Did the St. Louis Rams Apologize to Police for Michael Brown Gesture? No. Should They? No.

As noted in A.M. Links this morning, St. Louis County police chief Jon Belmar is claiming that the NFL Rams have apologized for players who made a "hands up" gesture in solidarity with Michael Brown before Sunday's game. A spokesman for the Rams says Belmar is wrong.

"I expressed regret for any perceived disrespect of law enforcement," [spokesman Kevin] Demoff said. "Our players' goal was to show support for positive change in our community. I do believe that supporting our players' First Amendment rights and supporting local law enforcement are not mutually exclusive."

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said county chief Jon Belmar told his staff by email Monday night that Demoff had apologized. The email said Demoff "clearly regretted that any members of the Rams organization would act in a way that minimized the outstanding work that police officers carry out each and every day."

CNN has a slight variation on the story:

"I received a very nice call this morning from Mr. Kevin Demoff of the St. Louis Rams who wanted to take the opportunity to apologize to our department on behalf of the Rams for the "Hands Up" gesture that some players took the field with yesterday," Belmar wrote in the e-mail, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

But the Rams said that's just not true.

"We did not apologize," Rams spokesman Artis Twyman told CNN.

The official St. Louis County Police Department Twitter feed posted this:

Apology: "expression of regret for not being able to do something" @kdemoff: "I regretted any offense their officers may have taken."— St. Louis County PD (@stlcountypd) December 2, 2014

The replies to that tweet are something to behold: "that doesn't prove your point!"; "That's fine, but Chief Belmar stated he specifically apologized for the players gesture. That's different"; "Wow. You guys are really reaching…"; "oh shut the fuck up"; "arguing semantics is always a sign that you're in the right."; and more.

And the players who made the gesture?

"We just understand that it's a big tragedy and we hope something positive comes out of it," [Stedman] Bailey said, following his five catch 100-yard performance.

Added [Jared] Cook: "We help build up the people around this community daily with our visiting schools and talking to kids, so coming out and showing that we're unified with the rest of them, it was key to us."

Rams' head coach Jeff Fisher said it was the players' "choice to exercise their free speech" and he won't be commenting further on the matter.

At 5-7, the Rams have enough to apologize for. Protesting events in Ferguson—especially the over-reaction of cops to peaceful demonstrators and the larger militarization of police around the country—isn't one of them.

And whether you agree with me on that, there's no question that the police are not exactly helping their already-damaged credibility with this latest back-and-forth.

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Comments

[sarcasmic]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
SERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRS!

[LynchPin1477]

Does the staff just take off during the fund drive?

[Kaptious Kristen]

They take all the donations and go on a massive Lohanesque bender for a week.

[LynchPin1477]

Does that mean we'll being seeing Nick, Robby, and ENB in The Canyons II?

[John]

I wish. If they did that, the magazine would be more interesting. They are mostly nerds. If they take a week off it is likely to go to Comicon or play Dungeons and Dragons all week. NTTAWWT

We all want Reason to be like Animal House. In reality it is closer to the Big Bang Theory with less math.

[Atlas Slugged]

Having seen their DC HQ and met The Jacket, I believe this analogy to be true. I also would gladly hang at the HQ with The Jacket. Did I mention I was a nerd (although I think geek is the more accurate term)?

[John]

There is nothing wrong with being a nerd. We are all closet nerds or open nerds to some degree.

[Pro Libertate]

Gonzo libertarianism would be a nice thing to have.

[Florida Man]

I just watched where the buffalo roam. I did not realize how much johny depp took from bill Murray in fear and loathing in Las Vegas. I'm not too familiar with the real Dr Thompson to know how accurate the portrayals were.

[Pro Libertate]

He's hard to dissect, because he was really nuts and built up the illusion of being nuts at the same time.

[Florida Man]

I like people like that.

[Pro Libertate]

That's because he was the original Florida Man.

[John]

I think Where the Buffalo Roam is a great movie. A real under appreciated classic.

[Florida Man]

I think I enjoyed it more because I had seen fear and loathing first. It was fun comparing the two films. Overall I liked both movies.

[faeriemama]

Hey, speak for yourself! I love me a libertarian nerd!

[Lord Humungus]

Those cocktails won't pay for themselves.

