Violent Protests in Baltimore

[Tiger Devil Dog]

I'm sorry you can't follow the line of thinking. Police didn't just become brutal overnight. It's generations in the making. Starting with social policies that have kept poor people poor and uneducated , especially black poor people. Poor and uneducated people tend to have children out of wedlock at a much higher rate. Children without father figures tend to turn to a life of crime at a much higher rate and also to have a lack of respect for authority figure, aka police. These are all established facts backed up by studies.

Add in the war on drugs and police that are recruited largely from former military and you have a recipe for disaster.

 

[sidious618]

Like I said before, I don't think excessive force by police is ever justified. I don't understand your logic. The destruction of innocent people's property is not justice for Freddie Gray. Nor is beating and hospitalizing a cameraman.

I'm not saying the riots are going to solve the problem. I am saying that it's strange that some people are more upset about property destruction than state sanctioned murder done by the police.

 

[fonzob1]

Like I said before, I don't think excessive force by police is ever justified. I don't understand your logic. The destruction of innocent people's property is not justice for Freddie Gray. Nor is beating and hospitalizing a cameraman.

I'm not saying the riots are going to solve the problem. I am saying that it's strange that some people are more upset about property destruction than state sanctioned murder done by the police.

And there in lies the problem that I stated in my original post. Because of all this absurd looting and violence, the police have become the victims instead of Freddie Gray. We've come full circle.

 

[Tiger Devil Dog]

Like I said before, I don't think excessive force by police is ever justified. I don't understand your logic. The destruction of innocent people's property is not justice for Freddie Gray. Nor is beating and hospitalizing a cameraman.

I'm not saying the riots are going to solve the problem. I am saying that it's strange that some people are more upset about property destruction than state sanctioned murder done by the police.

I'm just relieved that that racist CVS and Senior Center were burned to the ground so they can't oppress and brutalize the citizens of Baltimore anymore.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I think I have more respect for looters than rioteers.

 

[clint g]

Like I said before, I don't think excessive force by police is ever justified. I don't understand your logic. The destruction of innocent people's property is not justice for Freddie Gray. Nor is beating and hospitalizing a cameraman.

I'm not saying the riots are going to solve the problem. I am saying that it's strange that some people are more upset about property destruction than state sanctioned murder done by the police.

So here I am watching CNN and they just had to evacuate a baby and mother from a building because a liquor store was set on fire. This is not okay. It's strange that you don't see destroying homes and businesses of people w u on aren't even involved as wrong. It's strange that people empathize with these people.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

To answer the poll question: The emotion behind the violence is justified. The acts of violence are not.

Then again, when protestors lose their rationality and reason, the end result tends to be that property gets destroyed. When police lose their rationality and reason, the end result tends to be people (usually those with darker skin pigment) end up dead.

As reprehensible as the acts of vandalism and violence are, the damaged property can be replaced. The life of Mr. Gray cannot be.

I just hope what is happening in Baltimore does not result in the loss of life.

 

[fonzob1]

To answer the poll question: The emotion behind the violence is justified. The acts of violence are not.

The intended use of the word violence in the poll is "exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse."

Then again, when protestors lose their rationality and reason, the end result tends to be that property gets destroyed.

Some of these rioters are definitely utilizing reason. They are reasoning that it is beneficial for them to burglarize ATM's, businesses, and homes.

When police lose their rationality and reason, the end result tends to be people (usually those with darker skin pigment) end up dead.

As reprehensible as the acts of vandalism and violence are, the damaged property can be replaced. The life of Mr. Gray cannot be.

The looting and violence are not justice for Freddie Gray. If anything, the behavior detracts from the real issue.

I just hope what is happening in Baltimore does not result in the loss of life.

Best of luck to Charm City.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Freddie Gray's mother and sister have condemned the violence and said it's not the way to get justice.

I'd imagine if there was a peaceful sit-in style protest of police violence in Baltimore a lot less people would have heard about it and the sheer anger of many people at an abusive system would not register very loudly. Part of that is the media. The media needs flames to tell us something important is happening.

 

[fonzob1]

Freddie Gray's mother and sister have condemned the violence and said it's not the way to get justice.

I'd imagine if there was a peaceful sit-in style protest of police violence in Baltimore a lot less people would have heard about it and the sheer anger of many people at an abusive system would not register very loudly. Part of that is the media. The media needs flames to tell us something important is happening.

I don't buy that. A massive peaceful march on Baltimore would get media attention. Plus, with social media, people can advertise their own videos and images. Sometimes law enforcement gets impatient with even peaceful, but vocal, protesters. Catch that behavior. Don't "martyr" the police by attacking them and then burglarize or destroy the property of innocent people.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Look how alarmed you are fonzob. Would you be this alarmed at a peaceful protest? No.

 

[fonzob1]

Look how alarmed you are fonzob. Would you be this alarmed at a peaceful protest? No.

Alarmed about a slew of victims beyond just Freddie Gray. I believe Freddie Gray's issue becomes diminished because now there is a pile of people who have been victimized. Popular opinion will sway away from supporting the protest and instead supporting the effort to bring rioters to justice. I don't believe the rioting benefits the cause.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I don't think Freddie Gray's issue is even remotely "diminished" by the (often heinous) actions of angry people. I think it has put Freddie Gray's name and the volatility of public anger on the front page of everyone's news.

The anger has to be taken seriously, the good upstanding middle class white folk will demand it. You can't have law and order in disarray. It's easy to walk past a sit-in, agree with the protesters, feel good and move on. "Something should be done.." But with this level of volatile anger something must be done, and seen to be done in a real way.

 

[fonzob1]

I don't think Freddie Gray's issue is even remotely "diminished" by the (often heinous) actions of angry people. I think it has put Freddie Gray's name and the volatility of public anger on the front page of everyone's news.

The anger has to be taken seriously, the good upstanding middle class white folk will demand it. You can have law and order in disarray. It's easy to walk past a sit-in, agree with the protesters, feel good and move on. "Something should be done.." But with this level of volatile anger something must be done, and seen to be done in a real way.

Time will tell, but my money is on no repercussions for the officer(s) responsible for Freddie Gray's death. Some of the looters and rioters are headed to prison, others will never be caught. The city of Baltimore loses.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

That's quite possible. But it's not the only city violent protests have erupted in and it is unlikely to be the last. It has to have some trickle down effect to how cops deal with people, and ultimately some effect on the law.

 

[fonzob1]

That's quite possible. But it's not the only city violent protests have erupted in and it is unlikely to be the last. It has to have some trickle down effect to how cops deal with people, and ultimately some effect on the law.

Has it ever before? I believe law enforcement in America has only become more violent and more militarized over the years. It's phone video cameras, not riots, that bring bad cops to their knees.

Right now, it's cameras that are helping prosecute rioters instead.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

And some of the rioters will undoubtedly post what they did on Facebook.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Yes all those pics I saw of people running out of the pharmacy with toilet paper under their arms will surely make triumphant facebook statuses.

 

[fonzob1]

Yes all those pics I saw of people running out of the pharmacy with toilet paper under their arms will surely make triumphant facebook statuses.

Is that all you saw?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I did see other things, obviously. I was just playing with peach's comment. I know if I was looting a pharmacy I'd be grabbing something other than huge packs of toilet paper.