Stressing out!!!!

I live across the river from those stupid rioters in Ferguson, MO. I can't keep my eyes away from the tele. Makes me want to go back home...

Ugh! Be glad you're across the river! Try not to stress too much. Stay in and stay safe. This is truly horrible and I don't see anything getting better for anyone after this.

They are peaceful protestors, and their cause is totally justified. I believe the Ferguson police force are the ones escalating the situation with their extreme riot control practices, heavy artillery and ongoing media efforts to smear the murdered boy and the black protestors. Stay safe!

Edit: Oh, I just read the latest. Yikes, it seems bad in a few areas. Hope you're okay! But I'd be burning the city down too, speaking as a politics and criminology student. Did you see the pic of Michael Brown's father when he heard the verdict? But to be honest the most infuriating thing is that the force weren't taken to task for all the lies that have since been exposed/backpedaled on. Why, America!

An old Kurosawa movie explained that there are 3 sides to every story. Did you not see "the gentle giant" on video robbing the convenience store and intimidating the clerks as he knew he was much bigger than them--seriously. He and his "friend" were then walking in the street interfering with traffic, which is why the police stopped them--I think his reaction was mostly because of the robbery and the Grand Jury was under tremendous pressure to find against the police and didn't. Peaceful protesters--if that were the case they wouldn't have molotov cocktails and masks and wouldn't be looting and burning. We obviously have different ideas about what peaceful is. Did you listen to any of the interviews of real "peaceful" protesters or the people whose businesses were torched or looted and destroyed? I've taken part in protests and not once felt that firebombs and looting was a valid part of the protest. Picketing, meeting, and petitions yes, violence no--as it's ususally met with more violence and just escalates. So much more to be said.................

Nancy McClelland said:

An old Kurosawa movie explained that there are 3 sides to every story. Did you not see "the gentle giant" on video robbing the convenience store and intimidating the clerks as he knew he was much bigger than them--seriously. He and his "friend" were then walking in the street interfering with traffic, which is why the police stopped them--I think his reaction was mostly because of the robbery and the Grand Jury was under tremendous pressure to find against the police and didn't. Peaceful protesters--if that were the case they wouldn't have molotov cocktails and masks and wouldn't be looting and burning. We obviously have different ideas about what peaceful is. Did you listen to any of the interviews of real "peaceful" protesters or the people whose businesses were torched or looted and destroyed? I've taken part in protests and not once felt that firebombs and looting was a valid part of the protest. Picketing, meeting, and petitions yes, violence no--as it's ususally met with more violence and just escalates. So much more to be said.................

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Well said.

There is no justification for property destruction, nor is there justification for destroying an individual's business. I'm scared to death that these people are going to impede my wife's way to work or her safety and well-being.

I am not going to add much because I am not going to be in a political argument here.

Amen and the sad and scary truth. Tell your wife to take the long way around!

We'll keep you in our thought and prayers. If she can avoid the area then do so by all means. Politics is just hot air coming from peoples mouths. Always tell everyone that my ears lie to me all the time but never my eyes. Can't rely on TV coverage either because Yellow Journalism sells or else Hearst couldn't have built his Castle. Like the Lacrosse players accused by Sharpton on TV til the girl admitted she lied, but, still waiting for an apology and retraction from the Reverend Al. Media is mostly manipulation. They only show things to sensationalize--one of the former Eagles wrote a song about it in fact. In my long lifetime I've been present at events that were covered by TV and never heard or saw a third of what they said was happening.

Channahs said:

Amen and the sad and scary truth. Tell your wife to take the long way around!

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Both highways she can take run through Ferguson. Ugh.

I could just see someone who is sick and tired of being held up trying to get through, then a whole bunch of ugly would start. I wish it would snow 21" and get these dummies to stay home leave us the heck alone.

Nancy McClelland said:

We'll keep you in our thought and prayers. If she can avoid the area then do so by all means. Politics is just hot air coming from peoples mouths. Always tell everyone that my ears lie to me all the time but never my eyes. Can't rely on TV coverage either because Yellow Journalism sells or else Hearst couldn't have built his Castle. Like the Lacrosse players accused by Sharpton on TV til the girl admitted she lied, but, still waiting for an apology and retraction from the Reverend Al. Media is mostly manipulation. They only show things to sensationalize--one of the former Eagles wrote a song about it in fact. In my long lifetime I've been present at events that were covered by TV and never heard or saw a third of what they said was happening.

