Officer Wilson not indicted in killing of Michael Brown

by Simon 551 Replies latest social current

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  Simon

  Since Michael Brown's death 14 teens have been killed by police officers. In the past couple of days two more fatal shootings and a near miss. One 12 year old died, Tamar Rice.

  An attention grabbing but entirely useless statistic. It is an outrage for one reason or another but the implication is that it is unfair and the police's fault. Each case has to be investigated individually to determine the cause. Whatever the real reason, they will become stats used to complain about the police.

  Iceland had its first ever fatal police shooting last year, the first one, in its 69 year history. The officers do not carry weapons except in extrodinary circumstances. While Iceland has high gun ownership deaths by guns are rare. One murder in 2013. There is strict gun regulation. Iceland is more Socialist and class distinctions are less than in Capitalist countries. Iceland is a strong supporter of the UN Arms Trade Treaty and the UN Firearms Protocol.

  In the developed countries were fatal shootings have dropped in all catagories and crime is low Primary Care and Secondary Care factors are believed to be key factors. 1.Loving Family. 2. Social Programs- education, career training, social activities, civic pride.

  Iceland had a murder? It's going to hell in a hand basket!

  Strong gun control and opinions to violence are crucial but comparing different cultures from different countries is difficult. What is it meant to prove? Does Iceland have black inner-city communities?

  Pride in the community is important. I wonder how much pride or respect anyone has for their community for them to burn it to the ground?

  Do any School Districts in the US still offer Skilled Trades classes- Metal Shop, Wood Shop, Automotive Shop, Drafting. In the early 1960s we had those classes. When I graduated I had built tables and chairs for the Final. Metal shop- we made tools. Architecture class- I built a scale model home.

  Germany, as I understand, makes sure a High School graduate has a marketable skill and is in an apprenticeship program.

  Education is seen as valuable by the governments but also by those being educated - they are a crucial part of the equation.

  Crime can be easier and more lucrative for some.
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  poopsiecakes

  Race relations is a very thorny issue. There are cases where profiling is definitely a reality and programs like stop and frisk in NY don't help the situation. There are statistics regarding stop and frisk that go back years showing that nearly 90% of those frisked are completely innocent of anything. Only 9 to 11% of people frisked are white people and 54% are black and 31% are latino. I look at numbers like this and it's hard to argue that profiling doesn't happen. I do agree with most of what you're saying Simon, even though it's impossible to truly empathize with what minorities feel and how they perceive the world around them because this is based on so many variables.

  In the Ferguson case, the media didn't do anyone any favors with how they intentionally whipped up a frenzy with the non stop sensationalism and speculation before actual facts were revealed. That's what sucks and the people of Ferguson are suffering for it.
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  Simon

  The media loves to create something else they can report on.
• 

  Razziel

  Crabs in the bucket...
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  sooner7nc

  Methinks Razziel wins this entire thread.

  Strong gun control and opinions to violence are crucial but comparing different cultures from different countries is difficult. What is it meant to prove? Does Iceland have black inner-city communities?

  This is Design's stock answer for almost everything. Nordic Smordic...
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  EndofMysteries

  Yea I heard about the 12 year old. He was at a park, with an airsoft gun that had the orange thing removed and it looked real enough for somebody to call the police and it would be interesting to know what exactly happened that resulted in him being killed. But a real looking gun and a teen at a park, did the police have any dialogue with him or did they see somebody pointing a gun at somebody after being called there and shot thinking he was about to shoot somebody. With all these school shootings and young people getting guns, and many parents or people defending kids having guns, this sort of thing happens, doesn't mean the police are at fault.
• 

  Simon

  Apparently he went to grab the gun when asked to show his hands. It looked like a real weapon. Another bad parenting job but this time I think the cop was black so no outcry? It sounds cynical but can you imagine things would be the same if the cop was white?

  He'll be used as another statistic to 'prove' how evil the police are. I think it shows how incredibly difficult it is for them. One can only imagine how the cop must feel.

  I used to have guns. Even when I was younger than that I knew you didn't point them at people, even if it was just an airgun. Education is everything. Both respect for weapons as well as knowing how to act with them. I wonder who removed the orange tip from the gun?
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  

  YAWN.....................This is old fucking news.

  Nothing will change.

  The kid is dead.

  No one really gives a shit.

  Let' move on.

  We're all going to die. Too bad it was so untimely for MB.

  Doc
• 

  Ruby456

  anddon'tcallmehshirely

  Ruby456:by structures I mean social structures. I'd like to know which psychologist told that story cos it sounds like something a motivational speaker would say

  Ruby, you are obtuse. The whole point of this story is social structures are irrelevant as are the actual events that occur in a person's life. The determininigfactor are the choices they make. A person can make choices that help them rise above so-called limitations or let it sink them. I'm not going to entertain your empty queries and carry water for you. Google it.

  BTW- its "because" not "cos". Yet another reason why I am not wasting any more time with you.

  I agree if the story is being used as a motivational tool. but you were trying to link the story with a psychologist to argue that the determining factor are the choices people make. Well I have news for you. The social sciences of which psychology is a part concludes that people do not have as much individual choice as they think cos they are wedded into their social and political situation very firmly and whatever choices they make are deeply influenced by these social actors. Mind you this need not be a depressing fact because it can mean that individuals seek out support networks to change their situation once they realise what is holding them back and what is pushing other groups forward. One method of course would be for groups to come together to protest for change to force the government to negotiate with them. The protesting group may not be the immediate beneficiaries though as asking for change can be a long process.

  But i am interested in knowing who the psychologist you refer to is as I am open to being proved wrong.
• 

  Ruby456

  I wonder if reading these sorts of threads can be very depressing for xjws - poor white, poor black poor mixed race etc etc. Feeling that one is at the bottom of the pile isn't nice and then on top of that to feel that one must bear the burden of the past can feel very very disabling.

  If yu are feeling like that then please remember that the consequences of the past were mostly unintended. Secondly sociology tends to critique the society in which it finds itself - so it is a self critical stance and much more so nowadays. But this self criticism is to try to understand what needs changing to make society a better place for everyone and people shouldn't take it personally.

  simon and marvin shilmer: are you saying that black families anf black communities ought to engage in more self help and be more self made and self reliant to change their narratives and change their lives. If that is the case then do your realise that you are using a narrative developed by a group of people who were born into a priviliged background anyway and if that is the case then this particular narrative would be blind to what it is reallly like to be poor and underpriviliged and would probably be counterproductive.