CNN and MSNBC stirring racial unrest in Ferguson, MO.

[aristotle]

After an 18 year-old black male was shot and killed by a cop in the Ferguson suburb of St. Louis, the television coverage by CNN and MSNBC has been nothing short of appalling. Witness accounts and police accounts of what happened leading up to the shooting vary.

The sensationalized reporting and commentary by CNN and MSNBC has whipped up racial animosity. Now, there have been several nights and days of fires, looting, crime and threats of more violence. Let the facts come out.

Don Lemon of CNN has been particularly unprofessional with insinuations, hyperbole and use of inflammatory language on air. His brand of race-baiting journalism has no place on a major cable news forum. In time, Lemon will likely follow many former news anchors from CNN and MSNBC with a move to Al Jazeera.

Come to think of it, Ashleigh Banfield and Carol Costello would be right at home at Al Jazeera, too. It's where disgraced TV news personalities go to continue their careers.

Let the investigation go forward. Let the facts be determined. Then, if a trial for the cop is warranted, let justice be done.

 

[LDB]

Shocking, just shocking. And such a surprise too.

 

[muttly]

It probably would have helped if they had a dash cam video.
Shooting of Michael Brown - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[aristotle]

Here's one perspective from the NY Times: Standoff in Ferguson - Video - NYTimes.com

 

[aristotle]

Is this guy onto something or just on something?

Black Man Goes on EPIC Rant Against Ferguson Rioters - YouTube

 

[cheri1122]

The racial unrest in Ferguson wasn't created or stirred by news outlets - it was created by a population that's largely black, ruled by authority figures that are almost entirely white. That alone wouldn't create unrest, but when the police [50 whites, 3 blacks] stop drivers and 86% are black, or make arrests and 92% are black in spite of a contraband 'hit rate' that is higher for whites at 34% than blacks at 22%, the black people of Ferguson were already unrestful.
Those figures are from the Missouri Atty General, as of 2013 - but the black folks living there already knew they weren't being treated fairly.
This is much bigger than one officer shooting one unarmed teen. That's just the last straw for those who already had good reason to distrust the police, and putting one officer on trial [if it comes to that] won't solve the problems of citizens who believe they are more likely to be assaulted by the law than protected by it. Racism is alive and well in the US, and is that how we want it to be?
If we accept that the police have the right to decide guilt based upon their own subjective criteria, civilization has failed all of us.

 

[Pilgrim]

Some random facts and thoughts about the Ferguson, MO situation and the "unarmed teenager" that was killed:

1. Their crime rate seems to be about average in most categories in spite of the high percentage of black population.
Crime rate in Ferguson, Missouri (MO): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers statistics

2. Video just released shows the "unarmed teenager" manhandling a convenience store clerk and stealing a box of cigars. No word yet if the clerk has made a positive ID, but Brown and his accomplice were suspects in a strongarm robbery.
Ferguson police release surveillance video related to Michael Brown shooting - Videos - CBS News

3. The "unarmed teenager" was 18 years old - a legal adult. He was also 6'4" tall and weighed about 300 lbs according to his uncle from an article published by the Sacramento Bee. That's about the size of the average NFL lineman.

4. The residents of Ferguson, Mo show very little regard for their community, friends and neighbors when they resort to mob violence - burning and pillaging their own neighborhood due to rumors and outside agitation.

5. Let's see what the investigation reveals. No doubt the Feds will be involved, which may or may not be helpful. If the cop actually did kill this guy in cold blood he should be thrown in prison with the general population. However, if he shot Brown in self defense and is vindicated he still loses. He'll have to quit the police force and move his family to a different part of the country for the sake of their safety.