[John]

This is the dumbest thing I have ever seen in my life. The St. Louis Rams don't owe anyone an apology. If the police are angry, they should be angry at the players. The players have a right to their opinion and they should be able to express that opinion, even at work, provided they do so in a way that doesn't disrupt or affect the work environment.

Note the difference between the reaction to this and the reaction to the NBA players wearing hoodies over Trayvon Martin. There, the players were portrayed as the good guys. Here, the media is making them out to be some kind of black militants. The only difference between the two cases is the nature of the shooter. It is okay for millionaire athletes to stand against some average guy like Zimmerman but God forbid they criticize a cop.

[albo]

If anybody could demand an apology it's the TV network that broadcast the game. They provided the forum, and can ask that it be politics-free.

[John]

They could. But that is up to the league and the networks. If they want to go down that road and start policing when and how players make political statements, they certainly can. If I were the Rams, however, I wouldn't do that. I would let it go and leave the problem up to the league. The problem with doing something is you now have to do something every time someone makes a statement and worse, by disciplining them you appear to take a side in the issue, which is something as a business, the Rams should have no interest in doing.

[Brett L]

Were I the Rams ownership my statement would be: "We pay Roger Goodell $44M a year as a league for him to deal with this shit. If doing this can let them hang 52 and/or a goose-egg on people, I'll start doing it."

[John]

No kidding. If getting pissed off about Ferguson gets my team to play well, they can go full on Al Sharpton every week for all I care if I own the Rams.

[Mickey Rat]

Why? The networks do not normally show player introductions for regionally broadcast regular season games.

[Pope Jimbo]

The only reason that those players had the balls to mock our Heroes in Blue is because they know that the pussies in the NFL have banned any off duty LEO's from carrying their weapons into a stadium.

http://www.startribune.com/loc.....59881.html

Luckily our intrepid cops are suing because they need their weapons on them at all time.

[MarkinLA]

Have you been to an NFL game in the last 40 years? Well it is almost all upper middle class and above white people. The Rams management doesn't want to alienate this demographic.

[Riven]

Oh, an article about football. Must be time to go get some coffee and shop online a little.

[Florida Man]

Time for a new monocle?

[Riven]

Well, I did just get a new top hat...

[Florida Man]

What kind of coffee are you drinking?
/also doesn't care about teh foozbal

[Riven]

Just the swill they make at work, so nothing fancy.

The coffee I had at home, however, was Peet's Major Dickason. I'm very much a fan of that brand.

[Florida Man]

I've had Peets. It's pretty good. I've started roasting my own, but for store bought I like Illy's.

[Riven]

I'll have to keep an eye out! I don't think I've seen it before, though.

Roasting your own, you say? That sounds like it would be interesting, but then I'd need to get another coffee grinder...for actually grinding coffee beans.

[Florida Man]

What are you using your grinder for now if not grinding coffee? Anyways the cheap easy way to start roasting is to get a hot air pop-corn popper. There are more complicated ways if you like DIY. Check out sweet Maria's if you are a coffee nut. They have all kinds of info on roasting.

[Riven]

Well, I use it for grinding up something else, of course! (Drugs)

I like the idea of using a pop-corn popper. I like to do it myself, but sometimes the juice just isn't worth the squeeze.

Also, Sweet Maria's has a picture of a dog on their front page. That's all it takes for me; I'm in.

[Florida Man]

Teh drugs!!!! I assumed herbs just not that herb.

[Riven]

Hah! Sometimes I forget what it's original purpose was.

I've thought about grinding coffee beans in there and consequently having the best cup of coffee ever after that, but... I only grind when I'm going to be adding it to food. If I'm going to be inebriated at the start of the day, it's going to happen the old-fashioned way.

[Torontonian]

I've roasted my own beans for a few years now. Some pros and cons.

PROs:

- Fresh roasted coffee simply tastes better. (Less bitterness, so less need for sugar to balance out the flavour.)
- Green beans are cheaper and have much longer shelf life.
- It's fun. You can experiment with different beans, different roast profiles, test out different blends, etc.
- You will impress your friends. (Assuming you have any.)

