MO - Grief & protests follow shooting of teen Michael Brown #17

[Klood-N]

When I filed #MichaelBrown lawsuit a public official told me #EricHolder would never permit the records to be released.
https://mobile.twitter.com/ChuckCJohnson/status/509503665690796032

 

[William N]

KMOX St. Louis News ‏@kmoxnews 1m
Calls for McCulloch’s recusal from #MichaelBrown case continue: http://cbsloc.al/1wfm4Wa

IMO it is ironic for someone to call for McCulloch's recusal in the name of "fairness" while calling for OW to be indicted without a grand jury hearing. Or even a probable cause hearing.

 

[Apollo]

I agree that healing needs to occur. Can you be more specific as to what part of tonights meeting promoted community healing?

I can tell you what didn't promote healing: The threats (numerous), the demands (unreasonable), the drowning out of the former mayor who wanted to make some valid points, and the young man who threw the microphone down on the floor when he finished ranting.

 

[TheDuchess]

I will say this. About 200 people showed up for this meeting. I was actually surprised there weren't more there. For a city the size of about 200,000 that is about .01% of the population and many of those people were not even from Ferguson. So for every nut job that showed up tonight, there were about 1,000 smart people who stayed away. At least that gives me hope.

 

[UdbCrzy2]

Crime Commissioner responds to his e-mail about possibly burning Ferguson City Hall

An e-mail conversation, shared with FOX 2, reveals inflammatory comments between respected African American leaders. One leader responded by e-mail, saying `right on` to apparent words of violence.

The conversation is contained in a 38 page email sent to all St. Louis Media. It’s titled ‘Civil Disobedience Shutdown of Interstate 70,’ then this comment ‘Anything short of arresting that White cop for murder is an insult to Black people and Ferguson city Hall and Police department needs to burn to the ground!!!’

Tony Thompson, founder of Kwame Construction and member of the Regional Crime Commission wrote those words. Activist Eric Vickers responded, ‘Right On!’

http://fox2now.com/2014/09/09/crime...il-about-possibly-burning-ferguson-city-hall/

 

[TheDuchess]

I can tell you what didn't promote healing: The threats (numerous), the demands (unreasonable), the drowning out of the former mayor who wanted to make some valid points, and the young man who threw the microphone down on the floor when he finished ranting.

And then there was the kid that dropped the f bomb in the church and his friend who apologized for him only to get angry and also drop his mike down as well.

 

[popsicle]

Going up there to eat. But just in case, I'll be wearing a home made TShirt with a big WS on the front and back. Won't be able to miss me.

I just realized, I hope nobody thinks it stands for something like White Supremacy or something along that line. I'll be looking for you!

 

[reedus23]

OMGosh! If you know her, reedus, can you please contact her and advise her as to a safer 3-mile route? For all the reasons of which I am sure you are fully aware ~ It would be such a good, responsible thing that you could do! :blowkiss:

Well, I did tell her to make sure she doesn't run on the streets. It can be bad for her health. Running on the grass is much easier on her feet, knees and back.

 

[sorrell skye]

They should have had a town hall meeting first... so there would have been questions and answers. Then the city council meeting would not have been disrupted like this. jmo

I agree. I've attended both town hall meetings and city council meetings.

In the town hall meetings, the format was Q & A. The community asked questions, and those questions were addressed by the council members present. We didn't always like the answers we received, but it was much more of a dialogue than what we just witnessed.

IMO, what occurred tonight was not productive at all. I don't think any conversation is productive when only side expresses a viewpoint, especially when many of the opinions expressed are filled with frequent threats (veiled or otherwise), followed by raucous cheers to those threats.

I understand that the folks of Ferguson and the surrounding communities are angry because many of them feel that they're discriminated against because of their ethnicity. In order to support the outrage and get behind the cause, I needed to hear evidence that justifies the claims of discrimination. Instead, I heard a lot of vague claims of indignation and only a scant few examples of what may have been profiling & discrimination.

