Why the innocent people?
January 10, 2009 at 3:24 AM (Uncategorized) (BART shooting, oakland riot)
I’m not talking about police killing innocent people.
I’m talking about the innocent Oakland storekeepers who got their stores vandalized and trashed during riot on January 7th.
Read “Oakland storekeepers tell of night of terror”
Initially there is a legitimate reason for a peaceful protest, but some people take this as an excuse to make trouble. Especially when a protest turns into a riot and when blacks are involved, it just bring more negative impression to the black community from others. I understand that people are angry, but why making more innocent people suffer? From my perspective, not only did the people who participated in the violent riot not deliver the right message, they also portray themselves as a bunch of trouble makers going around and destroying city. Getting back at the murder by trashing your own community and hurting its hardworking citizens? It makes no sense.
It’s just like Los Angeles in 1992, where innocent people are paying the price.
Laurie said,
January 18, 2009 at 10:26 PM
Why assume it is a murder? There is no evidence that he meant to shoot that gun. The atmosphere was chaotic. Young people were approaching the bart officers. One officer had his gun out and looked like he was on guard. One young man on a video was holding something in his hand. I felt fear for for the officers while watching the video before and after the gun went off. There is a lot of gang violence in Oakland and the officers responded to a report of a fight. People are killed in a split second and officers know this. I bet you the officer was scared out of his wits and if he pulled the trigger intentionally it was like the dog that snaps out of fear. The meanest dogs are the scared ones. One life was taken and then people were calling for more young blood. Very chilling and sad.
yaanchan said,
January 19, 2009 at 1:52 AM
@Laurie: We talk about learning from mistakes all the time, yet we are repeating those mistakes all the time.