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Forum Post: Ferguson Cops in Cammo

Posted 9 years ago on Aug. 14, 2014, 4:27 p.m. EST by turbocharger (1756)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Cops in cammo, hysterical. Usually cammo is used to hide yourself from something.

So what are these cops hiding from?

Reality.

http://www.businessinsider.com/police-militarization-ferguson-2014-8

112 Comments

112 Comments


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[-] 4 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

''The Militarization of U.S. Police - Finally Dragged Into the Light by the Horrors of Ferguson'', by Glenn Greenwald :

''Ferguson : How Pentagon’s '1033 program' helped militarize small-town police'', (+ imp. video) by Linda Feldmann :

''Eleven Eye-Opening Facts About America’s Militarized Police Forces'', by Alex Kane :

''Ferguson unrest reflects decades of racial tension in St. Louis area'', by Ralph Vartabedian :

''The Ferguson Shooting and the Science of Race and Guns'', by Erika Eichelberger :

''The Caveats of Ferguson and the Murder of Michael Brown'', by Dr. Jason Michael Williams :

''Ferguson, MO and Police Militarization'' - a serious yet humorous take :

fiat lux ; fiat justitia ; fiat pax ...

[-] 9 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

The message from the government is "Do Not Protest.....Anything." We've seen it over and over again.

I watched that crap on CNN last night with the cops/National Guard lined up with gas masks on, guns and tanks pointed at a peaceful crowd. I've never been more ashamed of my country.

Solidarity with Ferguson, with all African Americans and with all of the 99% in the U.S. and around the globe. Our struggles are united.

[-] 3 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

''Do Not Protest ... Anything'' .. Ever - is exactly the message from our (s)elected leaders in our co-opted Western demoCRAZY deMOCKERYcy !!! That ''crap'' in Ferguson last night (18th Aug.'14), was waaay more intense than CNN could or would show !! The Paramilitary Po-Po & National Guard, were there to provoke NOT police & they've NO IDEA whatsoever how to ... 'community police', 'de-escalate' or 'prevent crime', because they are just clunking hammers while being as dumb as a big bag o' nails !

Also fyi bw and readers & further to my links to 'turbohc' & the other links above, please also consider :

''Solidarity with Ferguson, with all African Americans and with all of the 99% in the U.S. and around the globe. Our struggles are united.'' ~ Amen.

fiat lux ; fiat justitia ; fiat pax ...

[-] 8 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

Steal a pastry, get shot to death! Steal from hundreds of millions of people, yes, I'm talking about banksters, and get a free pass. What a sickening double standard.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/michael-brown-shooting/st-louis-cops-shoot-kill-man-near-ferguson-crowd-gathers-n184216

Yep, the cops in St. Louis just shot and killed another young African American man. Is their training so poor that they can't handle a man wielding a knife without shooting him to death!?! Grief!

[-] 3 points by Renneye (3874) 9 years ago

Thank you for the update, bw.

So obviously could have been handled better than it was.

So sad.

[-] 2 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

I don't think the issue is that black or white...cops who work in high crime locations risk their lives on a daily basis...there are kids with guns that consider life a war zone...and they are turning it into one...when you go into a war one I think you probably enter the situation on constant guard...I think the gangs are to blame for these deaths...they have made young black men everywhere suspect. While I obviously agree there should never be a shoot first mentality...their wives are counting on them to come home tonight. They can't always chance it...when you are in a war zone...how can you tell an enemy from a friend? Maybe when they are weilding a knife at you? I wasn't there and I can't say for sure...I don't hold a great fondness for cops I think on average the are earning too much ...in the cases of cops at the front of gang zone lines...they probably deserve more. They don't have enough resources and they could get killed every day.

People who are empathic from non crime communities so want to see gang members as misguided youth...these are dangerous brainwashed criminals who would kill and torcher your children under the right circumstances. They have no fear of death and they have been filled with hate. Gangs need to be outed as the terror organizations they are...and minority communities need to stand up and demand it. Only they can't because they would be killed by cold calculating criminal organizations....it is time for the fbi to wage war on gangs and cartels. They need to make it scarier to join than to not join.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/us/in-neighborhoods-like-north-st-louis-gunfire-still-rules-the-night.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[-] 2 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

I think the gangs are to blame for these deaths

NO - Sorry - NOT

In neither case was the use of deadly force necessary.

In both cases the use ( not needed ) was extremely excessive.

Where were the tasers?

Where was the mace?

Why did a cop need to shoot an unarmed man eight times while the man was standing still - away from the cop - holding his hands out and declaring he was unarmed.

Why did two cops need to pump ten rounds into a man holding a knife? One round ( from each if they both felt the need to fire at the same time ) would have been able to stop the man. But again - where were the tasers - where was the mace? They had time to set-up a confrontation - but the 1st thing they did was use deadly force - and - again - to excess - pumping ten rounds into this individual.

