Officials: US report finds racial bias in Ferguson police

[Bangkok Herps]

What other similar countries have a black population of about 14% that commit about 47% of the felonies in that country? You are trying to compare apples to oranges.

Should I be confused here? You post yet another statistic that shows that there's clearly a systemic problem...and yet you're denying that there's a systemic problem?

Or are you just some racist who believes, "The only problem is that there's too many Black people around"?

I'm not going to make that assumption if and the two guys who liked your comment can explain your intention any other way.

What part of what I posted don't you understand? I didn't pull those figures out of the air. You can look them under FBI crime statistics. You'er not one of those people who think the police arrest blacks because of their race are you? Police arrest people who commit crimes regardless of their race.

Do you believe that the disproportion is due to systematic problems in the American system, or do to the fact that Black people are worse people than White people?

I didn't say that Black people didn't commit any crimes. But such a ridiculous disparity can only come about via some sort of systemic issue, no?

Let me give you some of the examples:

* Black people being arrested for the crimes they commit at a rate far higher than White people. For example, studies have shown that marijuana use among White teenagers and Black teenagers is roughly equal (White teenagers tend to use it slightly more), yet Black teenagers are arrested for marijuana use far more often.

* Crimes that are committed by Black people being punished disproportionately compared to crimes committed by White people. For instance, crack cocaine possession is punished at rates 10x as severe as power cocaine possession...so even though White people use powder cocaine just as often as Black people use crack cocaine, the amount of cocaine that gets a White person away with a misdemeanor will be regarded as felony possession with years in jail if its crack...which is almost entirely used by Black people. Rand Paul has declared this is a systemic, racist injustice and has been working for a few years now to get it changed.

* Black people generally having far worst legal representation than White people, which means that they're much less likely to know their options, less likely to be found innocent, more likely to be forced to take plea bargains for crimes they didn't commit, etc. This is due largely to the ridiculous overloaded schedules given to public defenders in areas where Black people live.

* As a result of the three above factors, Black people are more likely to be arrested than White people who commit the same crimes, less likely to have their case dismissed than White people charged with the same crimes, more likely to be convicted than White people tried for the same crimes, and spend far more time in prison than White people who were convicted of the same crimes.

* In addition to those broad problems, there are specific communities like Ferguson, Miami Gardens, Milwaukee, etc., where a Black population is specifically targeted for numbers and revenue generation by a largely non-Black police force.

* And then you have a systemic distrust of police by the Black community, due to all of the above, which further increases the tension during police interactions.

Combine all those things together, and you have far more Black men entering the correctional system than White men. Even people who entered the system for an unjust reason, or simply a small amount of drug possession, or for a stupid juvenile mistake...now they're in prison alongside a bunch of people who have committed real crimes. Do you believe that's likely to be a good influence or a bad influence? On top of that, when they get our of prison they've been out of work, are hardly employable, and probably hate the police. So putting people in jail at an early age makes it that much more difficult for them to live on the right side of the law and far more likely to commit serious crimes.

Due to all that, you get a population where 1/3 of the Black men have seen time in corrections, thereby leaving their children unfathered for part of that time...so what influence do you think that will have on the kids?

Now, it shouldn't really be hard to understand how we got to the situation that we're in. And that's without even going into ridiculous housing discrimination, education inequality, employment discrimination, loss of voting rights, etc. that have also contributed enormously.

Of course, it's easier just to be racist, if you want an easy way out. Can you give me the explanation you prefer?

[chuckd]

My grandpa raised cotton in West Texas but I was in law enforcement for five years. I also have some friends that were in law enforcement.

Will that do?

[Bangkok Herps]

Although, seeing the other post you just made, it's becoming quite clear exactly why you and Chuck and Ulysses have blinders on in this particular issue.

You seem to be the one wearing blinders or drinking far-left Kool aid. CMNightRider is posting documented facts, whether you like them, or not. For what is is worth, I think that some police are bad, but most of them are not.

What are the documented facts that CMNightRider has posted which you believe exonerates the enormous body of evidence that the supposed "police haters" have posted.

Since you liked his comment above about the real issue being Black people committing crimes, I'd love to hear your explanation for the situation.

Is the problem that Black people are worse people than White people, or is there a systemic problem that explains the enormous discrepancies in who gets targeted by the legal system?

Better yet, you can post your facts. What is your evidence that there is no problem? What is your response to what was happening in Miami Gardens, for instance? Can you point to any stage of the system (arrests, charges, convictions, sentences) where it is clear that Black people and White people get perfectly equal treatment?

[CMNightRider]

The police haters (people who resent authority) are the only ones on this site that post nonsensical remarks about police brutally and militarisation of American law enforcement. At least one of these individuals, by his own admission was a recipient of correctional services in the past. Another of these police haters displays signs of delusional behavior by believing there is a legion of so called "Dirty Harry" police running amok in America.

The truth is, American law enforcement form a thin blue line that separates law abiding citizens from criminals.

