tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7561631984395061740.post451451144672423456..comments2023-10-22T06:15:30.760-04:00Comments on Boomer Musings: Of Course It Makes No SenseDouglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09752593286034877538noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7561631984395061740.post-20704039833121355572014-12-01T17:54:26.840-05:002014-12-01T17:54:26.840-05:00When I was a teenager, the police were out to get ...When I was a teenager, the police were out to get me. In school, the teachers were out to get me. Life was cruel and I was its "whipping boy." But I grew out of that. After I got out of the Navy, I grew a beard and long hair, I rode a motorcycle... I got hassled by police and by citizens in cars. But I grew out of that. Now I am older and wiser and life still isn't fair; I am not rich, I do not have the car I want, Obamacare has forced me to use a "private exchange" to sign up for my Medicare supplemental insurance (if I don't, I lose the company's medical coverage for Faye). My trials and tribulations were always less then many others. Except for the teenage years and my "hippie" days, I was not stereotyped. I could grow out of the teen years and I could cut my hair and trim or shave my beard. Black people cannot alter their appearance to get away from harassment but they can avoid being scofflaws and they can blend into the background. I understand the anger and frustration they feel and wonder if I could handle it. But Michael Brown died because of choices he made; he didn't have to strong-arm the manager of that market, he didn't have to walk down the middle of the street, he didn't have to fight with the cop, he didn't have to run and he didn't have to charge at the cop. That's the lesson of his death.Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752593286034877538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7561631984395061740.post-64543504829685872122014-12-01T17:32:29.677-05:002014-12-01T17:32:29.677-05:00Rioting is despicable, this case wasn't exactl...Rioting is despicable, this case wasn't exactly a clear-cut "POLICE BRUTALITY!@!#!@!!" instance, etc. I've not paid particularly close attention, I knew the officer wouldn't be indicted, and I didn't really have any strong feelings any way about it.<br /><br />On the other hand, this <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/09/03/how-st-louis-county-missouri-profits-from-poverty/" rel="nofollow">long piece</a> of investigative journalism that I read back in early September was really interesting. Violence and rioting is never ok, but reading that article did make me look at the (peaceful) protesters in a new light. (not really the people protesting the lack of indictment, but the people protesting the whole incident in the months before the grand jury). When a perpetual underclass is constantly hounded by a seemingly corrupt government, or at least a system of Policing for Profit by people who aren't part of the community, it just seems that something is going to have to break at some point.Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03579702608981127097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7561631984395061740.post-36177278015654788782014-11-26T15:31:17.996-05:002014-11-26T15:31:17.996-05:00Tal, I got the gist without much problem. When emo...Tal, I got the gist without much problem. When emotions control a mob, they no longer understand the damage they are doing to their own neighborhood.Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752593286034877538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7561631984395061740.post-38386601323254511892014-11-26T13:11:40.620-05:002014-11-26T13:11:40.620-05:00Just for the record: I should have said "beyo...Just for the record: I should have said "beyond just mere shame and disgrace" instead of "beyond reproach". That would have made more sense.<br />I apologize for that error in judgment on my part.Tal Hartsfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05077424958233740898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7561631984395061740.post-88252362316426851982014-11-26T12:55:19.058-05:002014-11-26T12:55:19.058-05:00Ferguson should go the way of Times Beach. In othe...Ferguson should go the way of Times Beach. In other words: Just shut it down permanently; move everyone out and let them all find another place to live.<br />...Because that town is now tainted beyond reproach, only instead of by toxic physical elements it's via toxic social and psychological elements.Tal Hartsfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05077424958233740898noreply@blogger.com