Reverend Al and Ben Crump getting air time again.

[Canon Guy]

You are a bit late with that suggestion. It turned racial long before now.

[DrJill]

...the bigots can't hide their true colors.

[Duffman]

On Thanksgiving no less.

[leech~~]

On Thanksgiving no less.

Well tomorrow will be better for all the ignore the facts and maybe they will go away folks! It's "BLACK FRIDAY" and they can go shopping!

Funny how Al & Ben haven't raised helll on that one yet!

[Canon Guy]

Well tomorrow will be better for all the ignore the facts and maybe they will go away folks!

Cool! Let's see this thread turn to only the facts of the case and not at all about race.

[tacklejunkie]

Looking back on this thread and now witnessing what has come to past is interesting.

Some posters maintained Brown was shot in the back...he wasn't

Some bet a prime rib dinner that forensics would clear or condemn the officer...it cleared.

Eyewitness accounts claiming Wilson shot brown while running away were discredited. The main eyewitness, Dorian Johnson, was also involved in that robbery with Brown. Some of the other witnesses of a surrendering Brown admitted they weren't even there when forced to recant under the pressure of forensics. And from what I read after the verdict, Wilson did get info on a strong arm robbery right before the confrontation

Further forensics also collaberated a struggle for the cop's gun. So, in the end, the system worked. We will never know exactly what happened in those moments, but the GJ weighed the facts as presented by eyewitnesses, evidence, forensics, ect.

IMO, this incident is a small cog in the bigger wheel of the problems in the black community. Eventually, this will pass. But many of these communities will still have same problems of high poverty,umemployment, dependency, illegitimacy rates, crime, substandard public schools as before.

How do you fix these issues? Most of the ideas that have come forth only call for more government largees.

[tacklejunkie]

Yep ...

and pointing out that ultra conservative whites have killed alot of police officers this year (sniped in PA, eating pizza in NV, responding to a house fire in NJ, set by the killer etc) is viewed as an attempt to distract from "the real issue" with an insignificant sideshow. (wag the dog).

It is indeed crazy !!!

Oh geez..(facepalm)

I don't think you will find too many of us "ultra conservative whites" siding with those individuals who murdered LE or protesting or rioting on their(the perps) behalf(rolls eyes)

Anyways, I'm finished with this thread as the same points get repeated over and over and this incident is done till the next one, I guess. I'll go eat and drink merrily and be thankful today

Happy Thanksgiving all!!

[upnorth]

Some people can put this disaster into much better words than I.

Source

Quote:

NFL player Benjamin Watson's Ferguson post on Facebook goes viral

KHQ.COM - Benjamin Watson who plays for the New Orleans Saints posted the following on his Facebook page and it has since gone viral:

"At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts:

I'M ANGRY because the stories of injustice that have been passed down for generations seem to be continuing before our very eyes.

I'M FRUSTRATED, because pop culture, music and movies glorify these types of police citizen altercations and promote an invincible attitude that continues to get young men killed in real life, away from safety movie sets and music studios.

I'M FEARFUL because in the back of my mind I know that although I'm a law abiding citizen I could still be looked upon as a "threat" to those who don't know me. So I will continue to have to go the extra mile to earn the benefit of the doubt.

I'M EMBARRASSED because the looting, violent protests, and law breaking only confirm, and in the minds of many, validate, the stereotypes and thus the inferior treatment.

I'M SAD, because another young life was lost from his family, the racial divide has widened, a community is in shambles, accusations, insensitivity hurt and hatred are boiling over, and we may never know the truth about what happened that day.

I'M SYMPATHETIC, because I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Darren Wilson acted within his rights and duty as an officer of the law and killed Michael Brown in self defense like any of us would in the circumstance. Now he has to fear the backlash against himself and his loved ones when he was only doing his job. What a horrible thing to endure. OR maybe he provoked Michael and ignited the series of events that led to him eventually murdering the young man to prove a point.

I'M OFFENDED, because of the insulting comments I've seen that are not only insensitive but dismissive to the painful experiences of others.

I'M CONFUSED, because I don't know why it's so hard to obey a policeman. You will not win!!! And I don't know why some policeman abuse their power. Power is a responsibility, not a weapon to brandish and lord over the populace.

I'M INTROSPECTIVE, because sometimes I want to take "our" side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That's not right.

I'M HOPELESS, because I've lived long enough to expect things like this to continue to happen. I'm not surprised and at some point my little children are going to inherit the weight of being a minority and all that it entails.

I'M HOPEFUL, because I know that while we still have race issues in America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and grandparents. I see it in my personal relationships with teammates, friends and mentors. And it's a beautiful thing.

I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through the his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope."

[not_nuf_time]

Watch this, this young man gets it.

[Michael L]

Happy Thanksgiving to all convenience stores in the ghetto

[Eric Wettschreck]

Cool! Let's see this thread turn to only the facts of the case and not at all about race.

- A police officer shot and killed a man.

- Some people became upset and destroyed parts of their community.

- Evidence was reviewed by a Grand Jury. The Grand Jury determined there was insufficient evidence to charge the police officer with a crime.

- Some people became upset and destroyed parts of their community.