This DOJ report is the result of several months of beating the bushes looking for wrong doing, only to find a couple of inappropriate e-mails about blacks but were unable to find any wrong doing by Officer Wilson.

The police haters on this site should be ashamed of themselves for posting such ridiculous statements about the Ferguson Police Department and American law enforcement in general.

I'm sure you were trying to tar me with those statements, but since I never said anything about "Dirty Harry" and I've never even been arrested, much less received correctional services, I'd love to know how you are going to dismiss my contributions.

Especially since myself and the other posters have regularly been including specific cites and links to back us up. In almost every case those are ignored. You won't even admit there is a problem in communities (like Miami Gardens and Ferguson) where completely ridiculous behavior is being undertaken by the cops. Did you listen to the link above regarding Miami Gardens? Or the one about Milwaukee? Did you read the St. Louis Today article detailing the problems in Ferguson? Did you even know, "Manner of Walking" could be a citation, or that it was given to Black people 95% of the time? Did you read any of the multiple links I posted where military personnel directly criticize the Ferguson police for improper and inflammatory crowd control?

Although, seeing the other post you just made, it's becoming quite clear exactly why you and Chuck and Ulysses have blinders on in this particular issue.

p.s. - My grandpa served more than 20 years with the California Highway Patrol and was chief of police for two small towns. I have several friends who are police officers - including one, in fact, who shot and killed a Black man. Most cops do a great job, but there are some systemic problems in certain communities that can't be explained away with racist assumptions. So you can't just say "police hater" and ignore what I have to say.

Well, actually, you can and will, but that's on you.

I wasn't referring to you about the idiotic "Dirty Harry" remarks or you being a recipient of correctional services. I think it is commendable your grandfather served more than twenty years with the California Highway Patrol, but this doesn't make you any more knowledgeable about law enforcement than the next guy who never wore a badge. Your posts depict a person who knows woefully little about policing other than what you read in liberal publications. As far as the blinder comment, this sounds more like projection on your part.

What is interesting about this investigation is the fact Holder and his liberal minions went after Officer Wilson with vengence, but came up with nothing to charge him with because he didn't do anything wrong.

[CMNightRider]

What other similar countries have a black population of about 14% that commit about 47% of the felonies in that country? You are trying to compare apples to oranges.

Should I be confused here? You post yet another statistic that shows that there's clearly a systemic problem...and yet you're denying that there's a systemic problem?

Or are you just some racist who believes, "The only problem is that there's too many Black people around"?

I'm not going to make that assumption if and the two guys who liked your comment can explain your intention any other way.

What part of what I posted don't you understand? I didn't pull those figures out of the air. You can look them under FBI crime statistics. You'er not one of those people who think the police arrest blacks because of their race are you? Police arrest people who commit crimes regardless of their race.

Do you believe that the disproportion is due to systematic problems in the American system, or do to the fact that Black people are worse people than White people?

I didn't say that Black people didn't commit any crimes. But such a ridiculous disparity can only come about via some sort of systemic issue, no?

Let me give you some of the examples:

* Black people being arrested for the crimes they commit at a rate far higher than White people. For example, studies have shown that marijuana use among White teenagers and Black teenagers is roughly equal (White teenagers tend to use it slightly more), yet Black teenagers are arrested for marijuana use far more often.

* Crimes that are committed by Black people being punished disproportionately compared to crimes committed by White people. For instance, crack cocaine possession is punished at rates 10x as severe as power cocaine possession...so even though White people use powder cocaine just as often as Black people use crack cocaine, the amount of cocaine that gets a White person away with a misdemeanor will be regarded as felony possession with years in jail if its crack...which is almost entirely used by Black people. Rand Paul has declared this is a systemic, racist injustice and has been working for a few years now to get it changed.

* Black people generally having far worst legal representation than White people, which means that they're much less likely to know their options, less likely to be found innocent, more likely to be forced to take plea bargains for crimes they didn't commit, etc. This is due largely to the ridiculous overloaded schedules given to public defenders in areas where Black people live.

* As a result of the three above factors, Black people are more likely to be arrested than White people who commit the same crimes, less likely to have their case dismissed than White people charged with the same crimes, more likely to be convicted than White people tried for the same crimes, and spend far more time in prison than White people who were convicted of the same crimes.

* In addition to those broad problems, there are specific communities like Ferguson, Miami Gardens, Milwaukee, etc., where a Black population is specifically targeted for numbers and revenue generation by a largely non-Black police force.

* And then you have a systemic distrust of police by the Black community, due to all of the above, which further increases the tension during police interactions.

Combine all those things together, and you have far more Black men entering the correctional system than White men. Even people who entered the system for an unjust reason, or simply a small amount of drug possession, or for a stupid juvenile mistake...now they're in prison alongside a bunch of people who have committed real crimes. Do you believe that's likely to be a good influence or a bad influence? On top of that, when they get our of prison they've been out of work, are hardly employable, and probably hate the police. So putting people in jail at an early age makes it that much more difficult for them to live on the right side of the law and far more likely to commit serious crimes.

