American Riots

[rtotheizzo17]

I get people are pissed at life, but they picked the wrong martyr and thats why this wont go anywhere.

Also, I have never seen a President purposely stoke the flames of race riots like Obama did lastnight, and Eric Holder continues to do.

 

[Xpress]

Not all of us americans are like this, just throwing it out there...

But everything is pretty well **** here right now...

 

[BBH]

Yeah things have gone bat **** crazy here tonight. Luckily I'm not near the riots (a good 20 or so miles out of Chicago) but it's insane to watch.

 

[jj23w]

The Purge has started boys.

 

[Ben]

^Shut up.

I don't really get what this is all about from an outsider's view - race and law enforcement seem so **** up in America it's hard to grasp it.

Not that we don't have similar problems I guess, but the extent this has snowballed to. And to be honest, reading about the evidence produced to the Jury and stuff, I'd have agreed with them.

I just feel like if it was a white kid there would be less attention. I get that racism is bad and awful and should be stopped, but I don't think that's what this was about. I think he probably overreacted but I don't think that was because the kid was black.

If he was gay I wouldn't be sat here moaning about how the police hate gays, I'd just think, this happened to this kid who just happened to be gay. And honestly, I think this just happened to this kid who happened to be black.

Plus since the kid attacked the policeman he was obviously a bit of a dick.

 

[caffeine_demon]

The other thing I don't get is - even if the shooting was totally unacceptable, what good is ruining local businesses and the community going to do?

 

[rtotheizzo17]

^For some its a thinly veiled masquerade to get free liquor and dvd players. For others its a chance to rebel against the man because that's what left wing progressives do, not understanding the reality that there is no left or right paradigm we are all controlled by the banks.

Ben you are absolutely correct, in fact days after Brown was killed, a white teenager was killed with seemingly less direct violence involved, and it was not picked up and ran with. The reason for this is fairly straightforward, when the peons are divided (by wealth, color, sex) they can not focus on the real problems and unite. The banks and government have raped the American people thru countless wars, bailouts, and backdoor deals which have pillaged from an already broken pension and social security system. If even 10% of the average people could comprehend what the future looks like French Revolution would look like a tea party.

I understand completely poverty and low income in America > pretty much anywhere else in the world, but the trend line is not favorable, and if you can get past the normalcy bias the future is not painted in a pretty picture for America.

 

[tomahawk]

When the ultimate racist Jesse Jackson and his tag team partner Al Sharpton speak, things go from bad to worse. This is a completely fabricated "injustice" as the kid punched the cop in his car, tried to steal his gun, and then charged him. (Charged is now a racist term apparently if you listen to the two morons above)

If you punch a cop, try and steal his gun, and then charge him, you kind of have what's coming to you. The media ruined this cops life, he's going to have to go into witness protection, and even that may not be enough. I tried to hold judgment until the grand jury process is done, as anything can happen, but looting should result to being loaded into a plane, given a parachute, and told to jump over Iraq.

"Oh I don't like what you said, let's destroy this business who had nothing to do with it."

 

[Snoo]

Violence is never acceptable.

Many of the things in this country that many people don't see or don't understand or have never experienced is what the heart of this whole discussion is.

Darker skin is a liability when it shouldn't be. Of course, if you've never had darker skin or been subject to the experiences that come with that, how could you ever understand the other side of the fence? Race is and always will be an issue in this country. The fact that deep down, I'm glad my children aren't as dark in complexion as me makes me sad to no end.

 

[rtotheizzo17]

Snoo I agree whole heartedly that people of all colors are judged differently when interacting with others, but is that really the reason Brown is dead?Are his actions leading up to his death really worth making him the martyr? Would you really expect a cop, or this cop, to act different if Brown was White, Hispanic, or Asian?

Its obviously a sensitive subject, but as a society I find it frustrasting that there is one group that use a death like this as a reason to incite violence from coast to coast. There have been 107 black teenagers killed in Chicago since Brown died, mostly from black on black crime, why isnt this a force for social and cultural change?

 

[nealbie]

^Shut up.

I don't really get what this is all about from an outsider's view - race and law enforcement seem so **** up in America it's hard to grasp it.

Not that we don't have similar problems I guess, but the extent this has snowballed to. And to be honest, reading about the evidence produced to the Jury and stuff, I'd have agreed with them.

I just feel like if it was a white kid there would be less attention. I get that racism is bad and awful and should be stopped, but I don't think that's what this was about. I think he probably overreacted but I don't think that was because the kid was black.

