CNN is lying when they say Ferguson protests were ‘peaceful’

[Sailor]

Here’s a quiz for you folks in the media: What happens if you’re out doing “man on the street” interviews but none of the men on the street fit your “narrative”?

If you’re CNN, you stop interviewing them.

It has been remarkable to watch the last few days as America’s self-styled “most trusted news network” has sent out teams of reporters to various areas of Ferguson, Mo., ostensibly to cover the protests there. While their cameramen are watching cars on fire and stores being looted, the reporters ramble on about how “most people here” are “peaceful protesters.”

Where are these peaceful protesters? The reporters can’t seem to find any. Instead, they turn to outside experts and some carefully vetted religious leaders to talk about “the real message” of the protests.

More here:
nypost.com/2014/11/29/why-cnn-wants-you-to-believe-the-ferguson-protests-were-peaceful/

Make of this what you will.

I will note here that reporters of a number of networks and other media were attacked by "protesters" (rioters/thugs), some injured and equipment broken.

[warrior1972]

There were plenty of peaceful protestors, both in Ferguson and nationwide.

There were even protestors that actually came behind the rioters and cleaned up debris and tried to help repair the damage that had been done.


I kept up with FOX, CNN, NPR and BBC on all of this.


The majority of protestors were not rioters. The majority of protestors were not violent. And the majority of protestors didn't get in depth news coverage, like the certifiable violent rioters who were more "newsworthy" because violence always sells.


I actually wish that the news media had spent more time covering the incident where a 12-year-old black kid got shot for running around with a toy gun.

www.cnn.com/2014/11/26/justice/cleveland-police-shooting/index.html?iref=allsearch

...That got little or no coverage whatsoever.

And before we get into all of this, I have not approved of anything that the Fergueson incident has been about, from start to finish.

[Sailor]

"There were plenty of peaceful protestors, both in Ferguson and nationwide."

Very true. I think there is something to the notion that most of the violence is being done by outsiders, agitators and opportunists looking for an excuse to make trouble and make off with some swag. After all, most of the businesses robbed and burned out in Ferguson were owned or operated by residents of the area."

"I actually wish that the news media had spent more time covering the incident where a 12-year-old black kid got shot for running around with a toy gun."

A toy gun that looks very real when the orange safety tip at the end of the barrel is removed as it was in this case. That should be either be made non-removable or mold the WHOLE toy from orange plastic. Overkill to do that? Would it have slowed that rookie cop down? Maybe.

I've been following this one too my friend. The surveillance video shows the kid practicing "quick draws" from the belt when the police cruiser slid to a stop next to him and the rookie cop in the passenger seat fired. No audio to the video I saw so I don't know for certain if there were any commands to drop the weapon or anything else, there wasn't enough time IMO, but opinion is all that is. Internal Affairs and probably the DA need to take a very hard look at this one, also IMHO.

"And before we get into all of this, I have not approved of anything that the Fergueson incident has been about, from start to finish."

I didn't think you did bro. That goes without saying.

[Sailor]

Here's a bit more on the Cleveland shooting, that rookie cop should NEVER have been hired by the Cleveland PD. He had been rejected for service by another department.

Cleveland officer who shot Tamir Rice had 'dismal' handgun performance for Independence police

The Cleveland police officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice had issues with handling guns during his brief tenure with a suburban police department.

A Nov. 29, 2012 letter contained in Tim Loehmann's personnel file from the Independence Police Department says that during firearms qualification training he was "distracted" and "weepy."

"He could not follow simple directions, could not communicate clear thoughts nor recollections, and his handgun performance was dismal," according to the letter written by Deputy Chief Jim Polak of the Independence police.

The letter recommended that the department part ways with Loehmann, who went on to become a police officer with the Cleveland Division of Police.

"I do not believe time, nor training, will be able to change or correct the deficiencies," Polak said.

Cleveland police said on Wednesday that they never reviewed the Independence file and changed their policies to include checking publicly available records for potential hires. www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/12/cleveland_police_never_reviewe.html

More:
www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/12/cleveland_police_officer_who_s.html

Given the problems this guy had, even if the toy had been molded ENTIRELY or orange plastic and the word passed to the officers responding to the call that the gun "might not be real" I think he would have done exactly the same thing. I don't know if prison is the right place for him, but the people who fucked up by not going through his background check need to be fried in their own grease and be held personally responsible for this tragedy.

[warrior1972]

...And that's the thing, you see.

If you want to get down to brass tacks, I have a whole LOT of questions when these incidents ouccr.

What was the person doing that provoke police attention in the first place? Were they committing a crime for which they deserved to be arrested, or had they just recently committed such a crime?

What was their response to that attention?

Who were they?


Who was the cop(if it was a cop. Rememeber Zimmerman, who killed Trayvon Martin, was NOT, and had not been properly trained as a neighborhood watchman, let alone as a police officer.)?


You see, the nitty gritty for me is simply that just becuase a person was black doesn't mean the cop was wrong, and just because the cop was a cop dosn't mean the black person in question was right.

NOT HARDLY.

And finally (and I've had a HELLUVA lot of arguments with other black poeple on THIS one), a HELLUVA lot of these incidents wouldnever happen if black people would simply avoid putting themselves in questionable positions that lend themselves to hostile confrnotations with the politce in the FIRST place.

So you don't hear a word from me about a LOT of these incidents.

But when a Treyvon Martin incident takes place, or a twelve year old with a toy gun gets blowk away, ohhhh yeah.

I am going to SAY something.



But Ferguson?



Nope. Not me.

For all KINDS of reasons, not me.

And that's my two cents worth.


P.S. I had a HELLVA lot of realistic toy guns when I was twelve and younger. A Mattel Thompson and a DAMNED realistic M-14 before most kids knew what an M-14 WAS come to mind.


The more realistic, the better.

Damn, how times have changed....

[Sailor]

I had realistic toy guns as well, don't really know of a boy from our generation who didn't. And BB guns a bit later. How many folks today would have heart attacks or their heads would explode if it was suggested they raise their kids the same way we were raised?

Seems to me we grew up all right.

[101ABN]

"a HELLUVA lot of these incidents wouldnever happen if black people would simply avoid putting themselves in questionable positions that lend themselves to hostile confrnotations with the politce in the FIRST place."

Black people, brown people, white people, green people.

Don't put your ass in a situation where you are going to be confronted by the PD.

If confronted, comply with directions.

[warrior1972]

Dec 4, 2014 18:51:31 GMT -8 101ABN said:

"a HELLUVA lot of these incidents wouldnever happen if black people would simply avoid putting themselves in questionable positions that lend themselves to hostile confrnotations with the politce in the FIRST place."

Black people, brown people, white people, green people.

Don't put your ass in a situation where you are going to be confronted by the PD.

If confronted, comply with directions.

I grew up with those instructions etched in my brain.


Don't start any shit, and there won't be any.


P.S. corollary:

HE'S got the GUN, the CAR, and the RADIO.

Didn't take an Einstein to figure THAT out.


So most of us stayed alive and out of jail.

Pass the football....