Due to all that, you get a population where 1/3 of the Black men have seen time in corrections, thereby leaving their children unfathered for part of that time...so what influence do you think that will have on the kids?

Now, it shouldn't really be hard to understand how we got to the situation that we're in. And that's without even going into ridiculous housing discrimination, education inequality, employment discrimination, loss of voting rights, etc. that have also contributed enormously.

Of course, it's easier just to be racist, if you want an easy way out. Can you give me the explanation you prefer?

You probably should stick to the topic of this post, and save the naive comments about black disparity.

[sgtsabai]

Ahem, black disparity IS the topic of this thread. Holder is no liberal, far from it. The DOJ has never even gotten rid of the the right dominionists from the Bush regime. The police in America are out of control. They always have been in the south, especially when it came to black folks. I think you need to "walk a mile" in the shoes of a minority. You don't have a clue.

[sgtsabai]

For those that will read, here is another report, it steps on the DOJ's toes, as well it should. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/05/how-the-justice-department-let-ferguson-rot.html?via=newsletter&source=CSAMedition

[CMNightRider]

Ahem, black disparity IS the topic of this thread. Holder is no liberal, far from it. The DOJ has never even gotten rid of the the right dominionists from the Bush regime. The police in America are out of control. They always have been in the south, especially when it came to black folks. I think you need to "walk a mile" in the shoes of a minority. You don't have a clue.

What?? "Holder is no liberal?" I think you fell off your horse and bumped your head. OMG, I hope you are okay?

This investigation (witch hunt) had to come up with something since they were unable to find Officer Wilson guilty of any wrong doing, so Holder and his minions found inappropriate e-mails about blacks that were nothing more than jokes. Please read the bold print.

Police in America are not out of control. Where on earth do you get these ideas from? The liberal tabloids are the only publications that accuse law enforcement of being out of control, because liberals love to read and weep about subjects like this.

[CMNightRider]

For those that will read, here is another report, it steps on the DOJ's toes, as well it should. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/05/how-the-justice-department-let-ferguson-rot.html?via=newsletter&source=CSAMedition

The "Daily Beast" is a good example of a liberal tabloid.

[sgtsabai]

I can sit a horse and never fell off (that's my caballo, SKS, S&W 586 service revolver and myself in the avatar), how about you? Let me explain again, I'm no liberal, I'm a left wing militant with a lot more experience in law enforcement than you, we've had this "discussion" before. Holder has prosecuted whistle blowers like nobody else, refused to indict war criminals under the Cheney/Bush et al cabal, enabled spying on innocent people, led the crack down on OWS, just to name a few. You and a few others that wear the tin foil hats need to quit watching faux (not the) news. There is no doubt the militarized police in America are out of control. This does not mean there are not still good cops. Read the articles, that is documented, not faux (not the) news right wing racist fear propaganda, facts. Like I said, you need to walk the mile in a minority's shoes, you haven't a clue and don't won't to learn. As to Wilson, one of the first things we learned in NM Law Enforcement Academy was "shot to stop the action-feared for my life".

[Bangkok Herps]

I wasn't referring to you about the idiotic "Dirty Harry" remarks or you being a recipient of correctional services. I think it is commendable your grandfather served more than twenty years with the California Highway Patrol, but this doesn't make you any more knowledgeable about law enforcement than the next guy who never wore a badge. Your posts depict a person who knows woefully little about policing other than what you read in liberal publications. As far as the blinder comment, this sounds more like projection on your part.

What is interesting about this investigation is the fact Holder and his liberal minions went after Officer Wilson with vengence, but came up with nothing to charge him with because he didn't do anything wrong.

You guys are really, really obsessed with Officer Wilson, aren't you?

I'll say the same thing that I said from the very first time I heard about the Ferguson problems. What happened with this one case, however bad or not bad it may have been, isn't very important at all. It's one guy! Either it's one bad cop who did the wrong thing or a good cop who did the right thing or a decent cop who made a mistake...whatever. It's just one incident with one cop! How does that say anything about the police or the government or systemic issues or anything else?

What was far more important to me was the ridiculous nature of the Ferguson Police Department's response after the event, and their patterns of behavior before the event. That's the whole force, that's systemic, and that's a real problem.

And you won't find me saying anything other than this anywhere on this board, or anyone else. Because I prefer to talk about the issues that actually matter rather than the issues that just set off dog whistles.

As far as Holder, he didn't go "after Officer Wilson with vengence". Anyone who knows anything about Federal law knows that federal law had no chance of applying to Officer Wilson, and Holder knew that too. Of course he's going to say "we will investigate" rather than "we will do nothing", because that's what people want to hear, but I can guarantee you that Holder didn't spend much time on Officer Wilson. The only way Officer Wilson's case could have been turned into a federal case is if it were proven that he had intended to act with racist intent to deny Michael Brown his civil rights, and even if that were true (which I doubt), it can't be proven unless someone pretty much openly says it, which everyone knew hadn't happened in this case.

I already said that in the previous thread, even before this report came out.

