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I do hope you come back Fake Healer. There is more to learn here than white people's past and current sins, and putting your fingers in your ears only ensures that there will be another incident like this is in the future.Why would you want me come back?
Yeah, Comrade Freehold, why would you?
After allegedly listening to both sides clearly and impartially he starts with "The shooting of Michael Brown was justified."
Then he goes on to refer to Brown as a four-time felon, a smear which I hadn't heard, but then again, I don't get the WCC newsletter.
Then he blames it all on the media, which Comrade Jeff demolished.
Then he comes back writing in mock Ebonics and complaining that blacks are uppity and ill-mannered and cause half of the crime in every country where they rub shoulders with non-black people, not to mention the way they wear their pants.
But of course, he has friends from all walks of life.
"Some of our best negroes are our friends" sang Phil Ochs back in the day.
I'm going to make some controversial comments here and they are in no way meant to offend anyone, but they are rather bold and just speaking frankly.
Do you want white Americans to take the racism problem seriously? Clean up part of black culture. There need to be strong, concise black leaders coupled with people willing to back it up with dollars and force rappers and black comedians from using the "N" word in every single song and comedy stand up gig. Ok, maybe I shouldn't lay a blanket statement and say every song and I'm not advocating censorship of any kind, but I believe there is a tremendous amount of usage of that word in every facet of black society that leaves a lot of people scratching their heads. To me, that's like someone saying b!$%h or hoe all the time to describe women, and then lecture me about the fair treatment of females. I have a hard time believing MLK Jr and Malcom X, Medgar Evars, etc, would stand for that crap.
It's not a panacea, but I think it's an important, relevant step. And I'm not one of those blame the victims guy, but this is just never talked about.
Also, interestingly enough, in Ferguson, it sounds like there is a pretty entrenched bias in the local government of that town if the growing resentment and bitterness there exists as I've seen commented on earlier. In a town that is so pre-dominantly black, I am surprised to see there isn't a black mayor, black city council, black chief of police or sheriff or whatever. The black community could be pratically running that town tomorrow with some civil involvement and I actually hope that more local participaton will be a possible positive outcome to this tragedy. (According to a quick look at the town's Wikipedia page, voter turnout for the last mayoral election was 12%). Instead of rioting against the system, own the system. I'm sure there's more to this part of it, but I hate typing extremely long posts.
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I do hope you come back Fake Healer. There is more to learn here than white people's past and current sins, and putting your fingers in your ears only ensures that there will be another incident like this is in the future.Why would you want me come back? You think you are converting a racist? You want to pound your skewed view of the issues into what you perceive to be a white, intolerant dude with no real perception of the issue?
Here is the funny part, I am not racist (which I am sure you will disagree with but my mix of friends from many walks, ethnicities, and lifestyles would ensure you that I am not). I look at 2 sides of an issue and come to a conclusion based on what I see, and rarely do I take the side of the white power cell because there usually is some racial undertone to the original issue. I don't see it here. Neither do many people whom I know, including those of a black persuasion. They are telling me that they wish these people would stop acting like fools and making them look bad.
I do however believe that a good amount of black families are not raising their children to be a part of an integrated society. Not all, but a good amount, mostly of lower economic means. It's easy to blame "the Man" for your lot in life. Much easier than self-reflecting and finding fault.
I always look at both sides. This time I see the protest as unfounded.
I also don't think that laws against pants hanging below a dude's buttcheeks are wrong and racist. Exposing your undergarments in public is rude and indecent. A fashion statement is one thing but borderline indecent exposure is not part of being a part of society.
I am white but just because I question the decisions made by a group made up of mostly black people doesn't mean I am racist. If I quote statistics that show certain data that points out something that may be a problem for an ethnicity that doesn't mean I am racist.
