Work drama

[jfugina]

I think you're right Jill. I wonder how may of the people arrested last night were from out of town. If the people burning the town were local, then they're colossal idiots. But I suspect more were from out of town - people who have no vested interest in Ferguson, and can go back home to their own city where it's business as usual. Local people are angry, but most aren't interested in destroying their own hometown.

Things will likely get worse if for no other reason than the legal analysts will evaluate the grand jury evidence and it will come out that it's true that the officer wasn't protecting Mike Brown - he was protecting the community FROM Mike Brown. Now, I don't for one second believe that lethal force was necessary. I don't think it hardly ever is. I suspect that's what will change the most - police will be made to use more non-lethal types of restraint, but short of the criminals becoming more white, or more of the police forces being black, I don't think any real change will happen.

I also think that we do have a major problem with profiling. But I also think that the profiling isn't likely to change until the crime statistics change. The facts are that the bulk of crime is committed by a certain demographic/stereotype, and until those crime statistics change, the stereotype will continue to be propagated, and the profiling will continue. Hell, I'm guilty of it. I will admit that I clutch my purse a little tighter when I'm at certain shopping malls where people wear sunglasses and hoodies indoors, and wear their pants below their butts. Rob got into an altercation with someone at one of those malls a few weeks ago, over a traffic jam, and I shook for a solid hour because I was afraid that we'd get a gun pulled on us. It's not fair, but I'm a logical person, and statistically, I have every reason to be afraid.

Online shopping was going to be my major coping mechanism for the holidays this year anyway, but with the turmoil that's likely to exist for the next few weeks, I'll be more determined than ever to stay home as much as possible.

[nancine]

You are probably right about most of the perpetrators being from out of town.

With all the protests and riots type activities take place in Oakland those arrested usually are not from Oakland. Last night they had a fairly peaceful protest there, large numbers of protesters went onto a freeway and it had to be closed. As the night went on there was more violence... Fires, broken windows, graffiti etc. But I only watched the 10 pm news and so who knows what happened overnight.

I guess people are frustrated, but I sure feel for the poor business owners who lose so much for no reason.

And there is always that portion of the population who use situations like this to just go out and do looting etc.

[pamcook]

Sure, there are always a lot of frustrated people but sending folks from out of town is one of the primary job responsibilities of a "community organizer". If they would put 1/4 the effort into improving communities instead of looting and rioting...

[pbp908]

And if the so-called leaders would quit inflaming people... I'm afraid that race relations are taking a heavy hit. It saddens me to think that all of the hard work of the last 50 years is being swiped at by the actions of a few. Calmer minds must prevail or a lot of our cities and towns will be in flames.

[pamcook]

And if the so-called leaders would quit inflaming people... I'm afraid that race relations are taking a heavy hit. It saddens me to think that all of the hard work of the last 50 years is being swiped at by the actions of a few. Calmer minds must prevail or a lot of our cities and towns will be in flames.

Exactly.