Gangs were not responsible for the use of deadly force in these incidents - NOPE - It was/Is the mindset of the police involved = SHOOT and KILL - Do Not Use Non-lethal Force !

[-] 2 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/real_estate/2013/01/23/dangerous-cities/2.html

Well then maybe the cops are just tired of dealing with it...it has to be tough not to get jaded when you go in trying to do good only to get shot at year after year...how long would you last trying to reason with the ever growing mountain of shit you had to deal with day after day...maybe after a while any chance you have to take out a murderous thug or a potential one or a complete waste of space man child thug...u know I hate man children...I'm an empath so it would take me longer but I am also not the type to strap a bullet proof vest to my chest and cross my fingers each day.

And ultimately yes we are all responsible for our own actions...I just have empathy for what cops in these areas must deal with the same way I have empathy for the poverty conditions the young adults in these areas must deal with...but it doesn't excuse either one from bad behavior. Do the gangs share any part of the blame for the conditions surrounding this? We think corporations do...

[-] 2 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

''Ferguson Is Everytown, U.S.A.''

The tragic killing of college-bound teenager Michael Brown has raised questions about the frequency with which police kill unarmed black men in America. The answer, unfortunately, is far too often.

Just three months ago, on a warm April afternoon, a white police officer shot and killed Dontre Hamilton, a 31-year-old black man, in downtown Milwaukee's Red Arrow Park. According to the Milwaukee police chief, the officer was "defending himself in a violent situation." But the eyewitness report of a Starbucks barista paints a very different picture.

According to the barista, Hamilton had been sleeping on the concrete sidewalk next to Starbucks when two police officers approached him, asked him questions, and left after determining that he was doing nothing wrong. But an hour or so later, she heard yelling. Looking out the Starbucks window, she saw a different white police officer standing up against Hamilton, "who was holding the officer's own baton in a defense posture." The officer "lunged" at Hamilton in an attempt to get the baton, but failed. The barista watched in horror as the officer stood 10 feet away from Hamilton, pulled out a gun, and shot Hamilton 10 times in quick succession without issuing any verbal warnings. The barista reports that she never saw Hamilton hit the officer with the baton.

The tragic killing of Hamilton bears a striking – and deeply troubling – resemblance to the killing of Michael Brown, who was shot by an officer six times, including twice in the head, after being stopped for walking down the middle of a street. Including Hamilton and Brown, at least six black men were shot and killed by police since April in circumstances that suggest the unjustified use of excessive force and possible racial profiling.

In July, Eric Garner was killed in New York by officers who placed him in a chokehold – a banned tactic – and slammed his head into a sidewalk during an attempt to arrest him for allegedly selling illegal cigarettes.

In early August, police in Beavercreek, Ohio, fatally shot John Crawford III in a Walmart, where Crawford had been holding a BB gun that he had picked up on a store shelf.

Just days after the killing of Brown, Ezell Ford was killed by police on a Los Angeles sidewalk during an investigative stop. While police contend that officers opened fire after a "struggle," Ford's mother reports that he was lying on the ground complying with the officers' order when he was shot three times in the back.

And the very next day, pressman Dante Parker was killed in Victorville, California, after being repeatedly shocked with a stun gun by police attempting to arrest him as a suspect in a nearby robbery. Apparently, police suspected him because he was riding a bicycle, and the robbery suspect was reported to have fled on a bike.

The stories of these six people make one thing painfully clear: The killing of black men in incidents that begin as investigatory police stops are anything but unusual in America. In this sense, Ferguson is Everytown, U.S.A.

There is a reason for this. More than 240 years of slavery and 90 years of legal segregation in this country have created a legacy of racialized policing. Killings and beatings lie at one end of a spectrum in which black people ­– and young black men in particular – are routinely stigmatized, humiliated, and harassed as targets for police stops, frisks, and searches, even when they are doing nothing wrong.

The numbers show the reality.

Studies of Rhode Island traffic stops and New York pedestrian stops confirm that police stop blacks at higher rates than whites. Even more troubling is that the New York study determined that a neighborhood's racial composition was the main factor for determining NYPD stop rates, above and beyond the "role of crime, social conditions, or the allocation of police resources." In other words, New York cops targeted blacks because of their race – not because they happened to live in a dangerous place or in an area flooded by police.

Data from Ferguson mirrors these racial disparities. Last year, blacks not only accounted for 86 percent of stops, 92 percent of searches, and 93 percent of arrests by Ferguson police, the state attorney general's office calculated that blacks were overrepresented in these encounters in light of their population figures. Even more damning is the fact that although police were twice as likely to search blacks than whites after initiating a stop, whites were far more likely to be found with contraband.

It is not a leap to conclude that the same biases that cause those racial disparities also make it more likely that black men will die during the course of police arrests. According to the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, although black men made up only 27.8 percent of all persons arrested from 2003-2009, they made up 31.8 percent of all persons who died in the course of arrest, and the majority of these deaths were homicides.