CONs:

- You need to roast outdoors, or have an amazing range hood, otherwise your smoke detectors will be routinely triggered.
- You will probably ruin batches from time to time and occasionally produce a disgusting beverage. I certainly have.
- Some home-roasting devices do not generate high enough heat to truly roast beans (caramelizing sugars). The best they can do is "bake" them which is pretty unsatisfying.
- Consistent roasting is hard to achieve, since every home roaster and every batch of beans is different.

Fresh roasted beans are best the next day, and good for a week at most. I'd recommend getting yourself a burr grinder and using a french press (e.g. Bodum).

[R C Dean]

I'm not a fan of French press, myself. I use a Technivorm drip brewer. Simple, bullet proof, awesome coffee.

[Florida Man]

Does the technivorm use paper filters?

[Florida Man]

I have a capresso grinder and a bodum French press. I love both.

[R C Dean]

If you're interested in roasting your own, go here:

http://www.sweetmarias.com

[Florida Man]

Hey! I already plugged that website! Jk, nuthin' but luv R C.

[ExPat ExLawyer]

My favorite starting in like 1983!

[DEG]

/also doesn't care about teh foozbal

My interest in American football begins and ends with the lady cheerleaders.

[WTF]

People just love getting a dose of political commentary when the tune in for a ballgame. I know I do.

[John]

I don't. But ultimately, is this worth disciplining these guys over? I don't think so. It didn't disrupt the game or anything.

[WTF]

It's entirely up to the Rams and the NFL. If they are okay with the players potentially pissing off some percentage of their fans, it's their call.

[John]

But when you discipline them, you piss off a portion of the fans too. So which is worse? I think the people who are anti cop are more likely to care and stop watching than the people who are pro cop. I also think you can finesse the issue by saying "we don't take a side but are okay with them expressing it" than by saying "we don't allow any political statements and are disciplining them because of that and not because we have taken sides."

[WTF]

Which is why, if I were the NFL, I would have a blanket policy of no political statements, gestures, etc. of any kind. Doesn't matter who are you are supporting or protesting, just do it on your own time, not during work time.

[GILMORE]

Politics is for amateurs

[Pro Libertate]

I agree. Political statements while on the job, in particular, can damage the brand and the business. Not much to gain, and it's really kind of silly for the NFL to provide its players with a political forum during game broadcasts--that's not at all their business nor can it do anything more than lose viewers. Not like these athletes don't have ample opportunities to speak their minds to large audiences.

That all said, if the NFL doesn't have a policy, then they really can't do much without getting further egg on their faces.

[OldMexican]

Did the St. Louis Rams Apologize to Police for Michael Brown Gesture? No. Should They? No.

What Michael Brown gesture?

[WTF]

I guess when they put their heads down and charged each other?

[GILMORE]

I think that's called "Football"

[Tvashtar]

I'm confused. Are they criticizing Brown for not raising his arms and saying don't shoot.

Or perhaps it's directed at the shopkeeper who dared challenge Brown the robber?

I don't know, this alternate reality is hard to understand.

[BoscoH]

We are witnesses to middle America Foutrage. and it is glorious. Police officers are the new muslims.

[chenoacorksduu]

Start working at home with Google! It's by-far the best job I've had. Last Wednesday I got a brand new BMW since getting a check for $6474 this - 4 weeks past. I began this 8-months ago and immediately was bringing home at least $77 per hour. I work through this link,
go to tech tab for work detail ????????????? http://www.jobsfish.com

[Lord Humungus]

"There was a time in America when contests of athletic prowess were a metaphor for the nobility of man. Historic moments forged by the love of the game celebrated the human potential to achieve excellence. But as time passed, and the country neared the millennium, something went awry?The ideal of sportsmanship began to take a back seat to excessive celebration. The athletes caring less about executing the play than planning the vulgar grandstanding that inevitably followed even the most pedestrian of accomplishments.

[Florida Man]

+1 long awkward homosexual make out session

[Riven]

"There was a time in America when contests of athletic prowess were a metaphor for the nobility of man.

Is this what the volleyball scene in Top Gun is supposed to be about?

[antisocial-ist]

My dad really hates all that shit, and he may have made the best comment ever on it.

"What the hell is he dancing for? He did his damn job and that's it. Should I go outside and start dancing like a fucking idiot every time I hang a Goddamn door?"(he was a carpenter)

[WTF]

"Should I go outside and start dancing like a fucking idiot every time I hang a Goddamn door?"

