Ferguson discussion thread (FERGUDISHU)

[JHC]

Don't you run into a bit of a problem, of whether or not the people protesting during the day are the same people rioting at night?

Seems like a big disorganized mess of unhappy community members, with some of the normal scumbags mixed in feeling free to run around grabbing whatever shit they want. Guess there isn't a good way to separate them out... but how *should* the more-or-less law-abiding citizens have protested?

At this point, I'm totally on board with the "well, kitten, this turned into a riot. I shouldn't be protesting, I should lock up in my room with a shotgun and try again after things have calmed down."

But the cell phone videos I've seen of the initial daytime protests didn't look like that. They looked more or less like any other non-riotous protest.

You are probably right. I am a little "off" towards the Hulk "SMASH" thing towards the lawless that have just wrecked city after city long before it gets to riot stage.

[Edwin]

Best video I've seen on this.

[Noleshooter]

Interesting response from http://www.lawofficer.com/article/li...ain-ronald-s-j

I have to call you out....

Fantastic post sir. This could make one heck of an op-ed in some major newspapers.

[John Hearne]

Really? That's the classic example of mixing just a few facts with a bunch of baseless personal opinion - kinda my idea of modern yellow journalism. Almost everyone of his points has already been refuted in other posts in these discussion. About the only thing he gets right is the muzzling issue.

[Alpha Sierra]

According to the St. Louis County prosecutor, the governor's actions there have no basis in state law either.

Are you saying we are reaching a tipping point in which both federal and state governments start to act despotically?

Do they (those governments) understand where that will lead?

[BLR]

Are you saying we are reaching a tipping point in which both federal and state governments start to act despotically?

Do they (those governments) understand where that will lead?

I would say no, they don't understand.

I would say, further, that they don't understand what happens if they crap where they eat.

[jlw]

Are you saying we are reaching a tipping point in which both federal and state governments start to act despotically?

Do they (those governments) understand where that will lead?

No that is not what I am saying.

[Shellback]

I've been told that the reason the media garnered such attention was that they were lighting up the police (probably intentionally) and making it much easier for them to be targeted by rioters and whoever else might have a grudge and a few rounds to burn.

That may well be. However, I didn't see too many rioter types around in these videos concerning the Al Jazzera guys that got a lot of press. This is the original video I saw:



This is an alternate angle that provides a different picture:



And here's an interview with the Al Jazeera reporter after the event:

[LittleLebowski]

Really? That's the classic example of mixing just a few facts with a bunch of baseless personal opinion - kinda my idea of modern yellow journalism. Almost everyone of his points has already been refuted in other posts in these discussion. About the only thing he gets right is the muzzling issue.

John, are you referring to the video or the article?

[Alpha Sierra]

No that is not what I am saying.

Well, I don't know.......

If government officials are issuing orders without lawful authority, what would that be called?

des·pot
noun \ˈdes-pət, -ˌpät\

: a ruler who has total power and who often uses that power in cruel and unfair ways

: a person who has a lot of power over other people