How many of you were or know white kids who shoplifted as teenagers? How many of them got off with a finger wagging and release back into their parents custody?

What other options are there? I'm calling him guilty because he's a thief who robbed a convenience store. That was him in the video. I don't know why he was shot. But I'm sure there was a legitimate reason behind the shooting.

A strong-arm robbery is a higher offense than shoplifting. The item Brown is suspected of stealing is more expensive than what teenagers** typically shoplift and it was probably kept behind the cash register which is why the strong-arm robbery would have taken place.

Either way, there is no evidence the officer knew Brown was a suspect in that robbery. So, the being a suspect in the robbery is moot if talking about the shooting for anything other than possibly influencing how Brown responded to the officer.

**I typically don't call 18 year old "teenagers". While there is "teen" behind the age, they are legal adults. I believe people keep saying "teenager" for Michael Brown to youth-alize him and, similar to what KAPPAcino is saying, make him seem like an innocent child.

These sentences don't go together.

It's happening again.

https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ferguson?src=hash

That's why I understand and partly agree with the police's harsh response a few days ago.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/mic...unrest-n182291

Peaceful protests during the day, looting at night. I really feel bad for these store owners.

Watching the video of the strong-arm robbery made me want to smack the mess out of the assailant. Not because a $40-something box of cigars is so important but the sheer audacity to steal something so unnecessary from a store and use force to scare the store owner. Thank goodness a gun wasn't used for the cigars but physical force is still a (typically less lethal) weapon.

These types of things are so disturbing to me. From what I understand (what we've been told) about the case, I don't think the officer had justification to shoot this young man. I can understand that the community would be really angry and upset about that.

I don't understand the looting/rioting mentality and I kind of wish I'd studied it more when I was working in mental health. I don't understand how setting fires or stealing from local businesses helps anything. I do understand why the police reacted the way they did during the initial protests because we've seen the same scene before. Do people not remember Rodney King? The riots of '67 ruined the city of Detroit and it is still trying to recover from them.

So, the police tried to give protesters space because the protesters said it was the police in riot gear that made people act violently. And yet there was still rioting.

All of the side shows here must be slowing down the police's ability to really get this investigation done and take appropriate actions because so many of their resources are focused on the community and the media.

I think you give this local police force too much credit. They took 4 days post-incident to get the story straight, then had to revise it within 3 hours of issuance. (The officer had no knowledge of Browns' possible involvement in a robbery. ...wait a minute. He did know Brown was a suspect.)

I'm glad Federal authorities have been brought in as quickly as they have. Hopefully they can quickly get to what really happened out there on the street.

I agree, AGDee.

As for how long the police took to release details, people are misinformed about the obligation of police to release certain details and the timeline of the release. When the community, domestic and international public, and social media and Internet are demanding answers, protesting, rioting, and jumping around the Internet--of course there will be errors in the details released. That is what happens when things are rushed to appease the people. That is what happens when people are instantly outraged, declaring a racist police state, and threatening all hell will break loose. I hope people learn that it is appropriate to hold police accountable but everything has a limit if you want more than a frantic half-assed job.

One of the things that bothers me the most is how some people in the community don't see how the looting and aggression are so cliche' and indicative of the victim mentality. Some people in these communities struggle to balance awareness of disadvantage and systemic inequalities with empowerment, liberation, and knowledge that they are not perpetual victims.

I almost went off an a reeeeaaallllyyyy good tangent but I am willing myself not to derail your thread.

I saw photos in a news article of citizens guarding local stores to deter looters. I thought that was pretty cool. There are certainly people in the community who know exactly what will not help and are doing their best to keep the peace (though it's a shame that they have to keep the rest of the community in check).

Yes, the people trying to stop the looting warms my heart. :)

:) There always has been and always will be many people who know. That's why my post said "some people." The problem is the people who know often let the not-knowing be the loudest and most consistent voices. It isn't just the media's fault, white people's fault, or structural inequalities---having a sense of agency includes having a sense of ownership so it can't always be everyone else's fault.

I normally don't talk about this around mixed company but there are some things highlighted in this thread and in other discussions of Ferguson and similar incidents that give me pause. I hope the police and the FBI are able to concentrate on what happened with Michael Brown.

MITY?

(Madmax is that you?)

But why should anyone think the police is really going to do those things in a fair and unbiased manner? Trusting the police force at this point is just letting the fox guard the henhouse.

It has always been my understanding that any time an officer discharges his weapon an investigation is done. It has already been announced that the state police or some other entity is doing said investigation. I don't know why people would think the police wouldn't do it in a fair and unbiased manner.