I would totally hire that guy.

[Pro Libertate]

I dislike it, too. Act like you've been there before.

[Brian D]

+1 Barry Sanders

[Sevo]

""What the hell is he dancing for? He did his damn job and that's it. Should I go outside and start dancing like a fucking idiot every time I hang a Goddamn door?"(he was a carpenter)"

Particularly inane when the team's down by 20 points and a guy scores one with 30 seconds left.
Big whoop...

[Mickey Rat]

It is not as bad as the recent trend of celebrating BEFORE they finish the play and fumble away a touchdown with a too early spike.

[R C Dean]

Some old school coach (Tom Landry?) supposedly told one of his players after a touchdown dance:

"Act like you've been here before."

[MiloMinderbinder]

+1 Baseketball

[antisocial-ist]

How long until the Michael Brown story is out of the news cycle?

[Florida Man]

When the fires of ferguson grow cold

[WTF]

Until something more useful comes along that can be used to promote the racial narrative.

[Brett L]

Speaking of which, I'm pissed off that Mick Jagger put Al Sharpton in the James Brown documentary. Its a total throw-away scene. I wonder what Mick "owes" Al.

[Restoras]

Probably it was Mick that raped Tawana Brawley and launched Sharpton's career - so it's more like they owe each other?

[The Late P Brooks]

"I'm sorry. Deeply, deeply, sorry you're such a bunch of thin skinned pouty bitchez."

hth

[Suthenboy]

Jesus, what a circus. In the effort to gain control of the narrative surrounding this incident everyone is losing all integrity.

Ok, I know, most of these actors did not have any to start with.

[FloridaProf]

If being a Libertarian means one has to be anti-cop, then you can count me out. I've seen almost as much cop-bashing in these pages, both by the columnists and the bloggers, than I've heard from Al Sharpton. LEOs are not the bad guys here; they lay their lives on the line every day for us, and if they occasionally err on the side of caution, that's fine by me. And if they cross over the line, then the courts can, and do, take care of it. When they don't cross the line then outcomes such as the grand jury finding no cause to indict occur. So, how about giving it a rest? And the next time a cop stops you, do what he tells you. There's a reason. Check out Jeffrey Lord's column on Human Events.

[Brett L]

Oh, I should just do what he tells me? Even if its illegal? Thanks. Not a law prof are you? Keep licking that brownhole, buddy, it won't save you. If the cops decide to kick your head in because they don't like you, "but I supported you guys" isn't going to stop them.

[GILMORE]

Wow you totally have a point

[Restoras]

This is almost as retarded as all the cop-fellation I see all over Facebook.

[LynchPin1477]

the courts can, and do, take care of it

I'll admit that my views on police misconduct have evolved precisely because this isn't true.

[John]

It all depends on how you define "cop". I am not anti "cop" in the general sense at all. I am not an anarchist and want a competent and well run police department. I and anyone with any conscience am, however, anti some cops. Law enforcement is an important and when done properly noble profession. It is out of respect for the profession of law enforcement and the understanding of its importance that I am so hard on cops who tarnish that profession.

There is a saying "with great privilege comes great responsibility". Cops necessarily get great privilege and authority in society. We should never forget the responsibility that comes to that or ever fail to hold cops who abuse that privilege to the harshest of consequences.

Currently, we don't do that enough. So anyone who is like and cares about the profession comes off as anti cop. That sucks I suppose, but it will not stop me from wanting to hold cops to a very high standard of behavior and doing what I can to see that those who don't meet that standard are punished in the harshest way possible.

[mr lizard]

Wow you almost got me there. By your handle I thought you were Florida Man.

FUCK OFF SLAVER

[Florida Man]

His comment did not involve, whiskey, coffee, or cinema, a dead give away its not me.

[Riven]

Whiskey, too, you say?

[Florida Man]

Alright! Whiskey sub thread. I love Angel's Envy Rye. It is a 100 proof rye finished in carribean rum cask. It's a little pour of heaven.

[HeteroPatriarch]

And if they cross over the line, then the courts can, and do, take care of it.

No, they don't. If you paid any kind of attention, you'd know that. Skepticism of police is extremely warranted.

[Riven]

Well...

[WTF]

Radley Balko. Read him.