Why does racialized policing persist despite the end of slavery and Jim Crow? While explicit racial bias may be less prominent today (albeit anything but eliminated), implicit racial biases plague all of us, including those charged with keeping our streets safe. A large body of compelling research has demonstrated how these unconscious, automatically activated, and pervasive mental processes translate into action with devastating consequences for black people.

In particular, researchers have well-documented shooter bias. One video game study simulated the nearly instantaneous decisions made by police officers to shoot armed individuals and to refrain from shooting the unarmed. The study revealed that participants were more likely to shoot black people than white people in error.

Both explicit and implicit biases lead far too often to the killing of black men in police-civilian encounters. And they undergird the daily indignity and humiliation experienced by blacks who are stopped, questioned, and searched by police when they have done nothing wrong.

Police are sworn to serve and protect everyone equally, not disproportionately stop and harass only certain communities. Rather than express surprise and shock during a summer where six black men have been killed by police in highly questionable circumstances, it is up to us to do something.

The single most important first step is to provide accountability—including through the Attorney General's issuance of a comprehensive ban on racial profiling. Accountability will advance justice for past harms and pave the way forward for a future in which we are closer to the promise of equal justice for all.

~

fiat lux ; fiat justitia ; fiat pax ...

~

This important article is copied in reply and is verbatim under 'Fair Use' from :

Please use this link above to access all the embedded links and the petition.

Finally :

ommm shaaantiii ommm ...

[-] 7 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

Another of the biggest dangers of being a black man in the United States is just pure old economic injustice.

"Black unemployment rate is consistently twice that of whites"

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/08/21/through-good-times-and-bad-black-unemployment-is-consistently-double-that-of-whites/

"Eight Charts That Prove Obama’s Right About Young Black Men’s Chances In The Economy"

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/02/27/3338521/obama-black-men-charts/

And, economic injustice underpins social injustice and perpetuates racism.

Economic justice for all people is the #1 thing we should be fighting for. Getting it would solve many other problems in our society, which is very sick without it.

[-] 1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

For the past two weeks in Ferguson, Mo. the black population of that St Louis suburb have been busy shedding their fear. Since Michael Brown, 18 was shot six times while raising his hands in a surrender position, they have asserted their humanity in ways big and small, beautiful and ugly, sweet and bitter.

Every night they've marched up the main drag past militarised encampments of armed police, chanting : “Hey, hey ; ho, ho ; Killer Cops Have Got To Go” & for anyone sceptical about what the past two weeks have achieved, it was this : When hundreds of black protesters faced off against the lines of white police armed as though for military combat, they brought the inequalities and inequities in that town into a very sharp focus and gave themselves (and us) the courage to both challenge and expose them. Many thanx for your excellent and recommended links & in compliment, I append :

fiat lux ...

[-] 6 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

Tonight, September 10, 2014, the resistance continues in Ferguson as several are arrested during civil disobedience.

Don't expect these folks to sit back and give up. Why should they? They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Justice for Michael Brown and for all Americans is what they are after and if you want them to stop protesting than dole out the justice.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ferguson-reforms-met-rancor-city-meeting-25396374

[-] 5 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

Two new witnesses to Michael Brown's terrible murder have come forward to be counted and speak up :

The new witnesses corroborate everything that all the other witnesses have said but the difference is the two new people are white and not from Ferguson and so, more acceptable to the majority of Americans.

Racism in the US can only diminish - when the majority population can let go of their deep programmed prejudices and accept African Americans, as full citizens of their country. Solidarity to all Ferguson folk.

dum spiro, spero ...

[-] 5 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

"Racism in the US can only diminish..." Isn't that the truth?

Whatever it takes to get justice at this point, but let's make note of how the African American witnesses of the shooting of Michael Brown have been besmirched and silenced thus far.

The entire community, black and white, must come together on this one. Justice for Michael Brown is justice for all Americans!

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

And Kajieme Powell soon after killing Michael Brown.

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

Solidarity with the 99% all over the globe suffering from social, political and economic injustice. The killing of Michael Brown is just one symptom of a problem of inequality that pervades almost every inch of this earth.

[-] 1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

Solidarity with Mike Brown, OWS, Gaza & with Scotland - as The 99% Struggle takes many forms - as you convey so well, both above and elsewhere. Also fyi .. I append and recommend the following links :

fiat lux ...

[-] 7 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

"Requiem for Mike Brown"

"Michael Brown protesters interrupt St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concert"

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/10/05/353914758/watch-protesters-disrupt-st-louis-symphony-with-requiem-for-mike-brown

[-] 2 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

RIP Mike Brown & that was a moving and graceful action at the SLSO. Solidarity @ https://twitter.com/hashtag/ferguson + thanx for your lovely link and in reply I append :

respice, adspice, prospice ...

