Today's Action In Campus Martius [Ferguson/Eric Garner Protest]

[noise]

How about a massive push for each citizen to not commit crime drawing the attention of the police for incarceration

It works equally well for all skin colors
Ethnicities, and people within the country

And women shouldn't wear short skirts, am I right?!?

It's easier to blame the victim than to address the issue.

[bailey]

And women shouldn't wear short skirts, am I right?!?

It's easier to blame the victim than to address the issue.

A woman wearing a short skirt is not an invitation to be raped. Engaging in criminal activity IS an invitation for a cop to detain and/or arrest you. Getting belligerent with said cop is grounds to have said cop physically restrain you. False equivalencies aren't addressing the issue either.

[noise]

A woman wearing a short skirt is not an invitation to be raped. Engaging in criminal activity IS an invitation for a cop to detain and/or arrest you. Getting belligerent with said cop is grounds to have said cop physically restrain you. False equivalencies aren't addressing the issue either.

It's interesting that you ignored the issue at hand: police killing citizens.

[bailey]

It's interesting that you ignored the issue at hand: police killing citizens.

I've ignored nothing. I'm just not trying to wrap it up in a social justice/white cop being racist costume when the issue is more about malpractice and criminal activity. If garner hadn't been a career petty criminal and actively engaged in a criminal activity he wouldn't have had any interaction with the police. Had the police been properly trained in handling a belligerent 400lb man they were taking into custody, he wouldn't be dead.

I wholeheartedly agree that charges should have been brought.. at least manslaughter. But, again, that is a different issue.

[noise]

I've ignored nothing. I'm just not trying to wrap it up in a social justice/white cop being racist costume when the issue is more about malpractice and criminal activity. If garner hadn't been a career petty criminal and actively engaged in a criminal activity he wouldn't have had any interaction with the police. Had the police been properly trained in handling a belligerent 400lb man they were taking into custody, he wouldn't be dead.

I wholeheartedly agree that charges should have been brought.. at least manslaughter. But, again, that is a different issue.

And if you were arguing that appropriate charges had been brought, I'd agree. Instead, he's dead.

[Bham1982]

It's interesting that you ignored the issue at hand: police killing citizens.

Except they aren't. The entire premise behind the protests is essentially a lie, or at the least, a gross exaggeration.

In NYC, last year, there were eight civilians killed by police gunfire. All eight were carrying either guns or knives. Only four of the eight were African American.

In contrast, hundreds of African Americans are killed in every one of our major cities, every year, year after year.

Even if we are to assume that 100% of police killings are unjustified [[an absurd assumption, IMO), it's a fact that police killings amount to almost zero, while tens and tens of thousands of young black males have been killed by other civillians, mostly other young black males.

So, if "black lives matter", then how are we to save black lives? Obviously by reducing black-on-black crime. Police killings, even if we assume 100% to be race-based murders, approach zero.

Except the protesters believe that law enforcement is the enemy, and there is far too much preventive law enforcement in the black community as-is. So what's the solution here? Something isn't adding up.

This isn't to say that there aren't needed police reforms, that there aren't racists in blue, or that law enforcement can't do a better job. But it is true that, when it comes to saving black lives, the issue is clearly black-on-black violence, and not police [[mis)conduct.

[Wesley Mouch]

Except they aren't. The entire premise behind the protests is essentially a lie, or at the least, a gross exaggeration.

In NYC, last year, there were eight civilians killed by police gunfire. All eight were carrying either guns or knives. Only four of the eight were African American.

In contrast, hundreds of African Americans are killed in every one of our major cities, every year, year after year.

Even if we are to assume that 100% of police killings are unjustified [[an absurd assumption, IMO), it's a fact that police killings amount to almost zero, while tens and tens of thousands of young black males have been killed by other civillians, mostly other young black males.

So, if "black lives matter", then how are we to save black lives? Obviously by reducing black-on-black crime. Police killings, even if we assume 100% to be race-based murders, approach zero.

Except the protesters believe that law enforcement is the enemy, and there is far too much preventive law enforcement in the black community as-is. So what's the solution here? Something isn't adding up.

This isn't to say that there aren't needed police reforms, that there aren't racists in blue, or that law enforcement can't do a better job. But it is true that, when it comes to saving black lives, the issue is clearly black-on-black violence, and not police [[mis)conduct.

I wish I could write this well.

Allow me to add that I don't think that most protesters believe law enforcement is the enemy -- but the those who are pushing the 'war on cops' are winning the PR battle. Profiling? Always bad. Stop & Frisk? Always bad. Arresting citizens for petty crimes [[cigarettes)? Always bad.

I'm suggest buying stock in Dunkin Donuts. Cops will be doing less of what might cost them their live, job, and reputation. Cops will be eating more donuts. The rich will make more money on their donut investments. And the poor will get the joy of common criminals stepping up their game. Life sure isn't fair.

Be careful what you wish for here.

[noise]

Except they aren't. The entire premise behind the protests is essentially a lie, or at the least, a gross exaggeration.

In NYC, last year, there were eight civilians killed by police gunfire. All eight were carrying either guns or knives. Only four of the eight were African American.

In contrast, hundreds of African Americans are killed in every one of our major cities, every year, year after year.

Even if we are to assume that 100% of police killings are unjustified [[an absurd assumption, IMO), it's a fact that police killings amount to almost zero, while tens and tens of thousands of young black males have been killed by other civillians, mostly other young black males.

So, if "black lives matter", then how are we to save black lives? Obviously by reducing black-on-black crime. Police killings, even if we assume 100% to be race-based murders, approach zero.

Except the protesters believe that law enforcement is the enemy, and there is far too much preventive law enforcement in the black community as-is. So what's the solution here? Something isn't adding up.

This isn't to say that there aren't needed police reforms, that there aren't racists in blue, or that law enforcement can't do a better job. But it is true that, when it comes to saving black lives, the issue is clearly black-on-black violence, and not police [[mis)conduct.

They aren't, except when they did.

Meanwhile, crime rates continue to decrease and police officers are less likely to be injured or killed on the job than construction workers. Believe it or not, there can be more than one issue to address.

I think Wesley Mouch makes a good point, though, regarding who is winning the PR battle. From my standpoint, it's easy to see a problem without buying into the rhetoric from either side.