Updates

Nice to see you CN

Morning ... Off to take my grandbaby to school and start my day will be back to say good things

CherokeeNative wrote:You are right CB - it's nice to see the media pick up on an officer going out of his way to avoid shooting a suspect even though he clearly had justification.  I don't think all cops are bad - I've worked for many years in the prosecutorial end of law enforcement -- but I do believe there are some entire police forces in the red states who are so damn racist that they don't even look at their community as being part of the human race.  Hence, they feel nothing when they shoot one of them.  Those are the ones I want to go after.  :-)  Ferguson is a classic example - even the prosecutor is dirty IMO.  I am so glad the fed's report blasted them.  

Twee, I completely understand your frustrations.  I am all for police wearing video cams.  San Diego now wears them and abuse complaints have dropped significantly.  I think they protect not only the citizen but the officer as well.

bbm - I think this important. The preps will think twice knowing they can't lie... and the cops can't lie It's a win win

I agree. Every officer in this country should have to wear a body camera. It is protection for EVERYONE involved in any incident. Now the big question.....who is going to pay for the cameras? I can just hear small and huge departments alike asking that question. Taxpayers, private donors, each individual officer? If I was a cop, I would invest in one.

There is always good and bad in all job's, cops no different.

Been getting two grandson's that I raised ready for graduation and registering them for college....I maybe bald by the time they leave or broke. They are dragging me around like a rag doll, and remind me to bring the check book. If you hear about this ole woman run down by traffic ITS ME!

Watched Baltimore all nite....another stellar performance by thugs looting and burning because they are upset about the police. Way to go thugs! Burn your own neighborhood. Will never understand this mindset.

Watching Baltimore again. This may not be a popular thought but, if each man in the Unity line took 5 of Baltimore youth under their wings and mentored them then maybe things would be better. If these youth have no hope, no education, etc, then let the adults of the community mentor them and help educate them and keep them off the streets and out of trouble. Show them there is a way to make their voices heard in a different way.

I get upset watching and listening to Baltimore rioting. So mad at the rioters because they are leaving a bad taste in the country's mouth. It just takes one person to light a match. No one looks at the good people that aren't doing the right thing. It also takes away from the original problem. So people just focus!!

This rioting has nothing to do with Freddie Gray. As usual, people are using that as an excuse to further their own agenda.
There are good people, doing the right thing and all it takes is one crazy to negate all the true, good peaceful protesters, and to make Baltimore, Ferguson, LA and all the other cities that have had riots, look foolish.

