Darren Wilson's Side of the Story

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by sheltiedave

Finn, a lot of what Al says is spot on. If we just get stuck at Brown, and don't make corrections on BOTH sides, we will never get anywhere. Rex and I are parents, and what we see are two relative kids who both got things wrong. Both Wilson and Brown were dumb as rocks at times in their confrontation.

Brown did some stupid things that would put him behind bars for a while.

Wilson killed someone he did not need to kill.

But if we don't correct our police force MO so that proportional response is the norm, rather than the exception, then we will continue to excel at killing blacks at a level 27 times more than whites, by cop. And we will have numerous deaths at the margins where ineffectual grand juries and dismotivated prosecutors will avoid public justice.

If we don't strive to create equal access to opportunity, education, and safe streets, we fail.

If we have a majority of whites in the country who have never eaten dinner at a black family dinner table, who will never attend a black church worship service, who have never set foot on a historical black college campus, we fail.

If you travel around the world, but never step outside your comfort zone, then sitting in your easy chair will be just as rewarding.

Good post, however, if one wants to solve this problem, they don't pick a serial thug as their poster-child, they don't burn down their town, and they don't have Al Sharpton as their (self-appointed) spokesman, much less accuse people who accept the grand jury's findings (as the best than can be made of an ambiguous situation) of racism, bigotry and KKK membership. They're turning off the very people they need to reach to make a meaningful difference.

As for getting outside my comfort zone, that's what I do (and have done for years) for fun. I go on vacation to Memphis, the Mississippi Delta, the neighborhoods of New Orleans, Bayou Country, Turkey, Israel, Jordan and the West Bank and lived in downtown DC and New Orleans. My oldest son, whose career choice and progression is just like mine was, just flew back tonight from a 5 day Thanksgiving vacation in Kiev. The places I go and things I do make a lot of people pucker up and question my sanity.

[sheltiedave]

Finn, when no one listens, it takes a trip wire to get attention. Ferguson now has the attention of a hell of a lot more people than just City Hall. And they could never get City Hall to move one iota to help before.

We are going to see what we can do. And if I have to tell a hundred people they have similar behaviour, I'll do it. You castigate those who burn, you catigate us who live here and know, and you castigate the words we use and the position we hold.

Soon we will be asking you to help, and everyone here and on AK. Maybe you will be willing to help us leverage matters into a better state. I hope you can find it in your heart to help make a difference.

[ZeroJunk]

Same old shit. It is always about what we whites are doing or not doing.

And, never about what the blacks are doing or not doing.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by sheltiedave

Finn, when no one listens, it takes a trip wire to get attention. Ferguson now has the attention of a hell of a lot more people than just City Hall. And they could never get City Hall to move one iota to help before.

We are going to see what we can do. And if I have to tell a hundred people they have similar behaviour, I'll do it. You castigate those who burn, you catigate us who live here and know, and you castigate the words we use and the position we hold.

Soon we will be asking you to help, and everyone here and on AK. Maybe you will be willing to help us leverage matters into a better state. I hope you can find it in your heart to help make a difference.

The message that many are hearing from Ferguson is "Acquiesce to my demands or I'll burn my town down." With a message like that, you'll fill plenty willing to lend you a match.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by ZeroJunk

Same old shit. It is always about what we whites are doing or not doing.

And, never about what the blacks are doing or not doing.

Really? I see a lot of people ranting about how blacks bring everything down on themselves, lately. Just not here.

Go read the comments on Yahoo. It'll destroy your faith in humanity, assuming you have any left as it is.

I don't.

Dave

[ZeroJunk]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Really? I see a lot of people ranting about how blacks bring everything down on themselves, lately. Just not here.

Go read the comments on Yahoo. It'll destroy your faith in humanity, assuming you have any left as it is.

I don't.

Dave

Well I can tell you what this whole Ferguson deal is going to do for blacks in the long run and the answer is nothing.

It is looking for the answer in the wrong place.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by finnbow

As for getting outside my comfort zone, that's what I do (and have done for years) for fun. I go on vacation to Memphis, the Mississippi Delta, the neighborhoods of New Orleans, Bayou Country, Turkey, Israel, Jordan and the West Bank and lived in downtown DC and New Orleans. My oldest son, whose career choice and progression is just like mine was, just flew back tonight from a 5 day Thanksgiving vacation in Kiev. The places I go and things I do make a lot of people pucker up and question my sanity.

That's friggin' awesome, Pat.

If it weren't for my vertigo, I'd start flying again and hit up some foreign spots. It's been a long, long time since I've been outside the US.

Dave

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by ZeroJunk

Well I can tell you what this whole Ferguson deal is going to do for blacks in the long run and the answer is nothing.

It is looking for the answer in the wrong place.

I understand what you're saying, but it hasn't played all the way out yet......

Violence is the wrong way. But, sometimes, doing nothing is even worse. Shocking people into widespread discussion and thought sharing can bring about positive change, indirectly.

Remember when Obama said "This country needs to have a discussion about race."? Well, this might not exactly be what he meant, but we ARE having that discussion.

Dave

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by ZeroJunk

Well I can tell you what this whole Ferguson deal is going to do for blacks in the long run and the answer is nothing.

It is looking for the answer in the wrong place.

Oh, it will do something.

It will make the thugs more violent in their actions against a society they could suceed in were they anything but entitled.

The problem rests with the great grandkids of folks who killed Malcom X post return from Mecca.

[sheltiedave]

Originally Posted by ZeroJunk

Well I can tell you what this whole Ferguson deal is going to do for blacks in the long run and the answer is nothing.

It is looking for the answer in the wrong place.

Wrong.

Here is the first step, and a right one, by the Ferguson mayor.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...71d82fdfb.html

Jobs, education, training, trust, opportunity. You either create a share of the pie, opportunity, governance, and trust, or you die from that lack. The town dies, the region suffers, and the community loses. Wellston, Charlock, Washington Park, East St. Louis, the towns that have failed in the region quickly roll off the tongue. Hopefully we can turn this one around.