[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

"At 70, this world won’t be mine for that much longer, so it’s not a matter of my life or my planet, but I only have to look at my grandson to know what’s at stake, to know that this is not the world he or his peers deserve. To make global warming his inheritance could represent the greatest crime in history, which means that those who run the giant energy companies (and the oil states that go with them) and who know better will be the ultimate criminals.

No single march, of course, will alter the tide -- or perhaps I mean the greenhouse gases -- of history, but you have to begin somewhere (and then not stop). And to do so, you have to believe that the human ability to destroy isn’t the best we have to offer and to remind yourself of our ability to protest, to hope, to dream, to act, and to say no to the criminals of history and yes to the children to come."

From: http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/26200-no-to-the-criminals-of-history-and-yes-to-the-children-to-come

[-] 1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

''There seems to be a war raging in the United States for which there is no end in sight. A war, the outcome of which may well determine whether many African-American children will live to reach adulthood. More precisely, what is happening looks and feels like a race war that pits the right of African-Americans to have their young people live with dignity against the right of angry white policemen and vigilantes with guns to kill them.'' from :

Thanx for the strong excerpts from that link & in compliment I append & recommend the following video :

fiat justitia ...

[-] 2 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

Question shadz ...how many young black men shoot or murder cops every year?

[-] 2 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

Re. the 2nd Killing in St. Louis - this is how easy it is to be killed by a cop when you are black person &

... IF you are a sensitive person ... please do NOT watch this :

Rest in peace Mr. Powell & I'm sorry that you had to die for 2 sodas & no mental health care in the richest, most powerful country in the world. Sorry elf .. but your question will have to wait for a reply another time and this was the most reasonable thread and location to post this terrible video on now.

too sad and shocking for latin ...

EDIT : I will repeat the following link again in memory of this 25 year old man who just needed help ...

[-] 2 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

Sad, senseless. Cops killing innocent folks.

[-] 2 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

Yep T, very true. :-( & it happens all too easily & frequently. Shot 10 times in total by two cops for being mentally ill (according to local people), stealing two sodas & saying ''Shoot Me'' to the cops ... all a few days after and just a couple miles away from where Michael Brown was killed and left in the street for four hours & this killing also occurring within St. Louis city limits. The mind boggles. I'm speechless.

pax nunc ...

[-] 3 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

The people who witnessed the shooting of Kajieme Powell should have converged on the cops and put them under Citizen's Arrest.

All people need to start standing up to this injustice, white and black, rich and poor, young and old. Everyone! These young African American men cannot do it alone.

And, just a thought, what about the safety of the people in the house behind Kajieme? Unfreakingbelievable how they shot off those guns.

Here is the video, "St. Louis Police Release Video Of Kajieme Powell Killing That Appears At Odds With Their Story" from the front page of Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/20/kajieme-powell-shooting_n_5696546.html

[-] 1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

Those who call for 'law and order' must also clearly understand that there can be no 'order' when men with badges can act lawlessly. Many thanx for your excellent and very revealing 'HuffPo' link, which I very strongly recommend to any and all readers here.

RIP Kajieme Powell - you needed help not execution. ''The law is meant to be my servant and not my master, still less my torturer and my murderer'', wrote James Baldwin and also fyi, please consider ...

fiat justitia ruat caelum ...

[-] 6 points by beautifulworld (23769) 9 years ago

Seeing young people of all colors coming together in support of ending racism is a truly beautiful thing:

"College Students Walkout Of Class In Memory Of Michael Brown"(PHOTOS)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/25/college-walkout-ferguson-michael-brown_n_5709353.html?utm_hp_ref=college

Finding hope through despair, light from darkness, and justice from unfairness and inequity, these are the things that matter. And, may our leaders take notice of how our youth feel about these matters......

[-] 2 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

''Finding hope through despair, light from darkness, and justice from unfairness and inequity, these are the things that matter. And, may our leaders take notice of how our youth feel about these matters.'' Thanx for that great comment and link & an emphatic ditto. In compliment, please also consider :

fiat lux ...

[-] 3 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

running prediction for future presidents based on two unpopular political parties is rigging the race for those parties

[-] 2 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

I will not accept any predictions that dictate we are helpless

[-] 1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

The 'race IS rigged' & I predict Hitlary Clinton for POTUS in 2016 and Repugnants digging in and fighting to 'balance out' her Neocon, Neoliberal, Poli-trix ... with their bat shit crazy, right-wing, Teabagger b-s !!! BUT 'The American Left' now have to get their shit together for 2020 and beyond !!! Meanwhile consider :

multum in parvo ...

[-] -2 points by turbocharger (1756) 9 years ago

One would think that West was able to see through it from the get go, realizing the system runs the show, not the individual. At least he's awake now.