From the beginning, what was of far greater concern to the DOJ were the systemic problems in Ferguson, because that matters a hundred times more than one incident with one cop. And that's what they went after.

But by all means, keep talking about Officer Wilson even though no one else here is.

[Bangkok Herps]

What other similar countries have a black population of about 14% that commit about 47% of the felonies in that country? You are trying to compare apples to oranges.

Do you believe that the disproportion is due to systematic problems in the American system, or do to the fact that Black people are worse people than White people?

I didn't say that Black people didn't commit any crimes. But such a ridiculous disparity can only come about via some sort of systemic issue, no?

Let me give you some of the examples:

* Black people being arrested for the crimes they commit at a rate far higher than White people. For example, studies have shown that marijuana use among White teenagers and Black teenagers is roughly equal (White teenagers tend to use it slightly more), yet Black teenagers are arrested for marijuana use far more often.

* Crimes that are committed by Black people being punished disproportionately compared to crimes committed by White people. For instance, crack cocaine possession is punished at rates 10x as severe as power cocaine possession...so even though White people use powder cocaine just as often as Black people use crack cocaine, the amount of cocaine that gets a White person away with a misdemeanor will be regarded as felony possession with years in jail if its crack...which is almost entirely used by Black people. Rand Paul has declared this is a systemic, racist injustice and has been working for a few years now to get it changed.

* Black people generally having far worst legal representation than White people, which means that they're much less likely to know their options, less likely to be found innocent, more likely to be forced to take plea bargains for crimes they didn't commit, etc. This is due largely to the ridiculous overloaded schedules given to public defenders in areas where Black people live.

* As a result of the three above factors, Black people are more likely to be arrested than White people who commit the same crimes, less likely to have their case dismissed than White people charged with the same crimes, more likely to be convicted than White people tried for the same crimes, and spend far more time in prison than White people who were convicted of the same crimes.

* In addition to those broad problems, there are specific communities like Ferguson, Miami Gardens, Milwaukee, etc., where a Black population is specifically targeted for numbers and revenue generation by a largely non-Black police force.

* And then you have a systemic distrust of police by the Black community, due to all of the above, which further increases the tension during police interactions.

Combine all those things together, and you have far more Black men entering the correctional system than White men. Even people who entered the system for an unjust reason, or simply a small amount of drug possession, or for a stupid juvenile mistake...now they're in prison alongside a bunch of people who have committed real crimes. Do you believe that's likely to be a good influence or a bad influence? On top of that, when they get our of prison they've been out of work, are hardly employable, and probably hate the police. So putting people in jail at an early age makes it that much more difficult for them to live on the right side of the law and far more likely to commit serious crimes.

Due to all that, you get a population where 1/3 of the Black men have seen time in corrections, thereby leaving their children unfathered for part of that time...so what influence do you think that will have on the kids?

Now, it shouldn't really be hard to understand how we got to the situation that we're in. And that's without even going into ridiculous housing discrimination, education inequality, employment discrimination, loss of voting rights, etc. that have also contributed enormously.

Of course, it's easier just to be racist, if you want an easy way out. Can you give me the explanation you prefer?

You probably should stick to the topic of this post, and save the naive comments about black disparity.

So is that your way of saying that you're not going to answer the question?

Do you believe there's s systemic problem?

Or do you believe that the only problem is that America has too many Black people?

Why did you post that particular statistic as if it were the answer to that particular question?

Edited March 5, 2015 by Bangkok Herps

[NeverSure]

I can sit a horse and never fell off -snip-

That's all I needed to read to know you're a poser. I grew up herding cattle on horseback and anyone who would say that probably never saw a horse.

End of.

[H1w4yR1da]

From the beginning, what was of far greater concern to the DOJ were the systemic problems in Ferguson, because that matters a hundred times more than one incident with one cop. And that's what they went after.

But by all means, keep talking about Officer Wilson even though no one else here is.

And speaking of left wing loonies ..

The systematic problems in Ferguson is basically out of control black crime.

And funny now that Officer Wilson has been completely exonerated of any wrongdoing, the left suddenly want to stop talking about him after making themselves look foolish after practically guaranteeing he'd be charged.

[H1w4yR1da]

Or do you believe that the only problem is that America has too many Black people?

No. America has too many black criminals and gangbangers.

[Bangkok Herps]

From the beginning, what was of far greater concern to the DOJ were the systemic problems in Ferguson, because that matters a hundred times more than one incident with one cop. And that's what they went after.

But by all means, keep talking about Officer Wilson even though no one else here is.

And speaking of left wing loonies ..

The systematic problems in Ferguson is basically out of control black crime.

And funny now that Officer Wilson has been completely exonerated of any wrongdoing, the left suddenly want to stop talking about him after making themselves look foolish after practically guaranteeing he'd be charged.

Too bad for your theory, I was saying the same thing before it was even announced that Officer Wilson would not be charged.

Who here ever "practically guaranteed" that he'd be charged? And what would that person's supposed guarantee have anything to do with me or with this thread?

