The place I was born and raised is turning into a war zone

[Grand Papillon "The Banker"]

I know this is a very sensitive topic, and if a similar topic was started and closed I apologize. Please keep the politics out.


I am just so shocked and saddened at what is going on in North St. Louis right now after the Michael Brown shooting. Here is a live feed of the activity.

www.reddit.com/live/tdrph3y49ftn

My thoughts go out to everyone affected by this tragic situation, but my fear is this is going to get worse. The places I have childhood memories in, that I went a million times are currently seemingly ground zero of chaos. Why can't people just be better to one another?

[ibdude]

I'm from St. Louis as well, but it looks like the rioting is taking place in North St. Louis County and South St. Louis City not North City like you said.

Anyway though, it's very tragic that the boy died. The rioting and looting isn't really solving anything. Those people are just looking for a reason to steal and don't give a damn about his death.

[Grand Papillon "The Banker"]

Aug 12, 2014 1:49:58 GMT -5 ibdude said:

I'm from St. Louis as well, but it looks like the rioting is taking place in North St. Louis County and South St. Louis City not North City like you said.

Anyway though, it's very tragic that the boy died. The rioting and looting isn't really solving anything. Those people are just looking for a reason to steal and don't give a damn about his death.

Just forgot the word "County"

I'm from around Spanish Lake, so I'm recognizing way too many of these places.


I understand the outrage, but what's going on now is just deepening the divide between police and citizens. Police officers calling protestors "animals" is helping just about as much as those that are using a tragedy to get free stuff for themselves. If the investigation into the shooting results in anything other than the officer's conviction, I fear that this is only the beginning (and right now no one has the facts to fully evaluate the officer's actions to determine if that is even the appropriate outcome).

[Zone Was Wrong]

Live across the river but I have a few friends that live around the area. Pretty scary stuff.

[ibdude]

Yeah I'm from North City myself. I really hope it doesn't spread that far.

[Sephiroth]

I'm reminded of two contrasting stories from Los Angeles back in the 90's: the first was the Rodney King riots that broke out after that famous trial, where people lashed out against each other in anger and resentment and it simply degenerated into anarchy from there.

But the other was the Watts Gang Truce that happened only a few days earlier, where people actually took to partying and celebrating in the streets when rival gangs declared a cease fire. Sometimes people find positive release for their pent up feelings, sometimes not. Best of thoughts for the people living in St Louis right now.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

It was mostly contained to the Ferguson area, but it still hits home since I grew up in St. Louis County.

[Mr PONYMANIA Mr Jenzie]

you're now worse than EAST ST LOUIE???

jimminey

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

It's been insane every night since the news broke out. It's really close to home for me because I live in the next city over from it. I have family who lives in Ferguson as the Sunday stuff one of the places that was attacked was a block from his house. One of my best friends Brother in Law also lives there just down the street from the mayor who got death threats. The looting and rioting wasn't even done by people from that city. The ones caught where from St. Louis city and all had large criminal records. So yes they used it as an excuse for free stuff and there actions. But there also been a lot of not so civil actions from protesters.

The issue been going everywhere. South Country and even West out in St. Peters where again my mom and brother live as well a ton of my friends where I grow up at. There was a threat at the mall, a shoe store, and Main Street a historical site. To see an armed truck with a bunch of riot gear going down the street Tuesday that I was out partying Sat night at (A lot of bars in the area) it freaky too see. I can say so much about this but I can't because it would break the rules of the forums. There been a lot of things that made me sick about the things that did happen.

[Ganon83]

I think most can agree that violence never really solves violence, and regardless of what happens next I really hope all of this gets done quickly.

[Deleted]

I feel that we, as a people, need to seriously reevaluate how we act around someone with a gun.

I was taught to respect guns. If you’re in an altercation with someone (be it police, security or otherwise) and they have a gun you show them respect. In this instance you’re not showing the person respect or telling them you approve of them or their actions, you’re showing the gun respect, and in turn, your life.

What you do NOT want to do when in an altercation with someone who is armed is antagonize them. Whether it be cursing at them, yelling “f*** The Police” at them, throwing things at them, or punching them in the face repeatedly (see: Trayvon). I don’t care if they’ve profiled you for your color, sex, whatever. I don’t care if they’ve called you every name in the book or even became violent with you. If they have a gun YOU SHOW THE GUN RESPECT. Being slighted, profiled or discriminated against is horrible and should never ever happen but it is not worth your life.

This doesn’t mean that I blame the victims for getting shot, or that I feel that they deserved to be shot. I also am NOT saying that if the victims had acted with respect towards the gun that they wouldn’t have been shot. This is just me stating what should damn well be common sense.

[Deleted]

Yeah I was watching this unfold last night on a live Ustream feed and twitter.

Watching the police use sound canons, tear gas and rubber bullets on peaceful, non-violent protesters was really saddening for me. Who ever was directing the PD last night really dropped the ball on several levels. The media blackout was especially unnerving. Media blackouts by local law enforcement is one of the most foreboding things I can imagine in a first world country.