Maybe I am just hoping for better. Maybe I am wanting something to change to make those...
no, because I think you are woefully limited in your experiences. You claim to have friends of all races, but rely heavily on stereotypes in your reasoning - even going so far as to bring up stereotypes that have nothing to do with this situation in general or specific(see bolded above). It makes me wonder if you do judge your other race friends by the same yardstick, and whether or not you have them simply to say you aren't racist. There is a lot of things wrong with the reasoning you are using here, not necessarily because you don't have the eight to opine and disagree, but because the disagreements don't end there and continue into some kind of rant (again, see bolded above). You don't have to agree with me or others to be not racist. But I am going to wonder whether or not you are when you:
- go on rants that have NOTHING to do with anything anyone has said on this topic(see bolded above)
- ignore counterpoint when they are brought up (see when black cops are threatened got shooting white people above)
- ignore other viewpoints on other races when they are brought up while you use them as a rather offensive example of a "good minority" (see Asians, avove)
- loudly and jumpily defend yourself as not racist and accuse others of talking to you on the topic as an attempt to convert you to another way of thinking, using the ancient canard of "I have many (insert race here) friends" or that those who talk to you on it in any way that counters your viewpoint are the "real" racists (see the post I am responding to)
- with respect to this case (the shooting) ignoring that this department has been sued for violent behavior before (see Anklebiter and hakkiders posts above)
- with respect to this case, not provide evidence for your point via a link (see cracked orbital above)
I don't support rioting in any way shape or form unless there are aliens landing or the four horsemen of the apocalypse are riding high in the sky (in either case, I'm arming myself and fighting back). It's why I don't trust the protestors. But the pd here has shown poor judgment and poor treatment of their constituents here and in the past and the racial makeup of the department gives me pause. I don't trust them either. And despite your many different raced friends and claim of looking at both sides of an issue, I have trouble trusting you here as well. I don't think you a bigot, but I do think you are on your way to becoming one if you rely on your stereotypes and do not look at racial issues beyond what you see on TV and the friends you have collected.
I'm going to make some controversial comments here and they are in no way meant to offend anyone, but they are rather bold and just speaking frankly.
Do you want white Americans to take the racism problem seriously? Clean up part of black culture. There need to be strong, concise black leaders coupled with people willing to back it up with dollars and force rappers and black comedians from using the "N" word in every single song and comedy stand up gig. Ok, maybe I shouldn't lay a blanket statement and say every song and I'm not advocating censorship of any kind, but I believe there is a tremendous amount of usage of that word in every facet of black society that leaves a lot of people scratching their heads. To me, that's like someone saying b!$%h or hoe all the time to describe women, and then lecture me about the fair treatment of females. I have a hard time believing MLK Jr and Malcom X, Medgar Evars, etc, would stand for that crap.
It's not a panacea, but I think it's an important, relevant step. And I'm not one of those blame the victims guy, but this is just never talked about.
Also, interestingly enough, in Ferguson, it sounds like there is a pretty entrenched bias in the local government of that town if the growing resentment and bitterness there exists as I've seen commented on earlier. In a town that is so pre-dominantly black, I am surprised to see there isn't a black mayor, black city council, black chief of police or sheriff or whatever. The black community could be pratically running that town tomorrow with some civil involvement and I actually hope that more local participaton will be a possible positive outcome to this tragedy. (According to a quick look at the town's Wikipedia page, voter turnout for the last mayoral election was 12%). Instead of rioting against the system, own the system. I'm sure there's more to this part of it, but I hate typing extremely long posts.
Owning the system is rather difficult when the system is designed, in no small part, with the intent to exclude you.
I certainly can't disagree with the need for leadership, though that applies to any segment of society, not just African-Americans.
That's not what I said and and you have expressed a rather dismissive attitude to my core point. I'm simply saying in Ferguson and only Ferguson, (not extracting that example to all of the US) since African Americans comprise the majority of people, they can affect real change by voting to increase diversity or actually have a government that reflects the racial make-up of their town.
Please explain in detail, how the black community in Ferguson couldn't vote as a block to start dealing with the entrenched establishment.
That's not what I said and and you have expressed a rather dismissive attitude to my core point. I'm simply saying in Ferguson and only Ferguson, (not extracting that example to all of the US) since African Americans comprise the majority of people, they can affect real change by voting to increase diversity or actually have a government that reflects the racial make-up of their town.