Once again, why are you still completely focused on one incident with one guy...when that's not what this thread is about, nor was it what the last thread was about...but you guys keep ignoring every single example of systemic problems to just shout "but Officer Wilson!!!" over and over and over...

[sgtsabai]

How about a long haired USMC Sgt Vietnam Vet that stood up and spoke truth to the power and went to jail for it until released by the US Supreme Court. How about Creek/Choctaw? Minority enough? How about you white bread, ever walk that mile? I don't have a biased opinion, I have facts, not the tin foil hat faux (not the) news type and personal experience. Can you people read, the facts are there, just read. Or perhaps ignorance is bliss, and like many, would like to see the blacks returned to slavery or just wiped out like the US tried with the American Indians. The Ferguson cops while not all bad, are representative of what the US has become, a police/surveillance state. Now can we keep this thread about Ferguson and not personal? You know, sometimes the truth hurts.

[H1w4yR1da]

So the report into Ferguson could only turn up a few 'racist' email jokes to prove racial bias. Pathetic.

[sgtsabai]

Hey there never, I never said I herded cattle and I lay no claim to being a cowboy. Only owned 2, but I can sit a horse and luckily never got thrown, but I sure ended up hangin' on a couple of times...lol. That 1/2 Appaloosa/Arab was one hell of a mountain horse. Good hunting horse, yea, that was my job, not herding cattle in New Mexico. You guys want to continue the personal attacks, like right wingers always do when confronted with facts, do it in person, I'm no keyboard warrior.

[Bangkok Herps]

This investigation (witch hunt) had to come up with something since they were unable to find Officer Wilson guilty of any wrong doing, so Holder and his minions found inappropriate e-mails about blacks that were nothing more than jokes. Please read the bold print.

You think this is about emails? Let me help you then:

The 102-page report on the patterns and practices of the Ferguson Police Department released on Wednesday, describes an out-of-control police department whose officers target African-Americans, stop and search people without reasonable suspicion, arrest people without probable cause, abuse their authority to quash protests, routinely ignore civil rights and use excessive force by unnecessarily using dogs, batons and Tasers.

Hmm...sounds a bit worse than emails.

Despite making up 67 percent of the population, African-Americans have accounted for 85 percent of all traffic stops, and were the subject of 90 percent of the citations and 93 percent of the arrests made by Ferguson police over the last two years.

One of the charges where blacks are cited more often than whites: "Manner of Walking," which is issued to blacks 95 percent of the time.

African-Americans are also 70 percent less likely to have their charges dismissed by a judge.

If you read the exact examples, they're ridiculous. A father detailed for letting his little kid pee in the bushes. Protestors charged with "manner of walking" when they were just standing on the sidewalk. A guy being tackled and accused of resisting arrest by the police when video footage shows that he didn't do anything. A guy doing nothing other than sitting in his car was given 8 different citations, a guy wrongly arrested by the police (wrong name) who was kept in jail AFTER they realized they had the wrong guy, THEN beaten by cops, THEN cited for "destruction of property" because he bled on the cops' clothes.

And from the other article:

In 2013, the city’s finance director said in an email to another official, “Court fees are anticipated to rise about 7.5%. I did ask the Chief if he thought the PD could deliver 10% increase. He indicated they could try.”

When a police department is basing its arrests on the city's revenue needs, don't you think that's the very definition of an "out of control" police department?

The report also details the mayor, prosecutor, and various court clerks systematically working to erase tickets and citations for their friends (almost entirely White people in power erasing tickets for White people), while those Black people who didn't have the money to pay their parking tickets had the fines compounded with more fines and were eventually sent to jail.

When Ferguson officials were asked to respond to the allegations, they suggested that the disparity was because "Blacks lack personal responsibility". The audacity to say that as you're under a federal investigation for prejudice, not to mention critiquing other people's "personal responsibility" while you and your friends are erasing each other's tickets.

How could you possibly have read that report and not believe that there is a serious problem there?

Edited March 5, 2015 by Bangkok Herps

[Bangkok Herps]

Ahem, black disparity IS the topic of this thread. Holder is no liberal, far from it. The DOJ has never even gotten rid of the the right dominionists from the Bush regime. The police in America are out of control. They always have been in the south, especially when it came to black folks. I think you need to "walk a mile" in the shoes of a minority. You don't have a clue.

What?? "Holder is no liberal?" I think you fell off your horse and bumped your head. OMG, I hope you are okay?

This investigation (witch hunt) had to come up with something since they were unable to find Officer Wilson guilty of any wrong doing, so Holder and his minions found inappropriate e-mails about blacks that were nothing more than jokes. Please read the bold print.

Police in America are not out of control. Where on earth do you get these ideas from? The liberal tabloids are the only publications that accuse law enforcement of being out of control, because liberals love to read and weep about subjects like this.

And here are those innocent emails that in CMNightRider's world are "nothing more than jokes". In your workplace, are these the kind of jokes you tell...and how do you really feel about them being told in a 95% White workplace who spends 95% of their time arresting Black people?

