2 shot in Ferguson following Baltimore riots
Two people were shot in Ferguson following the riots in Baltimore that were caused by the latest fatality of a black man by police. Police are attempting to investigate however it's proving difficult due to rocks being thrown at them by angry onlookers. This is just another addition to the violence between police and angry citizens who believe the police are racist and unnecessarily brutal. While I feel for the victims and those who are targeted by police without reason, adding extra violence to the mix is not right and should not be expected to fix the issue.
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Though it is unfortunate that these violent incidents involving arrests and police have occurred, I think that violent protests are only adding more problems to the situation. Peaceful protesting in accordance with the Constitution should not be a problem, but protesting in a violent manner only results in more arrests which can lead to more violence. The public should not act out violently as a result of these incidents; if they are unhappy with wha is happening, they should show their dissent through peaceful protests instead of advocating more violence.
ReplyDeleteI can see both sides of the two different types of protest. On the one hand if a group of people are unhappy then they should peacefully protest. A peaceful protest will not damage your city or cause more lives to perish. But at the same time, wether we like it or not our government will do whatever it takes to stop protests in general. I hate to say it but a violent protest will draw media attention and be more likely to put the issue at hand up for debate more than a peaceful protest will. Not to mention, it is easy for us to sit here and talk about how these people are criminals and thugs but we did not grow up in Baltimore and we do not know what it is like to face such inequality. I really don't think anyone on this blog can honestly tell me that racism is no longer alive and well, because it is.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I want to point out is that the media is more oppressive towards a riot based around race issues. There have been riots resulting in more extreme destruction of property on the basis of sports games. The fact that we as a society are more critical of black Americans who are so fed up with the way that they are treated they feel they need to riot instead of sodomizing young white sports spectators who feel they need a joyride to feel happy is incredibly sad. I am still not saying that riots are good, I am saying that we oppress the rights of black Americans every time we shame them for standing for their rights.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that peaceful protests are the only way to actually achieve anything and that any progress that will be made will be through communication and politics, I see why the protests have been so violent too. I think that when a group of people are meant to be protecting people but instead are hurting those meant to be under protection, it plucks a certain string of righteousness in those who feel discriminated against. I don't think all police officers are bad, but I do think that if you have even a couple of "bad eggs", they end up representing the group and greater precautions need to be taken when selecting officers. We sit in a position where it's a simple thing to say, " Well, they should just calm down and do something more proactive", but if you felt that you were in danger and the only way to bring it to the attention to it is with violent outbursts then you may behave the same way.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's a shame that some peaceful protest are turning violent. I agree with Dan when he says that violent protests will draw more media attention to the situation but it doesn't shed positive light on the situation. The police are here to protect us and help us. I don't think that a few police officers who made bad decisions should represent the whole community of police officers. This also goes to how a few people who have made bad decisions should represent a whole race of people as well. I also agree with Dan when he says that it is easy for us to way. We are fortunate enough to not grow up in those neighborhoods where gangs are such a part of everyday life that we don't know what it feels like to be suppressed and watched by police. I think that they should be allowed to protest peacefully but by rioting, I think it just sheds a worse life on the community.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that violence is not the answer to any problem I do not blame the citizens for resulting to rioting. Peaceful protest can be successful but it wasn't in ths case, however neither are the riots in securing justice. I believe that people have a right to be angry but their violent reactions are not justified because they are punishing innocent people and police officers who are not all corrupt. I'm not sure how peace will be reached, but hopefully it will. I'd also like to point out that many protesters have not participated in violence and/or crime and are continuing to protest peacefully.
ReplyDeletePersonally I am against almost any use of violence. I feel like hurting people is never a good way to accomplish anything. I do believe in allowing your voice to be heard, but I feel like people recently have been doing this in completely the wrong way. I would rather that people act as an example to society. If people begin to not act racist and violent, slowly society will follow.
ReplyDeleteI think violence is never the best solution for anything. Violent protests bring more attention than peaceful protests but often font shed a positive light on the situation. It obviously means something if people feel the need for violence to feel heard. The violence is not something good but it in this case people feel it is the best option. We cant know how the people in this situation feel because we are so far removed from them so it is hard to judge,
ReplyDeleteI categorically agree with Matt here. Nothing can justify rioting and violent protests. More than that, not much ever comes of violent protests. Although I am disgusted by the cases of proven police brutality and unjustified uses of force, anything done in response to that by authorities carries the risk of making the violent protests appear as if they were successful. That is not a precedent that we want to set, so I expect any reform to come with explicit condemnation of rioting and violent protest,
ReplyDeleteI can see both sides to this situation; destroying buildings and property just hurts the community of the people doing it, yet I can understand how frustrated they are. I definitely agree with Kellen here in that the media is portraying black Americans protesting against injustice as thuggish rioters when other incidents of property destruction involving white citizens do not receive the same treatment. The line i. The article about police not being able to investigate because they have "rocks being throwing at them" is straight up bullshit, I have to say. Citizens shouldn't be resorting to violence, but for police officers in full riot gear to complain that getting rocks thrown at them gets in the way of their investigation is just a way for them to try to distance themselves from the blame. The police need to take responsibility for their huge part in the conflict, not whine about individual rowdy citizens. It's especially frustrating that a large majority of protesters are remaining peaceful, but those looting for their own benefit are receiving the media attention. Overall, though the way it's being achieved may be controversial, the issue is getting the attention it needs. Violent protests destroy property, but in the end it's just material goods, not the lives of black citizens taken by the police who are supposed to protect them.
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