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Calm comes to troubled Ferguson; protests dwindle in other U.S. cities

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Does it matchup with US tradition that African Americans get over enforcement of law when they are suspects and under enforcement when they are victims? It's unfortunate if true.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Good god. It's embarrassing to be an American sometimes.

"You can take the bigot out of his ignorant culture but you can't take the ignorant culture out of the bigot"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Seriously, you delete my comment by Aggie's ignorance stands. F--k JT.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Instead of protesting, the best thing these folks can do is to get a job that pays the minimum wage or better and work up from there, carefully choose their friends based on character, work to keep their families together, and raise their children to value education and respect themselves and others. Yet another protest will not build their communities and will not lead them out of their present dire circumstances. Hating and constantly disrespecting the police is a dead end. If every person acted decently to one another there would be no reason for the police to interfere in their lives.

The U.S. Justice Department is probing possible civil rights abuses, and President Barack Obama has called for reflection on the difficulties minorities face in the country.

Obama should call for the minority community to reflect upon the difficulties that their own actions are causing for them. Poverty in the 1950's was on the decline in the black community. The vast majority of black children lived in intact families and the murder rate was much lower than it is today. Amazingly all of this under a government that treated them as second class citizens at best. Following the successes of the civil rights era and the onset of the Great Society programs, the black family in America has all but disintegrated with devastating consequences. Until black Americans reclaim their families and channel their passions inward instead of acting out against others they will continue to struggle.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Seems like all the benefiting oppressors have all the answers! Until you have lived the life walked the life don't condem the life. Everybody struggles are different when you don't have a job and can't find one you will to join the masses of the every day struggles its not just in the US people are struggling all over the world this is not just a black issue its a world issue bottom line a young man who was going to attend college had his life taken away and now he is a thug. It doesn't matter regardless educated or uneducated and black you have a target on your back. I gross over six figures a year well 3 times over the fist number in that figure and I still get pulled over simply because I'm driving through a predominately hick meth town. I graduated from one of the best university in the world and still money doesn't change anything even if you are black with it because the haters from the trailer parks with two teeth are going to have something to say. To all the racist haters get a life!

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

From the pictures it looks like the snow-storm cooled them off. Lets have it for global warming :-)

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Uh... few things with the comments section...

Not all the protestors are jobless. Many of them have jobs but believe they should prioritize what they feel is right. "Get a job" is an oversimplified "solution" to an entirely different problem. Situations like Ferguson are not independant freak accidents. They are part of a larger racial issue and we need to address that. White cops killing young, unarmed black men is a trend. It happens and has been happening for a while. Also, you can't say, "Well, if it was a black cop..." because, by comparison, that just doesn't happen. Since these killings are so racially one-sided, you can't take race out of the equation. Nopbody is complaining needlessly; this a a conversation that need to happen. Black people are underrepresented in the media, politically and economically-- and it's not improving. In fact, at the beginning of Obama's first term, Black people owned about 25% of the USA's total wealth. Now they hold less than 17%. I'm not just throwing facts. I'm saying that when black people try to work within a white dominated sytem, they get little to nothing, or less. We saw this with Wilson. He committed a crime, so they put him through the courts. The evidence was heavily against him: cop puts six bullets into unarmed teenager. Doesn't sound like this cop has much of a case to me. But sure enough, Wilson gets off. Okay, so the family and community that want some justice for the loss of their boy try the court system. But they don't get it. So now what? They take to the streets. Not because they're jobless, not because they want something for nothing, not because they're uneducated. They protest because it's the only way they'll be heard.
1 ( +3 / -2 )

The facts say it all in this case. White, black or brown, Mike Brown was a thug and wannabe gangster. He had just committed strong arm robbery, roughed up the store clerk who was about a third the size of Mr. Brown. Was high on pot (as found in his system through the autopsy).

