Holder visits Ferguson
Offline Holder is promising a full investigation and a fair one in this latest round :
www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28868389
US Attorney General Eric Holder has arrived in Ferguson, Missouri, to in a bid to defuse tensions following the police shooting of a black teenager.
Mr Holder has promised a "full, fair and independent" investigation.
Ferguson has seen 10 nights of often violent clashes between police and demonstrators since the shooting of Michael Brown, who was unarmed.
Police arrested 47 people on Tuesday night but said that the violence had largely abated.
Community leaders have continued to appeal for calm and healing.
'Inflaming tensions'
In an open letter published in the St Louis Post-Dispatch on Tuesday, Mr Holder said that the justice department "will defend the right of protesters to peacefully demonstrate".
However, he added that "violence cannot be condoned" and urged Ferguson residents to condemn "the actions of looters, vandals and others seeking to inflame tensions and sow discord".
He said violent acts had been committed by "a very small minority, in many cases individuals from outside Ferguson".
Reports suggest that Mr Holder is considering opening a broader investigation into policing in Ferguson in general, following several allegations of police misconduct.
The New York Times reports that under Mr Holder, the justice department has ordered over twice as many such department-wide investigations than before.
Many local residents have demanded that Officer Darren Wilson, who shot the 18-year-old Michael Brown on 9 August, should be arrested and prosecuted. He has been placed on administrative leave with pay.
Witnesses have said Mr Brown was shot as he held his hands up in a position of surrender, while the police and supporters of Mr Wilson have said he fired during a fight with Mr Brown.
The police response, flooding the town with hundreds of officers in riot gear, has been criticised as heavy-handed.
Authorities were also criticised for not being transparent enough in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
The St Louis County prosecutor's office said it would present evidence against Mr Wilson to a grand jury on Wednesday.
The jury will determine whether or not to charge him with a crime.
A group of protesters gathered in front of the courthouse on Wednesday, chanting, praying and holding up signs urging the county prosecutor to step aside in this case, as a line of police officers stood guard over the main door.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has said he would not seek Bob McCulloch's removal.
Both St Louis officials and the US justice department are conducting investigations into the case, which has provoked demonstrations throughout the country.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
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None of the shit would format correctly within the Notepad as I was reading this, but here are the current statistics on Ferguson.
Do these stats ultimately prove anything ?
Population : 21,205.
65% African American
9% Unemployed
21% living beneath the poverty level
6% of the police officers are African American.
Does the lack of black police officers (as some commenters were claiming) factor into these protests about racism ?
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
There's probably one or two racists, but it's hard to be racist when surrounded by the people you hate on a daily basis. Especially as a police officer, when you're a community figure and have to deal with the public daily. I don't believe 'race' had a direct impact on this event. Indirect is quite possible, but direct is unlikely.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
I would have to agree overall . While some of the commenters on another article were trying to claim that white officers were specifically taking the position to "practice racism" I do not see any evidence that they would supply to back up their claim.
An interesting look at this whole thing would be to find out how many allegations of race or police brutality were reported or mentioned.
I personally think that most white racists would probably desire to seek out more white communities. Given the fact that much of Missouri is rural and finding one would not be hard to do. Of course, one could argue that pay in rural areas is possibly lower, but I am not really buying the fact that race is the sole issue here.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
I keep seeing "TANKS" being used in the media. WTF? I have yet to see a tank used. Any one have pictures?
Probably they refer to SWAT 'tanks', which really aren't comparable to military tanks.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Yeah but they are blowing it out of proportion. They are actually printing that they brought tanks in to the city to control the crowd. Our media is such bullshit. People complain Al Jazeera sucks but I actually find them more honest than any of our media outlets.
Al Jazeera is one of the last bastions of responsible, investigative journalism.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
One does not have to be a racist to be unaware of their own bias.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
I love how our right wing rightfully rails against the lack of freedom of press in the middle east, but then when Arabs and Muslims do just that, all the sudden they are not fellow human beings but "MUSLIMS"!
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
I can't bring myself to read that. My tolerance level for idiocy is too low to subject myself to idiocy. I think I'll ignore Brian for a few days. Maybe that'll be enough to restore my tolerance levels.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.