I have never done a rant before and I suspect this one will not be popular. But it is my opinion and I felt the need to share my thoughts. Please feel free to post an opposing rant or your thoughts on Baltimore.
After watching the coverage in Baltimore on various stations: CNN, FOX, MSNBC, Local news, etc, I have some thoughts. First, I think this is not about Freddie Gray. This is about a whole host of other issues that the folks of Baltimore have within their own community…with each other, LE, Community Leaders and Religious Leaders.
I have heard protesters cite a whole host of problems in Baltimore….poverty, education or lack thereof, oppression, bad or non existent parenting, joblessness, homelessness, black males jailed, LE aggression, etc. They all say the government needs to step in and provide training to parents on how to parent. Give them the resources (money?), to effectively parent. Quit putting young, black males in jail, find them jobs, give them an education.
Last I looked, the majority of people in jail/prison committed some kind of crime. If you don’t want to go to jail, don’t commit crimes. Also, a high school education is free. Parents, make your children go to school. Be a parent. Be a role model. Quit blaming others for your parenting failures. If you want your kids to have a better life than you did, encourage them to go to school. Set high expectations. If your child fails, look at yourself. Children will live up to expectations. If you expect success and teach them to fight for it, they will be successful. If you have low expectations, then your children will live up to those expectations. Teach your child consequences of their behavior. Quit blaming teachers that are mean, LE that are aggressive (they shouldn’t have contact with LE anyway). Hold your child responsible for his/her own behavior. Encourage your child to further their education. Strive for college. There is more money out there for young black males to go to college than young white males. It takes work to find that money. Invest in your child, spend the time it takes to make your child successful. And dads…..step the hell up. You made this child…raise him/her, nurture them, teach them. Don’t be a deadbeat father.
In light of the claim that fatherless male youths are at such risk, then each and every one of the adult men of Baltimore should get involved and mentor a few of these boys. Business owners, religious leaders, politicians, invest in your youth and stop all the rhetoric and do something. You complain that there are all these fatherless boys without leadership, then step up and be what you yourself say they need.
I understand that industry has left Baltimore for various places, Mexico, Japan etc. Young people, get an education, go elsewhere, get some experience, make some money and come back to Baltimore and establish a business. Mentor another child. Show them success.
One protestor last night made what I thought was an astute observation. He talked about all the homeless people on the streets of Baltimore and all the abandoned houses. Let’s see…how about we hold the owners of these properties responsible for fixing them and getting them rented, or the city takes possession, fixes them up and starts homeless shelters in them.
Having said all that…..and not wanting to sound entirely crazy, LE needs to be over hauled. I realize that they are not perfect and need to held responsible for their actions, but there is a process for that. And a process for complaints. Use it. Throwing bricks, concrete and bottles is not the process. And burning down your own neighbor owned businesses is just ludicrous and does nothing to help matters. To say that a 16 year old child has suffered “2 decades” of oppression is crazy. Someone needs to take math again. How is that possible?
And to the mother that searched for, and found, her child at the riots, then “the slap heard around the world”, hire her to teach parenting classes. She has my admiration.
OK, rant over. Be gentle with me……lol.

Can't say I disagree. My kids are considered black I consider them mine. They were not angels when they were younger, so if they were killed at that age the good which they have done would be negated. I know the feeling of helplessness with situations and reading some comments on both sides is sickening. When people feel their rights matter over other people that is racist on both sides.

Chickenbutt wrote:I have never done a rant before and I suspect this one will not be popular. But it is my opinion and  I felt the need to share my thoughts.  Please feel free to post an opposing rant or your thoughts on Baltimore.
After watching the coverage in Baltimore on various stations: CNN, FOX, MSNBC, Local news, etc, I have some thoughts. First, I think this is not about Freddie Gray. This is about a whole host of other issues that the folks of Baltimore have within their own community…with each other, LE, Community Leaders and Religious Leaders.
I have heard protesters cite a whole host of problems in Baltimore….poverty, education or lack thereof, oppression, bad or non existent parenting, joblessness, homelessness, black males jailed, LE aggression, etc. They all say the government needs to step in and provide training to parents on how to parent. Give them the resources (money?), to effectively parent. Quit putting young, black males in jail, find them jobs, give them an education.
Last I looked, the majority of people in jail/prison committed some kind of crime. If you don’t want to go to jail, don’t commit crimes. Also, a high school education is free. Parents, make your children go to school. Be a parent. Be a role model. Quit blaming others for your parenting failures. If you want your kids to have a better life than you did, encourage them to go to school. Set high expectations. If your child fails, look at yourself.  Children will live up to expectations. If you expect success and teach them to fight for it, they will be successful. If you have low expectations, then your children will live up to those expectations. Teach your child consequences of their behavior. Quit blaming teachers that are mean, LE that are aggressive (they shouldn’t have contact with LE anyway). Hold your child responsible for his/her own behavior. Encourage your child to further their education. Strive for college. There is more money out there for young black males to go to college than young white males. It takes work to find that money. Invest in your child, spend the time it takes to make your child successful.  And dads…..step the hell up. You made this child…raise him/her, nurture them, teach them. Don’t be a deadbeat father.
In light of the claim that fatherless male youths are at such risk, then each and every one of the adult men of Baltimore should get involved and mentor a few of these boys. Business owners, religious leaders, politicians, invest in your youth and stop all the rhetoric and do something. You complain that there are all these fatherless boys without leadership, then step up and be what you yourself say they need.
I understand that industry has left Baltimore for various places, Mexico, Japan etc. Young people, get an education, go elsewhere, get some experience, make some money and come back to Baltimore and establish a business. Mentor another child. Show them success.
One protestor last night made what I thought was an astute observation. He talked about all the homeless people on the streets of Baltimore and all the abandoned houses. Let’s see…how about we hold the owners of these properties responsible for fixing them and getting them rented, or the city takes possession, fixes them up and starts homeless shelters in them.
Having said all that…..and not wanting to sound entirely crazy, LE needs to be over hauled. I realize that they are not perfect and need to held responsible for their actions, but there is a process for that. And a process for complaints. Use it. Throwing bricks, concrete and bottles is not the process. And burning down your own neighbor owned businesses is just ludicrous and does nothing to help matters. To say that a 16 year old child has suffered “2 decades” of oppression is crazy. Someone needs to take math again. How is that possible?
And to the mother that searched for, and found, her child at the riots, then “the slap heard around the world”, hire her to teach parenting classes. She has my admiration.
OK, rant over. Be gentle with me……lol.

