The US policing crisis thread

[J70]

He isn't exactly handling it well? calls for the police and national guard to show restraint- doesn't ask for rioters to stand down and again stokes the flames of rasicm by sending a representative to Mr. Grays funeral.....
His comments after the Michael Brown case where similar. He isn't helping matters....  but maybe in the past 8 years black and white are doing better..... maybe there is no more racism in America and I'm completely wrong...

What do you think will happen if the police and the national guard go in guns blazing against Baltimore street gangs?

And what is wrong with sending a representative to that funeral?

Black protests are happening because a tipping point was reached in the killing of unarmed black males, not because of Obama. Obama is irrelevant. The internet and the ubiquitousness of smart phones allowing people to film everything are what is happening. These cases went uninvestigated/whitewashed until recently. Now that is no longer possible because everything hits the news and You Tube and the publicity is emboldening black people to resist, albeit not without being coopted by criminal elements. But go ahead and blame the mighty, evil Obama if you want. What will you right wingers do in two years when he's gone and the other evil incarnate, Hillary, doesn't win. Who will you blame for all of society's ills then?

[CSC]

Throwing my 2 cents into the argument;

From my experiences with Americans, they are intelligent enough to draw a distinction between foregin policy makers / politicians, and the actual solder, and the sacrifices that solders make to serve the county.

So as big a mistake as Iraq and Vietnam was from a policy / strategy point of view, Americans view the sacrifices that the individual solder makes as the same as WWII in Europe on the beaches and in the Asia Pacific in the islands.

They also understand what war does to a man, i.e. the dehumanization of the enemy and morality, and so tend to respect the physical and physiological demands war places on solders.

So Americans do not think its a double standard when holding politicians accountable for bad leadership / policy, while respecting the solder who defends the policy which significant sacrifices.

[J70]

He isn't exactly handling it well? calls for the police and national guard to show restraint- doesn't ask for rioters to stand down and again stokes the flames of rasicm by sending a representative to Mr. Grays funeral.....
His comments after the Michael Brown case where similar. He isn't helping matters....  but maybe in the past 8 years black and white are doing better..... maybe there is no more racism in America and I'm completely wrong...

Of course there is racism in America. My issue is what has Obama to gain by "stoking up these racial tensions" as you speak of it?? Should the National Guard and Police not show restraint so as not to exacerbate the situation? The rioters are obviously criminals what good is the President telling rioters to stand down going to do?!!

the same as politicians and leaders all over the world who condemn the actions of people acting illegally..... Because you think it won't make a difference as a leader and commander in chief of the USA he shouldn't tell Rioters to stand down??

The silence is deafening..... He doesn't speak up against the riots and sends someone on his behalf to the funeral....nothing to see here...

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/04/27/team-obama-to-respond-to-baltimore-rioting-requests-law-enforcement-restraint/

[muppet]

He isn't exactly handling it well? calls for the police and national guard to show restraint- doesn't ask for rioters to stand down and again stokes the flames of rasicm by sending a representative to Mr. Grays funeral.....
His comments after the Michael Brown case where similar. He isn't helping matters....  but maybe in the past 8 years black and white are doing better..... maybe there is no more racism in America and I'm completely wrong...

Of course there is racism in America. My issue is what has Obama to gain by "stoking up these racial tensions" as you speak of it?? Should the National Guard and Police not show restraint so as not to exacerbate the situation? The rioters are obviously criminals what good is the President telling rioters to stand down going to do?!!

the same as politicians and leaders all over the world who condemn the actions of people acting illegally..... Because you think it won't make a difference as a leader and commander in chief of the USA he shouldn't tell Rioters to stand down??

The silence is deafening..... He doesn't speak up against the riots and sends someone on his behalf to the funeral....nothing to see here...

Is it only Black people at fault, including and especially Obama?

[The Iceman]

He isn't exactly handling it well? calls for the police and national guard to show restraint- doesn't ask for rioters to stand down and again stokes the flames of rasicm by sending a representative to Mr. Grays funeral.....
His comments after the Michael Brown case where similar. He isn't helping matters....  but maybe in the past 8 years black and white are doing better..... maybe there is no more racism in America and I'm completely wrong...

Of course there is racism in America. My issue is what has Obama to gain by "stoking up these racial tensions" as you speak of it?? Should the National Guard and Police not show restraint so as not to exacerbate the situation? The rioters are obviously criminals what good is the President telling rioters to stand down going to do?!!

the same as politicians and leaders all over the world who condemn the actions of people acting illegally..... Because you think it won't make a difference as a leader and commander in chief of the USA he shouldn't tell Rioters to stand down??

The silence is deafening..... He doesn't speak up against the riots and sends someone on his behalf to the funeral....nothing to see here...

Is it only Black people at fault, including and especially Obama?

Not at all thats not what I'm saying.
Obama is not doing his job as a leader. He is the President. But because of his colour his is choosing not to stand when he should. There is nothing wrong with sending a representative to the funeral if you at the same time tell the rioters to stand down. When you only do one as the leader of a country surely you are implying a message to one side of the argument - whether you intend to or not....

[J70]

He isn't exactly handling it well? calls for the police and national guard to show restraint- doesn't ask for rioters to stand down and again stokes the flames of rasicm by sending a representative to Mr. Grays funeral.....
His comments after the Michael Brown case where similar. He isn't helping matters....  but maybe in the past 8 years black and white are doing better..... maybe there is no more racism in America and I'm completely wrong...

Of course there is racism in America. My issue is what has Obama to gain by "stoking up these racial tensions" as you speak of it?? Should the National Guard and Police not show restraint so as not to exacerbate the situation? The rioters are obviously criminals what good is the President telling rioters to stand down going to do?!!

the same as politicians and leaders all over the world who condemn the actions of people acting illegally..... Because you think it won't make a difference as a leader and commander in chief of the USA he shouldn't tell Rioters to stand down??

