Ferguson, MO

WoldsWorldIm well aware people don't start on the same playing field, thats called life. But I completely disagree with you, everyone should be able to pick themselves up on there own. We place a huge emphasis on equality on our society right? So when we see the thousands of examples where people succeed in life after having nothing, others than should be able to do the same thing. What your basically implying is that people who can't get out of poverty don't have the equal amount of free-will as those who did. Thats 100% not true though, what they don't have is the equal amount of is ambition.

I just can't stand the free-loader argument. My dads mother left him when he was five and his father died of alzheimer's when he was fifteen. He had no one to give him a hand out and had to figure it out when he was still a kid by most standards. He's achieved success in a number of different ways now though and does well for himself. He's an airline pilot, he virtually taught himself to how to fly a plane while he was working nights on an oil rig in North Dakota at the age of 16. He didn't have the funds to go to college after that to get his commercial liscences. So he instead flew sketchy tourism flights through the grand canyon for years putting his life on the line to get it. So if a 15 year old can do all of that than a 30 old adult living in poverty can certainly get their shit together as well. To say the can't is nothing but bull shit on a gold platter.

saskskierThat's awesome your father was able to make things work and become successful. Clearly his father taught him the value of working hard in those few years they were together.

While I understand where you are coming from, not everyone is able to 'make it' on their own. Systemic poverty (ie - multi-generational poverty, etc) is far more complicated that simply having or not having enough ambition to succeed. Mental health, abuse (physical, sexual, emotional) and domestic violence, trauma, substance abuse and addiction, childhood neglect, education, access to affordable food/housing, community support (friend/family/etc), etc. all contribute to ones ability to be successful. More often then not, people who are stuck in poverty are affected by many of those issues and they are deeply interconnected.

BombogenesisProbably doesn't help that more than 70% of blacks are allegedly born out of wedlock. Not having that family dynamic is tough. That's a pretty shocking stat.

carltuszThe militarization of the police force I find alarming. It is absurd that local police need that kind of weaponry to control crowds, but nearly more absurd that the black community ended up looting and rioting trying to say "we're not all bad, black hoodlums."

Really I can't side with anyone. Keep your nose clean if you don't want trouble - cops and protesters. Don't retaliate against the police because they have the authority. Beat the system by playing the game and changing it.

.frenchyDude they were throwing Molotov cocktails at the cops. When shit like that is happening you gotta step it up (the police)

carltuszWell of course you need to react appropriately, but it blows my mind that there is a culture there that warrants that kind of militarization for such a relatively small urban centre's police force, rather than leaving it to the military or a police force with a broader jurisdiction.

.frenchyWell, the National Guard is there.

WoldsWorldWhich is honestly even more of reason as to why the militarization of the police is messed up. Why must they need that equipment, for when things get out of hand and it becomes necessary? Well thats what the national guard is for. Its a waist of tax dollars, like most things are so hip hip hooray our generation is gonna be fucked from all the debt accruing! A large of chunk of its for social security as well yet social security wont exists by the time where all eligible to receive our long lost benefits.

WoldsWorldWhich is honestly even more of reason as to why the militarization of the police is messed up. Why must they need that equipment, for when things get out of hand and it becomes necessary? Well thats what the national guard is for. Its a waist of tax dollars, like most things are so hip hip hooray our generation is gonna be fucked from all the debt accruing! A large of chunk of its for social security as well yet social security wont exists by the time where all eligible to receive our long lost benefits.

WoldsWorldWhich is honestly even more of reason as to why the militarization of the police is messed up. Why must they need that equipment, for when things get out of hand and it becomes necessary? Well thats what the national guard is for. Its a waist of tax dollars, like most things are so hip hip hooray our generation is gonna be fucked from all the debt accruing! A large of chunk of its for social security as well yet social security wont exists by the time where all eligible to receive our long lost benefits.

louie.miragsWhen the police get a little extra money in their budget they buy toys. They are normal people. Being normal people makes it even more weird when they have the police vs citizen mentality. They forget they were sworn in to protect and serve the people. They are acting as if they are the government's private militia. They think they have a get out of jail free card, and they do not. I hope they throw the book at every cop who is out of line to prove a point. That is very unlikely since they have each others backs.

.Hugo.I cant remember exactly but didnt someone say all these military weapons/vehicles were leftovers from the military and are available to police forces for the cost of shipping? If so then theyre not even spending a lot of money on this stuff because the govt is basically giving it away

Granite_StateIt shouldn't matter, they don't need them. Keene, NH doesnt need an MRAP, yet they have one. It is ridiculous.

