that a large majority of these kids don't end up in trouble with the law. I recall reading an article written by a guy from Europe that wound up in the Superdome during Katrina. Since there was no "authority" there to charge and manage the situation he said that the head drug dealers from the neighborhood took charge of the situation. They arranged people to go get provisions from stores like the Walgreens across the street, made sure that the mothers with infants had diapers and formula, that everyone had water, etc. In other words they acted like one would expect community leaders to act in a crisis situation. When I read that I had to wonder whether these individuals would be any different from you and me if they had been fortunate enough to have been raised in stable middle class homes with the opportunities that I have been fortunate enough to have. Maybe they only ended up as drug dealers because they didn't have, or at least didn't perceive that they had, any better opportunities.

[gimmethesimplelife]

What you're describing is not genetics, it's culture. And frankly, if you took away all the low level drug offenses I suspect you'd find that a large majority of these kids don't end up in trouble with the law. I recall reading an article written by a guy from Europe that wound up in the Superdome during Katrina. Since there was no "authority" there to charge and manage the situation he said that the head drug dealers from the neighborhood took charge of the situation. They arranged people to go get provisions from stores like the Walgreens across the street, made sure that the mothers with infants had diapers and formula, that everyone had water, etc. In other words they acted like one would expect community leaders to act in a crisis situation. When I read that I had to wonder whether these individuals would be any different from you and me if they had been fortunate enough to have been raised in stable middle class homes with the opportunities that I have been fortunate enough to have. Maybe they only ended up as drug dealers because they didn't have, or at least didn't perceive that they had, any better opportunities.

I agree with you 100%. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

What makes this particular incident different from so many that have come before? If prosecutors lack sufficient evidence to indict this guy, they should not indict him. Hopefully we have not degenerated to the point where the threat of mob violence is a determining factor.

What makes this different is the level of awareness both domestically and internationally of police heavy handedness and police militarization. We really are the laughing stock of the developed world at the moment. And people who have not been exposed to the police and how they can be now have been. There is an awareness out there that this is just not right - many people out there are thinking this - and an awareness I believe of a need for change. Intense scrutiny is going to be applied to the police going forward and I'm grateful now for social media and the role it can play in leveling and flattening the power of the police. A wonderful thing indeed. Rob

[CathyA]

Well, it's hard to not make generalizations when a certain type of person is murdering/robbing someone in our nearby city nearly every single night. I keep hoping they'll just kill themselves off.
So Rob.....how would that work, if the community policed themselves? Are you saying that good citizens would then take care of the bad guys themselves, and all would be good? But if they're too afraid to do it now, why would that change?

[dmc]

So Rob, what do you do if someone is breaking into your home? Do you call the police, or alert social media, or call a lawyer?

[dmc]

Also I have known a few of the local officers when I lived in St. Charles Co. They were always friendly and I appreciated the work that they do. Now that I have moved I haven't met any local officers, but I have played golf with a former Miami detective and another from New York. Great guys and have some good stories to tell.

i did some research and chose this location due to the lack of crime, they pretty much roll up the streets at 10:00. The big crime is people not cleaning up after their dogs. I've seen the code enforcement guy driving around more than the police.

i feel sorry for the business owners who had their stores looted and burned, and the decent people of that area who will have an even harder time leaving the area as no one will want to live there. While I respect IL for wanting to stay in her home, I don't get it.

[gimmethesimplelife]

So Rob, what do you do if someone is breaking into your home? Do you call the police, or alert social media, or call a lawyer?

If someone breaks into my home, I hopefully can leave if I am there. I own very little worth stealing anyhow and it's not worth my life to protect that which is worth stealing. I would call the police once I came back home but honestly, only to file an insurance report as I realize I'd never see anything that was stolen again. The police would only give me paperwork that the insurance company requires to file a claim. It would be very stressful to deal with the police but I'd have to, like it or not, to file a claim. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

OK then.....If anyone is interested, please go to yahoo.com news. There you can find a story to the effect that the police in Missouri are being sued for $40 Million dollars due to treating citizens as if war combatants - I understand there are several folks filing this one lawsuit for $40 Million. Personally, as far as sending a message to the police and punishing via financial loss, I think they are asking for too little. We'll see if this goes to court or if the city's insurance company handles it hush hush out of court with the provision that no one talk about it but I'd like to see a larger settlement to send a message to both the police and to civilians everywhere. Everyday people stand up and effect change via financial loss, and police - get your act together as you are no longer going to enjoy being above the law. So so so long overdue. I'm hoping for many many many more similar lawsuits. Rob

PS Please understand that this lawsuit here stems from police behavior AFTER the shooting and it not directly about the actual shooting of Michael Brown or the officer involved. I'm also looking forward to lawsuits from two journalists who were assaulted at the Ferguson McDonald's and others who were pushed, shoved, teargassed, and threatened. These are educated people who know the dollar value of such behavior by the police - bring the lawsuits on!