[-] 3 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

Cornel West, just like so many of The 99% in The U$A and abroad ... got rather caught up with the real sense of progressive optimism after 8 years of 'Dumb Fuk Dubya' and his Neocon clique but we all need to wake up to the usurpation of our demoCRAZY deMOCKERYcies into 'not so covert' Fascism and fyi :

''The real Looters of America are in the suites, not the streets. The corporate and financial elite and their many allies and agents in politics, media, and government have long understood that their “neoliberal” project – Austerity and ruin for the Many combined with endless opulence and increased power (to defend that opulence) for the Few – requires an augmented capacity for “homeland” repression. The tools for that repression are richly enhanced by the technologies, practices, culture, and institutions of global Empire abroad, itself a leading vehicle for the upward distribution of wealth and power.''

veritas vos liberabit ...

[-] 1 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

Yes, agree. It's just unbelievable. There's no conceivable excuse at all. Even if the guy was a threat, wielding a knife, asking to get shot, 10 times! I mean, the guy asks to die and the cops basically oblige and execute him for no real reason. And 10 shots, as if they enjoyed it. Sick. The guy was mentally ill, or under some psychotic passage, cops should be trained to recognize that and trained to diffuse it as fast as possible with as little force as possible. At worst, a shot in the legs, at worst. A simple taser or some mace should have sufficed amply. These cops have to be put in jail. They really do.

[-] 3 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

''Killer Cops Off Our Streets'' should be the refrain now !!! I agree with you 100% !! That's never happened before either ! + Weak Smile. I'm retiring now bt pls read this as as a scientific-rationalist it may appeal:

fiat lux ...

[-] 1 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

Epigenetics is interesting, but it's a little too vague for my taste in this case. Scientists don't really know what genetic mutations these poor people in Ferguson could get. It's all very speculative. Personally, not my cup of tea. Interesting to keep on the radar though as more and more evidence is uncovered.

What is sad, tangible, and interesting is how capitalism makes is so that people from poor families tend to remain poor while people from rich families tend to remain rich. This is clear. So, this is something we can say with almost 100% certainty, that the grandchildren of the poor people in Ferguson now will most likely be poor as well. These economic prisons last generation after generation.

[-] -2 points by turbocharger (1756) 9 years ago

A war crazed country, bombing people relentlessly overseas, and murdering each other here to the tune of 16k a year.

Busted marriages and single parents abound, materialism for the people and cronyism for the rich, its all a perfect cocktail of disfunction.

This shit in St Louis is nothing compared to what we do overseas, but its a direct correlation to it. And its going to get worse, and worse, and worse.

This is why I rail against the war machine so much. Its the epitome of government gone insane. Now they are training the police here as national guardsmen, inciting fear in them and then sending them out to deal with the public. The public on the other hand is so fucked up at this point, who isn't nervious going out in public at night in cities these days.

[-] 2 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

"St. Louis Police Shot 16 Before Michael Brown in 2014", by Paul Gottinger & Ken Klippenstein :

"Although there are problems inherent in the institution of policing the world over, the racist militarism seen in US police forces is particularly insidious. For comparison, consider an analysis conducted by The Economist ...

.. which concluded that in 2013, British police fired their weapons three times only; and just once in 2012. The Economist further noted, "Even after adjusting for the smaller size of Britain's population, British citizens are around 100 times less likely to be shot by a police officer than Americans." The UK's population btw, at ~64million - is ~20% of the US population.

fiat lux et fiat pax ...

[-] 3 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

safe as banker's row

[-] 1 points by gnomunny (6819) from St Louis, MO 9 years ago

"Solidarity at the people of Ferguson, St. Louis & you and yours g . . . "

Thank you, and that's what it boils down, my friend. When the masses finally realize the true meaning of 'solidarity,' this planet becomes ours, not theirs.

And with all due respect to the 'survivors' of the Brown family, I can't think of a better place for the focus to be than the center of the 'empire.'

I know some of the forum members have wondered why I haven't weighed in on this, being the "resident St. Louisan" and all, but what can I say that hasn't been said better by others? Truthfully, it feels to me like 'Travon du jour.' to me. Catch my drift? Again, with all due respect.

And for the record, we have rolled thru Ferguson during all of this, but for certain reasons we've had to keep.a low profile. For some of us it been "outstanding warrants," and for others its a problem with 'authority figures."

"Welcome to the New World Order."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-mq0uJ7rlM

Solidarity, shadz. You're one of a kind. I can count on one hand the people on this forum I can say that about.

[-] 0 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

Solidarity to all St. Louisans & mind the po-po - they've got jittery trigger fingers and seem to be more than a li'l skittish, 'g' !!! Thanx for your kind words and link to the Tom Morello / Bruce Springsteen live rendition of ''The Ghost of Tom Joad''. It was fitting & moving. The first following link is courtesy of bw :

Also, "Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it." (John Lennon)

pax vobiscum ...

[-] -2 points by gnomunny (6819) from St Louis, MO 9 years ago

Tomorrow, my friend, it's all in the PM. I will reply tomorrow.

Goodnight.

g

[-] -1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

''Protection'' be over your home, hearth & over your heart :

pax ...

