POLL: Ferguson Cops, Curfew & Protesers (St. Louis, Dellwood: good credit, schools, gangs)

[glamatomic]

Has anybody read Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities recently?

I think one part of the problem is these rioter's education or lack thereof. Unfortunately, predominantly African American communities have always got the fuzzy end of the lollipop when it comes to quality education.

[flynavyj]

Originally Posted by glamatomic

I've seen quite a lot of footage of children at the protests. One photo that was circulating showed a child, maybe 7 or 8, in the QT while it was being looted the first night. It's horrible that parents would expose their children to this- and put their children's lives in danger in the process!

But we wonder how the cycle of poverty, lack of education, and lack of options persists...I'm pretty sure it has something to do with parents who don't know how to parent, and likely weren't parented well themselves.

When I was a teenager, I could barely get ANYWHERE without my folks first knowing exactly what I was going to do, and when I was going to be home. I can remember asking to go to a "party" on several occasions, and the response by my mom "sure, I need the phone number so I can call their parents before hand to check it all out." Seemed to work pretty well to keep me out of trouble. So, I wonder how many folks are out there causing a ruckus under the age of 18, and their parents are just letting them run.

[Vols44]

Originally Posted by aliasfinn

National Guard is called to come in.

+1

The 175th Military Police Battalion is in day five of their ten day exercise at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. It's part of each National Guard unit's two week annual training. It's widely expected their training will be modified to prepare for operations in and around Ferguson to assist the unified command under the guidance or Missouri Highway Patrol (MHP) Cpt. Ron Johnson.

The battalion consists of four companies from various cities in Missouri. Executive order 14-09 allows the Adjutant General (commander of the state National Guard) to mobilize and support civilian authorities. The Superintendent of the MHP is given authority to take traffic measures necessary to maintain peace and order.

Linky: https://governor.mo.gov/sites/defaul...er%2014-09.pdf

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by flynavyj

But we wonder how the cycle of poverty, lack of education, and lack of options persists...I'm pretty sure it has something to do with parents who don't know how to parent, and likely weren't parented well themselves.

When I was a teenager, I could barely get ANYWHERE without my folks first knowing exactly what I was going to do, and when I was going to be home. I can remember asking to go to a "party" on several occasions, and the response by my mom "sure, I need the phone number so I can call their parents before hand to check it all out." Seemed to work pretty well to keep me out of trouble. So, I wonder how many folks are out there causing a ruckus under the age of 18, and their parents are just letting them run.

I think it's the whole culture of that way of life. The parents live it and the kids imitate their parents.

I grew up in a different time. I graduated from high school in the mid-70s. My parents gave me a lot of freedom, but I didn't abuse that freedom. My parents were hardworking people, didn't drink, were always working or at home. When I was in high school I got good grades and always had a job and when not at school or working, I was hanging out with my friends. Hanging out talking on summer nights, no doing anything wild or bad or illegal. But if there had been one report of me being involved in something bad or illegal, I'm pretty sure my freedom would have ended. I saw my parents living a quiet life where they went to work and came home and worked in the yard and garden and took care of the kids and didn't cause any trouble, so that was my framework for the way life is supposed to be.

When I talked about the culture of a way of life, things just are different in different places. You know what you grow up with. When my kids were growing up, I expected them to follow the rules - like no underage drinking. I saw other people, including some friends of mine, who lived in another area of the same city where the parents didn't have a problem with giving their underage kids alcohol. And maybe it's not so much the area of the city as just the individual values of the parents. But I never understood that. How do you teach your kids that the rules in society apply to everyone, including them, if you say "Oh, but I will buy you some beer if you want some...." I don't get that.

But anyway, in the case of Ferguson, I think it's parents who grew up a certain way and are raising their kids the same way. That's what they know. I mean, in some homes a kid is expected to stay out of trouble and graduate from college because that's what their parents did. It's a family expectation. In some families people hang out in the streets, grow up without fathers, live on public assistance, get involved with drugs, have children at an early age,, and repeat the cycle.

And I will go out on a limb and say that a lot of those people blame white people and police for their lot in life, when really it's their own failure to do something different and get different results. Which is exactly why I evolved to be conservative over the years (started out as a young just able to vote independent because I was determined not to be bound by conservative or liberal values, but to think for myself - but it just so happened that over the years I realized I was so much more aligned with conservative values) - because I don't think the solution is to continue social programs, but to try to help people become able to help themselves. As long as you continue to support them financially, they have no incentive to do so themselves. I think the same thing about poor white people who are in a cycle of poverty. because it's rampant there too. But the poor people don't blame white people and the police so much as they blame corporate America/rich people.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by glamatomic

I've seen quite a lot of footage of children at the protests. One photo that was circulating showed a child, maybe 7 or 8, in the QT while it was being looted the first night. It's horrible that parents would expose their children to this- and put their children's lives in danger in the process!

I can top that. Last night on CNN they showed protesters putting on gas masks, one was a young white woman who was clearly several months pregnant. WTH is wrong with her? At the very least she could get knocked down in a scuffle or worse.

[aliasfinn]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

I can top that. Last night on CNN they showed protesters putting on gas masks, one was a young white woman who was clearly several months pregnant. WTH is wrong with her? At the very least she could get knocked down in a scuffle or worse.

This autopsy report doesn't look good. The way they presented it I won't be surprised if they don't wait till dark to riot tonight. I wonder if that's why they're bringing in the Guard?

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by Christine_565

A better strategy, is to simply mobilize a boycott against the businesses that do not respect the community.

How do you define "respect the community"?

It seems to me that some people going into Ferguson are acting like it is some big party. I also wouldn't be surprised if there were more than a few white college students caught up in some "revolution fever".

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

How do you define "respect the community"?

It seems to me that some people going into Ferguson are acting like it is some big party. I also wouldn't be surprised if there were more than a few white college students caught up in some "revolution fever".

Well the ones shown last night putting on gas masks and had their faces covered with bandanas were white and were definitely in the age range of college students.

[BerkeleyKid]

Originally Posted by BubbyBobble

Breaking: preliminary autopsy reveals he was shot at least 6 times.

And what about drug content. Was anything mentioned about that?

[aliasfinn]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

How do you define "respect the community"?

It seems to me that some people going into Ferguson are acting like it is some big party. I also wouldn't be surprised if there were more than a few white college students caught up in some "revolution fever".

They were interviewing this little guy who sounded like he was from India last night on the local news.
His kwiki mart which is located in Dellwood got trashed and looted. He asked the reporter,
" Why did they do this? I didn't do anything to Michael Brown. " When the interview was over, he crawled back thru the busted out window, turned off the lights and stayed in his store. Probably armed to the teeth.