Unarmed Black Teen
Reason vs Emotion32 total reviews
Comment from Michaelk
A masterful dissertation on logic over emotion. I agree wholeheartedly that things are never what they seem, and the media is just waiting for the next scoop. Can we really blame them? I don't know. If you think about it, we the people have created the media problem. No one turns the news on to see rainbows and cupcakes. Bad news sells. Maybe we should start turning off the news, let the ratings fall a bit. Tell them we're tired of all the bad and we won't watch it any more. Is this akin to an ostrich sticking its head in the sand? Maybe, but how many ostriches have caused riots in the last year?
Your point is fantastic. I don't know what to do about it but I do know this, I haven't watched the news in a long time.
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A masterful dissertation on logic over emotion. I agree wholeheartedly that things are never what they seem, and the media is just waiting for the next scoop. Can we really blame them? I don't know. If you think about it, we the people have created the media problem. No one turns the news on to see rainbows and cupcakes. Bad news sells. Maybe we should start turning off the news, let the ratings fall a bit. Tell them we're tired of all the bad and we won't watch it any more. Is this akin to an ostrich sticking its head in the sand? Maybe, but how many ostriches have caused riots in the last year?
Your point is fantastic. I don't know what to do about it but I do know this, I haven't watched the news in a long time.
Comment Written 20-Aug-2014
Comment from Jay Leeward
Well reasoned and well written. Sadly, those are very, rarely attributes of so-called news reporting by the major media. Even more sadly, I believe the answer to the questions posed in your closing paragraph is that from the highest echelons of society to the lowest the rule of law, the duties of responsibility, and the obligations of justice have been discarded. As a society, we condone law-breaking, even by those entrusted to uphold the law, reward irresponsibility with celebrity, and blame everyone but ourselves, usually without the least justification.
Again, well reasoned and well written -- and courageous.
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Well reasoned and well written. Sadly, those are very, rarely attributes of so-called news reporting by the major media. Even more sadly, I believe the answer to the questions posed in your closing paragraph is that from the highest echelons of society to the lowest the rule of law, the duties of responsibility, and the obligations of justice have been discarded. As a society, we condone law-breaking, even by those entrusted to uphold the law, reward irresponsibility with celebrity, and blame everyone but ourselves, usually without the least justification.
Again, well reasoned and well written -- and courageous.
Comment Written 20-Aug-2014
Comment from adewpearl
I have never saw a headline - have never seen
You make a good point about how the media plays up race in an inflammatory way in reporting stories like this
discussing the Brown case, and naturally - add comma
You also make a good point that the news reports the disparity of white cops to black in a majority black town but doesn't report why this is so - for instance, if many blacks apply for the jobs or not - I don't know the answer to this, but I do agree one should find out before drawing conclusions from the statistics. For instance, in a high school where the swim team is almost all white, is that because the swim coach is racist or because most of the black kids prefer to try out for the football and basketball teams?
I also have never understood why looting is a part of protesting.
I am highly suspicious that this is going to turn out to be an unjustified shooting - who needs to pump six shots into someone who has no gun? But I am willing to reserve judgment until all the evidence has been presented, and you argue well that this should be everyone's position. Brooke
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I have never saw a headline - have never seen
You make a good point about how the media plays up race in an inflammatory way in reporting stories like this
discussing the Brown case, and naturally - add comma
You also make a good point that the news reports the disparity of white cops to black in a majority black town but doesn't report why this is so - for instance, if many blacks apply for the jobs or not - I don't know the answer to this, but I do agree one should find out before drawing conclusions from the statistics. For instance, in a high school where the swim team is almost all white, is that because the swim coach is racist or because most of the black kids prefer to try out for the football and basketball teams?
I also have never understood why looting is a part of protesting.
I am highly suspicious that this is going to turn out to be an unjustified shooting - who needs to pump six shots into someone who has no gun? But I am willing to reserve judgment until all the evidence has been presented, and you argue well that this should be everyone's position. Brooke
Comment Written 20-Aug-2014
Comment from Twilightspire
Heartfelt, passionate and surprisingly logical, lancellot. You express your opinions and back them up with pertinent questions and intelligence.
