I
think that in this case the kid was the aggressor and ended up getting shot because of his size and stupidity. *shrug* EIther way the kid is dead, the nation polarizing on the issue, Fergueson as a town will probably suffer years of fall out over this thing, and the cop's life in tatters... a shame if he killed him in self defense and not nearly enough if he basically executed him.
Here is an article by a USAF retired bird colonel who's son was shot and killed by the police. This is only one side of the story to be sure but if this "fact" he states is in fact a fact than there is plenty of fire where there is smoke visa vi Fergueson. This dead son's hertiage, WAS...
The "fact"
QUOTE In 129 years since police and fire commissions were created in the state of Wisconsin, we could not find a single ruling by a police department, an inquest or a police commission that a shooting was unjustified. There was one shooting we found, in 2005, that was ruled justified by the department and an inquest, but additional evidence provided by citizens caused the DA to charge the officer.[/quote]
Obviously, if true, the police should not be in charge of investigating themselves
The violent elements of the protest are stupidity, greed, and plain well stupid. It simply buried any message under the tsk tsk tsks of those who sit in judgement over their evening dinners and made those trying to tell their message having to at least partially defend themselves for actions they may not even agree with on any level at all. The non-violent elements offer an insight into troubling practices of modern policing, how police are viewed, and the preconcieved notions on life effect how people color the facts to fit their view of the world.
New York used ticket the @#(! out of those in the high crime areas (using reams and reams of data to target the areas) to great effect to reign in the amazing amount of lawlessness rampant in the city several decades ago. In effect establishing a pattern that Joe Schmoo was a *#$@head so when he was caught doing something really wrong the judge could see it in their record and get them the $#@! off the streets (I cannot remember the numbers but the an amazingly small number of people commit a extremely large portion of all crimes). So as other police forces used the same efforts a pleasnt side effect was the police became a net revenue generator for many towns. As times got tougher the pressure to increase ticketing became higher. So much of the bad relationships that the Fergueson police suffer with their own residents is
policing for profit. Where the police are seen as a revenue generator for the city and the cops go out writing tickets for every minor violation they can. Many times the tickets go unpaid for whatever reason, bench warants issued, fines levied, driving privledgies revoked starting a nasty tailspin of a minor violation turning into arrests, vehicle inpounds, fines, and additional warrants. The practice of over reacting by everyone invloved in day to day police/citizen encounters makes everything worse, the fact that those enforcing the rules usually not looking like those having it enforced upon them, and lets not forget that Fergueson has been in a long slow slide during the vey same time as a great big cherry on top of their poo poo sundae.
I actually lived for a bit in Fergueson while I worked in St Louis. It was less than a month, just while I decided where to hang my hat long term. Fergueson was never in consideration for me because of the noticable sense of once saw better time evident even to an outsider. My guess is the decline will acclerate after the incredible goat $#@! of an event that just went down.
edit: Add link related to police for profit. A common practice here especially in towns with major road traffic. The difference seems to be they tend to ticket outsiders rather than residents *shrug* just my preconceived notions coloring the facts
