Laquan McDonald shooting video released in full. It ain't good.

A sixteen year old kid just got murdered in Chicago by a cop. I think the circumstances surrounding the loss of this life deserve to be examined from every angle. If that means saying the democrats who have run this great city into the ground may be at least party responsible for his death, then so be it. If that means democrats have to attack Bush and republicans for some reason, then that is just another example of why things never get better here.

If you cant stay on the topic of THIS city and THIS murder then why bother commenting at all? This kid deserves better than that. Even if he was out doing something he shouldn't have been doing, he still deserves better than that.

Chicago has problems and has for a long time. Chicago is run by democrats and has been for a long time. Those two are not unrelated. If you think they are, then you know nothing about politics and certainly nothing about Chicago.

originally posted by: BubbaJoe

originally posted by: Vroomfondel

originally posted by: BubbaJoe

originally posted by: eluryh22

originally posted by: BubbaJoe

originally posted by: eluryh22

originally posted by: BubbaJoe

originally posted by: eluryh22

originally posted by: Guzzeppi
a reply to: eluryh22



Won't happen under Obama though.

You know who the mayor is, right? And who his former boss was?

Chicago had issues long before Rahm or Obama were even gleams in their daddies eyes.

You are exactly right. However, it's not hard to put together an argument that things are not only not any better since they entered the picture, but are actually a heck of a lot worse.

No it is not hard to put together that argument, but Obama has been blamed for tsunamis and earthquakes. He has disappointed me greatly, but not everything that happens in the world is his fault.

I've heard some ridiculous things attributed to Obama as well.

When it comes to this topic in general (not this specific case, but the current state of affairs in the race relation department), I can't say I find his hands all that clean. Nor those of Eric Holder and to be candid, Mrs. Obama (including but not limited to some of her commencement speeches) has done her fair share to stir the pot. I think that may be for another thread though.

I would not disagree with you, but race relations in this country are something that need to be addressed. Maybe by each of us on a personal level. Everyone, black, white, yellow, purple, or green, needs to stop seeing the color of someone else's skin as a difference. We are all human beings, and all belong to the human race.

Its funny, there was a black woman on oprah years ago talking about race. A white woman said what you said about black, white, yellow, purple, or green. The black woman went nuts saying that purple and green were colors for martians and she was comparing black people to martians....

In other words, some of the effort will have to come from the minorities in order for peace to have a chance.

You honestly believe that minorities would not step up in this country to ensure there equality?

Look, I was at a seminar for race sensitivity, and I was one of about two white people there. The first session was all bagging on white people do this and white people do that, and I was told that I shouldn't take it so personally because they were just talking about white people as a general group, not me.

Then later on, when they were talking about how they as a race were so different than white people in how they acted, and I was trying to point out how my upbringing had not been so different, they kept getting upset and telling me that I didn't know what I was talking about and nothing I said could be ANYTHNG like what their upbringing had been like.

How can you have an honest discussion on race when people refuse to accept that the things you are not supposed to do (stereotype) they do, and they don't understand why folks get upset when they do it. And then when you bend over backwards trying to find commonality of experience, they get offended by it and refuse to accept that anything about your life could have possibly been anything like theirs?

If the video had been released a year ago, would Chicago have re-elected same mayor, just asking and wondering if politics played major role in timing of release.

a reply to: ketsuko

Discussions and roundtables on racial insensitivity and sensitivity are a moot point in Chicago. There are more Black people murdered by other Black people in this town every year than there are ISIS executions in the Mideast (that we know of).

a reply to: Vroomfondel

"The level of extremes we have been seeing here lately..." from the guy who has only been here seven months...

Ahh, my time as a member now dictates the validity of my comments?

I see you're not too far behind me. Is there a set amount of time needed to be a member in which the secret wisdom of the world is revealed to the membership?

Or perhaps one's backside doth protest too much?

I noticed a sharp increase in extremes here...about seven months ago...

Perhaps "sharp" was not a good term to use considering the conversation.

originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: Vroomfondel

"The level of extremes we have been seeing here lately..." from the guy who has only been here seven months...

Ahh, my time as a member now dictates the validity of my comments?

I see you're not too far behind me. Is there a set amount of time needed to be a member in which the secret wisdom of the world is revealed to the membership?

Or perhaps one's backside doth protest too much?

I noticed a sharp increase in extremes here...about seven months ago...

Perhaps "sharp" was not a good term to use considering the conversation.

My reference to your time here had nothing to do with the validity, or lack thereof, of your comments. The simple fact is, I have been here longer than you and I have seen more changes in extremes than you have.

If there is a set amount of time needed to be a member in which the secret wisdom of the world is revealed rest assured you will always be on the wanting end of that equation.

Perhaps my backside doth protest too much. And yours has obviously been far too accommodating...

Things appear to be getting a bit tense in Chicago right now. Might want to find tv channel or live stream.

As a person who's from Chicago, with family in Chicago and just so happened to fly into town for the holidays today; things are intense here.... very intense

Scared that this powder keg will erupt...