• A November 2008 email stated that President Barack Obama would not be president for very long because “what black man holds a steady job for four years.”

• A March 2010 email mocked African Americans through speech and familial stereotypes, using a story involving child support. One line from the email read: “I be so glad that dis be my last child support payment! Month after month, year after year, all dose payments!”

• An April 2011 email depicted President Barack Obama as a chimpanzee.

• A May 2011 email stated: “An African-American woman in New Orleans was admitted into the hospital for a pregnancy termination. Two weeks later she received a check for $5,000. She phoned the hospital to ask who it was from. The hospital said, ‘Crimestoppers.’”

• A June 2011 email described a man seeking to obtain “welfare” for his dogs because they are “mixed in color, unemployed, lazy, can’t speak English and ahve no frigging clue who their Daddies are.”

• An October 2011 email included a photo of a bare-chested group of dancing women, apparently in Africa, with the caption, “Michelle Obama’s High School Reunion.”

And no one, ever, at any time, was disciplined for sending the emails. No one was even told to refrain from sending such emails. No one was even told that they were inappropriate.

Do you really believe that a workplace culture like that isn't going to compound the racial problems?

Edited March 5, 2015 by Bangkok Herps

[Bangkok Herps]

Or do you believe that the only problem is that America has too many Black people?

No. America has too many black criminals and gangbangers.

And I'll ask again - why is this so? What do you think the systemic issue is that has led to there being so many "black criminals and gangbangers", as you call them, in America?

"So the report into Ferguson could only turn up a few 'racist' email jokes to prove racial bias. Pathetic."

I just have to LOL at this. You didn't read the report, did you? You really think it was only about emails?

[NeverSure]

Hey there never, I never said I herded cattle and I lay no claim to being a cowboy. Only owned 2, but I can sit a horse and luckily never got thrown, but I sure ended up hangin' on a couple of times...lol. That 1/2 Appaloosa/Arab was one hell of a mountain horse. Good hunting horse, yea, that was my job, not herding cattle in New Mexico. You guys want to continue the personal attacks, like right wingers always do when confronted with facts, do it in person, I'm no keyboard warrior.

Not a personal attack. I'm just calling you on saying what you did. Now your experience is on a mountain horse and you never fell off. Such a boast for someone who's not a keyboard warrior.

I'm throwing the BS flag.

[Publicus]

So the report into Ferguson could only turn up a few 'racist' email jokes to prove racial bias. Pathetic.

The fiction writers have returned to roost so the thread needs some facts and non-fiction realities.

From the DoJ report on Ferguson, here are the laws the FPD violated which place the FPD in violation of the United States Constitution...

.

The Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice opened its investigation of the Ferguson Police Department (“FPD”) on September 4, 2014.

This investigation was initiated under the pattern-or-practice provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 42 U.S.C. § 14141, the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. § 3789d (“Safe Streets Act”), and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d (“Title VI”).

This investigation has revealed a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct within the Ferguson Police Department that violates the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and federal statutory law.

http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdf

7 clear ways Ferguson police violated the Constitution, according to DOJ

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/7-clear-ways-ferguson-police-violated-the-constitution-according-to-the-justice-department/

If this case has to go to the federal courts, FPD is going to have the DoJ in daily supervision of it for the next five years. It is indeed laughable when anyone tries to reduce the criminality of the FPD to a couple of email jokes.

[Publicus]

Ahem, black disparity IS the topic of this thread. Holder is no liberal, far from it. The DOJ has never even gotten rid of the the right dominionists from the Bush regime. The police in America are out of control. They always have been in the south, especially when it came to black folks. I think you need to "walk a mile" in the shoes of a minority. You don't have a clue.

What?? "Holder is no liberal?" I think you fell off your horse and bumped your head. OMG, I hope you are okay?

This investigation (witch hunt) had to come up with something since they were unable to find Officer Wilson guilty of any wrong doing, so Holder and his minions found inappropriate e-mails about blacks that were nothing more than jokes. Please read the bold print.

Police in America are not out of control. Where on earth do you get these ideas from? The liberal tabloids are the only publications that accuse law enforcement of being out of control, because liberals love to read and weep about subjects like this.

And here are those innocent emails that in CMNightRider's world are "nothing more than jokes". In your workplace, are these the kind of jokes you tell...and how do you really feel about them being told in a 95% White workplace who spends 95% of their time arresting Black people?

• A November 2008 email stated that President Barack Obama would not be president for very long because “what black man holds a steady job for four years.”

• A March 2010 email mocked African Americans through speech and familial stereotypes, using a story involving child support. One line from the email read: “I be so glad that dis be my last child support payment! Month after month, year after year, all dose payments!”

• An April 2011 email depicted President Barack Obama as a chimpanzee.

• A May 2011 email stated: “An African-American woman in New Orleans was admitted into the hospital for a pregnancy termination. Two weeks later she received a check for $5,000. She phoned the hospital to ask who it was from. The hospital said, ‘Crimestoppers.’”