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Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" from '87 or so.

A local radio has reported things the national media refuses to cover. That makes me ill, as I think the opinions of others in the world regarding their views on this would change DRASTICALLY. I will not chide others on their views of this, as they are more than likely receiving highly biased and downright slanted reporting on this story...

Thanks for your prayers; we need them.

Hey, wait a minute. You can't smell the serious miscarriage of justice here? When somebody is suspected of stealing, robbing, interfering with traffic, what we do as a civilized society is known as "due process". That means that everyone is entitled to a trial and if convicted, punishment in accordance with the law. An unarmed teenager was gunned down, killed in the middle of the street, and the rest of America shrugs and says, so what, he robbed that store, he was no angel. You don't have to be a Ferguson black to feel how unbelievably heartbreaking that public sentiment is.

FYI, I am an Asian studying politics and criminology in very white New Zealand, and I assure you I don't entertain far-left or far-right radical "news" sources. My opinions are formed entirely as an academic, objective third party. And my heart bleeds for your black people. These protests are a culmination of decades of Michael Brown's and Darren Wilson's, Trayvon Martin's and George Zimmerman's. Even the star on your police badges are a symbolic remnant of the "Runaway Slave Patrol". America has done and continues to do its black people wrong. The protests, I'm sorry you are scared and inconvenienced, but this is life and death for them. Their children are being shot down for looking like thugs, for having shifty eyes, for wearing hoodies, for stealing, for knocking on doors and for playing thug music. If my people were marginalized and criminalized as deeply as African Americans are in American society and your criminal justice system, I would be burning the city down.

And yet they are not. Evidence is everywhere about the police escalating what was a peaceful situation with awful mishandling. Back when the Hands Up Don't Shoot protest was entirely composed of peaceful protestors on their knees with their hands in the air, the police were rolling in tanks and shooting tear gas into people's backyards. Yes, there were store break-ins. People were breaking into McDonald's, restaurants, and convenience stores to get milk and water for the tear gas victims. Yes, there was looting too. The black community, even (and I still can't believe this) the very serious and deadly rival youth gangs the Bloods and the Crips, stood together in front of stores to prevent further looting. Have you seen the pictures? Ferguson knows the nation is watching. They put aside everything, all differences, to protect their community and make sure the few opportunistic malicious looters wouldn't distract from the protest's message.

There were no molotovs. Police reported none, and in a particularly embarrassing episode the media outlet who published photos of the beer "Molotovs" used admitted that firstly, that brand of beer was not available in Missouri and secondly, like most American beer, it was not alcoholic enough to be lit up even if the Human Torch himself lighter-farted on it. The photos of protestors throwing tear gas canisters? Where did they get it from? The police were firing them into the crowd. They were throwing it away so people wouldn't be hurt. Remember, there were children there.

Violence is wrong, and I feel terrible for all who lost their property. But I believe this truly is life or death for the black people of America. We like to rag on the Mid East for such barbaric, inhumane practices as cutting off people's hands when they steal. This boy lost his life in a terribly violent manner for that same crime, and white America is falling over itself to defend Darren Wilson by pointing at Brown's alleged robbery as justification. That was not justice. This is not justice. If this is how not just the American criminal justice system but American society as a whole treats white-on-black crime, with disdain and more concern for their own property than for justice and black lives, I stand with Ferguson.

Anyhow! Stay safe my American bunfriends, don't watch Fox News or CNN, keep an open heart and mind, and love your neighbor. I'm keeping all of you in my thoughts! :USAflagwaving:

If you were to look at figures, black on black crime out-numbers white on black crime in a huge ratio, and white officer on black civilian crime even less. In the city of St. Louis, there were actually MORE black officer on black civilian shooting in a ten year period!!!! I am not going to give a number because I am will not pull numbers out of my arse.

Knowing many police officers, "shoot to wound" doesn't work. In many cases where there is an altercation between a suspect and a police officer, drugs are involved. Some suspects are so full of drugs or adrenaline that firing in the leg could make matters worse. You literally have seconds to make decisions.

No police officer EVER wants to fire their weapon. Not only is there the piles of paperwork, mandatory investigation and administartive leave, but they know if they kill someone, it is someone's son/daughter/brother/sister/father/mother/etc. etc. This is not lost upon most police officers. But they also know that there are times that it's the officer or the suspect in some encounters.

