Violence...Need I Say More!

[caddelma]

I try not to complain too much, but what is going on in Cincinnati is out of hand. For more info click to:

http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/04/11/cin....02/index.html

Please understand that the following is my opinion on what I see and may not be totally accurate. I do not intend to offend anyone or put anyone down. I am NOT trying to sterotype or demean people of other races, just posting my thoughts and observations and venting my frustration in a peaceful and somewhat civilized manner.

Without going into a long story, Cincinnati has been dealing with "racial tension" between the black community and the Police Department over recent deaths of black individuals at the hands of police. With the help of the hyped up media the tension has broke into violence and riots throughout the city.

Now I can understand the repeated deaths of black persons at the hands of police (both black and white officers) sounds questionable. However using some simple logic and math lets look at the big picture. If an area is populated with 90% blacks and a crime is being committed, what are the odds that it is going to be a black indivdual? Then what are the odds that an officer shoots and kills someone committing a crime is black?

Now a group of people both black and white are going throughout the city rioting and vandelizing businesses and homes. What I don't understand is they are trashing their own neighborhoods. When this first started they stopped white individuals driving through some of these neighborhoods where they might live or work and would drag them out of their cars and beat them up and trash their car. If that isn't racism, what is? What do they think they are proving with this violence?

Please feel free to leave you thoughts and opinions, however I ask that it be done in a civil manner and if it starts to become a bashing of people then I would ask for it to be deleted!

[topane]

Originally posted by caddelma
With the help of the hyped up media the tension has broke into violence and riots throughout the city.

I don't think the media helps out in these situations at all. People do need to be aware of possibly questionable behaviour by law enforcement, but I think sometimes the coverage helps spread civil unrest.

Originally posted by caddelma
Now I can understand the repeated deaths of black persons at the hands of police (both black and white officers) sounds questionable. However using some simple logic and math lets look at the big picture. If an area is populated with 90% blacks and a crime is being committed, what are the odds that it is going to be a black indivdual? Then what are the odds that an officer shoots and kills someone committing a crime is black?

You make a good point. However, there are complaints in other places (New Jersey) that even though a greater percentage of the population in areas is white, a disproportionate number of arrests, citations, etc. are made of minorities.

Originally posted by caddelma
What I don't understand is they are trashing their own neighborhoods. When this first started they stopped white individuals driving through some of these neighborhoods where they might live or work and would drag them out of their cars and beat them up and trash their car. If that isn't racism, what is? What do they think they are proving with this violence?

I'll never understand it myself. It's a lot of anger at "the system" and they're venting now. It's not right, though, to pull someone who just happens to be driving down the street out of his car and beat the hell out of him. That gives an even worse reputation and yes, it is racism. They feel they've been pushed around but that doesn't make the reaction right.

Originally posted by caddelma
Please feel free to leave you thoughts and opinions, however I ask that it be done in a civil manner and if it starts to become a bashing of people then I would ask for it to be deleted!

Aw, come on now. We're all civil here When have you ever seen people bash on each other?

[caddelma]

Ineedavacation vs. thelonegunman Need I say more! Apoligize if I misspelled your screen names. At least they were able to apologize in a civil manner w/o violence.

Unfortunatly people will complain no matter what they get. They are never satisfied. Now the US is not perfect, but they could be in another nation where they would be shot for protesting peacefully ie China or Isreal, heck most of the mid-east countries. Yes there are problems with the system, but the system has to adjust and improve itself. I can't think of a nation with a better system!

[AWM]

I'm sick of the whole thing myself. Granted it does appear an unarmed man was killed. But then again, law enforcement is a dangerous job, with high tensions, and I doubt that he just "murdered" this man. The officer made a mistake. A punishable mistake at that.

Now after the third night of unrest and the 2nd night of rioting, beating and looting, I say "it figures." I got no faith in the situation what-so-ever. It would seem now that alot of these low-life thugs are using this instance as an excuse to loot and beat white people. Yes, you can say it's just them being tired of the systewm, and all this pent up frustration, but come on! I call these beatings racism. Plain and simple.

Now you have a police officer shot last night, 30 some beatings, fires, and on and on. I just hope the media keeps blowing it up, and the city catchs fire. I want the media there for it all. What a beautiful scene in the year 2001. Way to go African Americans in Cincinatti, just wonderful what your portraying yourselves to be. When the national guard is called out to quell this, how can it escalate further? I hope not.

[caddelma]

I am trying to figure out why the power at worked just went out for a second. The riots or the 40mph+ wind gusts. I work about a mile from where some of the rioting took place last night. I am glad I packed my lunch today because the only place to eat that is close by is where there was some rioting.

[AWM]

Maybe you should pack a gun instead of your lunch. Exact some vigalante justice on some criminals!?