Edit... And I thank god that this isn't the summer, if it was, would be Ferguson x10000

a reply to: Vroomfondel

My reference to your time here had nothing to do with the validity, or lack thereof, of your comments. The simple fact is, I have been here longer than you and I have seen more changes in extremes than you have.

You assume too much.

If there is a set amount of time needed to be a member in which the secret wisdom of the world is revealed rest assured you will always be on the wanting end of that equation.

Perhaps the wanting end is desirable considering current standards.

Perhaps my backside doth protest too much. And yours has obviously been far too accommodating...

Ready to talk about the middle ground, or will you continue to prove my original assertion?

originally posted by: jefwane
Things appear to be getting a bit tense in Chicago right now. Might want to find tv channel or live stream.

I sure hope those who decide to act crazy don't burn down and loot their own neighborhoods, like the short-sighted mobs did in Ferguson, LA, etc..

If you must let off steam, block traffic in downtown Chicago. Affect the money flow and you'll get noticed.

Burning down neighborhoods that are already dilapidated, is simply doing the city a favor...and making you look stupid to the world on CNN.

a reply to: Shamrock6

So what is the guy being chased for? Why does he have a knife out in the presence of police?
Why doesn't he just put the knife away, stop and chat with the police?

You don't know the story. You don't know the story. You don't know who he is and what he is wanted for.

Once again the MEDIA is making a big deal of it.

a reply to: Generation9

You have to pull up the few 2014 news articles to learn why the police were following him. Basically it was for stealing radios from an automobile impound facility. The night watchman called the police and tried to keep the thief there. But he pulled a knife on the security guard and started walking away. By that time, the police arrived. We know the rest...

a reply to: carewemust

OK.

High on PCP, breaking into vehicles, waving a knife in the presence of armed police.... he's a good boy I'm sure, but I bet he said something to precipitate the shooting. I doubt the cop jumped out of his SUV and shot for no reason. He'll have a reason. The cop's attorney says he is certain his client will be found innocent. The MEDIA is giving it out piece meal to get the protesters worked up.

a reply to: Generation9

16 bullets, 14 of them as he lay on the ground.

Innocent you say?

a reply to: Generation9


The murderer wasn't the first officer on the scene. The others didn't feel there was a need to kill the kid, but officer Van Dyke decided to take out his personal life frustrations and failures on young Laquan McDonald..a mere 13 seconds after getting out of his patrol car. Van Dyke's actions makes terrorists look brave by comparison.

originally posted by: Generation9
a reply to: carewemust

OK.

High on PCP, breaking into vehicles, waving a knife in the presence of armed police.... he's a good boy I'm sure, but I bet he said something to precipitate the shooting. I doubt the cop jumped out of his SUV and shot for no reason. He'll have a reason. The cop's attorney says he is certain his client will be found innocent. The MEDIA is giving it out piece meal to get the protesters worked up.

There was ample reason to arrest the kid. Maybe even reason to use force to do it. There was not any reason you can see from the video to shoot him like that.

And I usually give the officers benefit of the doubt.

The only problem I am having is that they charged the officer with First Degree Murder - usually this applies only to premeditated murder doesn't it? Is there some sort of conspiracy within the prosecution to make sure this officer gets let off by laying charges that could be hard to prove?

Apart from that, this is a pretty open and shut case of AT LEAST second degree murder.

originally posted by: Generation9
a reply to: carewemust

OK.

High on PCP, breaking into vehicles, waving a knife in the presence of armed police.... he's a good boy I'm sure, but I bet he said something to precipitate the shooting. I doubt the cop jumped out of his SUV and shot for no reason. He'll have a reason. The cop's attorney says he is certain his client will be found innocent. The MEDIA is giving it out piece meal to get the protesters worked up.

I would love to hear what you think he said that warranted 14 shots as he lay on the ground?

Please perty please let us know your thoughts on why someone warranted those amount of shots because i would love to hear them..

originally posted by: Generation9
a reply to: Shamrock6

So what is the guy being chased for? Why does he have a knife out in the presence of police?
Why doesn't he just put the knife away, stop and chat with the police?

You don't know the story. You don't know the story. You don't know who he is and what he is wanted for.

Once again the MEDIA is making a big deal of it.

He was being pursued because he was a suspect in a theft/robbery incident.

He had a knife because he wanted to have a knife.

I don't know, because people who are breaking the law often don't want to stop for a chat about how they're breaking the law. Add drug use to that and there ya go. I'm not a mind reader, but that's my pretty educated guess.

I know what happened because I did research. If you don't know what happened, that's your problem for entering a discussion without doing any homework.

originally posted by: kosmicjack
It's been really odd how it's been handled/mishandled.

IMHO though, Chicago has so many issues with gun/gang violence - I hope citizens take a deep breath and a long look at their own neighborhoods and communities before civil disobedience begins in response to this CRIMINAL act.

Just so you know (in case you didn't), there are numerous grassroots organizations in Chicago that were established to protest and mitigate the gang violence in Chicago's disaffected neighborhoods.