The grand jury process reviewed the evidence, and the officer involved was found to do no wrong in that case. It was a pretty exhaustive process, and I have faith in that process.

Mandatory body cams would clear future situations like this up, and I am 150% in favour of them.

I am a multi-racial man with a "funny" accent, yet I am treated like a white based upon appearances. When I lived in the 'hood, I was harrassed. My car was broken into. My house was tagged with graffitti, and finally a large rock was thrown in my bedroom window before I finally got the hell out. I realise that there are just thugs who don't respect anybody's property, because the nice black lady who lived next door was also victimised by this behaviour after I had moved. My joke is that the most tolerant person can become a raving racist after living in the 'hood.

The biggest thing is that people can change things by voting in their local elections and voting for people who reflect their values. America is NOT a tyrannical society, and everyone adult can vote and make a difference. Riots are unnecessary; just get involved in politics to affect change.

I see where you are coming from, but like Nancy said, there are three sides to some stories, and I have found that this story has had been slanted. I respect your opinion, just don't agree.

Its very hard to know what the truth really is these days. As someone I worked with once told me there are 3 sides to every story. "our side" "their side" and the truth!

will be thinking of you and your wife bunnyman!

Thanks!

The people we all should be thinking of a LOT more about are the people in Ferguson who want NOTHING to do with this, but are held hostage by the threat of their homes and businesses being destroyed. My wife can take a vacation day and be unaffected; the average citizen in Ferguson is being held hostage right now and there are jobs lost thanks to burnt down businesses.

Our country is very, very, very messed up. When I feel overwhelmed by the leaning and bogus media reports, I go into Barry's room, lie down and kiss his mushy face and I wish myself a bunny that were loved as much as he is. *Dear Trix* Tell Dumpy to grow his hair back. What an awesome curly mess of locks he has!

Channahs-

Trix here. Dumpy used to have pretty furs, but now he has middle age furs. Dumpy says he had a great run with his furs, but now he's old and his furs is acting as old as the rest of him. Dumpy ain't pretty no more, but he's still funny. I just hope he don't get All's Timer's, 'cos he's ANCIENT!!!!!

Love,

Trix
_------------------

Dumpy here-

Our animals are the only little being that can keep us sane, despite acting insane and posting in the third bunny. That's okay- that is definitely the most fun about this forum.

