On the other hand, someone needs to send a message. Big time.

the social contract is irretrievably riven and this is one of those moments.

I cannot advocate that people of color there engage in civil disobedience since I cannot be there to lend my own body and voice to the struggle. But if and when they do commit civil disobedience, I will support them as I am able, up to an including their rendering St. Louis itself ungovernable.

I'm hoping for nonviolence, but certainly not demanding it.

enclaves.

They can have their racism and white supremacy OR they can have their cushy lives. But they don't get to have both.

you don't think protesters should engage in civil disobedience? It's OK if you don't; perfectly valid position to take.

Peaceful civil disobedience.

They could block the bridge that crosses the Mississippi River. Surround the arch, unfurl a banner from the arch. March in Jeff City.

Flashmobs in popular hang out spots, city halls, Capitol house. Flashmobs are perceived as fun, so they may get the message across more effectively. Churches could organize these.

The bridge connects St. Louis City with Illinois. St. Louis City is separate from St. Louis County, where Ferguson is. The Arch could work, though, since it's the iconic symbol of St. Louis.

The Bridge crossing may bring in federal troops though. Although that may not be a good thing. Plus, msm belies every good protest.

Blocking streets in white neighborhoods will do nothing but piss off the drivers, detracting from the protestors message.

The Flashmobs may be a really effective tool of peaceful protest.

goals. To wit, what will constitute a 'victory'? In my mind, a 'victory' will consist of one of two things: the indictment of Wilson and\or the recusal of DA McCulloch.

So if drivers get pissed at protesters, they can make that anger go away easily by pressuring the party establishment in St. Louis to get McCulloch to step down.

protestors like at the Cardinals and Rams games.

The protestors do need a clear strategy with a short strong effective message. Create a message the way Frank Luntz does, short yet to the point, a little sound bite goes a long way these days.
Liberals need to start using that type of messaging, but in a good healing way, not a dark FL way.

masses in East St. Louis rise up and march across that bridge and swarm St. Louis (and St. Louis County).

Easy for me to say. My ass isn't (yet) on the line. I'm so fucking pissed.

That would make a gigantic statement.

For the optical scan ballots.
Elections are a joke in this country.

and stay there until FergiSTAN is 100% registered voters. Then GOTV .

you don't believe protesters should engage in civil disobedience. It's OK; it's a perfectly valid position to take.

Me, I've had enough.

Seriously what does a cop have to do in order for the Federal Government to bring a civil rights trial.

This is beyond ridiculous. It's open season on black people. My heart is breaking.

I can't be there to put my own body and voice on the line.

I'm rethinking that position. I am so mad.

If Michael were a white kid, there is no chance Wilson would be skating. My head is about to explode.....

the protesters' bail funds. Now I'm thinking I'll pack my beater car and head east. My life ain't worth shit if there is no justice for Mike Brown is the way I'm thinking now.

I can get my head screwed on straight again.

If Mike Brown could be killed for jaywalking and his federal civil rights weren't violated, then none of us have any federal civil rights. The whole concept is one big fucking joke.

Shut it down. That's a promise

At this point, no one wants the city to reassure everyone that all is going alone just fine. So what do you want from them? Is there some other legal channel that can we can force the city to take? What about a citizen panel to follow-up on police violence? Sheriff resign? Can we ask that the justice department put the police department under their supervision.

They have effectively stonewalled the prosecution. Some concrete demands need to be made. Form a citizen's council to go to the mayor et al. and put the demands to them.

Last edited Sun Nov 2, 2014, 12:06 AM - Edit history (1)

'end' you mean 'purpose'?

To me, the purpose of the protests at its broadest is to secure justice for Mike Brown's homicide, so that his family and his fellow residents of Ferguson can achieve some closure and move their lives forward, but also for society, to reaffirm the principle that no man, whether ordinary citizen or law enforcement officer, is above the law.

There will be no justice so long as DA McCulloch -- himeself exuding either conflict of interest or its first cousin, the appearance of conflict of interest, with his every utterance and action -- presides over a Grand Jury that refuses to indict Wilson. And there will be no justice so long as the Federal Government refuses to use its awesome power to prosecute Wilson and other members of the Ferguson police force for violating Mike Brown's civil rights.

I have spoken for myself here. Please let me know if I misunderstood your intent.

I asked that because I feel that there is no way that the authorities are going to allow Wilson to be indicted. From what I understand, the usual course of action is to indict a suspect right away before the grand jury. then the police go about actually assembling evidence to support the indictment. Then the police can arrest the suspect.

So the claims that the grand jury needed to "research" the situation are just smoke and mirrors, giving a legal cover for the non-indictment. I assume to try to drag the whole situation over a long time to defuse the protest. And the judges will go along with the grand jury.

So assuming that there will be no indictment for Wilson, there will be no justice for Brown. But there are demands that can be made because of the outrage and publicity. Those are the avenues that need to be explored now. I hope I clarified my thinking on this.

note some room for improvement in the report they're working on.

That's pretty big.

can appreciate it.

Somewhere in heaven or in hell, Dean Swift is smiling his approbation.