 

[cheri1122]

The officer who shot the teen stopped him for walking in the street - the robbery beforehand is irrelevant to the incident that ended a life. As to his size, the police are trained to handle people of greater size & strength - aren't they? I'm pretty sure that training doesn't involve shooting them when there is no apparent threat to anyone's life or safety.
I deplore "mob" violence - but most say the violence was a reaction to the SWAT tactics of the police to peaceful protests. Of course that doesn't condone it, [nothing could], but it makes it easier to understand their reasoning, I think: enough is enough, we are fed up with being menaced by our "protectors".
What I'm saying is it's a lot more than just one person being shot down and left lying in the street for hours, while the Chief refused to release the name of the officer who shot him. Peaceful protests being countered by full on military style SWAT tactics & tear gas & dogs.
It's a lot of resentment, and it appears to be based upon reality: white authority treating black people with less respect, just because they're black. How else to explain the much greater frequency of black people being stopped and/or arrested, when the 'hit rate' [I assume that refers to narcotic sniffing dogs] is much greater for white people?
That should not be allowed to happen, but the Chief allowed it.
If the officer is vindicated, and has to move his family for their safety, at least he can rest assured that he'll be given the benefit of the doubt in his new location, because he is white. That's something the black people don't get, in Ferguson, Mo.

 

[muttly]

It very well may be relevant. It might indicate the state of mind of the person who minutes earlier apparently committed a strong arm robbery and then was confronted by a police officer. It also might indicate the state of mind of the police officer if after confronting the person, ascertained that he was the robbery suspect.

Wait a sec: Ferguson police chief says initial contact with Brown wasn?t connected to robbery; Update: Cop figured it out during stop? « Hot Air

 

[skyraider]

If a black man had shot the teenager, nothing would have been said, happens in Chicago and New York all the time, just saying. Hmmmm,,,,imagine that.........................guess if the teenager had shot the cop all would be ok today and no riots would have been started.

 

[layoutshooter]

Or if it was in Detroit, and several black men beat the snot out of a white man, nearly killing him, there would be no rioting, no professional "Wedges" showing up, hardly any outrage at all. It's all good.

 

[Ragman]

I wonder what Amonger thinks of this situation, being he has such high regards for the police.

 

[layoutshooter]

I wonder what Amonger thinks of this situation, being he has such high regards for the police.

I wonder why we just don't wait to hear the results of the investigation first? MAYBE the professional "Wedges" like "Jackson" or the "unbiased press" should stay home. So should the "community organizers".

It is already going to be difficult to get real answers on this one, they need not make it worse.

I will say one thing, it does take a REAL IDIOT to destroy your own neighborhood when you get mad about something. That is such an "adult" thing to do.

 

[Ragman]

I will say one thing, it does take a REAL IDIOT to destroy your own neighborhood when you get mad about something. That is such an "adult" thing to do.

Yes it is. Can we say Detroit 1967.

 

[layoutshooter]

Yes it is. Can we say Detroit 1967.

That was stupidity on steroids.

The "community organizers" and the "professional wedges" were out in force that year to be sure.

 

[xmudman]

I will say one thing, it does take a REAL IDIOT to destroy your own neighborhood when you get mad about something. That is such an "adult" thing to do.

One of the businesses destroyed was a QT convenience store. I wonder in how much of a hurry QT will be to rebuild it

 

[layoutshooter]

And then people wonder why there are few choices for stores in some areas.

 

[Pilgrim]

It very well may be relevant. It might indicate the state of mind of the person who minutes earlier apparently committed a strong arm robbery and then was confronted by a police officer. It also might indicate the state of mind of the police officer if after confronting the person, ascertained that he was the robbery suspect.

Wait a sec: Ferguson police chief says initial contact with Brown wasn?t connected to robbery; Update: Cop figured it out during stop? « Hot Air

It will be interesting to see if the toxicology report on Brown is made public. Who wants to bet he was high on something - robbing a store and assaulting the clerk in the process, then strutting his stuff down the middle of the street immediately afterward. Sounds like he was afraid of getting arrested when the police approached him for the crime he had just committed, and his judgement might have been impaired if he did indeed attack the cop.

Also, just noticed that a curfew has been imposed in Ferguson, MO due to continued criminal activity.

Gov declares emergency, imposes curfew in Ferguson

 

[layoutshooter]

The Obama style "community organizers" are out in force right now. They have been hoping, and pushing, for a few riots all this year. After all, it IS an election year.

 

[Ragman]

And then people wonder why there are few choices for stores in some areas.

Too many choices in my area.
My wife shops them all.