I live in a warzone. Oh wait, no, I'm in St. Louis.

[AGBF]

http://chrishernandezauthor.com/2014/08/24/a-dose-of-reality-for-ferguson-missouri/

One experienced viewpoint that provides some explanation as to why the officer may have chosen to react as he did. Food for thought.

There's no acceptable "viewpoint" for how he reacted. The kid had no gun. He was dead within a minute and a half. Why is everyone defending this officer like he's some kind of hero when the facts indicate the contrary? Oh yea, because he's white and the kid was black.

A hero? ... The people in Missouri plus most of the national news medias and Governor Jay Nixon wanted to execute him w/o a trial.

What?! The news media is all over the response of the police as a whole, less so about the actual incident. I have yet to hear Mr. Nixon imply any of what you just described in any of his bizarre news conferences, nor has any of the news media really implied that either, the news itself about THE incident right now is all about blaming the kid for being a thug and a robbery suspect, and less the cop for his "use of lethal force", as would be expected, because it's a black kid and therefore he can only be a thug, can't possibly have been a decent kid for the most part who had an encounter with someone who might have been a tool with a badge and a gun. The people in Missouri, where I actually reside and actually live in this city in the county confines, are absolutely divided on that, and I bet you can figure out how that is primarily divided. More money has been raised in support of this cop, and staggeringly so, than for this kid's family.

He's back.... Best John Stewart Rant EVER: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/08/27/video-jon-stewart-returns-immediately-begins-trashing-media-coverage-of-ferguson/ (First clip on that page).

It really was. We kept cheering. We loved Jon Oliver but this was just as fantastic. Yep, reporting from the Shoot Me State. We were laughing that they had the "senior Missouri correspondent" reporting from "st louis" though he was in East St. Louis, which is Illinois, and REALLY dangerous.

Only my beloved Newfie, Griffin, needing me made me turn off John Stewart early in the video. I look forward to resuming it soon. It was AMAZING!!! Thank you, ladies!!!

Deb

 

[Dancing Fire]

http://chrishernandezauthor.com/2014/08/24/a-dose-of-reality-for-ferguson-missouri/

One experienced viewpoint that provides some explanation as to why the officer may have chosen to react as he did. Food for thought.

There's no acceptable "viewpoint" for how he reacted. The kid had no gun. He was dead within a minute and a half. Why is everyone defending this officer like he's some kind of hero when the facts indicate the contrary? Oh yea, because he's white and the kid was black.

A hero? ... The people in Missouri plus most of the national news medias and Governor Jay Nixon wanted to execute him w/o a trial.

What?! The news media is all over the response of the police as a whole, less so about the actual incident. I have yet to hear Mr. Nixon imply any of what you just described in any of his bizarre news conferences, nor has any of the news media really implied that either, the news itself about THE incident right now is all about blaming the kid for being a thug and a robbery suspect, and less the cop for his "use of lethal force", as would be expected, because it's a black kid and therefore he can only be a thug, can't possibly have been a decent kid for the most part who had an encounter with someone who might have been a tool with a badge and a gun. The people in Missouri, where I actually reside and actually live in this city in the county confines, are absolutely divided on that, and I bet you can figure out how that is primarily divided. More money has been raised in support of this cop, and staggeringly so, than for this kid's family.

http://mashable.com/2014/08/19/jay-nixon-vigorous-prosecution-michael-brown/

 

[ame]

That was then. He's flip flopped a bit since, putting his full faith in Mr. McCulloch who has yet to prosecute an officer.

 

[movie zombie]

slavery ended in the 1860's but only after a civil war and then there were jim crowe laws. civil rights were still being fought for in in the 1960's....... the idea that one should "just get over it" indicates a failure to understand history.

 

[ame]

Wow. I...don't...wow.

 

[AGBF]

Wow. I...don't...wow.

C'mon, ame. You can spit it out.

Deb

 

[movie zombie]

Wow. I...don't...wow.

C'mon, ame. You can spit it out.

Deb

LOL! I am speechless that ame is speechless!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Wow. I...don't...wow.

C'mon, ame. You can spit it out.

Deb

LOL! I am speechless that ame is speechless!

Yea, that doesn't happen often...

 

[ame]

I couldn't even stammer something out!

 

[purplesparklies]

http://youtu.be/q1gYEG1TzBk

Saw this footage captured via dash cam and it made me think of this thread. Reality of what police officers deal with on a much too regular basis. This should have been a routine traffic stop. To those who feel that police officers are in the wrong to be focused on making it home to see their families at the end of a shift, I am confident that a day spent in the shoes of one of these officers would provide a swift change of perspective.

 

[Karl_K]

http://youtu.be/q1gYEG1TzBk

Saw this footage captured via dash cam and it made me think of this thread. Reality of what police officers deal with on a much too regular basis. This should have been a routine traffic stop. To those who feel that police officers are in the wrong to be focused on making it home to see their families at the end of a shift, I am confident that a day spent in the shoes of one of these officers would provide a swift change of perspective.

The fact is that being a cop is not in the top 10 of the most dangerous jobs in the US.
There where a lot of clues that something was going way wrong and is very similar to training films I have seen on what to watch out for when a stop is going bad.
Grabbing the 12 gauge and racking a round into the chamber changes many a mind in that situation according to a long time deputy friend of mine.