[-] -2 points by gnomunny (6819) from St Louis, MO 9 years ago

Welcome to my world, my friend.

Solidarity, shadz. It means a lot. It really does.

g

[-] -2 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

Solidarity at the people of Ferguson, St. Louis & you and yours g + fyi - a very interesting piece :

pax, amor et lux ...

[-] 1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

''The United States is not a democracy. Occupy Wall Street announced this fact to the world with the 1% and inequality. The protests in Ferguson and Detroit are bringing it to the social and political spheres. Around the world another democracy has begun to manifest itself, one organized by people, from below, in plazas, parks, schools, workplaces and on street corners – a democracy where people are no longer silent and are beginning to take back control of their lives.'' from :

You are right to ''rail against the war machine'' & in compliment of your comment and sentiment, I will append and recommend :

I'll also re-recommend the Paul Street link - a few comments above. Solidarity.

fiat justitia ...

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

i don't think it is going to get worse

it's just getting more reported

[-] -2 points by turbocharger (1756) 9 years ago

It will. It always does. Theres nothing special about our situation.

[-] 2 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

except that it is ours

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

with or without their guns ?

[-] 2 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

Maybe they forgot to equip with some mace and a tazer - or have no room for it with all of the other deadly weapons that they are issued.

[-] 4 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

dead men press no charges

[-] 2 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

Or file Civil Suit.

[-] 1 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

That makes no sense. The guy was wielding a knife at them, they would have had no problem if they would have used mace or a taser to subdue him. Killing him is what might land charges against them.

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

right

perhaps as an example to terrorize the other people from looking up

[-] 1 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

It's probably not even that deep. Mostly like just because they are cops and violence is common in America. Cops like guns, Americans like violence, cops shoot 10 times. I almost expect cops in America to be violent. It seems normal. I don't think they needed a reason. It's deeply imbedded in the culture of America. Americans like to shoot guns.

[-] 2 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

Diego you live in the wrong neighborhood then ...move to a better city. Plenty of less violent places to go.

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

perhaps attack a cop and die

[-] -3 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

I think your chance of getting shot in America if you attack anyone using a knife is pretty high.

[-] 1 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

As a tiny female you can count on it ...you pull a knife on me your ass is grass mutha f@#ker...though i'd have to get a gun first. Only women should have guns I'm a big proponent of this.

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

attackers with knife likely to be shot in USA

[-] -3 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

Most Americans are daft, fat, own guns, and would kill if attacked with a knife. This is all scientifically verified information.

[-] 2 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

I have a feeling for me it would be more a scene from a halloween movie...I'm hiding in the closet peeking through the slats wondering why I didn't run out the goddamn front door and go call the police from a neighbors. I might be small enough to fit in some vent space being I'm lacking a lot of fat I'm really gonna try my best not to get stuck with a blade. In all seriously this is a really horrid situation...what is with all the crimes and violence in minority neighborhoods...as broke as I've been or as nuts as my family could be...I never thought hmm think I'll indoctrinate myself into a nice group of thugs by beating in then murdering someone...then selling drugs so I can get a nice souped out ride and yet still hang around the crappy place. Gangs don't really offer much upward mobility...or security being it is dangerous and you can go to jail...maybe try hanging out at the library learn...hone some marketable skills...it has to be better than a gang life existence...move away...get roomates take some classes...work a part time job. You may not always succeed but at least you can say you tried another way first. Joining gangs is giving up. You may as well be dead already.

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

it ought to be in the cards

[-] -2 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

It's in the genes, Deeply tied in the DNA.

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

i don't know anyone with a gun

[-] -2 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

I'm sure you do, they just don't tell you.

Please, do not attack them with a knife.

[-] 0 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

Hard to imagine killing was necessary. Hard to say if we weren't there though. I'm eager for a court case.

[-] 2 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

Ten Shots - TEN - They were not looking to take a prisoner. Since we have not heard any rumblings of charges being filed on the cop that killed Brown - I doubt that we will be seeing any charges filed on these latest two cops.

And the Media is all a flutter - asking time and again - What Do You Think It will Take To Start Easing Public Tension and Outcry. DUH - Bring Brown's killer up on charges of Murder. But like I say - there has been no such talk released to the public. So - it looks like they intend to slug it out with the public.

[-] 0 points by DiegoAlbanese (-45) from Miami, FL 9 years ago

Ten shots is indeed a bit dramatic if it was self defence against one man with one knife. Sadly, the knife wielding maniac was probably mentally ill. Perhaps he could have been treated with medication. We'll never know.

Let's take a moment of silence to mourn the loss of a fellow human being.

[-] 2 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

why the name diego ?

oh dear

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[-] -1 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

Sometimes police are privy to info we don't have...did he commit some heinous crime they couldn't pin on him. Some crimes like crimes committed against children deserve such justice...but I don't want to start a rumor especially if it isn't the truth....it's the only explanation I can think of for such force other than the obvious accusation.