Forensic evidence proves that he was 1. Trying to get the gun off of the Officier Darren Wilson, as evidenced by gun powder residue on Mr. Brown's hand. 2. His hands WERE NOT UP, in the I give up position. This is evidenced by the bullet entry wounds which PROVES his hands were at his sides, why? cause he was running / charging at Officer Wilson.

@ kaimycahl. Yes, Mike Brown was a thug as evidence by his actions. It's people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, who stir up the hate to try and make this into a racial issue. These are two individuals who should not be representing the African American cause.

It's funny how you can come back and say 'hick meth town', a racial slur ,and expect to be taken seriously.

As I mentioned I don't care what color Mike Brown was. If you commit strong arm robbery, resist arrest, attack a police officer than what happens next is your own fault.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Ha! Of course riots and looting are dwindling down! The good merchandise has already been stolen!

And whitey is keepin them down! The white snow! Hey-yo!

Seriously, though, I love being upset against what you feel is racial prejudice and then justifying that prejudice by burning your city down, looting the small business owner, burning the working class' cars, and then waking up the next day to see that most eyewitness accounts supporting Brown had been lies or fabricated stories according to released documents.

Hey-yo!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Uh... few things with the comments section...

Theif or not, Mr. Brown did not deserve 6 bullets. @Yoda_Jedi_Master: The courts may have underwent the necessary mental gymnastics necessary to conclude that the gun powdered hands meant Brown tried to get the gun, and the bulletholes in his arms meant he was mid-charge. But the people who performed the autopsy did not draw such creative conclusions. For example the bullet hole might have meant a charge, but there was an equal possibility that he had his hand up or was running away. Again, one bullet might stop a charge. Wilson used six. Not all the protestors are jobless. Many of them have jobs but believe they should prioritize what they feel is right. "Get a job" is an oversimplified "solution" to an entirely different problem. Situations like Ferguson are not independant freak accidents. They are part of a larger racial issue and we need to address that. White cops killing young, unarmed black men is a trend. It happens and has been happening for a while. Also, you can't say, "Well, if it was a black cop..." because, by comparison, that just doesn't happen. Since these killings are so racially one-sided, you can't take race out of the equation. Nopbody is complaining needlessly; this a a conversation that need to happen. Black people are underrepresented in the media, politically and economically-- and it's not improving. In fact, at the beginning of Obama's first term, Black people owned about 25% of the USA's total wealth. Now they hold less than 17%. I'm not just throwing facts. I'm saying that when black people try to work within a white dominated sytem, they get little to nothing, or less. We saw this with Wilson. He committed a crime, so they put him through the courts. The evidence was heavily against him: cop puts six bullets into unarmed teenager. Doesn't sound like this cop has much of a case to me. But sure enough, Wilson gets off. Okay, so the family and community that want some justice for the loss of their boy try the court system. But they don't get it. So now what? They take to the streets. Not because they're jobless, not because they want something for nothing, not because they're uneducated. They protest because it's the only way they'll be heard.
1 ( +3 / -2 )

Pinkrabbit:

" Theif or not, Mr. Brown did not deserve 6 bullets. "

But he did not get the 6 bullets because he was a thief, but because he charged the other guy like football tackle. And the other guy had the gun. Or are you talking about a completely different case?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

And whitey is keepin them down! The white snow! Hey-yo!..Harvey...a thinly veiled reference to cocaine use and black Americans huh. If you are going to be insulting and use slang, use it right. Its not hey ho, its yayo.

Do you HEAR yourself when you say these things? Do you hear how bitter you sound, and how much empathy you are lacking? Really all this actually overt racism just sounds really out of touch. Rioting is wrong, but no one who could is doing anything other than fuelling the resentment and anger. Young black males are at risk simply from being young black males.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Also, you can't say, "Well, if it was a black cop..." because, by comparison, that just doesn't happen.

I'd like to see proof of that assertion.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

@Pinkrabbit Thats a lot of words without any any real thinking behind them.

but there was an equal possibility that he had his hand up or was running away.

So now he was running away with his hands above his head. That is one of the most creative explanations I have seen. I am glad nobody suggested he was doing somersaults while escaping.