That action the mother took was what should have happen. More parent's need to learn from her.
The burning and trashing is hurting the children future of jobs or their family income. Build instead of tearing down, use their common sense.
I have been saying all along, good and bad in LE, but it is up to the people and officially to work together to weed out and educate the officers that can be productive to each community.
Good post Chickenbutt!

Hi Feebs...so good to see you! I've missed you. Hopefully Baltimore will learn from this past few days and be prepared if and when anyone goes to trial on this case. Seems to me that all the people are wanting is transparancy.

Hi Feebs!   Yes, I agree - excellent post by CB.   Destroying your community because you are upset about LE's conduct is not going to change anything insofar as police brutality.  Anyone participating in the destruction should be prosecuted.  I support peaceful marches but not violence or destruction.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/01/us/freddie-gray-officers-actions/index.html

List of all the officers arrested and the charges against them.
Do we want a separate thread so we can follow this case? Let me know if we do so we can get it set up and get the posts moved...lol....if we can remember how.

Yes, please... But could this thread be about the case only. Any riot discussion could be a different thread.. As the riots pertains nothing about the case but about people acting stupid or out of frustration.

Very good idea twee. Should we have a separate thread for the riots? I suspect that the riots will flare up again in time as the trial nears. And especially when the trial ends and there are verdicts.

My thinking is about "racial" riots being a separate thread... As I see it now there is going to be more whether it be about Mr. Gray, or Ferguson, or someone new.. The "people" have it in their mindset that this is the only way to get justice.

So just a generic thread on "Riots" in general? What would you like to see it titled?

Riots is fine with me... I am open to anything that sounds right... I just get tired of trying to follow a case when it becomes about other things. I get confused in my old age trying to decyfer (sp) what it important

lol twee....don't we all. OK, I will email CN with the suggestions. Hopefully she will get them up sometime today.
The threads will be:

Freddie Gray (Baltimore LE)

and

Riots

I will post a blurb on the Freddie Gray thread for people to confine the discussion to the case only and if they want to post on the riots, please use the riot thread.

What have I been doing? Not a lot of anything.

Regarding Freddie Gray and Riot threads...I vote for keeping those separate to make it easier to follow the actual court cases. I agree with the rest of you, these are separate issues all together.

Omachka wrote:What have I been doing?  Not a lot of anything.

Regarding Freddie Gray and Riot threads...I vote for keeping those separate to make it easier to follow the actual court cases.  I agree with the rest of you, these are separate issues all together.

Yep, the ones rioting can't be the reason this case should be discussed in my opinion. Like the way Cherokee and CB set it up on the front page.


Hi Oma glad to see you !!!!!LOL

Febbie wrote:

Omachka wrote:What have I been doing?  Not a lot of anything.

Regarding Freddie Gray and Riot threads...I vote for keeping those separate to make it easier to follow the actual court cases.  I agree with the rest of you, these are separate issues all together.

Yep, the ones rioting can't be the reason this case should be discussed in my opinion.  Like the way Cherokee and CB set it up on the front page.


Hi Oma glad to see you !!!!!LOL

It's good to see you too, Febbie.