[tarran]

they lay their lives on the line every day for us

citation needed

if they occasionally err on the side of caution, that's fine by me

Your submissive S&M fantasies are noted.

And if they cross over the line, then the courts can, and do, take care of it.

As someone who has assisted a law firm in trial preps when they were suing misbehaving cops, I can say BWA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! You really like your fantasies don't you?

When they don't cross the line then outcomes such as the grand jury finding no cause to indict occur

Funny how those no-bills also occur in outright cases of murder.

And the next time a cop stops you, do what he tells you.

Quick question, what's the deal with you S&M submissives? Is it that you can't orgasm unless you are first in pain? Or do you feel guilty and want to be punished? Or do you actually gain pleasure from being whipped and degraded? Seriously, why do you guys want so desperately to be hurt?

[Suthenboy]

"....they lay their lives on the line every day for us, and if they occasionally err on the side of caution, that's fine by me. And if they cross over the line, then the courts can, and do, take care of it."

What planet are you from, and how do I immigrate there?

The cops, LEOs, neither of these are entities to be judged by their character. Individuals are. There are many good guys in uniform, and many bad ones. To compound an already sticky situation there are perverse systemic incentives for bad characters to act badly and for good ones to keep their mouths shut about it.

We have a problem with law enforcement in this country. The Brown shooting is not illustrative of it, but there are plenty that are. As to your extremely naive statement above, it is just laughable.

[sarcasmic]

I might be more supportive of cops if I didn't see them routinely lie on their reports and in court.
I might be more supportive of cops if they actually investigated crime, instead of looking at crime victims as potential arrests.
I might be more supportive of cops if some departments didn't get as much as 89% of their funding by seizing property without charging anyone with a crime.
I might be more supportive of cops if they didn't kill someone's pet dog every 90 minutes.
I might be more supportive of cops if they didn't kill grandmothers and veterans in their own homes, or gun down a twelve year old kid for carrying a gun in a state where open carry is legal.
I might be more supportive of cops if they didn't beat unarmed homeless people to death.
I might be more supportive of cops if they didn't throw grenades into cribs.

I might be more supportive of cops if they acted as peace officers, not thugs who immediately use violence whenever they don't get their way.

I supported the police at one point in my life. Before I knew better.

[R C Dean]

If being a Libertarian means one has to be anti-cop, then you can count me out.

Not in principle. The old model of policing in a night watchman state requires no anti-coppery.

What we have now? I don't see how anyone can be a libertarian without, at a minimum:

(a) Being deeply skeptical of claims by the police.

(b) Wanting the elimination of the double standards that favor the police, with very limited exceptions.

(c) Wanting police departments downsized and repurposed.

[R C Dean]

Try this:

I'm not anti-cop. I'm anti-bad-cop.

Its not my fault that, due to a toxic combination of tribalism and legal privilege, this means that most cops are bad cops.

[Fluffy]

And if they cross over the line, then the courts can, and do, take care of it.

No, they don't.

Get rid of qualified immunity, and then we'll talk.

Oh, and any time a cop submits a police report that contains a falsehood, they need to be charged with filing a false document.

Do those two things and then we'll talk.

[retiredfire]

The responses to your post show how libertarians, really are nothing but anarchists and will, fortunately, never be a force in politics because of it.
You are right on all counts but these brave souls, who would shit themselves if confronted with what LEO's have to, daily, will ream you relentlessly. I hope you don't take it to heart - consider the source.

[GILMORE]

As an often-cited expert in "Stupid-But-Popular Arm Gestures", I assert that those men are in fact 'raising the roof' and making no reference whatsoever to events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown; who, as testimony has shown, never in fact himself engaged in any overt display of submission to authority despite the widely-held popular misconception

Also, its about as fucking lame as dumping ice water on your head and acting like you just cured cancer

[The Late P Brooks]

LEOs are not the bad guys here; they lay their lives on the line every day for us, and if they occasionally err on the side of caution, that's fine by me.

You must have some sturdy knee pads.

[GILMORE]

" they lay their lives on the line every day for us"

Those donuts aint going to eat themselves.

I think the most enlightening piece of information i ever learned about police is that, since in New York, police overtime is effectively unlimited, that 80+% of arrests (aka 'collars for dollars') occur in the last hour of an officer's shift.