Please explain in detail, how the black community in Ferguson couldn't vote as a block to start dealing with the entrenched establishment.
agreed. I think you are doing kaiser a disservice, thejeff.
I'm going to make some controversial comments here and they are in no way meant to offend anyone, but they are rather bold and just speaking frankly.
Do you want white Americans to take the racism problem seriously? Clean up part of black culture. There need to be strong, concise black leaders coupled with people willing to back it up with dollars and force rappers and black comedians from using the "N" word in every single song and comedy stand up gig. Ok, maybe I shouldn't lay a blanket statement and say every song and I'm not advocating censorship of any kind, but I believe there is a tremendous amount of usage of that word in every facet of black society that leaves a lot of people scratching their heads. To me, that's like someone saying b!$%h or hoe all the time to describe women, and then lecture me about the fair treatment of females. I have a hard time believing MLK Jr and Malcom X, Medgar Evars, etc, would stand for that crap.
It's not a panacea, but I think it's an important, relevant step. And I'm not one of those blame the victims guy, but this is just never talked about.
Also, interestingly enough, in Ferguson, it sounds like there is a pretty entrenched bias in the local government of that town if the growing resentment and bitterness there exists as I've seen commented on earlier. In a town that is so pre-dominantly black, I am surprised to see there isn't a black mayor, black city council, black chief of police or sheriff or whatever. The black community could be pratically running that town tomorrow with some civil involvement and I actually hope that more local participaton will be a possible positive outcome to this tragedy. (According to a quick look at the town's Wikipedia page, voter turnout for the last mayoral election was 12%). Instead of rioting against the system, own the system. I'm sure there's more to this part of it, but I hate typing extremely long posts.
That said...
The issues with the storied n word in the African American community have a lot to do with generational issues more so than racial ones directly. It's a complicated and complex matter, far more than one might think, especially on the outside looking in. I know I don't use it, and few black people in my age range do. Everyone younger than me does. There is also the matter of specific ethnicities within the race. My family is a African Caribbean- the n word did not fly in my household, even in jest. My wife is African American it was used as a part of going over her father's experiences in rural north Carolina and Georgia, and her brother despairs his son will not grow out of that particular phase. No idea where other ethnicities fall along the line, but few like it. It is only popular among a particular subset of society. Me, I fall in line with public enemy on the word in one of their less famous songs- don't use it as a friendly manner of address. It is not.
One thing to remember is that it is impossible to prove a negative. If someone says, "The cop shot the kid because the cop was racist." It is literally impossible to prove that is not the case. You can present evidence that support non-racist reasons for the outcome, but for someone who has already decided that it is racist, there is no evidence you can show them it is not. That is why in most logical arguments, is the responsibility of the one making the affirmative argument to present proof.Luckily, that's not the legal argument that has to be made. You need to prove that the shooting was unjustified. Which is difficult, given the low standards that apply and the deference juries tend to give to police statements.
Proving that the cop was racist might call his judgement into question and might be an aggravating factor if the shooting was unjustified, but it isn't likely to be the main question if there's a trial.
I wasn't speaking to legal cases. I was suggesting to folks that if you are trying to prove that the case isn't racist in nature, that it is impossible to do so. So don't try. Same thing if you are trying to prove you aren't racist, you can't do it. Don't even try. If you really care about trying to address specific racism claims, you should instead demand those claiming racism to show proof. If they can't show evidence specific to the situation, then just dismiss those claims as irrelevant until new evidence arises.
Racism is one of the more insidious charges against a person's character, because the person literally can't defend themselves and too often people don't hold those claiming it to task.
Now how racism can be related to actual charges is that you might see hate crime charges included.
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That said...
The issues with the storied n word in the African American community have a lot to do with generational issues more so than racial ones directly. It's a complicated and complex matter, far more than one might think, especially on the outside looking in. I know I don't use it, and few black people in my age range do. Everyone younger than me does.