Mostly, what I heard was anger that didn't seem to be based on anything more substantial than the city council is white (cheers erupted from the audience for the accusation that the city council members are white supremacists) and anger against the predominantly white police force (cheers again erupted from the audience following the accusation that the police force is an underground KKK).

Anger can be a great motivator. But, in order to be productive, anger must be channeled into creative methods for effecting change, otherwise it's nothing more than verbal violence and can lead to very counterproductive actions.

It's not the city council's fault, nor is it the former or current mayor's fault, that only two African Americans have run for city council positions in 120 years.

If folks want to effect change, then they need to learn how to navigate the mechanisms of change, rather than playing the constant victim and blaming everyone else for their problems.

As Mahatma Gandhi so eloquently put it: "Be the change that you wish to see in the world."

 

[MyBelle]

Sometimes you have to get the anger and hurt out before you can have a more rationale conversation. Probably a bad analogy, but have you never had a good yell with a significant other only to have a calmer talk about whatever issues later on? Well, they're still going through the yell phase and as far as I know, this was the first opportunity for it to be addressed to the city council.

Mature adults don't require a "yell phase." A city council is under no obligation to respond to threats and insults from people out of control. What they can do is tighten up restrictions in order to force those people elsewhere and the first place they will start is to reduce the government-subsidized housing.

 

[reedus23]

Since it was apparently just about every person there's first time at one of these city council meetings, they should have tried to get informed as to how they are run. They spent a lot of time complaining that the council wasn't answering questions, when that does seem to be how their city council meetings typically run. They should also have been more appreciative of how the city council was there to listen and say your peace. The format of the meeting was not adhered to by the people who were able to get a chance to speak.

A select few of the speakers made some valid points and were clear, yet it seemed like many of them just wanted to rant an rage.

ETA-no - the meeting was not productive. I am sure the members of the council just couldn't take it any more. They were yelled at, called names, threatened and were basically called out for hiding behind a racist white killer cop. I can't imagine any of them were inspired, except perhaps out of fear.

I can tell you how they're not typically run. They're not typically run in a church. Mixed messages maybe? I was thankful that the good council members could take time out of their day though to listen to their constituents because lord knows they don't get paid to do that.

 

[katydid23]

Thank you so much popsicle. Town hall meeting is exactly what I was trying to think of and couldn't come up with. Thanks and yepp, you got it nailed on the head. The Council Meeting never should have been moved from where it normally is in the first place. Have a town hall meeting first. Let the people voice their anger and ask their questions. Slowly engage in some dialogue and take it from there.

Did the counsel members just sit up there or did they try to talk? They looked like deer in headlights when I turned it on.

They gave up trying to say anything because they were just shouted down each time.

 

[popsicle]

Charles C. Johnson @ChuckCJohnson
When the court denies transparency, we all lose. <modsnip> is debating whether to appeal. #MichaelBrown pic.twitter.com/8EGuLqhUVk
https://mobile.twitter.com/ChuckCJohnson/status/509493033067237376

He and StL Dispatch had said they were going to request transcripts from the court too.

Ah, the legal records of a child.

 

[Apollo]

I agree. I've attended both town hall meetings and city council meetings.

In the town hall meetings, the format was Q & A. The community asked questions, and those questions were addressed by the council members present. We didn't always like the answers we received, but it was much more of a dialogue than what we just witnessed.

IMO, what occurred tonight was not productive at all. I don't think any conversation is productive when only side expresses a viewpoint, especially when many of the opinions expressed are filled with frequent threats (veiled or otherwise), followed by raucous cheers to those threats.

I understand that the folks of Ferguson and the surrounding communities are angry because many of them feel that they're discriminated against because of their ethnicity. In order to support the outrage and get behind the cause, I needed to hear evidence that justifies the claims of discrimination. Instead, I heard a lot of vague claims of indignation and only a scant few examples of what may have been profiling & discrimination.