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

You are suggesting USA death squads? Don't you think that they would ( for their own best interests ) operate covertly?

[-] 2 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

No I don't even advocate vigilante justice ( I saw the movie mystic river)...and also disagree with an eye for an eye..I'm merely speculating on the amount of rage clearly present...that caused a group of cops to shoot off like that...they obviously lost their heads...I'm not imagining it was premeditated and if it was they would have worried about the fallout and even if it was nt premeditated without a sufficient amount of anger or pent up rage I think the fear of fallout even if it was because of racism would have triggered some hesitation ( at least to salvage their own careers) if not for the act of killing a human being.

[-] 1 points by grapes (5232) 9 years ago

Are these National Guards trustworthy enough to be federalized? Will they be federalized? Must the FEMA Brownie troops take over the "rescue?"

[-] 3 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

Ferguson sounds like a place to occupy

Occupy Sandy came quicker

[-] 1 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

Sounds like the wild wild west out there...bet you'd end up running to the cops like they're your mommy...I can't say I wouldn't.

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

try not to use the word "you" id your capable

strangers will take it personally

[-] 1 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

Ha ha...what if I meant it for you? I was hoping u had a sense of humor...bet you're crying right now !

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

how many journalist must the US Militants secretly decapitate to bomb the shit of of people in Iraq ?

[-] 1 points by grapes (5232) 9 years ago

That Michael Brown's troops can still have a doughnut/coffee break before packing up their ammunition and setting off for the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

[-] 0 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

Oh..are there bullets flying through your neighborhood? The only thing keeping them out of mine is the police probably from yours too... you just don't realize how many gang break-ins or home invasions were prevented by police.

[-] 1 points by turbocharger (1756) 9 years ago

Combine that platter with a side of NDAA, and we have ourselves a real shit sandwich coming our way!

[-] 1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

A Police-Industrial-Complex is now being created - the little brother of the M.I.C. !!! The NDAA was yet another step towards Fascism !! As the 'PR Department Lt.' says in 'Full Metal Jacket' ... ''It's One BIG Shit-Sandwich - and we are all going to have to take a bite'' & events in Ferguson, MO - just show why Resistance Is Fertile .. and so profoundly important for us all !

Further to the above links and in compliment to the 1st & 2nd links of my first reply .. please consider :

respice, adspice, prospice ...

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

I doubt the people will allow it

[-] 4 points by 99nproud (2697) 9 years ago

Govt goes too far, people rise up, IF we employ the right strategy or we're lucky, change happens.

Old story, gotta minimize victims.

The tragedy can facilitate reform/progress hopefully.

[-] 2 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

more independent cameras and reporting

[-] 4 points by 99nproud (2697) 9 years ago

Definitely time for that!

[-] -1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

You are not living in a Democracy Matt !!! A demoCRAZY deMOCKERYcy, perhaps - but NOT a Democracy, mate !! Ergo - ''the people'' and their collective memory and wisdom are all you have between the here and now & a future of Naked, Overt, Fascism !

ad iudicium ...

[-] 2 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

I don't think nationalism(fascism as you call it) can last

[-] -1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

I actually agree with that Matty but a whole lot of shit can happen between its inception and temporary consolidation and before its inevitable, eventual demise. Look up Mussolini's definition of 'The Eff Word' Matt and then read this too - as well as the L.W.Britt article above :

multum in parvo ...

[-] 1 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

nationalism struggles against multi national corps

[-] -1 points by ShadzSixtySix (1936) 9 years ago

Nope. Consider, ''multi national corps'' use ''nationalism'' to divide and conquer.

I prefer Internationalist Libertarian Socialists who believe in .. unite and concur.

I am also at home ill today so I am going to have to take a break and rest now.

vale ...

[-] 3 points by grapes (5232) 9 years ago

They assaulted the press crews in defiance of the First Amendment of the Constitution. The cammo diffuses accountability just like they are hiding the name of the police officer who shot Michael Brown dead. This has become a police riot. It is time for federalizing the Missouri National Guards to quell the rebellion.

[-] 2 points by MattHolck0 (3867) 9 years ago

police riot.

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

It is time for federalizing the Missouri National Guards to quell the rebellion.

You mean that they are not stationed out in the middle east somewhere?

[-] 2 points by grapes (5232) 9 years ago

As I recall, the U.S. planned for this contingency with uncanny foresight. Those hundreds of millions of rounds of ammunition have the names of all suspects on them. FEMA Brownie troops well-trained after Katrina will come to the "rescue!"

[-] 0 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

OH I guess the local National guard unit "is" not available as it seems that currently the state patrol will be called in instead.

[-] 1 points by turbocharger (1756) 9 years ago

I loved that the governor says he had no idea who the officer was that shot the guy.

[-] 2 points by grapes (5232) 9 years ago

Deniability is important for all blatant liars or sufferers of senility while in office like Reagan.

