All eyes were on Ferguson, Missouri this week, where a surge of protests emerged in the wake of the shooting death of unarmed African-American teenager Michael Brown. Reported instances of looting and police brutality have rocked this Missouri suburb and raised larger concerns about the relationship between police forces and the citizens they’re charged to protect.
As new details emerge, members of the msnbc.com community have been actively tackling issues of racial politics and police culture in America, among others. Take a look at some of the standout comments of the week:
%22The%20Ferguson%20police%20%28and%20more%20broadly%2C%20nationwide%29%20have%20completely%20lost%20credibility%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20their%20actions%20when%20policing%20minorities%2C%20specifically%20African-Americans.%20They%20are%20rapidly%20losing%20the%20%22consent%20of%20the%20governed.%22′
%E2%80%A6%20imagine%20walking%20down%20the%20street%20in%20a%20tank%2C%20shorts%2C%20and%20flip%20flops%20and%20a%20police%20officer%20deems%20you%20a%20thug.%20No%20matter%20what%20you%20say%2C%20no%20matter%20your%20education%2C%20no%20matter%20how%20much%20you%20love%20your%20family%2C%20no%20matter%20that%20you%20are%20to%20start%20your%20higher%20education%20in%20just%20two%20days%2C%20someone%2C%20some%20group%2C%20has%20deemed%20you%20a%20threat%20…%20The%20question%20then%20must%20be%20asked%2C%20who%20is%20the%20problem%3F’
Related: Follow Trymaine Lee’s reporting on the ground.
%22I%27m%20American%20Indian%20and%20this%20type%20of%20violence%20exists%20in%20western%20Oklahoma.%20Two%20young%20American%20Indian%20men%20have%20been%20shot%20and%20killed%20by%20the%20Clinton%2C%20OK%20police%20department%20…%20is%20there%20ever%20justice.%22′
%22We%20had%20tens%20of%20thousands%20of%20people%20protesting%20for%20weeks%20%28and%20some%20rioting%2C%20breaking%20windows%20and%20cars%20with%20rocks%20and%20molotov%20cocktails%29%20in%20the%20city%20of%20Montreal%20and%20I%20didn%27t%20see%20that%20much%20usage%20of%20force%20against%20these%20people.%20And%20even%20that%20relatively%20light%20use%20in%20the%20light%20of%20the%20huge%20crowds%20in%20a%20dense%20urban%20environment%20got%20criticized.%22′
Follow the Michael Brown case and stay updated on the situation in Ferguson as it develops.
%22There%20is%20also%20no%20excuse%20for%20arresting%20news%20media%20without%20cause%2C%20demanding%20all%20videos%20be%20turned%20off%2C%20not%20conducting%20a%20transparent%20murder%20investigation%2C%20etc.%20I%20have%20had%20a%20career%20in%20law%20enforcement%20and%20can%20not%20believe%20what%20I%20am%20seeing…%22′ %22What%27s%20going%20on%20here%20is%20a%20two%20way%20street.%20Cops%20shouldn%27t%20shoot%20and%20kill%20innocent%20people%20regardless%20of%20color.%20Citizens%20shouldn%27t%20rob%20and%20damage%20businesses%20owned%20by%20innocent%20people%20to%20protest.%22′ See striking photos from the protest scene here. %22As%20a%2045%20year%20old%20white%20male%20and%2025%20year%20Missouri%20resident%2C%20I%20have%20seen%20far%20too%20much%20ignorance%20in%20this%20state.%20I%20am%20not%20surprised%20in%20the%20least%20to%20be%20witnessing%20these%20events.%20The%20culture%20here%20is%20far%20more%20extreme%20than%20people%20are%20seeing%20here.%22′ %22A%20serious%20violation%20of%20American%20rights%20has%20taken%20place%20in%20Ferguson%2C%20MO.%20This%20is%20not%20about%20race%2C%20it%20is%20about%20the%20unjustified%20imposition%20of%20martial%20law%2C%20denial%20of%20constitutional%20rights%2C%20and%20a%20lack%20of%20ability%20to%20stop%20law%20enforcement%20who%20has%20run%20amuck.%22′ %22I%27m%20thinking%20that%20100%25%20of%20the%20registered%20voters%20in%20that%20little%20village%20need%20to%20take%20to%20the%20polls%20in%20November.%20That%27s%20the%20only%20way%20this%20situation%20will%20get%20under%20control.%22′
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