Ferguson MO

You do realize it's the prosecutor presenting the evidence to the grand jury, right? That's without a defense attorney present. Why in the holy hell would the prosecutor only present enough facts to not get an indictment?!

Also, despite what the police chief said (remember, he wasn't there and doesn't know), Officer Wilson's story hasn't ever changed.

You admitted your bias up front but then damn the conclusion drawn by a jury. You sound as rational as everyone on Twitter...

For the record, I don't agree with Officer Wilson's actions but I've never been in fear for my life so I don't know what I would do in his shoes. That said, there's no reason at all to assume Officer Wilson is guilty of a crime now that the jury reached its conclusion.

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1. Michael Brown didn't deserve to die (most people probably agree with this)

2. Michael Brown isn't some kind of martyr though

3. Officer Wilson doesn't deserve to be indicted, so they got that right.

4. The video of Brown stealing at the gas station is irrelevant

5. The police force in Ferguson handled the situation in just about the poorest possible way

6. The media (mainly social media) really helped turn this thing into a bigger monster than it already was

Is this really about Ferguson alone or is it about the way blacks are treated by law enforcement across the US? I'm white and have never been arrested but I despise the police. I have seen so many injustices at the hands of the police that I can't even begin to imagine how black people must feel. Racism is always going to exist, but law enforcement as a profession have the most backward, black and white views of human nature. I have never met a progressive police officer in my life.

We have a member here who is going through the process of becoming a police officer. Perhaps you should PM him and talk about it with him. He might be able to change your mind on this.

Also, this is negative stereotyping of a large group of individuals that is unfounded. Some bad apples don't make the whole bunch bad.


EDIT: I forgot to mention which member: The Gunslinger45

1, 2, 3, agree.

4, disagree. The theft happened minutes before his confrontation with Wilson. This confrontation could have easily led to increased aggression on his part. This part is conjecture, but it's easy to believe he could have been feeling very invulnerable at the time.

I'll say I somewhat disagree.

5, not just the police but our Governor has bungled the crap out of this, too. Just go easy on my boy James, he's doing the best he can.

6, It's unfortunate that there's no real way to measure this, but I'd agree only because of the spotlight they've put on the town. That said, even if it wasn't on constant TV rotation this still would have gotten out of hand.

I'm sorry, but it's hard to take advice from someone who believes the grand jury got Wilson's indictment correct. Not every cop is a bastard, but far too many are, and the rest always cover up for the bad apples. Being a cop is very, very similar to being in a big gang.

Why should he be indicted? How can you prove that he murdered this man? You can prove he killed this man, but there is a difference between murder and killing.

How should this have been resolved? And I don't want you to just say: "He should be charged with murder." That won't satisfy me. I want to know how you can prove this man set out to kill this kid in cold blood and not in order to defend himself. This is the point I need proven to me, because there should be no reasonable doubt.


And with all do respect, what the f*ck are you talking about? Being a cop is similar to being in a gang? Get the f*ck out of here with that bullsh*t.

You don't have to respond to that last part, but I would like a response to the part above it.

JJ, did you watch Killer Mike's pre-show speech? What did you think?

The biggest joke is that this was made into a racial issue; white cops shoot white people often enough too. If you don't want to get shot, don't put yourself in that position. I got into my share of trouble when I was younger but I knew better than to disrespect the police, and they treated me fairly. We'd be screwed without them.

I don't agree with everything Mike said, but he says it better than anybody else I've heard. I love and respect the way Mike dealt with this.

I've known so many cops in my life. Friends, members of my Army National Guard unit, relatives...all cops, and I wouldn't call them bad people. Just the exact opposite, as a matter of fact. At one point, I considered being a cop (but I cannot because of health issues), and I am as liberal as they come. So while there are some bad cops out there, the majority of them are just good people trying to do right by their community. Lets not paint them as the gestapo, okay?

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We're talking about one cop... 12 shots wasn't enough? It should have at least gone to trial.

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He fired some initial shots, Michael Brown kept coming at him (according to the officer and some witnesses,) so he kept firing. I don't think the number of shots fired is a big deal unless it was proven that he fired into a person lying on the ground or reloaded.

1. Ehh, not sure. If Wilson's testimony is correct, Mike Brown was asking for death. And I trust Wilson.

2. True, people who try to make him and Treyvon Martin martyrs are disgusting

3.

4. No its not. It's a display of character. Of there was a video of Wilson beating up an innocent black kid 30 minutes earlier I think it would be very relevant.

