Why Does This Sort Of Thing Happen Over And Over Again, When A Certain Community Doesn't Agree With A Lawful Decision?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2844491/Ferguson-Missouri-Police-officer-Darren-Wilson-NOT-face-charges-shooting-unarmed-black-teen-Michael-Brown.html

[Snafu03]

maybe their flat screen TV's are a few years old and need replacing.

[Peter Pedant]

Good question

Emile Durkheim wrote a lot about this
and called it 'anomie'

the feeling of not being part of society. He wrote in 1850.

[bazwillrun]

and if it was white rioters i wonder what the reaction from the police etc would have been....

[Peter Pedant]

//..and if it was white rioters i wonder what the reaction from the police etc would have been....//

these are the only ones I can find
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Cronulla_riots

Ockers rioting about Croatian immigrants

[Svejk]

Lucky it's not summertime, our rioters would be out in sympathy.

[TWR]

It seems that when you see the troubles in the USA / London & a few other places, it always points to the Black youths ( Some will correct me If I'm wrong no doubt) there is no Justice regards Anyone white / Black getting shot by the Police, but the Police Shoot for a reason, if someone pointed a gun at you would you wait to see what is going to happen?

[Brenden]

Most go out to loot, which defeats their objections.

[AB Editor]

Because it doesn't seem to be any kind of justice to almost everyone.

The police shouldn't be able to murder civilians on the street.

The rioting... opportunism?

[andy-hughes]

This is simply part of human nature.

People instinctively want the world to turn on their axis - they want things to go according to the way they would like.

Because this is human nature, and thus driven by emotion, the natural logical reactions do not apply.

The logical reaction is - The rule of law has been applied, and I will abide by its decision, even though from an emotional point of view, I have issues with the decision, nonetheless it is the law, and that is the end of the matter.

The emotional reaction is - Another racist while police cover-up, my only means of registering my disgust and anger is to head out on the streets and make some noise.

From there, it is a very short step to destruction of police vehicles - emblem of the 'opressors', and that leads onto general destruction and mayhem where those with no involvement or thoughts about the issues simply take the opportunity to smash things and loot shome shops.

I am unsure about your use of the phrase 'A Certain Community' AOG, since the circumstances are in place for this to happen in any community anywhere in the world.

[sandyRoe]

"A certain community..." Whoever can you mean, AOG?

[Baldric]

///police shouldn't be able to murder civilians///

Are you sure that's how it was?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Michael_Brown#Shooting

[RATTER15]

//Over And Over Again// does it happen often, or does it just seem often due to all the coverage? people are shot dead minute by minute in the states, its no surprise to me when these things flare up from time to time.

[Booldawg]

just heard a news report in the radio whereby the skin colour of both parties had to be mentioned.

Police officer kills teenager. It was investigated. The shooting was found to be lawful. Simple as that.

[RandyMarsh]

Maybe you think that a govenment should be able to shoot unarmed men who are on their knees and have their hands above their head.

I am sure if this was a friend of yours AOG you would just accept the decision and go about your business

If the judiciary sanction state murder then Americans can exercise their 2nd amendment right and bear arms against gov militia.

[Bazile]

When are we going to have a killing , where the police face charges ?

[youngmafbog]

//When are we going to have a killing , where the police face charges ?//

When they do something prosecutable I would imagine.

The problems here are not really to do with this case, there is an underlying current across the South in particular.

It is very difficult to sympathize with the protesters when they then go an behave exactly to stereotype though.

[bednobs]

i have to agree with YMB - although it seems very unjust to me (an outsider) it's particularly hard to feel sympathy with people who go out and loot in response. They are just playing into "the establishments" hands

[Clanad]

Having had every intention of observing only when this thread started... until Ab Editor says "...The police shouldn't be able to murder civilians on the street..." which is, in my opinion, as flagrantly flammable as any statement can be... all the while ignoring the facts of the case.

Police? Murder? This indicates either an ingrained bias against all things American, a disregard for the saftey of those whose sworn duty is to protect us or an attempt at pot stirring that's unbecoming one who enjoys authority on this site.

Look, the facts, listed carefully and attested by eyewitnesses, evidence or scientific forensics, clearly indicate a bull of a young man (6 foot 3 inches tall, 300 pounds) accosted the lone police officer in his patrol car, grabbed for the officer's gun, threatend the officer, retreated and then suddenly charged the officer head on. I'm awaiting someone to explain what the officer's response should have been... say "Please don't do that?"

There's always two sides to any incident but to accuse the police of murder is simply unacceptable...

I have no response to the incindary looting that occurred except to say that a lot of the people that were roaming the streets of Ferguson last night were no residents of that community, which has been reported by numerous factions, both pro and con...

[sp1814]

AOG

To answer you OP - I believe that in the US, there is a perception that law enforcement officers (especially in the South) are not as equitable in their treatment of people from 'a certain community'.

By 'a certain community', I am assuming you mean African Americans (but please correct me if I'm wrong).

Both black and white Americans have a clear sense memory of the kind of brutality meted out to Civil Rights protestors during the 50s and 60s, and my guess is that when an African American is shot and killed by the police, it stirs up extremely violent reactions.

These riots and looting are fundamentally wrong because a) they do nothing apart from destroying the homes and businesses of those who can least afford it and b) feed right into the hands of certain 'other communities' who may hold questionable views about an entire race.

One thing to remember - these flash points occur when the person killed is perceived to be a good guy. Drug dealers, murderers and rapists (of all hues) are killed by police every day in the U.S. without any ripples.

It's when the police get trigger (or in the case of Rodney King, 'baton happy) with the rest of then community, that tempers flare.

[Gromit]

Would that be the community that gets murdered by policemen?