• A June 2011 email described a man seeking to obtain “welfare” for his dogs because they are “mixed in color, unemployed, lazy, can’t speak English and ahve no frigging clue who their Daddies are.”

• An October 2011 email included a photo of a bare-chested group of dancing women, apparently in Africa, with the caption, “Michelle Obama’s High School Reunion.”

And no one, ever, at any time, was disciplined for sending the emails. No one was even told to refrain from sending such emails. No one was even told that they were inappropriate.

Do you really believe that a workplace culture like that isn't going to compound the racial problems?

I'd heard about the email "jokes" and read the email about a black man not holding a job four years, but I had not seen any other instances or examples of the emails themselves, so I appreciate the post pointing them out. It adds a great deal to the discussion and to an understanding and comprehension of the issues.

These email "jokes" are malicious and repugnant...they are reprehensible as they create a workplace environment that is overtly and even aggressively hostile towards people of color, which is to say practically all of the Ferguson community. It is the classic "them" versus "us" mindset and how that could promote policing and police work escapes me and many other sensible people.

Responsibility for this goes from the bottom to the top, which is why the FPD chief has to resign or be resigned.

The email "jokes" could make the municipal government of Ferguson to include the FPD seem like the local white-walled chapter of the

[Bangkok Herps]

A direct link to the report again for anyone who has missed it:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/multimedia/special/pdf-department-of-justice-s-report-on-ferguson-police-department/html_8b689eda-e822-5607-bbaa-b87b0e22d90b.html?2

Even if you JUST read the summary at the beginning, it will give you a better idea of exactly what is going on. To put it succinctly, the FPD was after money, they targeted Black people to get that money, and there was no oversight to put a stop to things when the violation of rights began to get way out of hand.

In case Publicus's post wasn't clear enough, here are some of the subject headings from the report:


Ferguson Law Enforcement Efforts Are Focused on Generating Revenue (6 pages)

Ferguson Police Department Engages in a Pattern of Unconstitutional Stops and Arrests in Violation of the Fourth Amendment (8 pages)

Ferguson Police Department Engages in a Pattern of First Amendment Violations (4 pages)

Ferguson Police Department Engages in a Pattern of Excessive Force in Violation of the Fourth Amendment (14 pages!)

Ferguson's Municipal Court Practices Impose Substantial and Unnecessary Barriers to the Challenge or Resolution of Municipal Code Violations (12 pages)

The Court Imposes Unduly Harsh Penalties for Missed Payments or Appearances (8 pages)

Ferguson's Law Enforcement Actions Impose a Disparate Impact on African-Americans that Violates Federal Law (7 pages)

Ferguson's Law Enforcement Practices are Motivated in Part by Discriminatory Intent in Violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and other Federal Laws (9 pages)

Ferguson's Unlawful Police and Court Practices Have Led to Distrust and Resentment Among Many in Ferguson (2 pages)

Ferguson Police Department's Exercise of Discretion, Even When Lawful, Often Undermines Community Trust and Public Safety (1 page)

Ferguson Police Department's Failure to Respond to Complaints of Officer Misconduct Further Erodes Community Trust (4 pages)

Ferguson Police Department's Lack of Community Engagement Increases the Likelihood of Discriminatory Policing and Damages Public Trust (2 pages)

Ferguson's Lack of a Diverse Police Force Further Undermines Community Trust (2 pages)

Then there's 12 pages of recommendations to begin repairing the situation. It's all worth a read, especially for those in this thread who seem completely unaware of what was going on or how it possibly could be related to the problems in our communities and legal system.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Bangkok Herps

[sgtsabai]

No brag little boy, come see me some time. I live in Udon.

[CMNightRider]

Ahem, black disparity IS the topic of this thread. Holder is no liberal, far from it. The DOJ has never even gotten rid of the the right dominionists from the Bush regime. The police in America are out of control. They always have been in the south, especially when it came to black folks. I think you need to "walk a mile" in the shoes of a minority. You don't have a clue.

What?? "Holder is no liberal?" I think you fell off your horse and bumped your head. OMG, I hope you are okay?

This investigation (witch hunt) had to come up with something since they were unable to find Officer Wilson guilty of any wrong doing, so Holder and his minions found inappropriate e-mails about blacks that were nothing more than jokes. Please read the bold print.

Police in America are not out of control. Where on earth do you get these ideas from? The liberal tabloids are the only publications that accuse law enforcement of being out of control, because liberals love to read and weep about subjects like this.

And here are those innocent emails that in CMNightRider's world are "nothing more than jokes". In your workplace, are these the kind of jokes you tell...and how do you really feel about them being told in a 95% White workplace who spends 95% of their time arresting Black people?

• A November 2008 email stated that President Barack Obama would not be president for very long because “what black man holds a steady job for four years.”

• A March 2010 email mocked African Americans through speech and familial stereotypes, using a story involving child support. One line from the email read: “I be so glad that dis be my last child support payment! Month after month, year after year, all dose payments!”

• An April 2011 email depicted President Barack Obama as a chimpanzee.