 

[purplesparklies]

So, the fact that it isn't in the top 10 statistically means police officers should not be concerned? I don't think so. It is still a very dangerous job. Statistics can be very misleading. Many times the statistics are a bit skewed because of the effect of including the countless officers patrolling small, sleepy towns across this country. Those officers who patrol larger cities have a vastly different experience.

Yes, there were clues. The officer was picking up on those clues. You can hear it in his voice. Doesn't make the situation less life threatening. This man was shot multiple times yet continued to advance before finally retreating to drive himself away. People want officers to refrain from shooting to kill. What a bunch of malarkey. If it were my family or friend, I would want him/her to do whatever it takes to come home safely and live to tell the tale.

Most of us have a friend or family member who has served their community as a law enforcement officer. Their opinions are as varied as anyone else's. To discount one's experience because it is not that of another is nonsensical.

 

[packrat]

Probably it's not considered "dangerous" is b/c of the training they have and the precautions they take and the safety equipment they use. Most of us don't go about our daily careers w/the knowledge that we could be shot or killed. I work in a preschool..pretty sure JD's job is more dangerous. Those of us who work in cubicles, behind desks, sit in boardrooms, please don't tell me your job is more dangerous.

Farming is more dangerous. You want to know why? B/c farmers do stupid shit. I live in Iowa, so I know first hand the dumb-assery of farmers. I've seen it my whole life. They don't use safety equipment cuz bah, I'm a farmer, I know what I'm doing. Farmers probably die more often b/c they think they're invincible.

Crab fishing is more dangerous. I get that. If you fall in the water, that's some serious shit. Logging/lumberjacking and such, dangerous. Yep, got that. We're not dealing w/sticks, those logs and trees mean business.

None of those jobs pit person against person with the potential to take another humans life, on a *daily* basis. None of those jobs have the potential that the tree had a bad day and is going to take it out on you.

You don't carry a gun in a holster if you're a farmer cuz of He Who Walks Behind the Rows. You don't wear a bulletproof vest if you're a crab fisherman b/c the crabs might shoot you.

And we can ruffle our feathers aaaalll we want about who's job is more dangerous and rabble rabble rabble about the stupid cops who act like their job ain't hard when we aaaalll know that's it's not, it's a piece of cake jeez big ole ****ing pansies anyway..

but the fact of the matter is I don't see ANY of THOSE PEOPLE sitting behind their desks, doing the job of law enforcement. All I see, is people sitting in the safety of their homes, the safety of sitting behind their desks and backseat driving.

Do a ride along...see the shit the cops see.

I've had jobs where people who had never done the job, and had no idea how to do the job or what it entailed, would come in and tell us how to do it. The resounding response was, fine, here, you do it. You *show* me how smart you are and how much you know about this career that you basically sit and study and don't actually *do*. You can figure the numbers all you want, but people aren't numbers and they aren't machines.

 

[msop04]

Probably it's not considered "dangerous" is b/c of the training they have and the precautions they take and the safety equipment they use. Most of us don't go about our daily careers w/the knowledge that we could be shot or killed. I work in a preschool..pretty sure JD's job is more dangerous. Those of us who work in cubicles, behind desks, sit in boardrooms, please don't tell me your job is more dangerous.

Farming is more dangerous. You want to know why? B/c farmers do stupid shit. I live in Iowa, so I know first hand the dumb-assery of farmers. I've seen it my whole life. They don't use safety equipment cuz bah, I'm a farmer, I know what I'm doing. Farmers probably die more often b/c they think they're invincible.

Crab fishing is more dangerous. I get that. If you fall in the water, that's some serious shit. Logging/lumberjacking and such, dangerous. Yep, got that. We're not dealing w/sticks, those logs and trees mean business.

None of those jobs pit person against person with the potential to take another humans life, on a *daily* basis. None of those jobs have the potential that the tree had a bad day and is going to take it out on you.

You don't carry a gun in a holster if you're a farmer cuz of He Who Walks Behind the Rows. You don't wear a bulletproof vest if you're a crab fisherman b/c the crabs might shoot you.

And we can ruffle our feathers aaaalll we want about who's job is more dangerous and rabble rabble rabble about the stupid cops who act like their job ain't hard when we aaaalll know that's it's not, it's a piece of cake jeez big ole ****ing pansies anyway..

but the fact of the matter is I don't see ANY of THOSE PEOPLE sitting behind their desks, doing the job of law enforcement. All I see, is people sitting in the safety of their homes, the safety of sitting behind their desks and backseat driving.

Do a ride along...see the shit the cops see.

I've had jobs where people who had never done the job, and had no idea how to do the job or what it entailed, would come in and tell us how to do it. The resounding response was, fine, here, you do it. You *show* me how smart you are and how much you know about this career that you basically sit and study and don't actually *do*. You can figure the numbers all you want, but people aren't numbers and they aren't machines.

All very good points, packrat. It's easy for us to think whatever we'd like about LE, but very few of us (if any) have walked a mile in their shoes.

 

[Ella]

We have tried to let this thread stand due to the good discussion, but due to a very racist remark that has been removed this thread is now closed. If you want to continue to have discussions about current events, be polite. PS will not tolerate racist posts.