Ferguson, MO - Take two or three

cmhbob said:

The governor having knowledge of the grand jury proceedings at this point would likely be illegal. I think a 30-day order like this is prudent on his part.

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I tend to think so too. He doesn't know what the reaction will be and now with the KKK adding their 2 cents, it makes sense and if you wait until the verdict is in, then you're playing catch up. But looking at my twitter feed, a lot of people seem to find fault with it. A lot of 'shameful' and 'unreal' comments.

cmhbob said:

The governor having knowledge of the grand jury proceedings at this point would likely be illegal. I think a 30-day order like this is prudent on his part.

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Well, it's not like a political figure doing something illegal would set any kind of precedence.

I think the comments about the governor's declaration of a state of emergency has more to do with the complete lack of trust that they've earned over the past several months, than it has to do with whether the action itself is a good or a bad idea.

ShaunHorton said:

Well, it's not like a political figure doing something illegal would set any kind of precedence.

I think the comments about the governor's declaration of a state of emergency has more to do with the complete lack of trust that they've earned over the past several months, than it has to do with whether the action itself is a good or a bad idea.

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Maybe, but they're acting like there's 0 reason for it.

In light of the KKK's threat to use lethal force against protesters in Ferguson in the wake of the grand jury's decision, a branch of the hacker group Anonymous has released the names of KKK members in the Ferguson / St. Louis area. I'm not going to link directly to the article I read, considering it's mainly a list of names, but I find it interesting that among those named are a currently working police officer, and a current deputy police chief. Apparently they even have a picture of one of the members standing among a group of protesters.

If the Ferguson protestors could see beyond knee-jerk reactions, they should use this moment to organize and assert their might in a political forum. They can exert far more power by bringing about a lasting change in how business is conducted in Ferguson, Missouri.

Sweep out the mayor and city council, fire the police chief and then go after their state and congressional reps. Shitcan the whole shootin' match and go from there.

Don't burn down somebody's shop. Set the system on fire instead.

Michael Brown, Sr. issued a last-minute plea for no more Ferguson riots.

On the eve of what appears to be a grand jury decision in the shooting death of his son, Michael Brown, Sr. issued a last-minute plea for no more Ferguson riots.
“No matter what the grand jury decides, I do not want my son’s death to be in vain,” a very somber Brown says in a public service announcement released late Thursday. “I thank you for lifting your voices to end racial profiling and police intimidation, but hurting others or destroying property is not the answer.”

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CSM is announcing that Wilson is resigning from the department, regardless of the grand jury decision. I think it's a good call. I'm not saying Wilson should leave LE. But his presence in Ferguson would make life extremely difficult for both him and his fellow officers, especially if he is no-billed.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Up...n-from-Ferguson-Police-Department-reports-say

If i were in his shoes, and were no-billed, I'd try very hard to leave the country for a few months, and take a position outside LE for a few months when I came back. Then I'd look elsewhere for police work.

ETA: Cross posted!

So, Wilson may resign soon:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/21/us/ferguson-grand-jury-ruling/

I don't know what to make of it, exactly.

nighttimer said:

Don't burn down somebody's shop. Set the system on fire instead.

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This.

I fear for those business owners who have already boarded up their shops because they're afraid of being looted.

These businesses need to stay there in the community. Forcing them out because they keep being attacked by protesters will not do any good at all.

Smashing up a convenience store isn't protesting. It's being a jerk and taking advantage of a situation. Those businesses can't afford to keep being looted and burned. Eventually they'll leave and the community will be hurting. Long after the protesters have headed off to the next Big Cause.

backslashbaby said:

ETA: Cross posted!

So, Wilson may resign soon:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/21/us/ferguson-grand-jury-ruling/

I don't know what to make of it, exactly.

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Maybe just a publicity rumor. Something to balance out the FPD chief's comment last week that if Wilson was no-billed, he would be brought back to active duty immediately?

Yeah, I don't think it would be a good idea at all for him to return to work there. Whether he's guilty or not, he's become a symbol, and it would likely just be too disruptive in getting the job done.

No Grand Jury decision this weekend.

An announcement was widely expected this weekend but the grand jury is still gathering information. The grand jury is to reconvene Monday.

Downtown STL. Inc. sent an email to its members Saturday afternoon advising them of the situation regarding the grand jury.

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nighttimer said:

If the Ferguson protestors could see beyond knee-jerk reactions, they should use this moment to organize and assert their might in a political forum. They can exert far more power by bringing about a lasting change in how business is conducted in Ferguson, Missouri.