Incentives!? Who could have ever thought they might apply to the Angels in Blue who are supposed to magically become moral paragons when they wear a badge.

[R C Dean]

they lay their lives on the line every day for us

No, not really. Its not that dangerous a job, especially when you back out all the self-inflicted injuries, and injuries that occur because they act like aggressive assholes.

Remember, their top priority is their own safety. Doesn't sound like they are putting their lives at risk for us at all, to me.

[Joshua]

I've heard/ read a couple of times in conservative media that 6 or 7 (I've heard both) black witnesses corroborated the cop's narrative of the Brown shooting. Why is this not front and center in the news? Or is it and I'm just not seeing it?

[mr lizard]

Still doesn't excuse these grundel licking statist from trying to abuse their authority to further their butt hurt and squash dissent.

[HeteroPatriarch]

I've heard both. And I believe that there were witnesses willing to corroborate both. The other evidence, such as the "injury photos" showing a very slight redness on the cop's face that may or may not have been a minor sunburn, causes me to doubt the cop's story. The video from the convenience store causes me to doubt Brown's innocence, but I've seen nothing to convince me that he deserved to die. I think what happened is the cop got scared and overreacted to a situation, then came up with a story to cover his ass, since that is what we see so often in officer-involved shootings.

[John]

They did and it is not. The major media won't cover it because the major media doesn't cover anything that won't further the prog narrative.

I hate the way the cops act in this country as much as anyone. But, this appears to have been a justified shooting. Fuck Sharpton and company for ignoring real victims and promoting shit cases like this. And double fuck the major media for enabling them to do that.

[GILMORE]

"Joshua|12.2.14 @ 12:35PM|#

I've heard/ read a couple of times in conservative media that 6 or 7 (I've heard both) black witnesses corroborated the cop's narrative of the Brown shooting"

WaPo =

Seven or eight African American eyewitnesses have provided testimony consistent with Wilson's account", but none have spoken publicly out of fear for their safety, The Post's sources said."

It was one of the first questions asked by reporters in the Q&A session after the prosecutor read the decision not to indict; I thought it was a little slimy, to be honest - a female reporter asked if "the witnesses who testified that Brown "charged" wilson were African-American". The prosecutor replied in the affirmative.

I still think its a slimy question. Because it forces people to assume that 'dishonesty' is required to assert racial solidarity.

[Joshua]

Thanks for the link.

I don't think it's slimy. The protesters are accusing the administration of Ferguson of gross racism. Once you go there, the race thing is already on the table.

I also don't think it forces anybody to assume anything. Eyewitness accounts are notoriously bad and often colored by our worldview. For so many people who shared the cultural experience of Brown to support the narrative of the officer is actually pretty big. Nobody HAS to be lying for two different versions of the story to exist.

[GILMORE]

"I also don't think it forces anybody to assume anything."

Well, of course YOU would say that = You're Black!

(dwell now on how in order to rebut my accusation of your dishonesty, you first need to 'prove you are not Black' instead of just pointing out that my question presumes bias)

[dpbisme]

Sorry had a player supported Darren Wilson the Loony Left Wing Media would be screaming for their heads and the player would have had to apologize on National TV or lose his job.

Scumbag LIBTARDS....

[The Late P Brooks]

since in New York, police overtime is effectively unlimited, that 80+% of arrests (aka 'collars for dollars') occur in the last hour of an officer's shift.

Who can ever forget Occifer Dumphuck braying ecstatically about how much overtime his noble BostonStrong brothers were raking in during the Search For Terror Incarnate?

[Sevo]

Did the TV even show the gesture? I mean they go to booth shots when some idjit runs on the field.

[jmomls]

I love it when a bunch of functionally-illiterate guys who are overpaid to play a child's game go out of their way to showcase their ignorance and express their solidarity with dead functionally-illiterate thugs. So touching.

[R C Dean]

Most pro football players are actually pretty smart, you know. Not all, but on average I bet they are smarter than a random selection of people.

[HeteroPatriarch]

He's just trying to demonstrate actual racism, since the definition has become so watered down. And I applaud him for being willing to look like a fucking idiot for the sake of clarity.

[The Late P Brooks]

The major media won't cover it because the major media doesn't cover anything that won't further the prog narrative.