I say that half jokingly, but if i lived in that city, my 9 would be within arms reach. The second my window was busted out, or my door ripped ajar, who knows what I'd do = )

Well, what can you do, be ripped out of your car by a mob fueled with hatred and angst against your skin color, or stay out of the city altogether? Or arm yourself and risk escalating the situation by killing one of the mob, lol. It's endless, it's just all so dumb.

[caddelma]

The city of Cincinnati has just issued a city wide curfew for tonight from 8pm to 6am for anywhere within the city limits. And I was going to work late tonight and come in early tomorrow! NOT I might just have to pay a visit to my inlaws in Kentucky and borrow a few shotguns and such. Yes they are well armed (for hunting purposes of course) and my wife can shoot much better than I. Of course I missed the broad side of a barn. no i am not joking!

[caddelma]

The city of Cincinnati has just issued a city wide curfew for tonight from 8pm to 6am for anywhere within the city limits. And I was going to work late tonight and come in early tomorrow! NOT I might just have to pay a visit to my inlaws in Kentucky and borrow a few shotguns and such. Yes they are well armed (for hunting purposes of course) and my wife can shoot much better than I. Of course I missed the broad side of a barn. no i am not joking!

[sbp]

There are much better and peaceful ways to show concern and displeasure over what happened. There always will be those bad apples who engage in violence and try to justify their criminal conduct. They need to be condemned for the thugs they are. Good people unfortunately will also suffer from this.

I agree news media that does love things like this because it boosts news ratings.

How long do you think it will be before Reverend Jesse "Lovedaddy" Jackson shows up?

[AWM]

I assume he's flying in at about the same time the National Guard shows up, and on the same plain as Al Sharpton.


God save the Queen

[caddelma]

If that @^$# shows up, I hope they throw a bottle full of gas between his legs. Where does he get off calling himself a Reverend. No ofense, but LPM has more right to put Rev. in front of his name then this sorry, poor excuse, pos does.

[zenbooty]

Was the cop who claimed to be "in fear for his life" when he shot an unarmed black man, wanted for non-violent misdemeanors, who was running away. How long did you expect these shootings to go on in our country without any reaction? Matching violence with violence is certainly nothing new in this world.

The police, in the eyes of the citizenry, represent the forces of order and structure in our nation. When its shown over and over again that our Nation's Finest are corrupt, brutal, and racist in their dealings with minority communities, can you blame those communities in losing faith in that order and structure? Can you really be surprised when rebellion (which is what this is really about, not rioting, which is just a semantic, like when they call the enemy "terrorists" just because it sounds worse) is the end result?

This probably now belongs in off-topic, but I'm not paid to moderate, so oh well.

[sbp]

How is commiting crimes and attacking innocent people on the basis of race justified?

[zenbooty]

Originally posted by sbp
How is commiting crimes and attacking innocent people on the basis of race justified?

I never said that it was justified. I just said its not surprising to me that this is happening, considering the events that have led to it. And I may have implied that the above question applies equally to the cops who "protect and serve (yeah right!)" as it does to the people who are rebelling in Cincinatti.

[coleslaw]

Being from Cincinnati myself, I know very well the areas in which the riots took place. Last year, I was in the Over the Rhine area, which is where the heart of the riots was, taking photographs of some of the interesting buildings, including an old closed theatre. While I was walking down the street with camera in hand, I was not fearing for my life like I would have been this week. However, as I was focusing a shot, some young children approached me and asked me if I was with the cops. This inquiry really bothered me because they assumed that because I, a white male, was in their neighborhood (with a camera no less), I was associated with the police. When the riots spread to other areas of the city last night, a liquor store about 50 yards from my house was vandalized severely. I was chatting with my housemates online last night and they told me that they were very concerned and somewhat scared (one was drunk at the time, so it made matters worse) and were ready to take off if necessary. I have not heard if the riots have started up again today or not. I will keep everyone posted if something should arise.

In the meantime, here are some images of the riots (Apologies to those on dial-up):

[caddelma]

Fortunately the curvew imposed last night seemed to calm things down quite a bit. I'm sure the additional help from the Hamilton County Sheriffs and State Highway Patrol added alot more police people on the streets. As of about 6:00am there had been over 100 arrests related to people breaking the curfew. I am certainly glad that I am glad I have graduated the University of Cincinnati last year, because it is right up the road from Over-the Rhine were alot of violence occurs. It is a very run down and depressed area. And why, because those living in that type of community do not care about what they have and continual destroy their own neighborhoods! I have heard rumor, ie NOT confirmed that in the police report, the officer reported that when he asked the guy to put his hands up, the guy acted like he was pulling something out of his pocket and made his hand look like a gun (thumb up, index finger pointed). If that was the case he deserved to be shot at. Some people may not agree, but if I were in that part of town at night and someone looked like they might be pulling out a gun, my instinct would be to shoot first and then ask questions later. I wouldn't care if the person were black or white, male or female. There are certain streets in this area that even the police department will not patrol at night. I go out of my way to avoid Vine street to get where i am going. FYI vine st runs through the dangerous Over-the-rhine.