.frenchySo I guess micheal brown attacked the officer.... that's why he was shot on the very top of his head as well.

looks like a good kid to me:

louie.miragssee man, you can't judge people on what they look like.

.frenchyWell, I just did.... Because, as it turns out, he attacked the cop and tried to take his gun. Kid and his friend robbed a fucking store....

KillaSeasonpeople love to only look at the victims side of the story... im not taking sides but the kid robbed a store and attempted to attack a cop didnt he... 9 times out of 10 a cop will shoot if being attacked

BombogenesisIt sounds like he pretty severely broke some bones around the officers eye

BombogenesisIt sounds like he pretty severely broke some bones around the officers eye

KillaSeasonI guarantee if the kid was white none of this would have happened. people love to take anything they can and twist it to look like racism for their 15 seconds of fame

BombogenesisNone of what? The shooting or just the aftermath? Cause if a I disagree, if b I agree.


If I hit a cop in the face hard enough to break his eye id expect to lose my life

KillaSeasonno yeah the riots. if i was a cop and got attacked I dont care what color your skin is I'm fucking you up

BombogenesisIt sounds like he pretty severely broke some bones around the officers eye

saskskierSources? I'm trying to keep my opinion pretty neutral until more details come out and so far I haven't heard much about the officer. Definitely not anything about injuries he received.

saskskierSources? I'm trying to keep my opinion pretty neutral until more details come out and so far I haven't heard much about the officer. Definitely not anything about injuries he received.

.Hugo.See, I wish people would wait for the actual story to come out before jumping to conclusions

.frenchyI personally know bombo pretty good in real life.... how old do you think he is ahaha

DreddSteveWhat is your evidence for this? Are we taking the word of a random caller to a radio show as absolute fact? Even if it does turn out to be true, none of this defends the fact that in the United States you have the right to a trial and are innocent until proven guilty. The police do not have the ability to be your judge and executioner, no matter how much you want that to be the case. How can you seriously look at this situation and think that everything that has happened is fine? The arrests and suppression of journalists? The tear gassing of peaceful protesters and media?

elindeI think he's somewhere between 19 and 22.

.frenchyMultiple witnesses, multiple website, the police officers story.



I think he went to UConn for like 5 years, and that was a little while back. So a bit older lol

Granite_StateThere are "multiple witnesses" on both sides. I'm still waiting for the official report and coroners report.

Granite_StateThere are "multiple witnesses" on both sides. I'm still waiting for the official report and coroners report.

.frenchyYou think the victims friend is a credible witness? lol okay......

.MASSHOLE.Coroners report is out. Independent, but from one of the best pathologists around.

I am waiting for the official report as well before I make a decision. Too much hearsay currently. You have to imagine the police car had a video camera that has at minimum audio.

.frenchy.... More help for the Guard isn't a bad thing.

-benedettoEver hear of what happened at Kent State university in Ohio around 1970ish?

.frenchyIt's not 1970 last time I checked hahahahaha.... Oh, because something bad happened once, means it'll definitely happen again.. Gotchya.

.frenchyIt's not 1970 last time I checked hahahahaha.... Oh, because something bad happened once, means it'll definitely happen again.. Gotchya.

.frenchyIt's not 1970 last time I checked hahahahaha.... Oh, because something bad happened once, means it'll definitely happen again.. Gotchya.

.frenchyIt's not 1970 last time I checked hahahahaha.... Oh, because something bad happened once, means it'll definitely happen again.. Gotchya.

.frenchyIt's not 1970 last time I checked hahahahaha.... Oh, because something bad happened once, means it'll definitely happen again.. Gotchya.

louie.miragsand another thing, it is 2014 and we are still terrorizing the middle east for oil. When also have the technology and resources to not burn coal for energy. It's called the sun. Yet, we're still fighting a war (if you want to call it that) 1000s of miles away... We have not learned. So yeah, it might as well be 1970.

zzzskizzzhistory will always repeat itself, read a book.

AT-ATI don't understand this race thing.

"white-people", as people that share my lack of skin color are hatefully called,

1) don't get extra scholarships to school
2) don't get extra protection under the court of law (hate crimes)
3) don't have MBE clauses in business contracts (certain number of non-white-people owned businesses needed to be hired)
4) don't receive help from "minority homeownership initiatives"
5) can't form societies that our based around our skin color (NCAAP, UNCF, all of these mentioned here http://www.diversitybestpractices.com/news-articles/20-african-american-organizations-you-need-know)
6) are allowed to be called "Crackers, Gringos, Honkys, etc" (but if a white man says n***er he loses his sports franchise, without legal cause)

All the above are racist, they use race to divide, every last one of them.

Equality does not mean one groups gets more, it means you get equal, and right now it would seem that minority > white.