What do you think of the decision not to charge Darren Wilson?

Michael Olson November 24, 2014, 9:53 PM Nov 24, 2014

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We need to recognize this is not just an issue for #Ferguson, this is an issue for America – Pres #Obama pic.twitter.com/dpnDUDMz47

— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) November 25, 2014

A grand jury did not indict Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson for any crimes related to the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in August.

Wilson, who is white, shot and killed Brown, who was unarmed and black, in an Aug. 9 incident that has stoked anger and debate in Ferguson and beyond. (NPR)

Today’s Question: What do you think of the decision not to charge Darren Wilson?

About the blogger

Michael Olson

molson@mpr.org • @publicmic

Editor, MPR News

Matt in Saint Paul

The body of evidence overwhelmingly supported Officer Wilson’s account of the events. The only criminals in this situation are those who are destroying other’s property, assaulting law abiding citizens, and perverting the rule of law.

Kemper

Yup.

Jake X. Lennington

…

mnphouka

The Grand Jury, after seeing a lot of evidence and testimony came to a decision. Which I happen to agree with. I also feel very sad and upset about the response after this decision. Ya know this kid was troubled. The situation is sad. Why was this made into such a huge story?
Black people are killed by blacks at least 2-3 times a week.
I watched people in Ferguson do things that are WRONG! and there was no response? Some guy breaKing into a liqjuor store and his arms full off booze …how does this make things better?
it doesen’t

skook

This is absolutely not a comment on the Grand Jury’s decision nor the police officer’s actions, but I am bothered that that young man did not receive anything like “guilty until proven innocent” regarding the robbery. The whole nation saw that video over and over and decided that the person on the video was Michael Brown. I agree that it certainly looks like him. However, had he lived, he would have been given the opportunity to defend himself.
- Kemper
  
  What about the felony, assaulting an officer. He should have listened, and got on the ground!!!
Kemper

Yup.

Sue de Nim

I don’t know enough of the details and legal technicalities to have an opinion about the decision itself, but I completely understand why people are so suspicious about it. Although most white folks are fair-minded about race (or at least try to be), if you are a black person in America, on a daily basis you encounter white folks who distrust or even hate you because of what you look like, and some of those are cops.

Yanotha Twangai

And some of them are apparently posting here.
- Kemper
  
  You think because we have our own opinions, don’t think like you, we are wrong?????? That we are racists????
  - Yanotha Twangai
    
    Methinks the thou dost protest too much. That comment was directed at no one in particular. If you took it personally, maybe that says something significant. If the shoe fits….
    - Kemper
      
      In this case, our opinions are as good as yours, maybe even better since the Grand Jury agreed. Don’t go quoting Shakespeare, I know him very well.
    - Yanotha Twangai
      
      “Our opinions”? Are you speaking on behalf of some group? If so, what group, and who appointed you spokesperson? As for me, I’m just, you know, that one guy, who speaks for himself, not presuming to represent anyone else.
Gordon near Two Harbors

Racism cuts both ways. When I was a kid attending a racially mixed junior high school, there was an equal amount of mistrust, insults, and rude behavior directed at both blacks and whites. White folks don’t have a monopoly on racism.
- Gary F
  
  So, if I believe the grand jury made the right decision and if I am appalled at the violence and destruction that happened after makes me a racist?
  - Yanotha Twangai
    
    No one said that. The question, though, was not about the violent protests but about the grand jury’s decision. No one posting here is arguing or even insinuating that looting and arson are appropriate ways to express disappointment in our justice system, only that the disappointment is understandable.
    - Kemper
      
      To whom?????
  - Kemper
    
    Nope.
- Kemper
  
  YUP.

Jacob

Why does everyone get into a tizzy about white on black violence? Especially when black on white crime is virtually ignored..

laros

Like Dillon Taylor a white 20 year old unarmed kid shot by a mostly black cop. Also acquitted.
He never committed a crime like Mike Brown, (assaulting an officer) but was still shot for refusing orders and going to the waistband for a possible gun like Mike Brown. Why do so many americans have to discern the color to form an opinion?