A whiles back, I was sitting around with Mr. and Mrs. Comrade watching a Katt Williams stand-up special. Mrs. Comrade, a nice Portuguese girl from outside of Lowell who had fallen in love with Cornel West (she ended up getting a selfie taken at New York's Left Forum earlier this year), asked "I don't get it, how did black people go from calling each other 'brother' and 'sister' to 'nigga' and 'b$$*~?'"
Mr. Comrade and I looked at each other. He was too busy coughing up cannabis smoke, so I replied "Thirty years of job loss, declining living standards, mass incarceration and a war on drugs that teaches them that their lives are of little value to the surrounding society."
Probably not that articulately, though. I, too, was busy expelling cannabis smoke.
Oh. Speaking of representation in Ferguson.
One of the officers involved in the "Charging a black man for the crime of destruction of police property for bleeding on their uniforms" case is now on the Ferguson City Council
you gotta be shitting me.
Oh. Speaking of representation in Ferguson.
One of the officers involved in the "Charging a black man for the crime of destruction of police property for bleeding on their uniforms" case is now on the Ferguson City Council
Seriously, I want my money back. These bad guys are completely unrealistic, its like they're TRYING to be lawful evil or something.
Seriously, I want my money back. These bad guys are completely unrealistic, its like they're TRYING to be lawful evil or something.Oh. Speaking of representation in Ferguson.
One of the officers involved in the "Charging a black man for the crime of destruction of police property for bleeding on their uniforms" case is now on the Ferguson City Council
I want to have a LE villain or organization pull this in a game at some point now.
I'm still wondering where this "4 time felon" thing came from in regards to Michael Brown, as it is not only an absurd fallacy of association, but also completely false.
... science...
You are going to have to show me an article published in a peer-reviewed journal before you can make that claim.
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I'm still wondering where this "4 time felon" thing came from in regards to Michael Brown, as it is not only an absurd fallacy of association, but also completely false.
Probably the same "friend of a friend" that writes clear concise and linear "eyewitness accounts" that get aired on the media.
The four time felon thing is a deliberate smear campaign, on part with the 'leak' about marijuana in his blood stream. I can only imagine the non-outrage that would arise if Officer Wilson was found to have opiates or amphetamines in his system.
"I had a poppy seed bagel and some Sudafed!"
Secondhand pot smoke shows up in the blood too.
Popping back in here after lunch. I was not trying to place the blame for white racism on black people. I'm not going to disparage the way people dress, their style (lyrics withstanding) of music or the way they modify their vehicles as some way of justifying ridiculous stereotypes. That would be petty and pointless. But, the N word is a glaring example of something that I think the black community should address with seriousness.
Of course there is old school folk out there that won't put up with that. People who read my first post in its correct context would see that I hinted at that with the civil rights leaders that I mentioned.
To Freehold DM's point, I defer to his knowledge on that being a particular sub-set of society. I also noted that I wanted to be careful in not laying a blanket statement. However, my perspective is shaped by what I am bombarded with from music and pop culture. If I look at rap music and a majority of black comedy, it is chock full of racial slurs and stereotype bashing (a lot of it black).
Not putting the onus on black people to wipe out other people's racial prejudice(s), but I still maintain that this is relevant point that needs to be addressed within the black community.
The four time felon thing is a deliberate smear campaign, on part with the 'leak' about marijuana in his blood stream. I can only imagine the non-outrage that would arise if Officer Wilson was found to have opiates or amphetamines in his system.
"I had a poppy seed bagel and some Sudafed!"
Secondhand pot smoke shows up in the blood too.
The marijuana thing kills me too. It would be much more damning for me to hear someone is inebriated when it comes getting to the bottom of violent confrontation than to hear someone smoked pot. If anything, it leads me to believe even more that he would be LESS likely to be the violent instigator.
The power of words...
Has any evidence surfaced on the cop being injured? Pro-choice sources say he had anything from a black eye to a missing eye to a cracked orbital brim the fight that broke out in or near the car.Some sources seem to say that the officer suffered an "orbital blowout."
also, regarding a bystander caught on cell phone video....
