Riots are what happen when people lose hope

[phantom power]

It takes a lot of years of being ignored and oppressed and abused for people to reach that state.

[PeaceNikki]

1. People who feel they are not being acknowledged will turn on the society which ignores them.

[jamzrockz]

2. Next time they should try voting

Now they've destroyed their community, they are in a much shitter situation now. And they really have nobody to blame but themselves

[HipChick]

4. so are you saying it's ok for unarmed males to be murdered by police?

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

8. How brave of you to respond directly to someone who would say such vile garbage

I dont want to be kicked out of here so I better not respond directly to someone who says the victims are to blame

I might say something real bad

[phil89]

11. Looters are not victims.

They are victimizing the community.

[PeaceNikki]

12. Yup. His journal entries tell me enough about what's important to him.

[jamzrockz]

18. I am saying

its much easier to organize an election than organize a riot. This riot was well coordinated from social media. With this type of turn out, no candidate they support can lose an election. Talking about local elections now

[Nye Bevan]

28. I think it's possible to believe BOTH that the police kill too many black people, AND

that burning down businesses is not the best way of addressing this.

[JaneyVee]

6. The cops destroyed the community.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

10. And it started WAY before this as it did in all cities and towns everywhere in America

You see the AfAm community has patience like James Bond has girlfriends.

Endless

maybe it is running out, though

[Dream Girl]

27. got that right

I am astounded that this hasn't happened before now. Endless patience. There comes a point when marches and peaceful protests don't cut it.

[Cali_Democrat]

9. When you sever the spine of an unarmed man causing his death....

you've destroyed the community.

The police are the ones destroying the community.

[phil89]

13. Actually, no.

Burning down the community destroys the community.

[Cali_Democrat]

14. Wrong

Severing spines and treating people as less than human destroys a community.

[malaise]

22. +1,000

A community is about people

[1StrongBlackMan]

19. Do you see a difference between ...

"Property" and "Community"?

[bettyellen]

21. Obviously it's all about the $$$, don'tcha know!

Priorities, dude. Their priorities.

[1StrongBlackMan]

24. Ahhh ...

I must be reminded from time to time. Thanks.

[bettyellen]

25. our boats will ri$e again my friend! Just give these dudes a few generations to rehire each other

Into all available good jobs and rebuild their wealth, get some equilibrium so they're feeling steady being back on top.
Then, and only then, will your life matter.

[KG]

17. voting. LOL.

[jamzrockz]

20. People just dont

know how easy it is to change things locally. Most of the time, its not even about money. If you want to see change start by voting in local election.

Keep laughing

[justiceischeap]

23. Have you ever been to Baltimore?

Baltimore city has more than 16,000 empty homes. A vote is not going to fix that. Jobs may fix it but voting certainly isn't the answer at this point in Bmore--all the voting in the world is not going to bring jobs and food to the tables of the people in that city.

Here's a good idea of what's been going on in Baltimore.

http://data.baltimoresun.com/news/police-settlements/

[peacebird]

3. "What happens to a dream deferred..." Yes, add lost middle class jobs, poverty, & things go south

Pretty fast...

[Logical]

5. Well, lets face it, some of them just want something for free! nt

[Dream Girl]

29. Umm looting is part of riots...are you really that worried about people getting "free stuff"

Nice set of priorities, you got there.

[Logical]

30. Bullshit.....

they are thiefs. The fucking Mayor called them Thugs. Since you know more than the mayor call her and discuss it with her.

[GeorgeGist]

31. That dog whistle is getting kinda stale.

[Logical]

34. You drunk? WTF does that mean? nt

[Igel]

37. At the same time there's a kind of double-standard at play.

If there's a peaceful protest, then the first reaction is to try to say any violence is a set-up. False flag. We must excuse "our own" and make the Other as bad as possible. That's how groups work.

The second reaction is to say that it's not really the protesters doing it, but troublemakers or outsiders. Not false-flag, but not "real protesters." They're either hate-filled or greedy or just out to make trouble for the heck of it. Acolytes of Eris, so to speak.

Only when it gets to the point that it's clear that a contingent of those who must be "legitimate protesters"--those that we want to think are protesters, in other words--are doing the violence and destruction and theft does it suddenly become a virtuous act.

Most of the protesters are peaceful. Why those who turn violent as part of a larger group must all be virtuous in their hate and violence is beyond me. It makes sense that some are angry and can't control their rage--not a good thing, to be sure, but human. It makes sense to me that some just want to revel in violence and hate--also a human thing. It makes sense to me that there are those who just want free stuff and a chance to grab it--it's what more than a few did in LA in '92, why should we assume that those in Baltimore in '15 are all pure of heart and 100% virtuous? Because, again, this is what humans do.

[hifiguy]

7. It is one of the eternal lessons of history

which never seems to be learned.

[Major Hogwash]

15. My brother was in Los Angeles in 1992.

The level of despair that year reached a breaking point after the cops who beat Rodney King were found not guilty.

[1StrongBlackMan]

16. Actually, I'd say ...

Riots are what happen when people lose faith ... riots are a final expression of hope.

[Solly Mack]

38. Yes

[MannyGoldstein]

26. Best post all day. nt

[geek tragedy]

32. And what white kids do after a basketball game nt

[gollygee]

33. What happens to a dream deferred?

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?


(Langston Hughes)

[XemaSab]

39. Riots are what happen when people don't give a fuck

Not exactly what you said, but similar.