Rival Gangs Enter Partnership to Assassinate Baltimore Police Officers (updated 3x)

originally posted by: ProleUK
There are many places that have poor quality education facilities and lack of opportunity, regardless of race.

Can you name those places?
And I don't mean a single school or neighbourhood, I mean an entire cultural group of people.
Christians? Jewish? Asians? Europeans?
Name one other group of people in your country who finds themselves systematically reduced to a ghetto environment with poor education and lack of opportunity.

You can't, because like it or not your country is divided on race more than any other aspect of being, and after decades of failure to fix this problem the country is seeing yet another example of what that inequality creates.

originally posted by: ProleUK
It does create an atmosphere where resentment sets in but are you suggesting that those rioting in Baltimore have been given less because of their race?

Yes, I am suggesting exactly that!
Maybe not through deliberate racism, but it is a fact (and you know this to be true) schools in predominantly black communities have been underfunded for decades, health services are neglected, maintenance is ignored, policing is reactionary and not preventative, economic income is far less as a result of all these things...

That's not in any way an "excuse" for it, by no means. I have said again and again that they are individually responsible for their own actions and what they are doing is utterly wrong and reprehensible.

But that doesn't mean we can ignore the core problems which led to this.

Like it or not, we are all products of our environment. Like it or not, we are not born criminals. I know this is going to be inconvenient for some who want to ignore what leads to things like this and be nothing more than reactionary in the face of it, but that's what America did the last time and clearly it solved nothing at all.

You absolutely HAVE to look at what causes this, and you HAVE to go back to the start and look at everything in order to fix it.

You cannot deny that black people generally live in areas where education is poorer, where income is lower, where policing is more violent, where gang culture is rife, and where violence is part of the artistic and cultural landscape. This didn't just come about by itself, and it won't be fixed by ignoring it.

originally posted by: elfrog

This all comes down to inequality and the sense of injustice that comes from it.

a reply to: Rocker2013

No... this all comes down to a choice and a mindset. Be ignorant and stupid or not..

Free resources have been available for many years for all people of limited means to get an education, instead they choose to be lazy and remain stupid.

You're ignoring the problem in order to easily apportion blame.

I have consistently said that individuals are responsible for their own action and should be held accountable, and there is no excuse for the things we have seen in Baltimore.

BUT, and this is the part all the politicians and ignorant public will want to ignore because it's too complicated and requires work... WE ARE ALL PRODUCTS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.

Stop looking at what has happened and look at what caused it. Look at the ROOT CAUSES of this massive amount of disaffection and hopelessness.

You just need to look at the educational level of the average prison inmate in America to see there is a massive and obvious problem here. Education is absolutely vital, hope and opportunity is absolutely vital, giving people a future that consists of more than the same victim mentality is absolutely vital.

Again, look deeper, stop reacting and start preventing.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Haven't read the other posts but this sounds ridiculous. Even urban gang members are smart enough to realize that as soon as ONE cop is killed, they'll be facing thousands of shoot-to-kill officers and National Guard troops. Suicide to start that war.

I am really disgusted by this whole Baltimore thing. Regardless of the skin color, they are all idiots. I have 0 sympathy.

I really have to question if it's "worth" to go crazy because "one" human (which was a hardcore criminal) got killed by probably corrupt cops while on the other side of the world some idiots are committing genocides killing hundreds of innocent people every day.

Our whole country would stopped working if we would go crazy for every little situation. People die every day - people die in hands of cops - people die in hand of thugs. It's something that won't change - doesn't matter how much you go crazy and show your "anger" - it's not even anger that these people have - it's an agenda for their own purpose. There will be always the 1% situation that never go away. If people accept these conditions, we would might be able to reduce the 1% by half.

But I have one question - how will these people act when there is an actual real issue? An issue where mass life is threatened - their families are threatened.

Can you spell Civil War?

a reply to: Spider879

When people get out rage over gang violence and senseless killings, your media is not there, you more than likely don't view or read Black publications where they do post such events, because it's not sexy enough.

So why scapegoat cops who kill whites as much as blacks and go after the media?

Where is the rage and the riots when a black on black crime or gang violence is committed and innocent black kids are killed?

Where is the rage when victimization is encouraged to keep a community from excelling?

After watching all of this, I'll say my piece...

Rioting doesn't work, it creates the opposite reaction that the people want. Rioting doesn't get justice served, it serves to increase police presence and further their militarization.

Voting doesn't work. Gerrymandering and big money permeate politics, and corruption starts at the very top. Simply "getting out the vote" doesn't seem likely to ever effect any kind of lasting positive change.

Self-policing from within the law enforcement community isn't working. That "thin blue line" that I've heard people speak about seems to scare the hell out of good cops. The corruption within law enforcement must go all the way to the top if the majority of cops are good, yet afraid to speak out.

I'm afraid there really isn't anything anyone can do to rectify the problems we face. Violence begets violence, and peaceful passive protesting accomplishes nothing.

It's a sad state of affairs, but it seems we've done it to ourselves through years of apathy. We've allowed the will of the people to atrophy and wither, and allowed those with money and influence to flourish.

Americans are to divided to unite together to accomplish anything. You'd think that things like basic human rights would be something we can all agree on, but we've become polarized with this notion of "my team vs. your team".

