Comment by Warlizard on 25/11/2014 at 18:56 UTC*

2886 upvotes, 48 direct replies (showing 25)

View submission: Michael Brown’s Stepfather Tells Crowd, ‘Burn This Bitch Down’

Just so we're clear, Michael Brown:

3. When stopped, punched a cop and wrestled for his gun.[1], allegedly saying "You're too much of a pussy to shoot me."

1: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2014/11/24/ferguson-evidence/assets/interviews/interview-po-darren-wilson.pdf

4. When chased, turned around and charged him.

5. Was killed by cop.

I dunno, if that happened to my son I'd probably burn down an Autozone and a Walgreens too.

EDIT: Just so there's no confusion, I mentioned him being high because his judgment seemed impaired. Reaching into a police car and punching an officer doesn't seem rational. Nor does walking down the middle of the street in traffic. I'm not suggesting that people who are high are violent, again, to be crystal clear.

EDIT 2: For those saying that there wasn't any evidence he was high:

The toxicology screen, which was done on Aug. 10th, found “12 nanograms/ML of Delta-9-THC”, the primary psychoactive ingredient in pot, in Brown’s bloodstream at the time of his death. This amount of Delta-9-THC in Brown's blood was more than twice the amount that in Washington State--where marijuana is legal--would allow someone to be arrested for driving under the influence.

EDIT 3 (final): Here are the documents released by the grand jury. The witness testimonies contradict each other in many ways, and the one deemed the "most credible" is the one that said Brown charged the cop. Judge for yourselves: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/11/25/us/evidence-released-in-michael-brown-case.html

Replies

Comment by [deleted] at 25/11/2014 at 20:22 UTC

1098 upvotes, 4 direct replies

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Comment by [deleted] at 25/11/2014 at 21:38 UTC*

51 upvotes, 2 direct replies

[deleted]

Comment by [deleted] at 25/11/2014 at 18:58 UTC

1422 upvotes, 6 direct replies

WHOA, slow down. Too many facts. That won't get clicks and advertising revenue.

Comment by _Xi_ at 25/11/2014 at 20:52 UTC

396 upvotes, 4 direct replies

The problem now is getting people to realize those facts when the media has recklessly spun the story that"

1. omg, it's now literally legal to kill black children. Thanks republicans.

2. Michael Brown was just baby. A young, innocent child.

3. While at the same time as being a child, his nickname was gentle giant.

4. He was a good kid.

5. The security tape showing him rob the store was photoshopped.

6. It's just 'shitty white anarchists' coming in from neighboring cities to do the looting and arson in Ferg, it's in no way the actual residents. It's totes a peaceful demonstration.

7. It's police provocateurs inciting the riots! Not the parents of Brown yelling 'burn this bitch down' and assaulting other people with pipes.

Fuck man, I knew shit was bad with today's generation of brain washed college kids, but I didn't know the cognitive dissonance was THIS bad.

Comment by Amlanconnection at 25/11/2014 at 19:24 UTC

489 upvotes, 8 direct replies

That's sad that black people are rallying behind a violent thug who is responsible for his own death.

Comment by [deleted] at 25/11/2014 at 22:16 UTC

52 upvotes, 2 direct replies

[deleted]

Comment by oldie101 at 25/11/2014 at 20:41 UTC

233 upvotes, 7 direct replies

What do you think these people are missing, that lets them believe that destroying their own city is a good idea? People call it capitalizing on the situation. I call it an example of education failing in America. These are people who believe they are doing "good" they are getting their views across, that this is the only way for justice.

Look we all know the system is fucked up and a lot of it needs to be changed. However there is a lot of accountability that needs to be taken by people as well. Whites and blacks are part of the system and for some the system works, and for others it's the system that isn't letting it work. But where are the people who just choose not to want to participate in the system?

Is there not a single person who was guilty because of their actions and not the systems? Is there anyone who can be held accountable for breaking the law? Can we say that person fucked up, not that the law was fucked up?

Or do we have to always blame the system? In the case of Michael Brown it wasn't the system. He chose to rob a store, he chose to attack a cop... is that not him? Is it because the school system in Ferguson is fucked up? Is it because most inner city homes have no parental upbringing? That they have no role models to look up to? That they follow in the paths of their predecessors who failed them? That they continue to have unprotected sex and produce future generations of the same thinking, neglected offspring?