AndyBriebart

Justice is blind. Are they supposed to change the outcome because one party is black?

Michael Brown is not Rosa Parks. Rev King would not approve of this looting and destruction.

If I owned a business that was destroyed in Ferguson, I would take the insurance settlement and get out of town. The folks that ruined that town can now find a new place to buy gas, prescriptions, food, liquor, and clothing.

Yanotha Twangai

“Justice” may be blind, but the people charged with implementing it often have prejudices and biases. “Justice” was not serving on that grand jury; people were.
- AndyBriebart
  
  You mean a grand jury made up of both white and black people that didn’t cave in to political pressure and mob mentality to look at the facts put before them and make their decision?
  - Yanotha Twangai
    
    I mean our justice system is pretty good but nowhere near perfect, and if you think otherwise, you’re deluding yourself.
    - AndyBriebart
      
      Why wasn’t “justice” serving on the grand jury?
    - Yanotha Twangai
      
      Which member of the grand jury was “Justice”? Was it one of the white ones, or one of the black ones? Was it male or female? Old or young?
    - AndyBriebart
      
      I’m asking you. You made the comment.
    - Yanotha Twangai
      
      And I’m mystified why you apparently didn’t understand my comment and why you didn’t get the point of those rhetorical questions in my follow-up post. It’s (fallible) human beings that serve on grand juries. Justice, being an abstract concept, not a sentient being, does not serve on grand juries. Duh. (Same goes for Truth, by the way.)
    - James
      
      It feels that “justice” is only served if it aligns with a persons preconceived notions. Some might say “justice” was served because it went through out legal system. Others may conclude “justice” wasn’t served because our legal system is broke. Who is correct?
    - Kemper
      
      Both.
    - Kemper
      
      So what did you mean???? Everything is done by people.
    - Kemper
      
      You tell me.
    - Kemper
      
      Nope, not doing so!!!
  - David P.
    
    The grand jury was made up of 12 humans. Only 9 are needed to vote one way or the other to render a decsion. We don’t know what the vote tally was, but it does not need to be 100% in a grand jury.
- Kemper
  
  Justice is the people. Prejudices work both ways.
- Kemper
  
  Yes, both black and white. Justice is always people!
  - Yanotha Twangai
    
    If justice isn’t a higher principle that people strive to be guided by, what good is it? If justice is whatever people in power say it is, then it’s nothing more than a synonym for tyranny.
Kemper

That’s what I say!!!

Jim G

I’m hoping that trained journalists will review the released testimony and evidence. Investigative journalism, the fourth estate, has a real responsibility to present the evidence and to verify the decision. I am withholding my judgement until I see a thorough review.

J F Hanson

any ‘journalistic review’ is currently so tainted by the business needs of the publisher-employer that what we have in most such businesses is the endless trolling for clicks.

Successful operant conditioning of the buyer takes precedence over journalistic integrity virtually everywhere.

Pearly

does this mean the whole, hands up shot in the back thing did not happen?

Kemper

Not sure, but it appears not.

guest

I hope the jury was correct. I hope those in charge of collecting and presenting the evidence didn’t tamper with or skew anything to be in their favor. There is a severe conflict of interest in cases of this.

And the white privilege is ripe in here today. Not as bad as the Facebook comments, but disturbing none the less.

Kemper

What is so disturbing??? The Truth as some of see it, and the Grand Jury saw it????

whitedoggie44

why all the looting and burning of business? I do not recall white’s looting after OJ was acquited of murder. The rule of law will not be overturned by looting and burning. 5 killed and 11 wounded in chicago last weekend and not a peep from the reverends??

Maura

No. White people only loot, destroy property and burn businesses after winning the World Series, an NBA championship, or what the hell – how about a Pumpkin Festival. Where’s your outrage then?