• A May 2011 email stated: “An African-American woman in New Orleans was admitted into the hospital for a pregnancy termination. Two weeks later she received a check for $5,000. She phoned the hospital to ask who it was from. The hospital said, ‘Crimestoppers.’”

• A June 2011 email described a man seeking to obtain “welfare” for his dogs because they are “mixed in color, unemployed, lazy, can’t speak English and ahve no frigging clue who their Daddies are.”

• An October 2011 email included a photo of a bare-chested group of dancing women, apparently in Africa, with the caption, “Michelle Obama’s High School Reunion.”

And no one, ever, at any time, was disciplined for sending the emails. No one was even told to refrain from sending such emails. No one was even told that they were inappropriate.

Do you really believe that a workplace culture like that isn't going to compound the racial problems?

I did say the e-mails were inappropriate in a work place but none that you have listed above are that far fetched.

[Bangkok Herps]

So let's really figure this out...what was in the DOJ report again? This is apparently what TV's pro-Ferguson posters believe about the report:

“Erik Holder's civil rights division has been investigating the Ferguson PD since Michael Brown attacked the police officer. If they haven't found any civil rights violations after some six months, perhaps there aren't any.” – chuckd

“Now it seems Holder's army of trained civil rights lawyers have found some questionable traffic stops over the years. If that's all they found, that would seem rather inconsequential in the long run.” – chuckd

“COMPLETE MISLEADING REPORT Ferguson is MAJORITY BLACK TOWN so it makes total sense that the majority of arrests are black” – DiamondKing

“If this report is true, the DOJ is blowing smoke out of its tailgate. They can't prove it in court so they issue a press release or something?” – NeverSure

“So the report into Ferguson could only turn up a few 'racist' email jokes to prove racial bias. Pathetic.” – H1w4yR1da

“This DOJ report is the result of several months of beating the bushes looking for wrong doing, only to find a couple of inappropriate e-mails about blacks but were unable to find any wrong doing by Officer Wilson. The police haters on this site should be ashamed of themselves for posting such ridiculous statements about the Ferguson Police Department and American law enforcement in general.” – CMNightRider

“I would be curious to know how many of these arrests involved non-citizens of Ferguson. Ferguson is a suburb of St. Louis, which has a majority black community and one of the highest crime rates in the US. How many of those arrests involved individuals with criminal records or who a judge felt should be denied release because they were not residents of Ferguson?” – ChuckD

“The entire exercise by Holder is merely to try and bolster his legacy and raise his speaking fees for his lucrative retirement. Holder's DOJ will extort some money out of the city of Ferguson and then will likely donate that money to the Rainbow Coalition and NAN.” – chuckd

Anyone who has actually read the report, or even our posts about the report, would realize that it isn't about "a few inappropriate emails" or even "a few questionable traffic stops". And the recommendations in the report don't involve any "extort some money out of the city of Ferguson". The people who were harassed by Ferguson PD weren't a bunch of non-residents, and it wasn't just because they were a "majority black" town. And the 102 page report with enforced recommendations for Ferguson PD is not "a press release or something".

Yet, with all that clear ignorance being spewed, and clear facts to the contrary being posted in the report, has a single one of those posters admitted they were wrong?

Seriously, what do you do when your beliefs are contradicted by the evidence?

Edited March 6, 2015 by Bangkok Herps

[Bangkok Herps]

Of course, we do know the real reason why certain posters continue to the support the Fergson PD and line up against the Black residents of Ferguson, and it has nothing to do with the facts of the report:

“The systematic problems in Ferguson is basically out of control black crime.” – H1w4yR1da

“America has too many black criminals and gangbangers.” – H1w4yR1da

“even in non-criminal activities, Blacks are more impulsive and aggressive. Coupled with a well documented lower overall IQ, this forumla leads to some very unfortunate spur of the moment decisions. That being said, if the same behavior is displayed by Whites, but with a different outcome, then there is obvious evidence of racial bias. A certain degree of "profiling" is needed and necessary by the police. “ – hdkane

“What other similar countries have a black population of about 14% that commit about 47% of the felonies in that country? You are trying to compare apples to oranges. “ – CMNightRider

“You seem to be the one wearing blinders or drinking far-left Kool aid. CMNightRider is posting documented facts, whether you like them, or not.” – Ulysses G.

In fact, they even seem to be in support of the emails, either suggesting that they're not racist at all or even showing support of their truthfulness:

“So the report into Ferguson could only turn up a few 'racist' email jokes to prove racial bias. Pathetic.” – H1w4yR1da

“"Then there's the Ferguson government account email that said a black woman having an abortion is crime prevention." This e-mail being discovered on a Ferguson city computer is certainly inappropriate, but is not that far fetched. “ – CMNightRider

“I did say the e-mails were inappropriate in a work place but none that you have listed above are that far fetched.” - CMNightRider

Supporting blatently racist emails? Referring to Black abortion as crime prevention? Blaming the entire findings of the report on "out-of-control" Black people? Blaming the entire issue of police violence and disparities in the justice system in America on...too many Black people?