Benton Harbor Riots

PM_Mama00 · #1 06-25-2003, 10:05 PM

This might possibly be for the News thread, but I wanted this to be open for discussion and it's hard to discuss things in there.

I'm not sure if everyone heard the story, but this man was on a motorcycle running from the police, crashed and died. All of a sudden all these riots bust out against the police.

I hate police chases. I think they cause more harm than if they just let the person go. They'll usually get caught somewhere anyways. But I think the people of Benton Harbor, Michigan were SO wrong to destroy their city because they were against the police. Even the family of the victim was pleading with the people to stop the rioting.

Now a Michigan State trooper had pulled someone over in Benton Harbor (I think for speeding, not sure) and they shot the trooper. WTF?

What does everyone think of this? The story can be found at

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2293765/detail.html
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2283492/detail.html

KillarneyRose · #2 06-26-2003, 12:38 AM

I've never understood the whole rioting thing. Granted, I understand that the people involved in the rioting generally feel powerless, frustrated and angry and want to take that all out on something but why would they burn down their own town??? It makes no sense to me.

AlphaSigOU · #3 06-26-2003, 08:43 AM

Back in my days of high school I remember very well the Liberty City riots of 1980 in Miami. Case that triggered the riots was similar to the trigger of the Benton Harbor riot. A black insurance salesman, Arthur McDuffie, gets pulled over at night on his motorcycle. Cops think he is resisting and proceed to beat the living sh*t out of him and restraining him with a choke hold; unfortunately, McDuffie dies from his injuries. The cops cover it up, but a tenacious Miami Herald reporter uncovers the cover up. All the cops involved are white and/or Hispanic. Trial gets sent up to Tampa, where an all-white jury acquits them.

The first riot lasted three days and tore out the heart of the black neighborhoods of Liberty City and Overtown. Killed about a couple of dozen people. I used to see every day on the bus going down to the aviation school evidence of the destruction and simmering hatred towards whites in the area; burned out homes and stores and graffiti such as, "ALL WHITES WILL PAY FOR McDUFFIE!"

The second riot lasted a couple of days a few months later. A third riot was spontaneous combustion; police arrived to shut down a loud street party, and the crowd turned on the cops.

DigitalAngel126 · #4 06-26-2003, 08:46 AM

What do I think...Hmmm..What do I think. I don't know what I think. Hits too close to home for me. I lived up ther elast summer.. If you read the articles, you'll see that the rioting was the worst on Empire and Broadway....One of my grood friends I met while living in the 'ville lives on Broadway, about two blocks from Empire....And I haven't been able to get ahold of her. I know this is gonna sound real $hitty, but I'm honestly not surprised...Sad that it happened, but not surprising....

PiKA2001 · #5 06-26-2003, 02:27 PM

I think that the riots are just so stupid. That is a really poor city, one of the worst in Michigan ( 40% unemployment rate, average household income like $16,000) never been there but I hear its a dump. Oh well, let the citizens burn the town down and move to another town.