Racism? No, that can't be it.

Given the racial disparity in the resisting arrest charge rate of the FPD, the percentage of people jailed for outstanding warrants, and the use of dogs and other violence towards suspects based on race, Im going to go with racism?

Again, not sure why we have to pound the table that racism isn't a major factor here in order to address other problems like overpolicing. Also, again, Im not sure why we are so focused on the traffic stop and search numbers. Even if those numbers were equal, the DOJ report provides mounds of evidence of institutional racism. Plus, those numbers aren't equal, your argument is just essentially "they are racist, but not more racist than other police departments, and besides racism isn't even a big issue" which doesn't square to me

So is your position that if the residents of Ferguson were all white, with the socio-economic conditions remaining the same, we wouldn’t have near the egregious incidents?

Yes.

lets not forget that black dude who just happened to be waiting out a rainstorm in ferg. racist cops haul him off (on BS charges), beat the **** out of him in jail and charge him with some absurd **** for 'bleeding on their uniform'. ****ing outrageous. clearly the definition of a racist police dept.

The danger with the indiscriminant labeling, not worring about collateral damage produced from people being lazy imo skimming posts/not listening to those who argue contrary positions and calling everyone who utters a suspected codeword or dogwhistle racist, because "even if I'm wrong it's better than being a racist, lol," is eventually your credibilty is shot and it becomes more difficult to effectively turn real racists into pariahs. Who here hasn't been called a racist by Fly or a antisemite by Wookie? After they see a couple of these incidents, mainstream Americans become deaf to the constant drone, and it just becomes something they turn away from or joke about. Now you need a riot to get anyones attention. Look at TV shows like Curb, and 30 Rock, or comedians like Louis CK (sorry, I only Netflix), they get great laughs making fun of situations where these misunderstandings crop up, and now the hero is a big racist. Those writers/comedians are probably not big racists, they just know how to get laughs. It wouldn't be funny if it didn't resonate so well.

I haven't been called either of those things by them.

I also didn't know Wookie called lots of people anti-Semites. That seems like an odd accusation.

really, that's what you honestly think he is saying.

He's whining about Swiss Miss, who posted straight up Holocaust denial **** until clarifying about a language mix up.

protest are necessary, leaving those aside political debate/discussion are useful people way under-estimate the importance of it in getting people to change their views.

Next time there is an incident you and many others in this discussion will be considering events from a slightly different perspective. Even with all the noise from the usual usual it will generally be better informed and closer to reflecting the reality of what happened. Slowly (imperceptibly even) the political center shifts a bit - and that can make a massive difference in outcomes over a few decades.

Most of it is unconscious, only the real hard cases like us lot here who argue about the argument about the discussion get to realise they see things slightly differently. A lot of the rest will do it anyway but go to their graves denying it ever happened.

Oy vey, that was gross!

Your experience is nothing like mine. Interesting.

I think a lot of people across the so-called political spectrum may have jumped ahead to a less racist conclusion about society not because of any moral mistake, but by making assumptions from limited information and seeing a society on a young road towards solutions and answers. Perception gets ahead of the conditions on the ground until something happens that brings it up for anyone to see.

I agree, I'm glad for the protests. Getting people's attention and getting them thinking is good. Now that they're on the hook, don't shake em off for petes sake!

You really want to bring that up again?

Well, he didn't bring it up.

Also, one incident doesn't really lend itself to 'who here can say they haven't been called an anti-semite'.

FoldnDark said something weird and silly and probably about people like Deuces, easy to ignore or ask about without wookie bringing up Swiss Miss. Especially not in the way that still makes wookie sound like he still doesn't realise he was way out of line.

Wookie is good at science so it's all good.

I heard he was a biologist.

I think you mean 'heard'.

Indeed.

Interdisciplinary, yo

Kinky.

If BruceZ had come back to share with us his opinions on the state of the Hebrew I bet microbet wouldn't be whiteknighting like this. I blame pvn and Wookie for this thread.

chez- Do you intend to develop an actual point at some point in the near future? Just like, ballpark the ETA.

Always happy to help you out mate.

which bit is perplexing you today?