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The circumstances of the shooting remain murky, and unfortunately subject to opinion. But a huge reason for the public anger is the unconscionable behavior of law enforcement authorities after the incident. Brown's body was allowed to lie on the street for many hours. The "explanations" put forth afterward were vague and morphed over several days, ultimately lacking any level of credibility. Then came the "apologies", likewise bereft of believability. It was about the stupidest response to a volatile situation I've ever seen played out before news cameras, since the early 1960s civil rights unrest in the American South.

How any level of trust is to be re-established between the citizens of Ferguson, MO, and their law enforcement authorities is beyond my comprehension at this point.

caw

I realize it's not as big of an issue as resolving racial tension, or figuring out the truth of what happened to mike brown, but I think it's worthy to discuss how this situation is affecting the officers in this area, their families, and the rest of us who live and work around here.

One of the dads on our soccer team is a cop. They've been on mandatory 12 hour shifts for over a month now. All previously scheduled vacation days have been rescinded. Missouri is a big hunting state, and it's deer season, so none of the officers have been able to leave to hunt. (Please don't accuse me of boo-hooing for cops because they can't hunt or take vacation. That's not the intention of this post, just trying to explain how this is affecting the "everyday" in this neck of the woods.) These things are, without doubt causing stress on families.

People are scared and reluctant to go near the city or north county. A friend cancelled her thanksgiving because she was nervous about having family in north county, and honestly, no one really wanted to go there anyway. Another friend who flew in from Florida left today, instead of staying through the week, because she doesn't want to be here when the decision is announced.

People are buying guns like crazy, and getting very nervous about the reactions we're going to see post decision. One of the moms on my street goes in to full fledged hand-wringing hysterics anytime someone mentions ferguson, which is annoying because it dominates almost part of every conversation now.

The existence of YouTube videos, twitter posts, and Facebook rants that warn of violence and destruction has everyone, at least where I am, on pins and needles.

I'm sick of it. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I never want to hear Darren Wilson's name again. I want to move forward, fix the things that need to be fixed in this area, and have all threats of violence removed.

That's just my take on the atmosphere here. Thought some of you would want to know.

One of my best friends lives in St. Louis, in the ring suburbs around the city proper. According to him, most people he knows aren't worried about the unrest so much as being proponents of the protests. He lives a few miles south of Ferguson, though.

I don't live in ferguson either. Maybe it's bc I live so close, the atmosphere is more tense. I live in an area that's specifically been mentioned as a target over and over again. Also, some of my circle are directly affected by this outcome. That could explain the tension I'm seeing. Who knows.

MSM is reporting a grand jury response today at some point. I'm predicting rioting and store damage, etc., no matter the response.

I'm predicting nothing but I've got things I dread in my mind.

The latest is that a decision has been reached and there will be An Official News Conference this evening.

Was the OJ verdict this big? I recall I just got a new job and a bunch of us were huddled around a small TV giving the verdict.

Yeah, I remember our entire department just stopped when the verdict was read after the Simpson trial, and all you could hear was the radio.

I remember people wondering if there would be riots if OJ were found guilty, but that was soon after the LA Riots, so I assumed that's what that was. It was a big case, but I don't think people felt personally invested in it the same way, except for domestic violence survivors, probably.

We got to see that trial, so it's very different, imho.

The first victim (after Michael Brown) has been claimed!

http://wgntv.com/2014/11/24/woman-s...rguson-accidentally-shoots-self-in-head-dies/

A woman appears to have accidentally fatally shot herself in the head with a gun bought to prepare for possible Ferguson-related unrest, according to sources briefed on the police investigation.

The shooting occurred Friday night in downtown St. Louis, the city’s Metropolitan Police Department said, in an area dominated by vacant lots beside a football stadium.

The female victim, identified in a police report as Becca Campbell, 26, was a passenger in a car involved in an auto accident. Her 33-year-old boyfriend was driving, the sources told CNN.

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The deep down ugly man inside of me is cackling while my tired and resigned head just shakes.

Xelebes said:

The first victim (after Michael Brown) has been claimed!

http://wgntv.com/2014/11/24/woman-s...rguson-accidentally-shoots-self-in-head-dies/



The deep down ugly man inside of me is cackling while my tired and resigned head just shakes.

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I don't really see anything to cackle about. Assuming it happened as told, it was damn foolish to be waving a gun around while in a moving vehicle, and then point it at someone, especially the someone drive said vehicle. But stupid doesn't mean deserves to die and being worried about needing a gun for self defense is understandable.