State of Emergency: Baltimore Edition

[BatmanVSuperman]

The police standing in a line doing nothing Might as well just go home.

 

[craigdbfan]

Weren't the people in Ferguson from the far right elected to govern?

By your logic, one could say Ferguson is proof of what happens when you elect those on the far right to govern any sort of government. And wasn't Baltimore in the hands of right wingers before?

It's not a right or left thing. I think that's too easy and simple an explanation for issues that are far more complex.

Did you read my post? Read it again. I mention the far left and the far right. They're both utter **** at governing.

 

[BatmanVSuperman]

Did you read my post? Read it again. I mention the far left and the far right. They're both utter **** at governing.

Indeed.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Did you read my post? Read it again. I mention the far left and the far right. They're both utter **** at governing.

Sorry, my bad.

I can certainly agree with both sides having failed us all.

 

[jmc]

Just saw this on BBC world, what started this kerfuffle?

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

That stolen car being driven through the fire multiple times was just insane.

That was ****ing crazy. Just amazing to see that car driven like a maniac was behind the wheel.

 

[BatmanVSuperman]

Just saw this on BBC world, what started this kerfuffle?

A stupid Mayor and the media

 

[chaseter]

No, idiot thugs started it.

 

[Octoberist]

I'm all for protests if it's peaceful but when it becomes a riot, then that's going too far..

 

[Victarion]

Did they do something to the aquarium?

 

[Sithborg]

They just burned down a senior center. Disgusting.

And yes, they are acting like animals.

Is that what was burning? God...

Just saw this on BBC world, what started this kerfuffle?

Teenagers and troublemakers. No protests where planned today becuase of the funeral for Grey. From what I've seen, the rioters seem to be very young. The call for a "Purge" probably didn't help.

I just watch the video of the police retreating from all those rocks and bricks, I am just thinking how did they not crack down then. Unfortunetely, Fergusan's overreaction has made them gun shy.

God, listening to the police briefing, it sounds like a war briefing. "Taking back the corner..."

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Terrible news and idiotic...

However, by some comments here I get the feeling that some perspective is needed. For one thing, NO, most major American cities do not need a "Batman". Crime in general is not the problem it was in urban areas 30 years ago. As a point of reference, the mean streets that Frank Miller "romanticized" in his Daredevil run, the Hell's Kitchen area of NYC is about as gentrified as you can get these days. Are there still pockets of terrible poverty and crime, with gangs and violence? Sure. And they exist in every major city and yes some cities are worse than others. I am not saying that places like Detroit, areas of Chicago and the like are not in trouble but... No. Overall crime is not the disruptive force in say, the late 1980's or early 1990's in American society.

I also think that yes, opportunistic thugs are taking advantage of the legit protests and now the entirety of those with valid grievances will be painted with a broad brush. Why add to that? Condemn the thugs, but understand that the circumstances that allowed for there to be a mass protest for them to take advantage of are about important issues of civil governance that should be seriously looked at. This in some ways goes back to what I was saying in my first paragraph. Crime is much more manageable than it was in the past, but some communities in the U.S. still feel as though they are on lockdown and the Police interactions they have are not optimal to say the least. The "welfare" comments have little to do with the legit concerns of citizens that feel that they are treated differently or abused within the system of law and order in the country. It's interesting that those sort of observations are promulgated by Libertarian/Conservative types, yet they are the ones that claim continually to be about the excess of government and it's ill affects on the populous. I always find that a missed political opportunity on their part, but for what ever reason they can't seem to bring themselves to understand that these issues are a lot more germane to many than their obsession with keeping marginal tax rates down for the wealthy or freeing any and all business from any and all regulation. But I digress...

Finally, one can be for law and order, understand that Policemen and Policewomen are called on to do a painstaking and hazardous job and still want them to not be given carte blanche or given special protection from scrutiny when people's lives are lost or there are miscarriages of justice, or when there is just plain simple harassment that might well be institutionalized.

So, yes, there are thugs on the loose. Restore order. Hold them responsible for their crimes. But let's not pretend that the circumstance that led up to this are also not an issue, and let's not act like the sky is falling either. We had a major economic down turn and the streets of America are safer than they have been for a long time.

My two cents.

 

[Parker Wayne]

It's ironic that you use a Lion gif considering this just happened.

It's not fake.

 

[Parker Wayne]

It's real.

 

[Parker Wayne]

Because there's a bunch of other things happening?

 

[craigdbfan]

Nooooooooo!

Now they're going to have to kill that poor Lion. Well here's hoping that Lion takes out as many thugs as possible before its taken out by the useless police in Baltimore.

Dammit!

 

[choskins]

The lion is a hoax, and it's a recurring one. Not from Baltimore.

 

[craigdbfan]

I'll be perfectly honest and say that I care boatloads more about that Lion than I could ever care about any of those involved in the lootings.

Edit: It's a hoax apparently. My sentiments still stand.

 

[Parker Wayne]

t:

 

[craigdbfan]

Apparently they'll be "activated" tomorrow.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

So, I guess the Governor huffed and puffed just for the cameras. There seemed to be immediate action promised once the state of emergency was activated.

Guess we all just read too much into that.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Other than the fires being fought, is there active rioting and looting happening right now? It's half past midnight on the East Coast. Even looters gotta sleep. Are things still raging hardcore? If not, then the Guard would be prepping now to come in force when daylight comes.

 

[Teelie]

It's terrible this is going on. None of this is about Gray's murder and is instead an excuse to forget the laws of society.

 

[Kar]

You all are more mad at the people for destroying public property than you all are mad at the police for killing civilians.

Cops kill an unarmed person (I want to say black, but I'm just gonna say "person" to spare myself the "what about other races that are killed by the police?" questions) and all over the board its "eh, it was an accident" "its not a race thing" "moving on" but the minute a store gets looted now everyone wants to speak up.

I do not agree with the looting at all but that's the least of the worries at hand.

 

[KevanG]

We're mad at idiots destroying the city in which they live because they have a flimsy excuse to do so. It's not about the cops now, it's about ****heads going on a rampage.