White cops killing young, unarmed black men is a trend. It happens and has been happening for a while.

Did it occur to you to compare this trend with the general levels of crimes committed by blacks. Dont you think that must have some relation to it, rather than the assumption that while cops go out black hunting. Do you want cops to hut criminals by race quotas?

Black people owned about 25% of the USA's total wealth. Now they hold less than 17%.

Care to mention the source of this statistic?

The evidence was heavily against him: cop puts six bullets into unarmed teenager. Doesn't sound like this cop has much of a case to me.

That just shows you do not have any idea about this case other than white cop, black criminal. Wilson was cleared because the Grand Jury believed that Wilson feared for his life. When you have a 6'4, 132 kgs mass approaching you, when that person has already tried to snatch your gun once, it is very much believable that there was a threat to his life.

They protest because it's the only way they'll be heard.

Robbing liquor stores probably is just to make sure they have enough energy in them when they raise their voice, right?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

LaWren:

" Do you hear how bitter you sound, and how much empathy you are lacking? "

I am not American so have no personal stake in this, but how much empathy do you expect me to have for a violent crowd that assaults people, robs shops, and tries to destroy the town?

And if they are all protesting some sort of noble social cause, as you say, then surely they can find a clear-cut example, where the evidence actually supports the claim? It hardly does in this case.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I'm glad things have calmed down. Hopefully the outcry from this incident will cause city planners and lawmakers to make efforts to recruit more black young people into the police force and local government. I think if there are more black people in positions of authority the residents of Ferguson will feel they're better represented. Unfortunately the rhetoric surrounding this case makes neither side--black or white--want to cooperate with the other.

It is a race issue because I think a lot of white people are subconsciously afraid of large black men. But more than that the rioting showed that it's so hard to break out of generational economic issues. Ferguson is a very segregated city not only by skin color but by social class too. You can't just say, "go to college, get a job, don't be a thug!" to someone from that kind of background. You first have to overhaul the economic and social system that allowed the dysfunction to become the modus operandi of the neighborhood. It takes a generation or two to break the cycle.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Not all the protestors are jobless. Many of them have jobs but believe they should prioritize what they feel is right. "Get a job" is an oversimplified "solution" to an entirely different problem.

Poverty among blacks is an epidemic in America. Work is the only thing that will allow the black underclass to improve their economic situation. Much of the frustration being vented by the protestors is a reaction to their economic plight. Why do I say that? Because the shooting death of Michael Brown is a clear case of self defense. It requires a willful suspension of belief in reality to make the facts of this particular case say otherwise.

A large number of black Americans are faring quite well. However there remains a significant percentage that are trapped in a stubborn state of poverty. This isn't due to any systematic oppression but a lack of emphasis on education and the importance of work. Systematic oppression would not allow for Oprah Winfrey to be one of the wealthiest people in America and certainly would not allow a biracial man - who identifies himself as black - to become president. This isn't an indictment of all black Americans but of the frustrated underclass that continuously fail to see the way to a better life. There are people of other races in the same situation of course but it is not as dire overall as for blacks and particularly black males.

Stop blaming other people for their problems and stop burning down their own communities - that is how the protestors can start improving their lives.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Systematic oppression would not allow for Oprah Winfrey to be one of the wealthiest people in America and certainly would not allow a biracial man - who identifies himself as black - to become president.

Those who truly understand the pervasive nature of racism in the U.S. today would regard this as a racist statement. And the word is systemic not "systematic." Systemic racism doesn't mean that nobody gets through; it is just as present when only a select few break through the barriers that U.S. whites put up. One thing racists will do when an African-American man gets into power is to question his validity as an American. And so we have the racist-inspired controversy of Obama's birth certificate.

Because the shooting death of Michael Brown is a clear case of self defense. It requires a willful suspension of belief in reality to make the facts of this particular case say otherwise.