Is it the fact that Ferguson's police department is mostly white and the community is mostly black? That a disproportionate amount of blacks are targeted over whites?

How many years can we continue to blame slavery? Or Jim Crow Laws? Or segregation? When do we say that we should see progress? Change? What change needs to happen? Do we need to make the standards for policing different? Should we make them easier for those who may not be qualified? Should we do more for affirmative action? Are there not fair opportunities?

We all want to blame the system, but its hard to say what needs to be fixed.

There are plenty who have benefited from the current system, both black, white, male & female. This country has come leaps and bounds in a short amount of time, to make civil rights, woman's rights,& equal rights the policy of America. For so many it isn't good enough. If only they knew what reality was like for so many elsewhere.

The reality is, is this is the land of opportunity. It depends on how hard you want to work to seize it. You have millions of immigrants (legal and illegal) coming to this country, with barely any English, no education and no resources but what they have is drive. They have the desire, the hardship to not let failure be an option. The $5 an hour toilet cleaning job, is the dream job.. you know why? Because it's in America!

The land of opportunity!

They take that opportunity, use their driven work ethic, go to school and pursue the same dream available to every American. They come from worse backgrounds, systems that failed them far worse and yet they make it.

It's not always the system.

Comment by [deleted] at 25/11/2014 at 18:59 UTC

153 upvotes, 3 direct replies

Are you the guy from the Warlizard gaming forum?

Comment by Maxplatypus at 25/11/2014 at 21:46 UTC

72 upvotes, 6 direct replies

Wait, so we only know 1, 2, and 5 for sure. 3 is coming from a person that might end up in jail if he told a different story and 4 no one can agree on.

So what is clear?

Comment by [deleted] at 25/11/2014 at 22:10 UTC

5 upvotes, 1 direct replies

[deleted]

Comment by Burgerpartybloodbath at 26/11/2014 at 01:09 UTC

6 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Just so we're clear, assertion no. 3 is the word of the officer in question, and the alleged statement is entirely his word against the deceased.

Comment by [deleted] at 25/11/2014 at 20:46 UTC

62 upvotes, 2 direct replies

"I wasn't gonna steal those cigars, but I got high" "I wasn't gonna punch that cop, But I got high"

Now I'm in a cemetary and I know why,cause I got high, cause I got high, cause I got high"

Comment by vikinick at 25/11/2014 at 23:57 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

They're just following the legacy he left by intimidating people and stealing shit.

Comment by PapaLegbaTX at 26/11/2014 at 14:30 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

for me, the only "story" here should be the lack of non-lethal options used by most police forces for restraining aggressive, yet unarmed, individuals.

Comment by [deleted] at 25/11/2014 at 20:03 UTC

32 upvotes, 3 direct replies

Having marijuana in your system doesn't mean he was high when the incident occurred, correct?

Comment by [deleted] at 25/11/2014 at 19:08 UTC

25 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Good to see cold, hard facts from the Warlizard gaming community guy. That's you, right?

Comment by Mr-Unpopular at 25/11/2014 at 20:56 UTC

8 upvotes, 2 direct replies

video games made him do it /s

Comment by Gravitational_Bong at 26/11/2014 at 00:34 UTC

2 upvotes, 0 direct replies

I prefer not to comment on the other facts, but as far as punching a cop because one has a few nanograms of marijuana in one's blood: that's bullshit. Marijuana does not have that type of effect.

Comment by Aksama at 26/11/2014 at 00:34 UTC

2 upvotes, 0 direct replies

... You're really conflating smoking pot with being a.... reason we should condemn this dead 18 year old? I'm confused.

Comment by kestnuts at 26/11/2014 at 01:16 UTC

2 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Aren't you the guy from the Warlizard gaming forums?

Comment by [deleted] at 26/11/2014 at 01:33 UTC

2 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Whilst I totally agree with what you have said I don't see what point 1 has to do with anything?

Comment by semibenevolentlordof at 26/11/2014 at 01:42 UTC

2 upvotes, 0 direct replies

You forgot the part where Brown continues to charge at the officer -UNFAZED- after being shot two OR three times.