All of your views are well thought-out and expressed.
This whole thing is just as frustrating to me as it is to you. I love how the media swarmed to make this a national event, not because of the incident, but because it was a "black vs. white thing."
Excellent work, my friend.
-T.J.
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Heartfelt, passionate and surprisingly logical, lancellot. You express your opinions and back them up with pertinent questions and intelligence.
All of your views are well thought-out and expressed.
This whole thing is just as frustrating to me as it is to you. I love how the media swarmed to make this a national event, not because of the incident, but because it was a "black vs. white thing."
Excellent work, my friend.
-T.J.
Comment Written 20-Aug-2014
Comment from JudyS
lancellot, I couldn't agree more with you on this one! Excellent writing and an informative and educated article. I never rush to judgement on things like this until I get the facts. My problem with that is I don't feel the news media gives us the facts. There are two sides to every story and you're so right, most people don't bother to listen to both. It's a sad state of affairs this country is in to begin with, let alone adding situations like this to it. It scares me to think of what this country is going to be like when my grandsons are older. Really enjoyed this, Judy
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lancellot, I couldn't agree more with you on this one! Excellent writing and an informative and educated article. I never rush to judgement on things like this until I get the facts. My problem with that is I don't feel the news media gives us the facts. There are two sides to every story and you're so right, most people don't bother to listen to both. It's a sad state of affairs this country is in to begin with, let alone adding situations like this to it. It scares me to think of what this country is going to be like when my grandsons are older. Really enjoyed this, Judy
Comment Written 20-Aug-2014
Comment from Dean Kuch
I'm surprised you didn't mention the Michael Dunn, Jordan Davis case, Lance. A jury on Saturday night convicted a Dunn on four charges related to his shooting into an SUV full of teenagers during an argument over loud music, but could not decide on the most serious charge -- murder. Michael Dunn was found guilty on four charges, including three for attempted second-degree murder, which could land him behind bars for decades. Yet there was no verdict on the first-degree murder charge tied to the death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis.
The media loves hype. They thrive on playing the race card, it makes for great sensationalism. And what does sensationalism lead to, at least where the news is concerned? Ratings, that's the bottom line, ratings. Higher ratings leads to money. Look how popular that twit Nancy Grace's show is? I watched her (some) during the Casey Anthony case. Her cute little nick-name for this acquitted monster was, get this..."Tot Mom". She made Casey Anthony sound like some Disney character in an animated movie rather than the monster that she truly was. It literally made me nauseous.
It's all about the bottom line, my friend, and not about color at all. With the news, it's always been that way, and it always will be.
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I'm surprised you didn't mention the Michael Dunn, Jordan Davis case, Lance. A jury on Saturday night convicted a Dunn on four charges related to his shooting into an SUV full of teenagers during an argument over loud music, but could not decide on the most serious charge -- murder. Michael Dunn was found guilty on four charges, including three for attempted second-degree murder, which could land him behind bars for decades. Yet there was no verdict on the first-degree murder charge tied to the death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis.
The media loves hype. They thrive on playing the race card, it makes for great sensationalism. And what does sensationalism lead to, at least where the news is concerned? Ratings, that's the bottom line, ratings. Higher ratings leads to money. Look how popular that twit Nancy Grace's show is? I watched her (some) during the Casey Anthony case. Her cute little nick-name for this acquitted monster was, get this..."Tot Mom". She made Casey Anthony sound like some Disney character in an animated movie rather than the monster that she truly was. It literally made me nauseous.
It's all about the bottom line, my friend, and not about color at all. With the news, it's always been that way, and it always will be.
