Riots in Ferguson Mo

[Disciple4life]

There are riots going on in my area. An 18 year old man was shot to death. I think I will stay inside for awhile.

http://fox2now.com/2014/08/11/protes...h-police-line/

This is not my neighborhood but I could drive there in 30 minutes.

[n david]

Sad situation.

[Disciple4life]

Sad that someone lost their life. Sad that the public reaction causes violence that will do nothing to stop this situation in the future.

I don't know what happened at the traffic stop, but it is not hard to imagine that both parties could have handled the situation better.

[Disciple4life]

Evidently to protest a wrongful death one has to burn down the local QT gas station and loot a shoe store.

[n david]

I'm trying to withhold opinion until more evidence comes out or more details are given. My immediate reaction was anger at the police, because of the reports that the kid was 35 feet away where he died. Then more information was released and we learned there was some kind of violent struggle inside the police car and a shot was fired in the car.

As usual, family and friends say Michael was a great kid who just graduated HS and was to start college classes yesterday. No family would acknowledge any fault on their child, even if the kid had a rap sheet a mile long. Something else interesting to me is this quote:

"Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, said Sunday she doesn't understand why police didn't subdue her son with a club or Taser."

If he's as good a kid as has been claimed, why would there be any need to subdue him?

But then there's the disturbing report that he was shot 8 times. EIGHT times!? Again, that makes me question the officer. Why were there so many shots fired at an unarmed kid? From what I understand, most reports say Michael was hit by eight bullets. Logic says the officer likely fired more than just eight times. Why?

There are witness statements which claim Michael was raising his hands 35 feet away when the officer shot him to death.

That alone makes me want to see the officer stand trial, even if there was a struggle in the police car.

Then again, I don't want to rush to prejudge either side.

I agree with LZ Granderson:

I am tired of having to march to have murderers arrested. Tired of worrying about my 17-year-old being gunned down by some random white guy who thinks his music is too loud. Tired of knowing the same could happen to me.

I am tired of seeing a hashtag in front of a victim's name on Twitter. Tired of seeing Al Sharpton speak on behalf of a family. Tired of waiting for verdicts and hoping for justice --as if hearing "guilty" can ease the anxiety of knowing a police officer shot and killed a 22-year-old black man while he was lying face down and with his hands behind his back.

I am tired of the charlatans who chase the bodies of innocent victims the way sleazy lawyers chase ambulances. I hate black looters at peaceful rallies the way I hate the KKK.

Just as I'm tired of watching the video of Eric Garner being placed in a chokehold by NYPD, listening to him say "I can't breathe, I can't breathe" and then watching him die minutes later.

I'm tired of hearing mothers and fathers weep for children who did not have to die.

But most of all I'm tired of the people who are not tired like me.

Link

[KeptByTheWord]

It is just sad that people are out hurting the innocent, and those who had nothing to do with the incident they are upset about! Why aren't they attacking the police station or something like that? I mean take the issue to the heart of the matter. That would at least make a little more sense, even though still very wrong!

But instead, they use this situation to go and attack the innocent, and to steal, burn, and destroy... what kind of mentality is this? I don't understand it at all.

[n david]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

It is just sad that people are out hurting the innocent, and those who had nothing to do with the incident they are upset about! Why aren't they attacking the police station or something like that? I mean take the issue to the heart of the matter. That would at least make a little more sense, even though still very wrong!

But instead, they use this situation to go and attack the innocent, and to steal, burn, and destroy... what kind of mentality is this? I don't understand it at all.

I agree it is sad. But I can understand why people would riot over this issue. There's a lot of anger in the community, and rightfully so. They obviously aren't going to attack a police station because there would been even more blood shed. And of course, there will always be the troublemakers who join to anything which involves possible destruction, violence and mayhem. I would go out on a limb to say that most of the morons rioting did so not because of the killing of an unarmed teen, but because they just love violence.

Fortunately, there were reports of good citizens who came the next morning to help clean up and distance themselves from the rioters.

[Disciple4life]

Martin Luther King and Gandhi where great leaders in the sense that they brought about change with peaceful actions. We all need to learn a lesson from these two men.

[jediwill83]

Ive been depressed over this and other stuff in the news...I am taking a long hiatus from FB and being a news junkie until I can get my mind straight.

[Disciple4life]

Jediwill,

I am praying for you. Please take care of yourself.

I rarely come into the political section but this is in my area and on the local news. I limit myself to news because it gets me down to. Spending time with the Lord can help readjust your perspective.