The Shooing of Michael Brown

[tazber]

GA Rep John Lewis calls for martial law.

Because increasing the police presence and giving them more latitude and discretion is exactly what is needed here.

The complete lack of awareness by some people in terms of what is going on here is equal parts enraging and disheartening.

Link

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Because we should really be taking our cues on race relations from Georgia.

[Liza's Headband]

...Because you choose to focus on someone who means absolutely nothing to the issue at hand. Who cares what he says or suggests? Don't give him the attention.

Let's focus on the numerous Missouri state senators standing with the protestors every day, or on the Governor coming out today and demanding the protestors be allowed to peacefully demonstrate, or the Republican and Democratic congress members from Missouri jointly calling for better treatment of the press.

Unfortunately, those stories tend to get buried by the lead of "outrage!" because it gets more clicks and better ratings. So very sad.

[PalJoey]

Watch out for Rand Paul. You think you have him pegged, but you have no idea.



TIME: Rand Paul: We Must Demilitarize the Police

[javero]

"Watch out for Rand Paul. You think you have him pegged, but you have no idea."

True dat. Message heeded.

[SNAFU]

This incident of Police reaction is giving credence to the gun toting NRA guy's arguement. In Mo, an unarmed youth gets gunned down, in Texas, asault rifle carrying gun nuts walk down the street with the right to carry.
Rubber bullets, a tank and tear gas?!? REALLY?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

That's the disconnect I don't get. All these hysterical people who need their guns to protect themselves from the boogeyman government (or to wave them around at restuarants and such that ask you not to bring them in) but the unarmed teen who got shot by a cop is also the boogeyman.

[Borstalboy]

"But nowadays, police are looking, and acting, more like soldiers than cops, with bad consequences."

They're not acting like soldiers. They're acting like cops' idea of what a soldier is. And that's f**kin' scary.

[FindingNamo]

All this military-grade stuff MUST BE SEIZED.

[SNAFU]

http://boingboing.net/2014/08/14/video-of-ferguson-police-gassi.html

OK, where are all those people from an earlier thread defending cops?

[FindingNamo]

Who the HELL DO THEY THINK THEY ARE? Barney Fife has been given military-grade equipment and it needs to be taken back.

[Broadway Joe]

Why does it have to be an all or nothing situation. You can still defend cops because the vast majority do not before this way.

I'm not saying this is right or wrong but I don't believe the tanks and tear gas and rubber bullets situation would have happened if those riots didn't occur previously

[FindingNamo]

1) I am talking about these Barney Fifes in Ferguson MO who think they can shut down a McDonalds and whose chief explains it away as "they must not have known better" and who

2) Have military-grade equipment.

They don't KNOW any better but one of them is on the top of a TANK WITH A TRIPOD MOUNTED RIFLE.

They need to have this equipment seized because they are too stupid to know what they are legally allowed to do.

There was no looting or rioting last night. There is no looting or rioting last night.

Demilitarize the taxpayer-funded police.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

I'm not saying this is right or wrong but I don't believe those riots would have happened if the murder of an unarmed man didn't occur previously.

[FindingNamo]

You got that right sister friend.

[FindingNamo]

From the New Yorker online today from Ferguson last night:

The message of all of this was something beyond the mere maintenance of law and order: it’s difficult to imagine how armored officers with what looked like a mobile military sniper’s nest could quell the anxieties of a community outraged by allegations regarding the excessive use of force. It revealed itself as a raw matter of public intimidation.

DEMILITARIZE THE POLICE

[FindingNamo]

Our Communities Are Not War Zones

[Broadway Joe]

This guy makes plenty of great points...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f0mVn0HH6U&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[~~tiny3~~]

Bryan P. Willman, Brian P. Willman, Florissant, MO, or Scoop Willman
Interesting.
the electronic trail is not difficult.
I would be surprised if this is NOT the guy.
But, hey, I'm only guessing....

[SNAFU]

I see this all as a slippery slope. The NRA wants the populace to be able to arm themselves with assault weaponry and to be able to open carry. Police need to match or exceed firepower to be able to be in control and keep "the Peace". The government is spending billions militarizing police forces. The gun fanatics want no gun regulation because they want to feel they are protected from the government. It is all a vicious cycle.

[ErikJ972]

Any way we can get Ron Johnson for NYPD chief? Community policing at it's finest. Works better than stop and frisk ever will.


New Ferguson Police Commander Walks With Protestors.

[madbrian]

Putting this particular situation aside, I'd be reluctant to demilitarize the police until we demilitarize the general public.

[Gothampc]

"I'd be reluctant to demilitarize the police until we demilitarize the general public."

You can't demilitarize the general public until you close the borders. You can't expect people to give up their guns when thousands of people can just walk into the US. The government doesn't make their citizens feel safe.

[madbrian]

How about we let people keep their guns, but ask them to give up automatic weapons, metal-piercing bullets, 15 bullet clips, etc? That is what I meant by "demilitarizing".

[FindingNamo]

*I* am talking about the tanks with gunners on top. I am talking about the anti-mine vehicles. I am talking about the big giant toys they get cheap from the Department of Defense.

[tazber]

They've identified the police officer:

Darren Wilson is the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, police Chief Thomas Jackson told reporters Friday.
Link