If he was gay I wouldn't be sat here moaning about how the police hate gays, I'd just think, this happened to this kid who just happened to be gay. And honestly, I think this just happened to this kid who happened to be black.

Plus since the kid attacked the policeman he was obviously a bit of a dick.

What Ben said. Everyone knows that attacking a cop gets you an automatic 3 stars in GTA.

Not going to even pretend to understand how **** up America is over issues like race. Mind you, we had riots in 2011 over something almost identical. Only difference being when the courts decided the policeman was right to shoot him, there weren't more riots, the decision was accepted.

I want to know how poorly Americans think of their law enforcement. Any members care to shed a light?

 

[tomahawk]

90% at least respect them. This is simply due to the media making this a race issue. 99% of the time, if you aren't doing anything wrong, you're fine. Yes, there will always be those shady cops who abuse their power, but guess what, eventually they are removed or retire.

I have several friends who are in law enforcement. One about two months ago was almost shot by a guy who committed suicide as he pulled him over. The guy angled the bullet to go through his head, in an attempt to hit him, thankfully it missed. Just like with everything in the world, the negatives are so much louder than the positives. Only the people who are convinced the world is out to get them, criminals, and then people who claim if someone who isn't of the same race looks at them funny, claim all cops are out to get them.

 

[furie]

Not going to even pretend to understand how **** up America is over issues like race. Mind you, we had riots in 2011 over something almost identical. Only difference being when the courts decided the policeman was right to shoot him, there weren't more riots, the decision was accepted.

I think Snoo hinted at the reasons really. I suspect people forget how recently segregation in the US actually ended, and how ingrained in living memory hatred (or at least thinking of coloured people as lesser humans) is in a huge swathe of the American population. Okay, black society was given equal rights with the white society 50 years(ish) ago, but that doesn't mean that they were then elevated to the same society and opportunities as the rest of the populace.

{I guess over here we have the working class/benefits society in a similar (if much more pleasant) situation. How do you break out of the council estate loop when your life is ingrained in it for generations?}

The governments offer opportunities, but it's for the select few with the positive mental or character traits that can actually get out.

So over the years, there's a social underclass that can't see a way out, that live poorly compared to the rest of the country and who's only fault is the family and are they were born into. There's a lot of resentment towards those "who have" and those who have REALLY have. Once the resentment kicks in, it spreads. You have a powder keg and then any excuse to be incited to violence. What the actual spark is doesn't matter (and will probably miss the point), but it just needs "a thing" for the resentment to spill over into violence. It's about decades of the comfortably well off looking down on others who have no chance to escape because of the ever widening gap between the rich and poor. After a series of recessions, it looks even worse and there's more chance of things blowing up.

In essence, equality is a lie and it pisses people off. Add in ready availability of guns and generally more violent outlook to life and it's much worse.

 

[Smithy]

Inequality is still an issue, especially when it comes to race, in America. It's just unfortunate for the cause that it's taken this case to somewhat unite people because the naysayers will rightly be focusing on the case and the flaws in holding it up as an example of inequality rather than looking at the issues that actually do exist.

Think a lot of the stuff I've seen is horribly misguided, "black lives matter" well no all lives matter, I'd have been shot in similar circumstances and you'd have to have an already formulated opinion to look at the facts and still believe he was shot because of his race.

The rioting and looting is also doing more to harm the cause than further it; no matter how much of a minority it is, it's difficult for the wider world to take your cause seriously when your peers are out looting and burning down buildings. Or suggesting the whole police force is corrupt based off of one officer, but then argue that the looters don't represent the protests. Or questioning the race of those on the grand jury. Or claiming white people aren't allowed an opinion because of "white privilage". Or coming out of the hearing and screaming to BURN THIS BUILDING DOWN when you're the step father of the deceased. Or treating Michael Brown as some sort of hero for being a thieving bully who beat up a police officer.

tl dr People are making the right arguments behind the wrong incident.

 

[Snoo]

90% at least respect them. This is simply due to the media making this a race issue. 99% of the time, if you aren't doing anything wrong, you're fine. Yes, there will always be those shady cops who abuse their power, but guess what, eventually they are removed or retire.

I have several friends who are in law enforcement. One about two months ago was almost shot by a guy who committed suicide as he pulled him over. The guy angled the bullet to go through his head, in an attempt to hit him, thankfully it missed. Just like with everything in the world, the negatives are so much louder than the positives. Only the people who are convinced the world is out to get them, criminals, and then people who claim if someone who isn't of the same race looks at them funny, claim all cops are out to get them.