Mostly, what I heard was anger that didn't seem to be based on anything more substantial than the city council is white (cheers erupted from the audience for the accusation that the city council members are white supremacists) and anger against the predominantly white police force (cheers again erupted from the audience following the accusation that the police force is an underground KKK).

Anger can be a great motivator. But, in order to be productive, anger must be channeled into creative methods for effecting change, otherwise it's nothing more than verbal violence and can lead to very counterproductive actions.

It's not the city council's fault, nor is it the former or current mayor's fault, that only two African Americans have run for city council positions in 120 years.

If folks want to effect change, then they need to learn how to navigate the mechanisms of change, rather than playing the constant victim and blaming everyone else for their problems.

As Mahatma Gandhi so eloquently put it: "Be the change that you wish to see in the world."

Wowzers!!! That's the best post I've read in days. :tyou:

 

[reedus23]

When I filed #MichaelBrown lawsuit a public official told me #EricHolder would never permit the records to be released.
https://mobile.twitter.com/ChuckCJohnson/status/509503665690796032

Will that guy please go away. He's simply become annoying now and lost all credibility. You lost. Appeal it if you want. You'll lose that too. But do it and go home. Don't need him here either anymore than we needed the instigators on the streets from wherever.

 

[Angelonline]

Sometimes you have to get tI nevre anger and hurt out before you can have a more rationale conversation. Probably a bad analogy, but have you never had a good yell with a significant other only to have a calmer talk about whatever issues later on? Well, they're still going through the yell phase and as far as I know, this was the first opportunity for it to be addressed to the city council.

Thanks for your reply.
Speaking as my self, not a moderator, respectfully, I have never known of anger or yelling to promote healing. For instance, if I am upset with a store clerk, a friend, my spouse, a person in authority, etc, yelling and anger is never a way to have my voice heard or have someone see my side of things. In fact, it always results in the opposite, IMO.

 

[reedus23]

IMO it is ironic for someone to call for McCulloch's recusal in the name of "fairness" while calling for OW to be indicted without a grand jury hearing. Or even a probable cause hearing.

Yeah, that's pretty idiotic to suggest someone isn't entitled to either a GJ hearing or a preliminary hearing.

 

[katydid23]

Sometimes you have to get the anger and hurt out before you can have a more rationale conversation. Probably a bad analogy, but have you never had a good yell with a significant other only to have a calmer talk about whatever issues later on? Well, they're still going through the yell phase and as far as I know, this was the first opportunity for it to be addressed to the city council.

The city council meetings have been announced in the newspapers routinely. Anyone can sign up for 2 minutes to speak. Most of them were complaining about things not having to do with MB. So there was nothing stopping any of them from speaking before the council earlier.

 

[Linda7NJ]

They honestly should be ashamed by their own behavior and ignorance of the system
they wish to change.
It's truly pathetic.
It's no wonder they feel so marginalized, unheard and unrepresented.
The problem is theirs, the ignorance is theirs, the inability to effect change is theirs.

Good grief people! Crack a damn book! Educate yourself on the system you wish to change.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TheDuchess]

When children are being taught stuff like that, it makes me realize it's never going to end.

It ends with me. My daughter is African American and I would never teach her those things. Of course, we discuss race and racism, we discuss it in terms of it working both ways. At 9 years old, she has a list a mile long of accomplishments that she earned all on her own and is literally one of the most popular girls in her predominantly white school. It's because she has a positive outlook on life and an indomitable spirit. And she did not have an easy first 4 years of her life, bounced around from foster home to foster home until she landed with her forever family.

I'd like to take credit for it, but she walked through my front door with that spirit, the belief that she could do anything and be anything. That no matter what the world gave her, she'd rise above it. I haven't taught her much about anything other than helping her with her homework now and then and giving her encouragement along the way. She has been the one to teach me more than anyone has.