[-] 2 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 9 years ago

The cops are afraid. The police chief and most of the force must resign and an entirely new police force hired, we will see how long it takes for them to come to this reality.

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

Did you see that lameass statement that they couldn't find any minorities that wanted to be cops as to the reason that their police department is predominately white?

[-] 1 points by factsrfun (8310) from Phoenix, AZ 9 years ago

no I didn't but the news is not surprising, right now on MSNBC they are saying a lot of people "will be gone" when this is over......

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

One could hope so - and fired - not transferred - Hey?

[-] -1 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

Having minorities on the force in gangland seems to invite gang corruption...how many white gangs are infiltrating the police force (those ones from west side story)?

[-] 0 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 9 years ago

So - you are proposing - all Black police in all white Neighborhoods? and all White police in all Black Neighbor hoods?

Then what. All South American police in all Asian Neighborhoods? and all Asian police in all South American Neighborhoods?

Or maybe to mix things up a bit.

White police in Asian neighborhoods.

Asian police in Black neighborhoods.

Black police in South American Neighborhoods.

South American police in White Neighborhoods.

That way by your reasoning there will be less local gang infiltration into the local police.

[-] 0 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

No saying that white cops are unlikey to have street ties or gang roots in minority areas...personally living in a zipcode with gangs the only thing keeping them in check is we have a majority of white cops and mayor...assoon as that changes I'm going to need bars on my windows and a gun....strange thing about my local is that the minority areas have the exact same houses as mine...the difference is we don't have juvenile thugs in wife beaters staring down all the drivers all day...in my area people garden and sweep and keep it clean and plant flowers. Because of section 8 they do rent nearby and what I've realized is they are too immature to handle living on their own. The local grocery store has cops because the gangs sometimes run into eachother there. I tried to shop there but as a white girl got stared down and had black girls giggling and slamming their carriage into mine...grown adukts too old to behave that way...and completely racist...its a hard truth I came face to face with thinking it was no problem to intermingle ...I was born here and since chilhood the more areas that go minority have turned to shit they did not begin that way as I can say from living in their very neighborhoods...these weren't bad areas nor were they awful ...they made them into dirty crime filled areas you can't enter now ....only one thing caused that ...lack of pride...lack of working to keep it nice...doesn't take much to keep a place clean or plant some flowers...guess they are too busy partying behaving like children as grown adults. Subsidies ruined this place because people who are on them no longer view it as help they view it as entitled reparations. I bought a house here and sadly realize I'm living in a sand castle that eventually I will have to move away from...when the older white population is gone...no more white cops and no more mayor...you watch I'll check back and let you know how bad the crime gets.

[-] 1 points by elf3 (4203) 9 years ago

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogcdn.com%2Fslideshows%2Fimages%2Fslides%2F285%2F081%2F2%2FS2850812%2Fslug%2Fl%2Foutrage-in-missouri-town-after-police-shooting-of-18-yr-old-1.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aol.com%2Farticle%2F2014%2F08%2F17%2Ffederal-autopsy-ordered-in-missouri-teens-death%2F20948150%2F&h=1666&w=2500&tbnid=ukxAPuaH6CL11M%3A&zoom=1&docid=CYEdkTKNB6ggNM&ei=YwT1U7yfHdacygS4oILYCw&tbm=isch&client=tablet-android-barnesnoble&ved=0CBAQMygEMAQ4ZA&iact=rc&uact=3&page=6&start=88&ndsp=18

I find this kind of hypocritical...on the one hand you have black gangs shooting at police and the other side the citizenry begging for police to back off ...I do not think the non criminal citizenry want the cops to stop cracking down on gangs...when its getting too difficult for police to tell the regular citizens from gang thugs there seems to me a problem...stop emulating their behavior and mannerisms and dress...stop walking down the street at thirty years old mimicking gang hand signals saying yeahhh whilst hobbling along with your pants down doing the ghetto limp...don't want to get shot in a gang zone? Here is an idea stop fitting in with them and acting like them...now the cops can have an easier time getting rid of the criminals from your neighborhood. Seriously I have to call a bit of bullshit on this. Put your halos on now and tomorrow associate with the bad element. Hypocritical much? So you can shoot at police day after day but when they shoot at you take off the boots and call in the civil rights groups? I don't think so...

There is black culture and there is gang culture..I know plenty of black people that would never be confused for a gang member. And at a certain point is black culture going to stop idolizing gang culture? When there is injustice anywhere it is an injustice everywhere and gangs qualify ...they are wrecking lives and leaving neighborhoods in ruin. Were these kids perfects angels...did they associate with gangs? I'm not saying they deserved to die but I will say that our actions have consequences sometimes ones we can't ever see coming. Be careful with your lives we only get one and sometimes there are no second chances. I may just sound like Bill Cosby ...but there comes a time when a mirror is needed for reflection.

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