The overwhelming feeling within the African American community is MUCH more fear then respect. You shouldn't fear the people who are here to protect you. You want to know what I think if I get pulled over by police? "What am I wearing.. is it suspect? Can they put me in jail for this? Don't make any sudden moves..." This pictures illistrates much of my feelings on the subject:

I've been pulled over before and had my car searched by drug dogs. Want to know the reasoning I was given? "They wanted to test their new drug dog." The difference between Tom and I are the exact same feelings between White and Black America on these types of things.

While the media has overblown these types of issues, they normally get overblown when issues of people in power are putting down people without it. It becomes amplified by the fact it was a white male policeman vs a unarmed black teen. NOW! That isn't to say what Mike Brown did wasn't worthy of what happened. Based on the evidence I've seen, the cop was fully within his right to do what he did. But, as I said before, at the end of my day, I get passed that and look at the broader picture.

 

[rtotheizzo17]

Not going to even pretend to understand how **** up America is over issues like race. Mind you, we had riots in 2011 over something almost identical. Only difference being when the courts decided the policeman was right to shoot him, there weren't more riots, the decision was accepted.

I think Snoo hinted at the reasons really. I suspect people forget how recently segregation in the US actually ended, and how ingrained in living memory hatred (or at least thinking of coloured people as lesser humans) is in a huge swathe of the American population. Okay, black society was given equal rights with the white society 50 years(ish) ago, but that doesn't mean that they were then elevated to the same society and opportunities as the rest of the populace.

{I guess over here we have the working class/benefits society in a similar (if much more pleasant) situation. How do you break out of the council estate loop when your life is ingrained in it for generations?}

The governments offer opportunities, but it's for the select few with the positive mental or character traits that can actually get out.

So over the years, there's a social underclass that can't see a way out, that live poorly compared to the rest of the country and who's only fault is the family and are they were born into. There's a lot of resentment towards those "who have" and those who have REALLY have. Once the resentment kicks in, it spreads. You have a powder keg and then any excuse to be incited to violence. What the actual spark is doesn't matter (and will probably miss the point), but it just needs "a thing" for the resentment to spill over into violence. It's about decades of the comfortably well off looking down on others who have no chance to escape because of the ever widening gap between the rich and poor. After a series of recessions, it looks even worse and there's more chance of things blowing up.

In essence, equality is a lie and it pisses people off. Add in ready availability of guns and generally more violent outlook to life and it's much worse.

You are more or less right on, ignoring the fact you seem to think this type of race tension is exclusive to America, or at the very least not included on your Island.

 

[furie]

You are more or less right on, ignoring the fact you seem to think this type of race tension is exclusive to America, or at the very least not included on your Island.

I'm well aware of the racial tensions across the world, but in the US it's much starker - at this moment - because people think "the US is a multiracial society that's well established", when in reality it's only recently (relatively) established. Israel and Palestine is much harsher and the difference much starker for instance, but nobody says "wait, I thought the Jews and Muslims lived in an equal society and all got along day to day all happy and modern like."

Anyway, as this was about the US, I made it US centric. I didn't see much point going on about the racial tensions of the 1970s in the UK when Bangladesh refugees/immigrants caused upset entering the country, or the current religious tensions against Muslims, or whatever.

The real difference is that the "white Christian" population in the UK by and large seems to feel oppressed for some reason and that is what causes the violence; rather than how it is in the US where it's the oppressed who are fighting and lashing out.

 

[rtotheizzo17]

Fair enough. The post read as if people of all color sit around singing kumbya in London, when every 3-4 years a white cop is strangling a black guy calling him a n- ****.

At the end of the day, im not sure there is another country in the world that is as large, and diverse as America. These differences are going to lead to tension. Again, I question how much of that tension is real, and how much is created to further divide the Snoos from the Tomohawks.

 

[mcgoughchris]

Snoo's feelings truly sadden me if it's a true representation of how black people feel. Obviously not being from America I don't have a good understanding of the situation over there.

Here in the UK things aren't too bad. I think black people get stereotyped because of the odd few that tend to act ridiculously, therefore pushing themselves into a minority by making it impossible to approach them or socialise with them. In London especially they've got a terrible reputation for gang behaviour etc but then also complain about racial abuse. There's a fine line between being hated because or your colour and being hated for your actions.

Although there's far worse issues in this country at the moment! Namely Muslims , who are unbearable to the point where they deserve to be ridiculed. Their behaviour us radical beyond the point of any normal thinking human being

 

[nealbie]

I hope that's a joke (and a really really bad one at that). My fiancé is a Muslim!