[not_nuf_time]

You are correct, that's the way it should read, but it doesn't. Period.

[icehole10]

You are a bit late with that suggestion. It turned racial long before now.

The sad reality is that race is exactly what the media has turned this into. Would we even be talking about it if it would have been a white cop/white kid, or black cop/ black kid. My guess is no. It's hard to sit here hundreds of miles away from where this happened and say anyone of us would have done anything different. It's unfortunate that people died in anyone of the instances that has been brought up on here, but was it really a racially charged hate crime, or a cop doing his job wanting to go home to his family at the end of the day? There are definitely things that could have been done differently, and we can all sit here and speculate.

With that being said, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm going to go spend time with my family now, and I hope you all can do the same.

[upnorth]

Watch this, this young man gets it.

No one wants to acknowledge stuff like that

[JBMasterAngler]

If Al Sharpton's name is in any way linked to a story, then it's about race!

[Canon Guy]

The sad reality is that race is exactly what the media has turned this into.

Blaming the media for the tone of this thread? Nice scapegoat, but I'm not buying what you're selling.

[Big Dave2]

Cool! Let's see this thread turn to only the facts of the case and not at all about race.

[Canon Guy]

- A police officer shot and killed a man.

- Some people became upset and destroyed parts of their community.

- Evidence was reviewed by a Grand Jury. The Grand Jury determined there was insufficient evidence to charge the police officer with a crime.

- Some people became upset and destroyed parts of their community.

Probably missing a little here, but it's a better post than most.

[Canon Guy]

I'm still waiting for Canon Guy's response to the "facts" of the case.

Give a guy some time. I don't spend nearly the amount of time here that you do.

[icehole10]

Blaming the media for the tone of this thread? Nice scapegoat, but I'm not buying what you're selling.

I'm sorry, I wasn't talking about just this thread. I was referring to the situation as a whole. As I refered to in my post, would we even be talking about this if race wasn't the issue.

[Canon Guy]

I'm sorry, I wasn't talking about just this thread.

Ok. I was talking specifically about this thread.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Probably missing a little here, but it's a better post than most.

What's missing? What I posted are the facts of the case.

[Canon Guy]

What's missing? What I posted are the facts of the case.

Yes you did, as simply as it could be done, but we know nothing is quite so simple.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Less than stellar handling of a case is opinion, not fact.

[Canon Guy]

Less than stellar handling of a case is opinion, not fact.

Not really. The prosecutors work with the Grand Jury in this case was highly unusual.

I had deleted what you quoted from my post before you posted, because it could be looked at as an opinion, but my comment was completely true.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Unusual maybe but not really that uncommon. In high profile cases, especially when a there is a death, the county/state often sends the case to Grand Jury.

Whether your opinion of less than stellar performance is true or not doesn't take away from the facts of the case. Which, in the eyes of the law is all that matter. The Grand Jury sifted through mounds of information. Physical evidence, forensic evidence, and eyewitness testimony which is unreliable as many of the statements contridicted each other. What the Grand Jury came up with is there was not enough evidence to even charge the police officer with a crime.

For those who want this officers head on a platter. Sit back and think, if there isn't enough evidence to charge, how can there be enough evidence to find the officer guilty? Understand that it takes much less evidence to actually charge someone than it does to find them guilty. Lawyers can spin their sides of the story but in the end they need to come up with proof beyond any reason of doubt. If evidence to charge with a crime doesn't exist it surely doesn't exist to find a person guilty.

My opinion, this is far from over. Powerful and money loaded groups such as the NAACP have already gone on record saying "This is a terrible injustice and we will fight it." I forsee in the near future there will be violation of civil rights accusations coming.

Quote:

I had deleted what you quoted from my post before you posted, because it could be looked at as an opinion, but my comment was completely true.

Your comment was completely true, in your opinion.

[LMITOUT]

Remember those riots after OJ was acquitted for allegedly killing a white woman?

Yeah, me either.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Wasn't he aquitted of allegedly killing a white woman and a white guy also????

Or am I thinking of a different thing???

[upnorth]

I think if you take away emotions and the white vs black and look at what the Grand Jury got to look at it is pretty clear there nothing conclusive to say Brown was trying to surrender.

Grand Jury info

Perhaps the simplest way to explain all of this is to take a close look at Witness 14.

Without a doubt, Witness 14 is sympathetic to Brown and, in fact, had run into him at least once in the past.

"[brown] was to me, and I'm going to say it, he was executed," the witness said. "[Wilson] had made up his mind he was going to kill him."

That was the witness' conclusion — that as Brown was shot, he was surrendering, he had his hands up.

That's what the witness told local authorities. But when the feds interviewed Witness 14 and drilled down on the details, the witness' assumptions became less clear.

Were Brown's hands a sign of surrender? Or was he checking his injuries? Were his palms facing the officer or facing Brown?

The witness eventually says: "He was defenseless, hands up, he was trying to stay on his feet and you could see that his knees was beginning to buckle and he was going down."

But the investigator eventually gets to a very important point. He leads the witness to say that Brown was moving toward Officer Wilson, who was screaming, "Stop," as he fired his weapon:

[Eric Wettschreck]

An interesting article from the AP about the inconsistancies of testimony.

Read this.