For those interested, here’s all the evidence released by St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch: http://apps.stlpublicradio.org/ferguson-project/evidence.html

whitedoggie44

disagree as the moron squade was out in force last night-to hell with the rule of law, just loot and burn. Morons

Kemper

But OJ is in jail now-smile!

KTN

The Grand Jury did have all the evidence and made their decision supported by that evidence. I think the police in general get a pass from prosecution because of immunity, and the Supreme Court has offered numerous decisions supporting the police’ use of force – no different in this case.
Over at Volokh, Professor Cassell (Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure) does a good job at giving the legal arguments for Wilson being passed over for indictment. It’s worth a read.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/11/25/the-michael-brown-grand-jury-process-was-fair/
PaulJ

The only thing I’ve heard on the news is that an unarmed black man was killed by a cop. That’s really not enough to form an opinion.
- Pearly
  
  Every time they say “unarmed black man” they never forget to say “White Cop” in the same breath
  - KTN
    
    What they ought to say is “large scary unarmed black man”, and the white cop thing sort of speaks for itself, since Wilson is indeed white.
  - Kemper
    
    Or that he was 6’6′ and 292lbs., that alone is a weapon, he used to bully. He bullied the wrong man!!
    - Kate Graham
      
      He was 6’4″ tall. Wilson is 6’3″. Also, Wilson was inside a police squad car armed with a gun, taser, and baton. I don’t see the significance of Brown’s height or weight.
      - Laros
        
        Height and weight are important if someone is reaching into your vehicle and striking you. They would have much more leverage. The officer would be unable to strike with any force or momentum sitting in his vehicle. He would be very vulnerable. his baton is not an option inside the vehicle since it is collapsable. He tried getting out of his vehicle only to be blocked.
      - Kemper
        
        I heard on CNN that he was 6’6″, Wilson was 6’4″, where did you get your information from??? Also as Laros stated, it’s important when someone that large or anyone, who has you at a disadvantage, to reach into your car and go for your gun, after hitting you. What should you say, wait a moment while I get my tazer (which probably would not faze M. Brown because of his size) He was a practiced BULLY!
Gordon near Two Harbors

Not having been seen the incident, I can only assume that the Grand Jury made the right decision, based on what was probably a massive amount of evidence. While there certainly is a lot of overly aggressive action by law enforcement against black folks nation-wide, the media and affected communities are often too quick to blame “the system” or “white privilege” or “racism” for all the problems facing so many people of color in this country.
Where are the outcries and riots after the thousands of black-on-black killings that occur every year, or the personal choices that people make when they don’t make sure their kids graduate from high school or have children they can’t afford?
The current welfare state only enables this behavior.
- Kate Graham
  
  I’m sorry, who exactly is to blame for the “overly aggressive action by law enforcement against black folks nation-wide?” Is that the fault of the folks who don’t make sure their kids graduate from high school or have children they can’t afford??? If it’s not “the system” then who is responsible for the systematic attacks against blacks by white police officers, or the disproportionate numbers of blacks incarcerated in prisons, or the failure of the judicial system to bring murderers of black men and boys to justice???
  - J F Hanson
    
    93 percent of the murderers of blacks are other blacks, Kate.
    
    And, although blacks are nominally 13% of the US population, they commit over 70% of the homicides. (Those numbers may be off a bit; I’m working at a different computer and don’t have access to my url list.)
    
    There does seem to be a high correlation of poor homicide investigation completion (i.e., a suspect is charged) with a city’s poor financial stability, it’s general success in racial harmony, and Democrat control. Not every urban area is a Minneapolis-St.Paul.
    
