No indictment in the mike brown case

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by Chico23231

Easy to say when you not living in a community where people fear the police and everyone is treated as a criminal. Lotta people dont know that feeling. I say what better time than now to burn down the police department and city hall. These people are recognized within the community only as criminals and that is not right. So you know, since we all criminals regardless burn baby burn

True enough. Just b/c a statement is easier for some to say than others, however, doesn't invalidate the correctness of the underlying statement (nor, for that matter, does it validate an incorrect statement). As CRed said, this was not the case to start to the fire. If the minority community says, "Regardless of actual guilt or innocence, we will not listen to the evidence when you say one of us is a criminal and will resort to mob violence," it is simply ignoring the rule of law - the very same thing it is saying is wrong when applied to them.

It's just this simple, two wrongs don't make a right. Ever.

I am sure you see it differently, but all last night's reaction to the decision did for me was validate that this was a community with high levels of disregard for civil society - Burn it down? They were burning and looting stores and property that had nothing to do with City Hall or law enforcement. Clearly, there was a substantial element that obeys the law only b/c it is enforced by police officers and, when they aren't there to do so, mayhem. In such a community, law enforcement has only two choices aggressive policing or surrender. We saw, last night, what happens when law enforcement "surrendered." Any law-abiding citizen, of any race, itching to move to Ferguson any time soon?

You want to protest? Fine. Throw things at the police and destroy public property as a statement of civil disobedience - if you're willing to stand up and say "I did it and here's why." Okay. Simple mayhem and destruction b/c you feel like you're mistreated. Not so okay.

If you want fair treatment under the law, then you need to obey it, and challenge it when it is unfairly applied to you - our system has all sorts of mechanisms for lawfully doing so without violence. If you think the law unfair, then you need to change it (like they did in the 60's). However, if you don't like the law and so refuse to obey it or obey those who enforce it, all you do is become a criminal and so continue the cycle.