Your formerly curly pal,

Dumpy

As the wife of an officer in a large metropolitan city, I feel compelled to make a suggestion, especially to those who may feel the police are too overly militarized or prone to rampant brutality. First, let me be clear about 2 things so that no one here feels as though I am trying to start an argument, because that is not my intention: #1this is coming from a former police-hating wild child who suddenly found herself married to a LEO when he up and decided 7 years in, he wanted to be a cop(i have seen both sides of the coin). #2 I am in no way negating the fact that there ARE officers who have abused their authority, they are in the extreme minority and should be wearing prison orange instead of blue. Darren Wilson is not in this minority. If you truly want to understand the hows and whys of a Police Departments' Standard Operational Procedures, many agencies allow civilians to go on what are called "ride alongs". If your local agency allows them, I highly suggest taking one. Although, one 8-12 hour shift won't reveal all of the possible scenarios that LEOs face on a day to day basis, it's quite eye opening. 8-10 hours is also plenty of time to ask lots of questions.
As far as commenting on how the police in America(or anywhere)SHOULD be handing their jobs, Please make sure to arm yourself with the proper information, and remember, you are not a LEO, you have no idea of the stresses of the job as a whole. There are plenty of resources for numbers, statistics, general clarification on what the truth about law enforcement really is, etc.(National Police Wives Association, PoliceOnedotcom, NLEOMF, National FBI Statistics,etc), and a whole lot more.
I do not mean to negate or disparage your schooling, Whisky, I mean no offense to your education, Politics and Criminology, as far as I understand them(please correct me if needed) doesn't so much focus on LE procedures, training and policies but on understanding criminal behavior and how to recognize, control and prevent it. You are correct that everyone is entitled to due process and a trial. The grand jury is the second step of that process, after a thorough investigation, to determine whether or not there was a reason to charge him with a crime. There wasn't. He acted lawfully within the scope of his job description. You can't just put someone on trial because the whole world demands it. Both parties are entitled to due process, not just the 'victim'. And please understand, I know being married to a cop in no way makes me an expert, but my new found exposure to the LE lifestyle and its idiosyncrasies over the last 8 years has been quite an "educational" experience. One that has oftentimes been a downright rude awakening. Not to mention, infuriating and heartbreaking. To touch just a little bit on that whole militarized approach to responding to potentially deadly riot situations? There has been a recent trend, since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, in which young gang members (who have not yet been in a whole lot of trouble with the law) enlist, go to basic training, deploy and when they come home, are now highly skilled soldiers who then train their gang brothers and sisters in the ways of military combat. Iraq is the perfect training ground as our soldiers are fighting in sometimes urban areas. There are also myriad ways for them to access high quality, high capacity weapons (that would otherwise be only available to LE or the military) illegally. This, in the grand scheme of things, means that with todays technology, cops are potentially outgunned and also having to fend off dangerous criminals who may even have better close combat training among other things(armor piercing ammunition, hello?). Sounds like a Hollywood movie plot, but it is real. Another trend? Oficers' homes and personal vehicles being targeted because criminals who know where they live, burglarize their homes and steal their equipment. This, I know from experience unfortunately. Also, about the Shield/Star thing, your information is incorrect, I believe. Sounds like possible propaganda maybe? The purpose of the badge was to give officers a unique symbol that is easily identified. The badge was originally designed as a shield, which is a symbol of protection.(they protect and serve the LAW, BTW. Protecting and serving the general public is not the sole intention behind that motto). The evolution to the star for some departments probably originated in Great Brittan over 200 year ago when the army wore stars on their helmets. Absolutely zero correlation to slavery. Bleeding hearts love to tout the slavery angle. I wish we could stop regurgitating the negative past and work to move forward and grow from it.
Please, do the homework everyone! There are a lot of misconceptions being touted as fact because the media tells us it is, and most of the time they are completely false or twisted just to sell a story. Unfortunately, at the expense of the character and reputations of men like my husband, BIL, Uncle and cousins. Who WILL be answering your 911 calls despite your having slandered him the day before when he gave you a speeding ticket. These men and women are human beings, same as us.
Bunnyman666, if you were standing here in front of me, I wouldn't know whether to high-five you, or hug you. Probably both provided your wife wouldn't mind the hug. And since you mentioned the numbers thing, I will close with a few here, just to illustrate how NOT rampant police brutality is. They make up such a small percentage of the US population. A tiny handful of "bad apples". Not a whole bushel.
FACTS
-there are less than a million officers in the US(made up of 22,000 agencies I think)
-313.9 million residents in the US.
-760,000 officers for 313.9 million residents. that equals only 245 officers per 100,000 residents
-12mil arrests per year; 34,000 arrests per day
-400 fatal police shootings per year
-less than 1% who encounter police die, 99.9% who encounter police...live
FACTS
every 58 hours an officer dies on duty
over 58000 officers assaulted every year (ex. Police Reserve Cpt. Kevin Quick in VA, google him)
police kill less than 1% of those they encounter and the vast majority are justified(Darren Wilson, whether people care to acknowledge the facts or not)
And to touch on Bunnyman666s opening statement: 91% of blacks are killed by members of their own race, almost 500 more whites die each year than blacks

Just some long winded food for thought folks!
peace, everyone! And stay safe!

Katiedarling- eloquently stated!

My wife isn't the jealous type, you coulddo both.

well, thank you. I tried so hard not to come of like a raving, biased lunatic.
Also, I forgot to mention I completely agree with you about the body cams. They are currently being tested out in some agencies, I think LAPD may be one of them(don't quote me on that, I don't remember what city the story was in), and the officer being interviewed stated that false reports of police brutality had gone down. He stated that when a potential perp sees that they have turned their cams on, they quickly start changing their tune and the situation is more easily deescalated. I hope they are implemented in all agencies. Sooner, rather than later. The cost is probably extraordinary for some smaller ones, but there may be organizations that raise money to assist departments in this.

Never was I in favour of police running rough-shod over citizens; after all- the mission is to protect, not intimidate. Please note I am not accusing ANYBODY here of saying I am in favour of police brutality. But the cameras do insure that everybody plays nicely.

Passionate? Yes. Raving lunatic? Absolutely not.