Supporters of Wilson, however, point to a videotape taken by a Ferguson resident showing Brown's body lying in the street. In the background of the video a man's voice can be heard saying, "Police got out and ran after him. The next thing I know he's coming back towards the officer. The police had his gun drawn on him."
That would conflict with witnesses who said Brown was standing still with his hands raised when Wilson shot him.
thanks for the info.
I do wonder what happened in the car and what happened with the officer getting out of the car and actively chasing him- he had to have had the gun in his hand at some time. There is a hole in the story somewhere.
I'm very interested to hear the results of the Federal autopsy report. When I read (2) of the (6 or 8) bullet wounds entered at the top of the head, it became very bad for the police department in my personal judgment.
Unless of course, they can prove Brown charged at the cop like Rhino from Amazing Spiderman, they'll have a tough time with that one.
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The thing that casts doubt in my mind about him kneeling with hands in the air is that he had 4 bullet hits to his arms.....that's either really bad aim or he had his arms down shielding himself...which means he wasn't shot while his hands were in the air as "witnesses" claim. There was also no mention of gunpowder residue on him except that the clothing hadn't been examined....if you shoot someone in the top of the head you would have to be really close to them, which would leave residue on his head.
I believe the Rhino scenario much more than the totally supplicating and passive surrender and execution. Too much points to one over the other to me.
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If a guy that size is kneeling down with his arms up they don't go all the way up very easily without making you tip over. They can be both up and not far from the body. Its not bad aim to miss by only 6 inches, and i don't see how lowering for a rhino charge makes the arms a more likely target. Wouldn't the elbows be bent with the hands and fingers pointed towards the offers, presenting less of a profile for the bullets?
While unreliable, eyewitnesses do have some weight.
Shooting at a charging target with their head doubled over and hitting 6 out of 6? Or 8 times is uncanny accuracy for a cop in that situation. Other police shootings have had 50 something bullets fired with 12 hits.
Most of all, someone turning and charging at a cop that already has his gun out seems... a bit of a suspect claim.
Even then, there's an unarmed person charging you so you SHOOT them? You have a bullet proof vest, a night stick, a tazer, and backup coming. Wrestle the guy for a few minutes or zap him where the sun doesn't shine. Or you know, run him around the block a few times.
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It may just be me, but I don't believe there is ever a point when the police should use lethal force, if a situation gets violent they already have several means to disable a perpetrator with non-lethal. Now there may be an argument that if civilians can use guns why not the police, which my retort is; civilians shouldn't have guns. The gun laws are forcing an escalation of violence and I believe police have adapted to it by becoming less empathetic and more likely to deal with the matter violently as a result.
These riots are just going to be the start.
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Ulgulanoth: Thats just not realistic. The fact is that people DO have guns, and there isn't a reliable non lethal way to take them out. Tazers don't have reach, tranq darts take too long, and rubber bullets and bean bags don't take you all the way out.
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Even then, there's an unarmed person charging you so you SHOOT them? You have a bullet proof vest, a night stick, a tazer, and backup coming. Wrestle the guy for a few minutes or zap him where the sun doesn't shine. Or you know, run him around the block a few times.
A huge unarmed man....why does the officer need to put his life in jeopardy? I have seen tazer demos done using a police tazer where the dude shocked resisted it, especially the ones that shoot out the wires with prongs at the perpetrator. Why doesn't a cop have a right to protect himself so he can go home at night? Shoot, cops would die at alarming rates only armed with non-lethal means.
I wouldn't want to make the choice between gun and night stick with someone as big as that dude and find out that night stick wasn't enough....as I am choked to death, pummeled with my own nightstick, or have my neck snapped by someone who outweighs me, outmuscles me and has a violent end in mind for me.I wouldn't want my family to find out that I made that wrong decision either.
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The thing that casts doubt in my mind about him kneeling with hands in the air is that he had 4 bullet hits to his arms.....that's either really bad aim or he had his arms down shielding himself...which means he wasn't shot while his hands were in the air as "witnesses" claim. There was also no mention of gunpowder residue on him except that the clothing hadn't been examined....if you shoot someone in the top of the head you would have to be really close to them, which would leave residue on his head.