The LEFT WING STATE RUN MEDIA CONSPIRACY strikes again!

[TsarVII]

Reason magazine's exposure of Militarized Police forces has been on point; however, their ongoing anti-Law Enforcement wrangling is going to lose them supporters and subscribers, and ultimately hurt Libertarian causes.

[Alice Bowie]

Bullshit. REASON.com's support for
- the freedom of people to record the police
- stomping out police corruption
- stomping out police cronyism
- stomping out police excessive pension courtesy of the municipal taxpayer
- exposing when the police behave inappropriately

IS NOT ANTI-LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Perhaps you, or your son, is a cop and you may think the points above are anti-cop. Nonetheless, many of us feel that these points are needed to obtain justice for all.

[Alice Bowie]

I "put my hands up" in protest of police brutality, corruption, and total contempt on the police's part.

I do NOT do this in support of a THUG named Michael Brown who robbed a convenient store and assaulted the clerk.

The the RIGHT, the Racist, the police, and many media outlets do not understand this.

In the Michael Brown case, the Prosecutor acked as the Police Officer's defense lawyers. No witnesses were cross examined and the Prosecutor presented the case in a manner in which the cop seems innocent of any wrong doing.

And, we the public are suppose to accept the Grand Jury FIndings.

We, the public, didn't accept the verdict that an all white jury released in the Medgar Evers Killing and killing of the kind.

[retiredfire]

You don't know what you are talking about.
Robert McCulloch made a short, initial statement to the grand jury and then had two female prosecutors - one, who handled homicides in the month of the incident and the other, who had been the handler for the grand jury since it's forming, some two months prior - handle the case.
If anyone "acked" as the Police Officer's defense lawyers, it must have been one of these two.

[RWR]

"We kind of came collectively together and decided we wanted to do something," Cook said after the Rams' 52-0 victory. "We haven't been able to go down to Ferguson to do anything because we have been busy. Secondly, it's kind of dangerous down there and none of us want to get caught up in anything.

[RWR]

(forum arbitrarily limited above way below limit)

[RWR]

What the hell! Try again!

Ok, then..so it's simply a free speech issue. On that basis, we should get comfortable with these and other on field commentaries on issue of their concern. Got it.
Thinking about it a bit..you know..where did they get such a silly idea?
Well....
"The NFL hasn't given up on the idea of swathing its games in some color or pattern to show support for a random cause. Because there is still PR to be had. "
http://deadspin.com/youll-be-s.....1640393245
You'll Be Seeing A Lot Less Pink In The NFL This Pinktober
deadspin.com
So with that precedent of being literal "vehicles" for social commentary, figured they'd take the messaging into their own hands. Also, you can argue the gestures were similar to the signature endzone dances so enamored by their fans. But again, if it's all about embracing free speech, we need to open it up to the on field players of opposing views, players on sidelines, referees, cheerleaders (are they outlawed? Hardly see 'em anymore) and coaches and broadcast common 'tators. After half-time, might even play some football.

[retiredfire]

Wasn't Tim Tebow (sp?) sanctioned for doing a prayer thing after a touchdown?
Politics must be OK, but religion - the horrors.

[Arthur45]

Reason is rather dopey on this one - the players were, in effect, calling Wilson a murderer. That is punishable by law, should any of those in charge ever feel like actually enforcing the law, rather than pandering tothe criminal protestors.

[JeremyR]

Excuse me? At 5 and 7, this is the best Rams team in a decade. We haven't officially been eliminated from the playoffs yet, which usually happens in November.

But the thing about this is that it's rather hypocritical of the Rams. Football teams gain preferential treatment from the police, including the time when a Rams player (Leonard Little) killed a woman about 15 years ago while driving drunk.

People should be pointing this out, rather than trying to defend Michael Brown, who basically caused his own death by first robbing a store and then fighting with a cop.

[userve32]

Sammy DeMayo aint gonna like that.

http://www.Anon-Rocks.tk

[chenoacorksduu]

Google pay 97$ per hour my last pay check was $8500 working 1o hours a week online. My younger brother friend has been averaging 12k for months now and he works about 22 hours a week. I cant believe how easy it was once I tried it out.
This is wha- I do...... ?????? http://www.jobsfish.com