    There is no doubt that blacks are more likely to be subject to ‘overly aggressive action’–but the only way to deal with the entire issue is to have an honest appraisal of the issue.
  - Kemper
    
    Well, JUSTICE was served in Ferguson.
KTN

The question I have from this, and other situations where a young man is killed is; why are people so giddy about the death. The narrative is pretty consistent – he (they) deserved it because they were criminals, or were large and scary, or …
The frothing at this death is deeply disturbing and ought to give everyone pause – but it won’t, because we have the pearl clutchers and the hyperbolists (I made that one up) ginning up fear, apparently unaware that if, in this case, the young man did in fact hold up the store (I don’t recall, was he was charged or prosecuted for this) we do have penalties for such behavior, but death should not be one of them.
In the end it’s just sad.
- Pearly
  
  He was shot because he held up a store? That’s news to me.
  - Kemper
    
    Here’s one for you, an assault on an officer. A felony.
- Eman
  
  He stole some cigarillos, or some such triffle.
  - Kemper
    
    No, He did steal, and should have gone with officer. He made a bad choice to assault him, that too is a crime, a felony, I believe..
    - KTN
      
      I don’t recall, was the young man tried and convicted in a court, or just in your mind? Oh, and to reach the threshold of a felony requires more than theft of a $5 item (at least in the real world).
      - Kemper
        
        The ASSAULT, he was killed by the assaulted. Get Real!!! He bullied the wrong MAN!
- Kemper
  
  He also assaulted an officer, in fact, the officer who shot him. He knew the truth, and he came at him again “charging.” Yes, sad, that M.Brown made such poor choices.
  - KTN
    
    Wilson is a coward. Here is an officer, who is presumably trained, in a car, with a gun, and a tazer, and he was afraid of a teenager. Wilson, at 6’4″ spoke about fearing for his life. Well maybe if he is so afraid, he should have thought of a different career than killing teenagers (unarmed, no police record).
    - laros
      
      This isn’t a “street fight” where the officer can only bring out his weapon after Mike Brown shows his first. Like it or not, police officers are allowed by law to use a level higher of force than a civilian. It is a right they are granted with for wearing their badge and their training. It doesn’t have to be a 50/50 fight, otherwise so many more officers would be at risk and die each year than the actual perps assaulting them. Who would take that job then with zero safety? It’s also split seconds decisions that have to be made based on their training.
      Now everyone plays Monday morning quarterback judging the situation afterwards with endless time.
    - Kemper
      
      He may have been 18 yrs. old, but he was as big and bigger then most MEN!!!
Eman

A new era is upon us of brute police force. It came about like the water that gradually heated up the frog and we did nothing to stop it.
- Kemper
  
  I have news for you, it’s always been that way.
Kathy

Suspected criminals or people fighting with police should not be shot dead. Police should not shoot first–only after someone has shot at them. I strongly suggest replacing police officers’ lethal bullets with strong tranquilizing bullets, and have a second gun with lethal force only for self defense.
- J F Hanson
  
  while your post demonstrates and absolute paucity about ammunition, it should be noted that many forces are equipped with tazers….
- Kemper
  
  It was self defense!!!!
disillusioned youth

… Wilson said when he looked up, Brown had started to run away. Wilson said he got out of the car and told dispatch to send more cars because shots had been fired. He said he began chasing Brown….

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/25/366519644/ferguson-docs-officer-darren-wilsons-testimony

After the initial conflict at the car window, the officer chose to attempt an arrest without a clear risk to the general public, without backup and immediately after fearing for his life. I don’t know enough law or have a completely accurate record of events that I will ever know in absolutes if the officer should have been indicted , but in my opinion his actions led to an unnecessary escalation resulting in Mr. Brown’s death.

Mr Brown’s death touches on a plethora of issues facing us. From our police agencies being quick to react with unbalanced force, to racism and socio-economic tensions. Most troubling it seems to me is that we only care about Mr Brown’s death because it occurred in relation to a white officer, and not about the persistent victimization of the poor and disenfranchised in the USA.
- Kemper
  
  So, you think officers should not do their job???
  - Kate Graham
    
    Did you even read what disillusioned youth wrote?! Wilson was not “doing his job,” he overreacted, risking the welfare of the general public by engaging in a firefight with an unarmed man on a public street. Wilson testified that he had the option of pulling his mace or baton, but he didn’t, he pulled his gun.
    - Yanotha Twangai
      