I believe the Rhino scenario much more than the totally supplicating and passive surrender and execution. Too much points to one over the other to me.Amateur analysis of a forensics report based mostly on the single picture is a pretty foolish pasttime.
That said, the arm wounds are to the inside of the right arm. If he was charging, his arms would have had to be spread wide for that to be a target, meaning they'd also be far away from either center of mass or the head.OTOH, if his arms were up over his head, the inside of the arm is naturally out and those wounds make a closer grouping with the head shots. On the gripping hand, he's likely to have been in motion for some of them, either while putting his hands up or while charging so it's not a static grouping.
But really, this is idle speculation. Among other things, there's a lot in the forensics report - especially the original one - that we don't know. We know location of the wounds, but we don't know the angle of entry which would probably clear most of this up.
Yeah, thanks for making me have a pretty foolish pasttime while you do the same exact thing and are somehow not foolish but just idly speculating. You are speculating but anyone else that disagrees with your speculation is a fool? Nice.
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So, FH, when is the right time to use a taser? Apparently it's not when being attacked by unarmed peple if they're too big. It's obviously not for confronting armed people. So when should a taser be used, in your expert opinion? What body mass index is it acceptable to use it on and how should the police evaluate this at the time?
It couldn't have anything to do with racism though. No point in even considering that.Interesting enough, EVEN with the makeup considering the poorer and underpriviliged populations, African-Americans DO make up a greater amount of the crime percentage wise in relation to their percentage of the population.
Asians actually ARE less percentage wise in relation to their percentage of the population IN THE US, especially when looking at those from the Far East.
African-Americans seem to riot a LOT more than any of the other minorities also.
The reason many officers profile are DUE to these types of numbers popping up.
They have studies, science, and other things to back them up. They use these studies and science sometimes when people complain against their profiling.
They USE profiling a LOT however.
That does not mean it's right, or correct to do so.
I am unsure WHY these stats are like this. When you take a comparable neighborhood that is composed of poor underpriviliged Americans from European descent, you tend to get less crime overall than in African American neighborhoods of the same make-up.
Why?
I have NO idea.
IF that were true, it should hold directly in proportion for other minority races, especially Asians as today in the US, more slander is tossed and socially acceptable in regards to Asians. Asians (Especially those from the Middle East) have some of the highest hatred rates towards them currently, and socially (even though it shouldn't be) names mocking the majority religion they are part of are seen socially normal in the US.
The same should also hold true to Native Americans (though their highest concentrations on reservations normally do not have the problems inner cities do).
In fact, the only parallels may be with a VERY FEW areas of Hispanics, but overall, even they don't have some of the problems.
In otherwords, if it were simply racism, the problems you see should be more widespread than one specific minority, especially since that minority (African-American) is actually more socially acceptable in todays US climate (socially acceptable does NOT mean equal, only that when looking at media and other locations, it is not as acceptable to toss around derogatory terms, stereotypes, or other such things as it is towards other minorities).
I could say racism has part of it, but you know, I have no idea. There have been studies into crime statistics and other things...and even studies pointing out the differences in these stats among minorities...but I don't know of any study which has pinpointed WHY these differences exist...so frankly, I have no idea why these differences are there.
Even then, there's an unarmed person charging you so you SHOOT them? You have a bullet proof vest, a night stick, a tazer, and backup coming. Wrestle the guy for a few minutes or zap him where the sun doesn't shine. Or you know, run him around the block a few times.A huge unarmed man....why does the officer need to put his life in jeopardy? I have seen tazer demos done using a police tazer where the dude shocked resisted it, especially the ones that shoot out the wires with prongs at the perpetrator. Why doesn't a cop have a right to protect himself so he can go home at night? Shoot, cops would die at alarming rates only armed with non-lethal means.
I wouldn't want to make the choice between gun and night stick with someone as big as that dude and find out that night stick wasn't enough....as I am choked to death, pummeled with my own nightstick, or have my neck snapped by someone who outweighs me, outmuscles me and has a violent end in mind for me.