5. Yes.

6. Perhaps. But I think media is important, otherwise no one would know what was going on.

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1. By not deserving to die, I just simply meant that his crimes (in a best case scenario) would not be punishable by death. The officer has the right to protect himself though.

2. Yeah, when those guys were compared to somebody like Emmett Till, it turned my stomach a bit.

3.

4. Maybe it's a display of character, or maybe it's character assassination, or maybe it's blah blah blah. I don't know or care about that part. I just meant that even if we didn't see that video, the situation would not be changed at all.

And of course the situation would be different if Wilson was beating up a black kid 30 minutes earlier, because that is more in line with what happened. Stealing is not the same thing as attacking a police officer.

Ok, we're pretty much on the same page on everything, but I do think that the robbery video is important in judging Mike Brown. It showed how aggressive he is, to a smaller guy who's not doing anything but trying to protect his property. For me the stealing isn't the worst part, but how he tries to intimidate the guy. Which matches up with how Officer Wilson says Brown reacted to him.



Every time I see this it refreshes my memory that Mike Brown was a straight thug, and leaves no doubt in my mind that he would react similarly to a police officer.

Exclusive: Darren Wilson Speaks Out For the First…:

"The world is a ghetto with big guns and picket signs. But it can do what it wants whenever it wants, I don't mind."

That's all I think of when I see this on the news.

Saw this on Facebook. Really love it when someone doesn't pretend to have all the answers and provides some perspective. Even if you find the last part too "preachy" I think anyone can appreciate the rest:

Benjamin Watson
At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts:

I'M ANGRY because the stories of injustice that have been passed down for generations seem to be continuing before our very eyes.

I'M FRUSTRATED, because pop culture, music and movies glorify these types of police citizen altercations and promote an invincible attitude that continues to get young men killed in real life, away from safety movie sets and music studios.

I'M FEARFUL because in the back of my mind I know that although I'm a law abiding citizen I could still be looked upon as a "threat" to those who don't know me. So I will continue to have to go the extra mile to earn the benefit of the doubt.

I'M EMBARRASSED because the looting, violent protests, and law breaking only confirm, and in the minds of many, validate, the stereotypes and thus the inferior treatment.

I'M SAD, because another young life was lost from his family, the racial divide has widened, a community is in shambles, accusations, insensitivity hurt and hatred are boiling over, and we may never know the truth about what happened that day.

I'M SYMPATHETIC, because I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Darren Wilson acted within his rights and duty as an officer of the law and killed Michael Brown in self defense like any of us would in the circumstance. Now he has to fear the backlash against himself and his loved ones when he was only doing his job. What a horrible thing to endure. OR maybe he provoked Michael and ignited the series of events that led to him eventually murdering the young man to prove a point.

I'M OFFENDED, because of the insulting comments I've seen that are not only insensitive but dismissive to the painful experiences of others.

I'M CONFUSED, because I don't know why it's so hard to obey a policeman. You will not win!!! And I don't know why some policeman abuse their power. Power is a responsibility, not a weapon to brandish and lord over the populace.

I'M INTROSPECTIVE, because sometimes I want to take "our" side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That's not right.

I'M HOPELESS, because I've lived long enough to expect things like this to continue to happen. I'm not surprised and at some point my little children are going to inherit the weight of being a minority and all that it entails.

I'M HOPEFUL, because I know that while we still have race issues in America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and grandparents. I see it in my personal relationships with teammates, friends and mentors. And it's a beautiful thing.

I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through the his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope.

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Letterboxd

seanc I was with it until the end. Bible talk, ug.

How the hell can you limit the number of shots? I've never, ever understood this line of thinking. If a person is genuinely fearful for their life then they should pull the trigger until they are no longer afraid. Isn't that what you would do?! Would you stop after 4 shots and ask if the guy is alright?!

Does anyone here want to know why it didn't go to trial? The real reason?

A county prosecutor is an elected official. For those who put that person into position, a good conviction rate is a big part of what gets them where they are. If a prosecutor sees a high profile case like this and knows deep down that they will probably not win a conviction then they use something like the grand jury to take the load off their shoulders (Bob McCulloch could have just as easily announced that his office wasn't going to prosecute and the end result would have been the same but this way the pressure is off him). He looked at the facts and realized there's probably no jury in the world that would convict Wilson of a crime, unless it was 12 black people maybe(?), and decided to put it before the grand jury so it would look less like him and his office not prosecuting. If this had never gotten the media attention I kind of wonder if it would have even gone before the grand jury.

Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it. Derek says it's always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best. So if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought you'd like. 'We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.'

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