The silence is deafening..... He doesn't speak up against the riots and sends someone on his behalf to the funeral....nothing to see here...

Is it only Black people at fault, including and especially Obama?

Not at all thats not what I'm saying.
Obama is not doing his job as a leader. He is the President. But because of his colour his is choosing not to stand when he should. There is nothing wrong with sending a representative to the funeral if you at the same time tell the rioters to stand down. When you only do one as the leader of a country surely you are implying a message to one side of the argument - whether you intend to or not....

Given that you cannot click on even the link to Breitbart I posted above:

By 9:00 p.m., as fires were breaking out across the city, Hogan revealed during a press conference that that Obama called to thank him for declaring a state of emergency in response to the rioting and asked him to exercise "due restraint."

"I assured him that we were," Hogan explained to the press. "The last thing we want to do is escalate violence. I assured him we would not stand by and allow our city of Baltimore to be taken over by thugs."

Hogan also indicated that Obama revealed that Lynch would visit Baltimore to help de-escalate the violence.

"He said that we need to get control of our streets, and he endorsed the action taken tonight," Hogan explained.

White House officials confirmed to reporters that Obama spoke to Hogan this evening, but declined to share any details of the conversation.

By 9:00 p.m., Lynch also released a lengthy statement condemning the "senseless acts of violence" in Baltimore vowing that the Justice Department "stands ready to provide any assistance that might be helpful."

"As our investigative process continues, I strongly urge every member of the Baltimore community to adhere to the principles of nonviolence," she said, promising to work with Baltimore leaders to "protect the security and civil rights of all residents."

"I will bring the full resources of the Department of Justice to bear in protecting those under threat, investigating wrongdoing, and securing an end to violence," she added.

The highest law enforcement official in the administration not enough for you?

[The Iceman]

Why can't Obama publicly state it himself??

[J70]

Why can't Obama publicly state it himself??

Because the AG, his law enforcement representative, has done so and its her job?

[muppet]

Why can't Obama publicly state it himself??

Did you not already answer that?

But because of his colour his is choosing not to stand when he should.

[The Iceman]

Why can't Obama publicly state it himself??

Did you not already answer that?

But because of his colour his is choosing not to stand when he should.

As a leader he should though?
Regardless of colour?

[muppet]

Why can't Obama publicly state it himself??

Did you not already answer that?

But because of his colour his is choosing not to stand when he should.

As a leader he should though?
Regardless of colour?

I realise that an entire army of Republicans and their supporters are filling every US vacuum with 'its all Obama's fault' messages, all of the time, for everything. It can be hard to see the wood from the trees with all that noise.

But for me it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference if he does or not. Focusing on that is politicking and nothing more. He will probably come out tomorrow and say whatever and then the US media will focus on why it took a day or two. Anything but ask the hard questions.

As an aside, it is hard to see this stat/story as not linked to the same type of problem: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/11/us/school-shootings-cnn-number/index.html

74 school shootings in 18 months. Wow.

[The Iceman]

Why can't Obama publicly state it himself??

Did you not already answer that?

But because of his colour his is choosing not to stand when he should.

As a leader he should though?
Regardless of colour?

I realise that an entire army of Republicans and their supporters are filling every US vacuum with 'its all Obama's fault' messages, all of the time, for everything. It can be hard to see the wood from the trees with all that noise.

But for me it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference if he does or not. Focusing on that is politicking and nothing more. He will probably come out tomorrow and say whatever and then the US media will focus on why it took a day or two. Anything but ask the hard questions.

As an aside, it is hard to see this stat/story as not linked to the same type of problem: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/11/us/school-shootings-cnn-number/index.html

74 school shootings in 18 months. Wow.

On the flip side of all that Muppet as a husband and father, looking at these shootings, looking at the riots, the looting, the descent into chaos when either people are pissed off about something or a natural disaster strikes, like a hurricane and there is a shortage of food or water - what choice do I have, faced with all of this? Other than to arm myself and be willing to protect my family?

[muppet]

Why can't Obama publicly state it himself??

Did you not already answer that?

But because of his colour his is choosing not to stand when he should.

As a leader he should though?
Regardless of colour?

I realise that an entire army of Republicans and their supporters are filling every US vacuum with 'its all Obama's fault' messages, all of the time, for everything. It can be hard to see the wood from the trees with all that noise.

But for me it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference if he does or not. Focusing on that is politicking and nothing more. He will probably come out tomorrow and say whatever and then the US media will focus on why it took a day or two. Anything but ask the hard questions.

As an aside, it is hard to see this stat/story as not linked to the same type of problem: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/11/us/school-shootings-cnn-number/index.html

74 school shootings in 18 months. Wow.

On the flip side of all that Muppet as a husband and father, looking at these shootings, looking at the riots, the looting, the descent into chaos when either people are pissed off about something or a natural disaster strikes, like a hurricane and there is a shortage of food or water - what choice do I have, faced with all of this? Other than to arm myself and be willing to protect my family?

If it was happening outside my door, I think I would agree with you.

But we all know that will only throw fuel on the fire and who knows where it could end up?

We took the gun out of the politics of the 6 counties, someone needs to find a way to do it in The States.

[The Iceman]

Its too late for that now unfortunately.
There is no groups to decommission.
It's real, very real and very scary.

[muppet]

Its too late for that now unfortunately.
There is no groups to decommission.
It's real, very real and very scary.

Are you near Baltimore?

I was there a few times. Nice enough in the small centre, I was always told never to walk anywhere else.