Violent Protests in Baltimore

[Squiggy]

The chant of "Black lives matter" is quite ironic considering the majority of the people hurt physically and financially from riots tend to be black people. Also interesting that they almost never attack government instillations where they know trained people with guns are. They always go after businesses and private homes where the likelihood of resistance is zero. Bunch of cowards.

Looks like the violence escalated over the memorial day weekend with nine people dead as gang violence continues to be a problem.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/26/us/baltimore-deadliest-month-violence-since-1999/index.html

I think the poll speaks for itself. Some claim that there is a "gray area" in the discussion that is lacking in the poll, however I think the subject is pretty clear cut. It was either wrong or it was right, and most people clearly have the sense that it was wrong (thankfully). It is just a handful of individuals that insist the rioting was "justified," and a few that don't have the nerve to make the call at all.

It is sad when people choose to care more about the well being of criminals than their victims.

Your thoughts on the American Revolution must really be interesting then. Was their reaction justified?

Of course breaking shit you don't own is wrong, however there are things more wrong with the situation - such as arresting someone who looks at you wrong and then, for whatever reason - him ending up dead. It's not like it's happening unprovoked in some Cleavereqsue perfection of a community where Officer MacGillicuddy is a kind and gentle ginger whose main job is helping lost children.

When you retard the scope of racial relations and the militarization of police down to a binary set of options you're doing a disservice to both sides of the debate.

Both of you should try harder next time.

 

[cooleddie74]

"Obey the cops and there won't be any problems" is too common a philosophy with far too many people. Why remedy the problems in the system when you can just let yourself get pushed around and save everybody else who doesn't look like you a heap of trouble?

 

[fonzob1]

If only anybody posting comments here were, in fact, supportive of the looters and criminals. Caring about the root causes of unrest isn't excusing looters and criminals.

It's the first step towards preventing more looters and criminals and saving both property and lives.

Just a note, I believe everyone has rights and those rights are always important.

That being said, a "yes" vote in the poll was a vote in favor of the behavior of those who rioted. The poll question is pretty clear. If you believe the behavior is justified than you are in support of that behavior.

 

[cooleddie74]

A third option like, say, "The looters and criminals are assholes and doing the wrong thing, but their anger has justification" might have been helpful.

 

[fonzob1]

A third option like, say, "The looters and criminals are assholes and doing the wrong thing, but their anger has some justification" might have been helpful.

That would have been too easy. The bottom line was whether or not the behavior was justified despite the anger.

 

[Squiggy]

That being said, a "yes" vote in the poll was a vote in favor of the behavior of those who rioted.

My "yes" vote was because it was a shitty poll.

A third option like, say, "The looters and criminals are assholes and doing the wrong thing, but their anger has some justification" might have been helpful.

That would have been too easy.

And would have probably given you different results than the one you were looking for.

 

[cooleddie74]

A whole lot of people in this thread would have voted for that third option.

 

[BillJ]

Yeah, it was justified. It sucks that we've come to that point, but here we are. We have a group of people who are constantly abused by another group of people then are shocked when the former lashes out.

 

[ichab]

A third option like, say, "The looters and criminals are assholes and doing the wrong thing, but their anger has justification" might have been helpful.

You could apply that standard to almost any crime....

-That killer is an asshole but his anger towards the man who slept with his wife was justified

- That guy was wrong for breaking into that couple's house but he's homeless and needs money

Everyone has reasons they can justify for why they do what they do. It still doesn't excuse the bad choices they make.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

A third option like, say, "The looters and criminals are assholes and doing the wrong thing, but their anger has justification" might have been helpful.

You could apply that standard to almost any crime....

-That killer is an asshole but his anger towards the man who slept with his wife was justified

- That guy was wrong for breaking into that couple's house but he's homeless and needs money

Everyone has reasons they can justify for why they do what they do. It still doesn't excuse the bad choices they make.

The law and pretty much anyone with any sense disagree with you.

 

[ichab]

Yeah, it was justified. It sucks that we've come to that point, but here we are. We have a group of people who are constantly abused by another group of people then are shocked when the former lashes out.

So why not lash out at the group of people responsible for the abuse?

 

[{ Emilia }]

Yeah, it was justified. It sucks that we've come to that point, but here we are. We have a group of people who are constantly abused by another group of people then are shocked when the former lashes out.

So why not lash out at the group of people responsible for the abuse?

A society dominated by white people who refuse the change a system that's racist you mean?

 

[Jedi_Master]

A third option like, say, "The looters and criminals are assholes and doing the wrong thing, but their anger has justification" might have been helpful.

You could apply that standard to almost any crime....

-That killer is an asshole but his anger towards the man who slept with his wife was justified

- That guy was wrong for breaking into that couple's house but he's homeless and needs money

Everyone has reasons they can justify for why they do what they do. It still doesn't excuse the bad choices they make.

Again - the point made over and over and over and over and over is that the emotion felt by the protesters and rioters was justified. Do you not agree with that assessment?

 

[Hound of UIster]

Yeah, it was justified. It sucks that we've come to that point, but here we are. We have a group of people who are constantly abused by another group of people then are shocked when the former lashes out.

So why not lash out at the group of people responsible for the abuse?

White people or cops?

 

[Captrek]

Yeah, it was justified. It sucks that we've come to that point, but here we are. We have a group of people who are constantly abused by another group of people then are shocked when the former lashes out.

So why not lash out at the group of people responsible for the abuse?

White people or cops?

CVS.

 

[BillJ]

So why not lash out at the group of people responsible for the abuse?

White people or cops?

CVS.

Do we think for a moment that black people who are angry would be let any where near police stations or white neighborhoods?

 

[fonzob1]

A whole lot of people in this thread would have voted for that third option.

The two options that already exist could just as easily read:

Yes, I believe the violence is an appropriate response
No, I believe the anger is appropriate but not the violence

Whether or not you believe the anger is justified can be independent of whether or not you believe the violence is justified. There is nothing wrong with the poll question or its available answers.

 

[{ Emilia }]

People who are mistreated by systemic oppression often react with both anger and violence.
You're lucky that so far they're not trying to just do away with the whole system.

Revolution is such an unappealing idea if you're part of the entitled group, right?

 

[ichab]

A third option like, say, "The looters and criminals are assholes and doing the wrong thing, but their anger has justification" might have been helpful.

You could apply that standard to almost any crime....

-That killer is an asshole but his anger towards the man who slept with his wife was justified

- That guy was wrong for breaking into that couple's house but he's homeless and needs money

Everyone has reasons they can justify for why they do what they do. It still doesn't excuse the bad choices they make.

Again - the point made over and over and over and over and over is that the emotion felt by the protesters and rioters was justified. Do you not agree with that assessment?

Yes. That isnt the point though. The point is that the action the protestors took was not justified. Do you not agree with that assessment?

 

[ichab]

Yeah, it was justified. It sucks that we've come to that point, but here we are. We have a group of people who are constantly abused by another group of people then are shocked when the former lashes out.

So why not lash out at the group of people responsible for the abuse?

A society dominated by white people who refuse the change a system that's racist you mean?

Baltimore is only 30 percent white, 63 percent black and the entire government structure is ran by black people. Plus three of the six officers arrested were black.Try again.