Dramatic police force in Ferguson, Missouri
I’m having a real hard time keeping up with whatever the heck is going on down in Missouri. Unarmed kid gets shot by Cop 6 times? Mob mentality got it all twisted up with Treyvon Martin? Cops pointing guns at masses of unarmed people? News reporters arrested in McDonalds? The whole thing was allegedly sparked by 2 guys who went into a store and stole what – cigars? Thugs or no thugs, the racial divide and the police state enforced is A BIT DRAMATIC. No one wants to feel threatened by the cops and no cop wants to have Molotov Cocktails for dinner.
Now, if you’ve ever read the book, The Divide, by Matt Taibbi, you would gain a clear understanding of how racial profiling, harassment and absurd arresting circumstances are geared toward people of color and have been occurring more and more often. If you haven’t read it, and are interested put it on your wish list.
Why is this all happening? Well, first the state and government have allowed there to be a greater divide in income class, pretty much eliminating the middle. This happened when they deregulated the system so that one group could make a shit load more than another group and didn’t essentially “mind the store”. Second, when you eliminate the middle you have a polarization effect. It creates a ‘desperation to survive’ by those that struggle, (i.e. the poor), and those who are ‘clutching the purse strings’. Trust me that 1% is spending it’s money well and storing the other billion of it overseas in off shore bank accounts in places like the Caymans, or Ireland, or Switzerland. The part of the public that is on the lower level of income, on disability, or on welfare (their choice or not) are disenfranchised by the system, no bank account, no saving, no house, car, clothes, food, etc.
These are the individuals who are looked down on, shamed and made out to be a public enemy. There’s no loitering, no begging, no panhandling, no assistance, no sympathy – for the most part – “just die somewhere would you, your blocking the street.” Trust me I’ve heard it said…. I have seen a lot of crazy homeless people in my life, some of them need serious medical and mental help, with no one to help them. A lot of people end up in jail for committing petty crimes, then end up homeless after released because well, they have a record, they’re credit sucks, they can’t get a job, they can’t shower, eat or sleep, nor pay any fines they might have. The system screws people generally, but yes – I’m sure you’re thinking “these people screw themselves by breaking the laws.” Not always, no one asks to be alone in life, or have a drug problem, or be have a mental problem – or just be in the wrong place with a dickhead who likes to shoot first and ask questions later . . .
There’s always 2 sides to every story.
People make vocal comments about the tax payers money going towards programs that assist these types of people, oh, I mean the Welfare program. EBT, ACCESS, whatever you have it called in your state. I know in PA it’s got a few major corporations attached to it, some of the biggest corporations (Chase Bank, J.P. Morgan) – i believe that means they’re most likely getting kick backs from the government to fund it. Then there’s that. I could drone on all day…
This country has been developing a state of fear, ridicule and intolerance to poverty for most of my lifetime, since the 80s. We’re not just talking one state, or one police force, or one area. It’s across the nation, in many major and minor places. What’s happening in Ferguson is the climax of a situation that combines intolerance, repression and racial injustice – oh and a bad attitude toward everything.
In addition to the existing attitude of the police force vs. the public, in the past year or so, the government has been giving it’s surplus of military MRAPs to cities around the country. A news report a couple months ago cited a town near Pittsburgh receiving an MRAP and it was front page news. Seeing this on the streets only “hypes” the situation of a military presence. In addition, local law enforcement have acquired weapons that incite fear, like sound weapons mounted to tanks, which can make you vomit, pierce your ear drums and kill you.
My take on it isn’t as humorous as John Oliver’s but there’s a lot that makes sense in his commentary (see below). Even after watching his clip, and seeing government politicians make their statements to the press it is obvious officials are clearly disconnected from the communities they serve. Which is a difficult issue to address. Although, I’ll start with the fact that I know elected officials around the country do not have to reside in the areas in which they are elected to represent for example: senators. I think these people should be bound to the area they represent and make a tour of duty around their area and make a better effort to connect with town and country. If they didn’t have a clue this could happen in their town then they clearly didn’t have their finger on the pulse of the people.
Lastly, I’d like to point out that this whole situation in Fergie looks to me like a party for newsies trolls trying to get a Newsweek cover image on their resume. The press seems wholly insincere at times during this whole confrontation. Then there’s rapper Nelly who showed up to help “mediate” the situation. Let’s make an MTV video for Public Enemy while were at it…
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