The challenge of making change happen, positive change that benefits all is becoming harder and harder every day that passes. We don't have any altruistic, charismatic leaders that everyone can organize behind. We're a fractured, splintered, and broken society.

The saddest part of all? We've done it to ourselves.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom

The saddest part of all? We've done it to ourselves.

While I fully agree with you, I think we also have the unique ability to change this in an instant and it doesn't even take that much.

I haven't heard much about the cockroaches who killed Mr Gray, any news on their status?

originally posted by: flyandi

originally posted by: MystikMushroom

The saddest part of all? We've done it to ourselves.

While I fully agree with you, I think we also have the unique ability to change this in an instant and it doesn't even take that much.

Got any suggestions? I'm fresh out of them today.

a reply to: Rocker2013

The problem with "fixing the problem" is legion:
1) we cannot have a true and honest discourse regarding race
2) the politicians answer to fixing the problem is to throw money at it
3) at least half the problem lies within the black community (see #1)
4) poverty is also part of the problem, however, the expectation that "if I am given money, my problems will go away" is BS, and is not even part of the solution
5) in order to receive effective help, one must be willing to help oneself. This means that the excuses that are used by the black community have to disappear. The feeling that everything that happens to oneself is race related HAS TO GO AWAY!

If one sits around and has the perception that one does not have to work to succeed, that one does not have to have drive and a positive attitude to succeed then one merely joins the ranks of losers. White losers have no excuse....black losers feel they are owed something by whitey. This is pure and unadulterated BS.

The thing is, any organized push back against all the wrongs in this country would be infiltrated and destroyed from within. Look at OWS -- instigators and infiltrators from alphabet agencies got themselves embedded and made that movement worthless and appear foolish.

All the avenues of change appear to be blocked, and we've foolishly been asleep at the wheel while they've been closed off. And now? Now that we're finally starting to wake up we're realizing that the time to act was yesterday, not today.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

That basically wraps it up nicely. The wrong people have been given powerand they are not willing to give it up. Since power tends to corrupt, it's hard to get the right people into the positions of power.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Personal responsibility is the answer. We make excuses for others rather than expecting proper behavior.

Take the current situation: There is a national discourse regarding police use of force. There is NO national discourse regarding people who are just stupid enough to resist arrest, respond to police with violence, people who are stupid enough to trash their own neighborhood because they are upset. None...whatsoever.

Right now, police do not want to get themselves into a situation where deadly force may be used to a degree that they are letting criminals run free. It's ok to riot and burn and loot, apparently, but not ok for the police to respond.

What does this say about the future of law enforcement and lawlessness in our country? At what pont will we say that if you are going to behave in an antisocial manner threatening other's safety and/or their property there will be consequences to those actions? We have been headed, for quite some time now, in the direction where people are not responsible for their actions (regardless of race) and it is increasingly presented by the media as a societal problem as opposed to a simple matter of personal responsibility.

Blacks have access to education that any other group does not. An educated black man without a chip on his shoulder is in high demand in any field he chooses. An educated black woman is even more in demand. The problem, in this regard, lies in the black community. There is intense social/community pressure to not "act white" and if one makes good grades and shows initiative, then one is ostracized. This is a community that has and continues to set itself up for failure and then wants to blame the ills on whites.

a reply to: Vasa Croe
The mainstream news media is a pawn of the government . When they report lawlessness in the streets but not lawlessness run amuck in the police force . Its obvious to me this is all a plan to federalize the police force. They will continue this riot agenda until it is

a reply to: TangoYak

People should read this blackwestchester.com...
Before they jump into the hysteria that the media and the state have set out for you all.

a reply to: roadgravel

It was said long ago: those who want it, should not get it. Those who deserve it do not want it. (position and power).

Then you have the simple matter of qualification. Just because one wants to do good does not mean one would be successful at it.

originally posted by: interupt42
a reply to: Spider879

When people get out rage over gang violence and senseless killings, your media is not there, you more than likely don't view or read Black publications where they do post such events, because it's not sexy enough.

So why scapegoat cops who kill whites as much as blacks and go after the media?

Where is the rage and the riots when a black on black crime or gang violence is committed and innocent black kids are killed?

Where is the rage when victimization is encouraged to keep a community from excelling?

I gave example with the above pic there are too many to cut N paste and who told you that Black folks are silent about excelling and trying to move beyond what you see on TEE VEE, the problem is one dimensional thinkers like you who are ignorant of what's taken place in those communities when CNN FOX,MSNBC, CNBC are away you have no frikin idea of what's going on who is trying to make a difference, all you are interested in along with your mainstream media is blood N gore the sht that makes you feel you can point fingers and say them! those are the bad guys, it's quite Okay if you and people like you have no interest in those communities, you are not required to give two fks, but don't jump on the band wagon when things get interesting in a horrible way and proclaim your self an expert in African American social behaviour.

a reply to: daftpink


Absolutely. We should ignore the violence, the looting, the burning... we should focus strictly on those who peacefully demonstrate.

One is expected to demonstrate peacefully. It's called doing the right thing. Rioting and looting and burning, on the other hand, is the actions of an ignorant, violent people who are more interested in the quick gain than a long term situation.

Where is the Reverend during all this? Is he out in the streets stirring up peace? Or is he hiding in his luxury penthouse?