Comment Written 20-Aug-2014
Comment from judiverse
This is well stated, dealing with facts that the rioters have chosen to ignore. You make a powerful point about victims of black on black crime being ignored by community leaders and the media. You do a great job of mentioning similar cases. (I thought Trayvon Martin case was supposed to be investigated by the Justice Department. What happened to that If they found anything different from what came out during the trial? The black leaders fail miserably by not addressing the source of the problems, instead of merely inciting unrest after the fact. Love your last paragraph, and this is definitely a six. judi
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This is well stated, dealing with facts that the rioters have chosen to ignore. You make a powerful point about victims of black on black crime being ignored by community leaders and the media. You do a great job of mentioning similar cases. (I thought Trayvon Martin case was supposed to be investigated by the Justice Department. What happened to that If they found anything different from what came out during the trial? The black leaders fail miserably by not addressing the source of the problems, instead of merely inciting unrest after the fact. Love your last paragraph, and this is definitely a six. judi
Comment Written 20-Aug-2014
Comment from Sloegin
Thank you for posting a well written, well thought out article. There is no solution to your questions. Any answers would be POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
As long as the PC advocates are cow-towed to in the press, we will have these problems.
I've lived in Florida most all of my life and I can remember headlines on The Miami Herald, "LOOTERS WILL BE SHOT" whenever a hurricane came to our area. Back then, there were very few black, and fewer Hispanics, in Dade county.
The government can pass all the laws it wants to concerning black/white equality, but until I see it in action my views on the difference in the two will remain the same.
In th enovle "Out of Africa" the novleest, describing the Mau Mau uprising explained it by saying, "They are not long down from the tree."
sloegin
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Thank you for posting a well written, well thought out article. There is no solution to your questions. Any answers would be POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
As long as the PC advocates are cow-towed to in the press, we will have these problems.
I've lived in Florida most all of my life and I can remember headlines on The Miami Herald, "LOOTERS WILL BE SHOT" whenever a hurricane came to our area. Back then, there were very few black, and fewer Hispanics, in Dade county.
The government can pass all the laws it wants to concerning black/white equality, but until I see it in action my views on the difference in the two will remain the same.
In th enovle "Out of Africa" the novleest, describing the Mau Mau uprising explained it by saying, "They are not long down from the tree."
sloegin
Comment Written 20-Aug-2014
Comment from sweetwoodjax
this is very well written, lancelot, you did an excellent job writing this essay that presents the facts in the fergeson case and the violents that came about from it. I enjoyed reading it
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this is very well written, lancelot, you did an excellent job writing this essay that presents the facts in the fergeson case and the violents that came about from it. I enjoyed reading it
Comment Written 20-Aug-2014
Comment from TamzinWhite
It is brave of you to speak up. I give you 4 points for that.
I do not necessarily agree wholeheartedly with you, as I live in the UK and know little about gun wielding citizens. Yes, we do have gangs, and varying races living together, or trying to (or not as the case may be).
We do too, have robbers and underlings and we also have extremely privileged peoples. The chasm between rich and poor seems to be growing wider, and you have not mentioned any elitism or lack of empathy in our societies for those (black or white) striving to live a peaceful life amongst the chaos. Those trying to get ahead and coming up against brick walls of elitism and bigotry. It does happen.
Yes the answer is to figure out what really matters, but what makes these people angry?
I do tend to agree that those people who strive to live peaceful lives, and work hard, do get their reward and those who turn to crime, get their comeuppance at some time or another.
I believe God made us in different colours to teach us something. In my opinion it is to look past differences, and learn we are all the same, with the same needs.
Until there is compassion, dripping down from above, there will always be those who partake in these clashes, or oppress when given the chance.
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
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It is brave of you to speak up. I give you 4 points for that.
I do not necessarily agree wholeheartedly with you, as I live in the UK and know little about gun wielding citizens. Yes, we do have gangs, and varying races living together, or trying to (or not as the case may be).
We do too, have robbers and underlings and we also have extremely privileged peoples. The chasm between rich and poor seems to be growing wider, and you have not mentioned any elitism or lack of empathy in our societies for those (black or white) striving to live a peaceful life amongst the chaos. Those trying to get ahead and coming up against brick walls of elitism and bigotry. It does happen.
Yes the answer is to figure out what really matters, but what makes these people angry?
I do tend to agree that those people who strive to live peaceful lives, and work hard, do get their reward and those who turn to crime, get their comeuppance at some time or another.
I believe God made us in different colours to teach us something. In my opinion it is to look past differences, and learn we are all the same, with the same needs.
Until there is compassion, dripping down from above, there will always be those who partake in these clashes, or oppress when given the chance.
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 20-Aug-2014