It requires a great deal of willful stupidity to buy Wilson's story at face value, when the testimony of the first two officers to arrive at the scene provide ample evidence that Wilson perjured himself. If he's lying about at least one key detail, there's no way we can trust the rest of his testimony.

The real problem in this case is a D.A. that absolutely refused to behave as a D.A. As one trial attorney put it: "My dad was a prosecutor. I'm an attorney. I worked in the DA's office. I've never seen a prosecutor work so hard to exonerate a killer." With all the other pressures on black Americans, the fact of a D.A. who won't do his job -- and a governor who won't replace him when it's clear he's not doing his job -- only reinforces their perception that the system works against them.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Rest assured Yabits. This is not over. Eric Holder and Obama have a particular interest in this case and has since day 1. Which by the way could be viewed as racist also.

This said, with a federal investigation ongoing the Grand Jury was likely being very very careful to come to an accurate conclusion. For it the Fed finds a different outcome the embarrassment and the shame of the MO court system would be suspect.

I can't say the shooting was justified with 100% certainty I can only read the official published facts. I completely disregarded witnesses due to the fact inconsistencies are usually the case in such incidents. Turned out to be a correct choice this time and a lesson for all those who read the news media as concrete proof.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Ferguson is a very segregated city not only by skin color but by social class too. You can't just say, "go to college, get a job, don't be a thug!" to someone from that kind of background.

Ferguson is a suburb of St Louis. It is part of St Louis County which is separate from St Louis. The huge Boeing plant is just 2 miles west = the area of Ferguson is not really impoverished by any stretch and is mostly working class. You start taking i70 east (or 270 East and South) of Ferguson and yes there are impoverished areas.

As of the census[23] of 2000, there were 22,406 people, 8,612 households, and 5,838 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,620.6 people per square mile (1,397.6/km²). There were 9,191 housing units at an average density of 1,485.2 per square mile (573.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.4% African American, 44.8% White,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferguson,_Missouri

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Rest assured Yabits. This is not over. Eric Holder and Obama have a particular interest in this case and has since day 1.

Yes, when the U.S. Justice Department advises a local police department not to release evidence pertaining to the case -- ie: the convenience store video -- and the police department ignores that advice, there is something that is working looking into. Especially when, at the same time, the Chief of Police is telling the public that Brown's body was around 35 feet from the vehicle when the actual distance was over 150 feet. Why is a police department putting out prejudicial evidence and grossly erroneous physical evidence?

Which by the way could be viewed as racist also.

Based on the above, I really can't understand how. Maybe to those willing to completely overlook how the local police department tried its best to muddy the waters.

I completely disregarded witnesses due to the fact inconsistencies are usually the case in such incidents

Yes. And this would have to include Wilson's inconsistencies with the first two officers who arrived at the scene, and what they testified to.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Will, I see, you have sympathy for store owners that get robbed, but not young black men who get shot from a distance by a cop. Do you think the death penalty for stealing, with no trial, no judge, no jury is acceptable? How about waving a toy gun around in a park when you are only 12? What about the pregnant woman, a passenger in a car caught up in the demonstrations being shot in the eye with a beanbag round, and losing her eye on that side? They are all unworthy of your sympathy, empathy or understanding?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

LaWren:

" Will, I see, you have sympathy for store owners that get robbed, but not young black men who get shot from a distance by a cop. "

No, I do have sympathy for "young black men who get shot from a distance by a cop". However, I do not think that was the case here, based on the information I have seen.

And even if this was a case of a "young black man who got shot from a distance by a cop", how in the world does that justify robbing shops, assauliting people and destroying property??

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Poverty among blacks is an epidemic in America. Work is the only thing that will allow the black underclass to improve their economic situation. Much of the frustration being vented by the protestors is a reaction to their economic plight.

I know many 1st/2nd generation Asian-American coworkers/friends whose parents came to the US with nothing (e.g. one who's parents left Vietnam during the war). Yet, through hard work and savings, their parents put them through private college and now they have successful careers in medicine, finance and law. Why can't blacks emulate the work/savings ethics of Asian-Americans?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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