      And didn’t I hear one report that said he didn’t wear a taser because it was “uncomfortable”? Pretty lame.
      - J F Hanson
        
        Take a good look at an officer’s duty belt sometime and see if you would want to work–and drive around–wearing that pile of stuff.
        However, there might a good case for closer examination of the Department training and regulations regarding both the carry and use of tasers.
    - Kemper
      
      Yeah, I’m glad it was the teenage gorilla that is dead and not the officer!! Did he hit anybody else?? You mean that police should not fire if others are around? Who would witness the truth?? ” Disillusioned youth” stated “without a clear risk to the general public.” He instructed him to get to the ground. He (M. Brown) should have listened. The instructions given by police should be listened to, that’s what causes the problem, they aren’t.
Yanotha Twangai

Regardless of whether or not this particular decision was correct, the fact remains that too many people are dying at the hands of law enforcement officers in
this country, and a disproportionate number of those are black men. What are we going to do to change that?
- J F Hanson
  
  We could start by having them do fewer suspicious / criminal acts.
  - Kemper
    
    Yup.
  - Kate Graham
    
    This statement is simply ridiculous. Blacks do not commit more “suspicious / criminal acts” than whites. Black men are disproportionately represented in prisons because they are both targeted by police and because the criminal justice system treats blacks differently than whites. If you truly believe what you’ve said, I strongly urge you to do some more research and talk to people in the black community because that is an ignorant statement.
    - J F Hanson
      
      Unfortunately, Kate, the statement is neither ridiculous nor inaccurate.
      You would do well to learn the current crime stats from the FBI. Black males are 13 times more likely to commit homicide than white males is the simplest example.
      I have no doubt but what there is some level of truth to the points you claim–but the bottom line is, criminal activity in the black community is much higher than in the white community, although that difference is not as great when comparable socioeconomic groupings are examined.
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        The more I think about that statement, the less it rings true to me. Crime statistics are one thing, but most black people of my acquaintance try hard to follow the law, because they know they’re less likely to get away with breaking it than whites are. Most have been stopped for “driving while black” (in fact, off the top of my head, I can’t think of any who haven’t) and are perpetually annoyed by the harassment they endure.
      - J F Hanson
        
        Which statement? ‘Ringing True’ is real, but it is not a real measure in statistical analysis; it is a subjective feeling.
        
        Regardless, I was in error about the increase in frequency in black male homicides. The correct number is four–i.e., black males ages 10-24 are about four times likelier to commit homicide that their counterpart white males.
        
        Here are two links statistically looking at these issues: The first is the CDC report:
        
        http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/stats_at-a_glance/hr_age-race.html
        
        and the second is a link to the Department of Justice that discusses the characteristics of homicide alone.
        
        http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        The first of those links refers to statistics about homicide victims, and the second is not clear about whether it’s about homicide convictions, or all homicides. If the former, it may reflect what I’ve observed, that blacks are less likely to get away with crime than whites, which would be due at least in part to racial prejudice (cops are more likely to suspect black men than white men).
        
        In any case, if the factor is really four but you were willing to believe it was 13 (and whitedoggie44 was willing to believe it was 16), that says something about your racial attitudes, doesn’t it?
      - J F Hanson
        
        You may rationalize the statistics cited however you wish.
        
        As for the inference of racial prejudice, people who know me well would confirm that I am unbiased; it is only online combatants in the culture wars game that are will to draw such a conclusions–and only those warriors so entrenched in PC that they need to say ‘racist’ in the most innoucuous manner.
        