Especially since the same kind of stuff happened in Berkeley and literally less than a mile away from me in Oakland last year.

[mattperiolat]

This is such a sensitive topic, I barely know how to respond to it.

I'm not from the area, so I cannot speak to it. I'm also white, so I will never be able to speak to what it's like to be a black man in any city in the United States.

Here is what I know - an unarmed black man was shot and killed by police this past weekend. Since then, the police and public response has varied in intensity. Last night, two journalists were arrested by police, ostensibly for not leaving McDonald's fast enough. They were released three hours later without charges filed. This is compounded by the police using tear gas cannons on press pools, specifically from Al-Jazerra, and confiscating their cameras when the press retreated.

All I can say is, based on what has been reported by the media and the images I have seen, is something is going tragically wrong in Ferguson and it needs to stop before someone else dies.

[Deleted]

a summary I found on twitter



Apparently there was a FB meme floating around that showed a lady with a quote about how much she hates the people of that town and how they're animals and stuff. It was mis-attributed to the Mayor's wife.

[wallabylikeyou]

I can't even comprehend what's going on there. It seems insane to me that that Amerian police could act they way they are in Ferguson and have it not be an enormous deal.

[Deleted]

Not exactly a warzone. Disturbing stuff, though, very very disturbing. Reminds me of many riots here in NI.

[MGH]

I was glued to coverage of this pretty much all night before I went to sleep. The rioting and looting need/needed to stop. That isn't doing anything besides exacerbating a situation that was already turning ugly. But I'm like most people I think, and the story of this to me is the insanity going on with this police force. It's as though the Constitution has ceased to exist in Ferguson over the last 48 hours. Reporters getting arrested, released, and being given zero information or even a reason as to why they were being held. Cameras being confiscated as though that's going to stop images from getting out of these events. It's a frightening scene up there right now. A really scary moment around 11 last night was when a mob of officers began bearing down on a group of protestors and ordering all cameras in the area to be shut down before they moved in. That's horrifying. I fear that without intervention very soon from some outside forces this is going to end really, really badly.

[mattperiolat]

Aug 14, 2014 9:07:45 GMT -5 MGH said:

I was glued to coverage of this pretty much all night before I went to sleep. The rioting and looting need/needed to stop. That isn't doing anything besides exacerbating a situation that was already turning ugly. But I'm like most people I think, and the story of this to me is the insanity going on with this police force. It's as though the Constitution has ceased to exist in Ferguson over the last 48 hours. Reporters getting arrested, released, and being given zero information or even a reason as to why they were being held. Cameras being confiscated as though that's going to stop images from getting out of these events. It's a frightening scene up there right now. A really scary moment around 11 last night was when a mob of officers began bearing down on a group of protestors and ordering all cameras in the area to be shut down before they moved in. That's horrifying. I fear that without intervention very soon from some outside forces this is going to end really, really badly.

But there lies the problem - what is considered an appropriate response? Instinctively, I'd recommend the National Guard be sent in to get between both sides, but that involves the White House and any political repercussions that we do not need to discuss here.

What do you suggest?

[lodirulz]

I'll limit myself to saying this and this only for the sake of the rules: I've followed this story like many all last night. There is no words to truly explain how pissed off I was and still am at the Ferguson Police Force.

[Deleted]

St. Louis PD are being removed from the situation.

The St. Louis County Police Department will no longer be involved in the policing Ferguson, Missouri, the suburban community rocked by protests after the death of an unarmed black teenager who was shot by a police officer last week.

Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), who represents Ferguson, told Bloomberg on Thursday that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) is expected to announce the decision later today.

"The gov. just called me and he's on his way to St. Louis now to announce he's taking St. Louis County police out of the situation," he said.

The situation, already tenuous after extensive police presence that included rubber bullets, pepper spray and tear gas since Michael Brown's death last week, exploded Wednesday evening after SWAT officers roughed up and arrested two reporters inside a local McDonald's. The journalists were unharmed, but the incident highlighted the town's ramped up police presence, which has been criticized as overly militarized.

It was unclear which authorities, either state police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, would be taking over in place of St. Louis County Police Department.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the county police was "not aware of reports that they are being relieved of duty."

The Ferguson Police Department has continued to withhold the identity of the officer who shot Brown out of concerns about his personal safety.

The governor released a statement on the situation on Wednesday evening, urging law enforcement to "keep the peace and respect the rights of residents and the press during this difficult time."

“I have been closely monitoring the situation and will continue to be in communication with local leaders, and I will be in north St. Louis County tomorrow," Nixon said. "As Governor, I am committed to ensuring the pain of last weekend’s tragedy does not continue to be compounded by this ongoing crisis."

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said Wednesday evening that she was in contact with local officials and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Devision in order to "de escalate the tense and unacceptable situation" in Ferguson. She is also expected to meet with Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday.

- source

If this were a wrestling event I'd be chanting "you f***ed up!" as they left.