I wouldn't want my family to find out that I made that wrong decision either.
it seems we have cops eager to be judged by 12 instead of carried by 6. While I can't blame them for wanting to get home alive, I don't know enough about this situation to buy that it had to end this way based on size and race alone. The end result of it is that his actions are going to have to be examined and he's going to have to indeed be judged by 12.
Because most (not all) racism has vanished... they still discriminate against the poor and probably always will. Profiling happens because there are certain things police think are good indicators of criminal behavior like dressing in a gangsta fashion or covering yourself in tattoos and driving a fancy car while looking like that is something I am sure they train officers to look for. While the man in a pricey car but wearing an expensive suit often gets a pass because he has the money to fight back legally even if he is speeding. They also don't hesitate to pull over all poor people if they are breaking the law because it's easy money since they probably can't or won't fight back legally. Kids are often unfairly targeted to for a similar reason. I lived near a school for years and the cops would set up at the end of that street and ticket all the kids as they sped past. Kids don't fight back legally either.
Racism hasn't vanished or even largely changed by a longshot. The only thing that has really changed is that it's no longer acceptable to be OVERTLY racist, or to be called a racist. You can't hang a sign in your shop that says. "Whites Only", or "Colored Seating Area In The Rear". What has happened that new social skills to deflect the charge have evolved along with the media coverage of such issues.
If Racism has "vanished". How do you explain the effectiveness of the "Willie Horton" campaign that ended Michael Dukakis' Presidential run and his career as a politician? And do you really think it's changed that much since then?
Interestly enough Racism IS allowed in the US. It is still socially acceptable.
Think about editorials you have seen. When looking at them, the number that have been focused on mocking those from the Middle East over the past decade is almost innumerable.
The stereotype against those from the Middle East...is shocking.
These are Asians in continent...not African Americans...and because they are not a majority minority...perhaps that is why it is socially acceptable to put slants no them.
I think a LOT of the discrimination (personal opinion) is different in regards to that against African Americans and Asians...in that I think much of the fear against Asians (inclusive of East Asians as people see their jobs disappearing, or other things to china) is fear, where as that aganst African Americans is sometimes from generational discrimination passed down from their families or elsewhere.
Native Americans are portrayed as backwards, or mystical...but almost never as the normal and intelligent individuals that are everywhere in the US.
And then you have Hispanics, especially those from Mexico. Included in all the illegal Immigration articles and talks that people discuss, there is an extremely huge amount of discriminatory talk, and hatred. For some reason it seems socially acceptable to speak derogatorily of their backgrounds.
There is a LOT of Overt racism in the US today, and it's even stronger against all the rest of the minorities. Just because you don't recognize it, does not mean it's not existing.
On the Fergie thing, it's interesting that people are focusing ONLY on African Americans. I must admit, in the media, that's the majority that I see in the protests and riots...but I think I did see someone of a Euro descent in the background once.
It may be that there is some sort of really heavy divide here and perhaps this is the result of some long ongoing friction and divides between the public and the government entities.
Even then, there's an unarmed person charging you so you SHOOT them? You have a bullet proof vest, a night stick, a tazer, and backup coming. Wrestle the guy for a few minutes or zap him where the sun doesn't shine. Or you know, run him around the block a few times.A huge unarmed man....why does the officer need to put his life in jeopardy? I have seen tazer demos done using a police tazer where the dude shocked resisted it, especially the ones that shoot out the wires with prongs at the perpetrator. Why doesn't a cop have a right to protect himself so he can go home at night? Shoot, cops would die at alarming rates only armed with non-lethal means.
I wouldn't want to make the choice between gun and night stick with someone as big as that dude and find out that night stick wasn't enough....as I am choked to death, pummeled with my own nightstick, or have my neck snapped by someone who outweighs me, outmuscles me and has a violent end in mind for me.
I wouldn't want my family to find out that I made that wrong decision either.
I believe the police in the UK normally don't carry guns. They seem to be doing at least as well as the US in controlling crime.
Then again, the UK also has stricter gun laws (I don't think the have a "2nd amendment" as it is written into the core of their government though).