        Sometimes a mistake is just a mistake, you know.
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        I’m sure you believe that, too. Still, the fact that you found the “13 times” statistic credible enough to repeat (even if mistakenly) is significant. I think it reveals a bias you may be in denial of.
    - whitedoggie44
      
      Wrong on facts young black men comitt serious crimes at 16 times the rate of young white males per FBI stastistics. You are entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts.
    - mnphouka
      
      unfortunately..they do. People in the “black community” will not talk to me. When shootings happen, NO SNITCHES are painted on walls. people are afraid. asshole run amuck.
- Kemper
  
  What are you going to do to change that???
  - Yanotha Twangai
    
    What are you insinuating with that question? That I’m a racist cop? Or that I’m an angry black man who provokes cops? I am neither. But the truth is, this is a symptom of a societal problem, and we, collectively, have to deal with it. And as long as we keep taking sides and dividing the world between us and them and asking loaded questions of those we identify as being on the other side, we’ll never get there.
    - mnphouka
      
      kempers question is valid…what do WE do to change this? You make black men into non-criminals?
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        Um, no. That’s a deliberate misinterpretation of what I’ve written. What I object to in Kemper’s question is that it reflects a denial of responsibility. “The leak is in your end of the boat, so it’s not my problem.”
      - mnphouka
        
        blame does not fix the problem. Gosh, my heart hearts for shit that has happened. More violence does not solve anything. what is the solution? It seems it has become more polarized lately and I don’t understand why? Hell I am unemployed, can’t get a job. I just tured 50 and no one wants to hire me. I am upset, depressed…I am not going off on anyone with a gun…..
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        I completely agree. Blame does not fix the problem and violence does not solve anything. However, it is important to understand causes. Anyone who is sufficiently angered by perceived injustice can be provoked to the point of snapping and doing irrational, harmful, counterproductive things. Don’t misunderstand me. The looters and arsonists are entirely culpable for the looting and arson. On the other hand, those who perpetuate a system that keeps oppressing blacks and that denies the existence of that oppression are culpable for that. Both need to do some soul searching. We, the People of the United States of America, have a problem with race that we all need to deal with. (And I can relate to being 50 and unemployed, btw.)
      - mnphouka
        
        why do you think”black’ people are oppressed? I see black athletes paid millions of dollars, and act wrongly. I see a huge hate, which I did not see 20 years ago…so many Black people get paid a lot of money….and it is OK to say cracker, honkey, white trash…But if I defend mYSELF a WHITE girl against a black girl, I am called a racist? BS
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        How can you deny that black people are oppressed in America? Only if you’re willfully blind, I think. The fact that a few African Americans are well paid athletes says nothing about the vast majority, who live with substandard schools and substandard treatment from law enforcement personnel and from employers. Sure, there are some bad apples among them, as there are among whites. One should never judge a group by its worst examples. (Remember, Hitler was white.)
      - mnphouka
        
        hey, why is it that conservative black people who try to empower black people get called uncle toms, or oreos? why are black people racists against black people who want to help them?
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        Probably for the same reason that white guys who try to call attention to racism get ridiculed by other whites. Once you’ve divided the world between Us and Them, anything someone says that seems to support Them and criticize Us is seen as a bit treasonous.
      - mnphouka
        
        Y…i feel you. I feel me as well. And i do think race has become more prevalent in the past few years.
        Did you vote for Obama.? I thought he was gonna bring us ALL TOGETHER….did not happen. I am American (finnish) 200 years ago, not how I define my self.
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        Obama failed to bring America together only because his political opposition didn’t wan to be brought together; they just wanted to destroy him.
      - mnphouka
        
        I have felt that way. I have not “snapped”
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        Congratulations. I hope you don’t.
      - mnphouka
        
        michael browns action were a denial of responsibility.
  - mnphouka
    
    same comment. all BULLSAHIT
- mnphouka
  
  seriously? I KNOW too many Police are being killed, murdered by criminals.
  Why don’t you change/transform the black community into a better, law abiding, respectful community? This is so sad, but you all gotta do it yourselves. Stop hating on black conservatives….maybe learn something from them
  - Yanotha Twangai
    
