So, the Missouri Highway Patrol moved in, acted like adults, the day passed with plenty of protest by no rioting, looting, arson or similar violation of the accepted norms of civil behavior...and then the night fell and the barbarians returned, this time in violation of a curfew.
Some speakers-for-savagery are arguing that the curfew is a violation of the First Amendment (at least insofar as shouting and throwing things, some of them on fire, counts as "argument") and I would be willing to entertain the notion if citizens had been "peaceably assembling" even if it was to play loud music and yell rather than trying to "petition for redress of grievances." Alas, a rioting mob is not a peaceable assembly and a Molotov cocktail isn't a petition, and thus, well, to hell with you idiots weakening the First Amendment by trying to commit crimes under its cover.
It does appear the state police have made more progress than their predecessor agencies in Ferguson; it appears that the night-fighters have managed to lose even Al Sharpton: "One person was shot last night, and we don't know if was related to the protest or not, or who shot them, but we do not need more people hurt to stop the hurt." Hey, rioters? When you are so out of line that even Rev. Al is scolding you, you're done. Pushed right up against it, most people with a choice left prefer civilization to blood in the streets.
Other men just want to watch the world burn -- and they're still lighting fires when the sun sets in Ferguson. One way or another, that can only go on for a limited period of time.
Update
4 days ago
7 comments:
are the state police making more progress or are the folks who are rioting (not the peaceful daylight and evening protestors) just getting bored with it and moving on to other pursuits?
You may be right, but I really don't see where the staties are doing anything different.
Way off topic but turk's blog seems to have been hacked. On Ferguson the bad apples are just being bad apples. Even if the popo had handled it right some one will try and take advantge of a tragedy to further their ends.
National guard deployment in 3,2,1...
I see that Holder has authorized a federal autopsy to be performed on Michael Brown. He died from gun shot wounds. What new discoveries does he think a federal autopsy will yield, toxicology results?
The appearance of DoJ doing something? --And, hey, if it gives people a reason to not go out at night in groups and throw things at the po-leece, good for him. Seems unlikely but....
The police should be acting to stop the looters, and leave the protestors alone. Instead, they're stopping the protestors, and leaving the looters alone. When they are deliberately targeting reporters, you know the cops are up to no good.
http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/2014/08/14/crews-hit-with-bean-bags-tear-gas/14042747/
I just saw, via a LA Times reporters Twitter feed that someone carried a large wood cross to the scene. I have to question the logic of taking a cross to that neighborhood when rioters are burning anything they can. No good can come from that.
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