    On what basis have you made the assumption that I in any sense represent blacks or “hate” anyone?
    - mnphouka
      
      so your point would be what exactly then? my dear?
    - mnphouka
      
      Yanotha, as a non-black woman, I would ask you to try to Uplift black youth to not be criminals. Empower black girls to stay in school, teach all boys not to be disresepectful of women or anyone. When can we all come together?
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        I get the feeling you’re assuming I’m a black person, and based on that assumption are making further assumptions about my opinions and about what position I might be in to deal with factors involved in this issue. This is fascinating. The screen name I made up for myself is meant to sound like “Ya know, that one guy.” Apparently it sounds like the name of a radically liberal African American. I’m actually a middle-aged white man with political opinions I consider to be moderate. I had no intention of posing as a black person (perhaps even female), but I’ve been amazed at the kind of prejudice with which my comments under this name have occasionally been received. Decades ago, I had persuaded myself that blacks were too sensitive and were not as oppressed as they perceived themselves to be. I gradually came to understand that I was mistaken about that. Since using this screen name, I’ve even had a small taste of what it feels like. We white people need to open our eyes and listen to what African Americans are telling us.
      - mnphouka
        
        your comments define who you are sir
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        My comments reflect who I am. As yours do you.
      - mnphouka
        
        exactly. What is your solution? yes indeed.
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        Your question presumes that there is one. As long as people keep demonizing each other, there won’t be. Theoretically, the solution would be for everyone to learn to respect and care about everyone else, but it’s not likely to happen this side of the Parousia, is it?
      - mnphouka
        
        there are no african americans. from your comment I do not trust you. Americans. africans are not nice people….
      - mnphouka
        
        yeah cause you are annonymous….There are no african americans…
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        There are no African Americans? What do you mean by that?
      - mnphouka
        
        OK. yeah I did.
        I feel the same. am I white? character matters. I don’t care what your color is. If you make inflammatory comments…instead of trying to get along….why is color so important lately?…it was not when I was growing up…..
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        Color is important only because people think it is. Race does not exist biologically but is a social construct. The concept of race comes from people’s tendency to notice differences and think they matter.
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        And to answer your question, we can all come together when, among other things, we European Americans acknowledge that we enjoy a certain undeserved privilege that is a legacy of the sins of our ancestors in first enslaving black people and then conspiring to keep them down. The dysfunction in the African American community evidenced by the violence in Ferguson is at least partly due to the perpetuation of that injustice. It’s not that we should be punished for the sins of our ancestors; it’s that we need to recognize that we have no right to benefit from those sins, which we do as long as racial prejudice continues to exist among us (as long as, for instance, I get ignored by cops when I’m driving 8mph over the speed limit but black people get stopped for 2). The descendants of those whom our ancestors mistreated have a right to expect that their kids will get as good an education as ours, that they will benefit from equal protection under the law and receive equal respect as fellow human beings. Despite six decades of civil rights activism, that is still not the case. The leak may be in the other end of the boat, but the boat belongs to all of us, and we all have a part to play in fixing it.
      - mnphouka
        
        seriously? yeah no
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        Seriously, yes. And your insensitivity to the victims of racism in this country is harming me, because it makes it harder for black and brown people to see me, a white guy, for who I am, rather than as a representative of the system that’s oppressing them. You seem to think black people of good will should should try harder to influence other black people to develop good character and behave well (unless I misunderstood your previous posts). Well, I’m trying to do that among white people by challenging racial bigotry when I see it. Any racist act or statement by any white person anywhere reflects badly on me, and I resent it.
      - mnphouka
        
        any comment based on a persons race could be racist. you do not understand my experiences with racism. we will always BITCH about this. I have been attacked by black men and white woman….
      - mnphouka
        
        I have no undeserved priviledge. no wrong sweetie. no I will have none of the white guilt.
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        How many times have you been stopped for driving 2mph over the speed limit? If the answer is never or rarely, you are experiencing white privilege.
- mnphouka
  
  hey. Tell young BLACK men to STOP breaKING THE LAW. AND women…keep your legs shut. sorry that is rude but it is the truth. a MARRIED black man screwed me, knocked me up and forgot about me…he was married right? When I found out I was pregnant he asked me to come over, his wife was at work and since I was already pregnant nothing “bad” could happen. Jason was his name. Should have made him pay for the abortion. true story
  - Yanotha Twangai
    
    What was that you were saying about inflamatory comments?
    - mnphouka
      
      hey, I am yelling at the computer screen, not out shooting, raping or robbing people.
Rich in Duluth

I think the legal process took place and, now, emotions are driving people’s actions. Since we are beings who like to draw lines between “we” and “them”, I fear that it will take a change in demographics, more people of color, before justice is meted out more fairly in this country.
- Kemper
  
  YUP.
- mnphouka
  
  Emotions are like hugging, crying, these actions are hatred. evil. Disrespect.
  - Rich in Duluth
    
    Anger, frustration, fear, and hopelessness, are also emotions and sometimes they drive us to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do or that are just plain wrong. None of us are immune to such feelings or from doing things we shouldn’t do.
    - mnphouka
      
      most people understand not to take those emotions out as rioting, burning, robbing and trashing businesses. This is why I have a dart board. Emotions are NOT an excuse for bad behavior. But our country is becoming a 3rd world shithole. Where people do not know how to control their emotions and trash the town, rape the women and just be violent.
      My country is gone. Thank you mr president
- mnphouka
  
  ya know. most people are at home. With their families. the people out there don’t give a rats ass about michael Brown. they hate him, they hate you and me.
Kemper

I think it was a just decision. Grand Jury did too.
Eman

“Car plows through protesters during Ferguson rally in south Minneapolis” headlines in today’s Star & Trib.

So next time when a law and order demonstration errupts over some incident here in Minneapolis, can I run over the protesters when they move into an intersection and slow me down? Does it count as assault if I’m lucky enough not to maim or kill someone? (All in good play.)

The police chief needs to stand up against this serious trend. The driver probably thought he had a green light from cops to plow them down.
- Kemper
  
  I think that was terrible! I wonder did they do it on purpose???
  - mnphouka
    
    It made me laugh. Stand in the middle of a street. oh well.
    - mnphouka
      
      kinda like a squirrel or rabbit…or a deer in headlights.
  - mnphouka
    
    I would run over them again and faster. get the fuck out of my way asshole. you can bitch, I need to go to work. get out of my way. So it is OK for you idiots to block traffic? no … go home loosers
- Pearly
  
  you may want to take a look at the video again
- mnphouka
  
  I have to say, if you are in my way, illegally blocking a public street…I will push you with my car, Get off the streets, if you might be run over, or take your chances.. I have seen so much disrespect in the past few years….by young people of all ethnicities…get off the street. get out of my way. stop this bullshit
  - poof
    
    mnphouka, please don’t go there. you’re likely to seriously hurt someone as you probably don’t have experience on how this maneuver can play out. and if you’re really this angry and do it, you could end up in prison, or at least lose much of your hard earned treasure in the course of a civil law suit. be well, deescalate, be happy not right with might. when “ferguson” hits in your neighborhood don’t be one to make it worse.
    
    Eman, I took your comment as unhelpful sarcasm.
    - mnphouka
      
      poof, yeah. I get tired being the calm, understanding person. I am getting tired of the entitilement, bs mentality. getting a bit angry.
    - mnphouka
      
      poof. when do I start being upset at the lack of respect for me? What do I have to lose?
      I am tired of being silent. I am tired of teenagers telling me I need to respect them. FUCK that shit. hey make the assholes behave. this is a war and I will be a girl in the fight.
      - Yanotha Twangai
        
        Those are the sorts of feelings expressed by black people in America, sometimes right before a few of them snap and go on looting and arson sprees. Get it now?
      - mnphouka
        
        Y …why do only anachistist and black people get to riot?
        When do I get to become angry? and trash shit?
Demi Boone

The crowd seems to be displaying the same attitude Mr Brown showed to the police officer….contempt.