Btw, two of my sisters have been on forms of public assistance, and one was convicted of fraud for getting "too many" food stamps. So, I generally don't go after "welfare cheats."

The area where he lives is crime-ridden with a high turnover. The turnover helps explain why so few African Americans vote. Others have blamed apathy or a dislike of the system. But I'm offering a different (partial) explanation: Mobility hurts voter registration.

I didn't realize how bad crime was in those 3 apt complexes until I read those articles, and I'm sure there are others who were similarly uninformed. It helps explain why a store clerk/owner might not bother to call the police or might fear retaliation if he calls the police, after a man steals cigars worth around $50.

I would say wrong.

The man described by a 911 caller as a "gun wielding maniac" who authorities say drew the fire of a police officer last week -- including a stray shot that killed a bystander -- now faces a murder charge, the Orlando Police Department said.

--snip

As he fell, Roach dropped a .40 caliber Ruger handgun from his right hand, the affidavit states. Investigators would later determine the gun was not loaded, but had been reported stolen, and Roach was the prime suspect.

To me this seems like an issue nationwide.

Some interesting things I've read regarding this subject...

Victims are to blame because they're not submissive enough

Really?  I mean if this is the attitude of our police forces, or even a minority of police people nationwide we are all in big trouble.

Us vs. Them culture in Police Forces

While being a policeman is a hard job and they deserve our gratitude they are also servants.  

They serve to protect us, help us and we pay them.  We are not the enemy.  Ever.  

If people are suspected of committing crimes they deserve to be arrested but ultimately they are still citizens and after serving time they should go back to being considered a normal person.   Suspects or even people who fit the part are not the "enemy" they are citizens with the same rights as the police people's family members.   I understand the daily grind of police work may cause people to become jaded but this basic principal must be discussed and lived daily by the people who serve us.

Serving us does not mean using petty fines and tickets to boost public revenues.

No wonder a terrible environment existed in Ferguson.   I would estimate that this is not an isolated reality.  I've often joked with friends to watch driving here or there, the city or county is looking to make some money serving tickets.    There is a dark truth in this reality that sometimes the police force along with local government is more interested in their interests then ours.

And just to show it's not always about race...

Black officer kills white male in police shooting

Notice race is not mentioned but that's not the point.

White Teen gunned down by white officer

The point is here we have more young males dead in an apparent over use of deadly force.  

Lemon cautioned that 'CNN cannot independent verify the authenticity of this tape' but did say that the FBI have interviewed both Blumenthal and her client.

In this mix, Michael Brown was known as a good kid -- not an angel, but someone who had hope for the future.

It is part of the reason why his death has reverberated so strongly: He had hope, and he was killed.

"If his grandma said go upstairs, he went. He was respectful," recalled neighbor Kevin Seltzer, 30. "He didn't bother people. That's why the community here in Ferguson, the real community of Canfield, we're upset now."
...
A woman who lives in the complex and asked not to be identified for fear of being targeted by residents and police said she heard the commotion and ran to her balcony. She said Brown threw his hands up in the air, shouting, "Don't shoot!"

"The officer kept shooting and he fell to his knees, begging for his life," the woman said. "That's when he finished him off, shot him in the head."

1.    I think the fact that people use the term "majority" black means they understand quite well that the area is integrated.

2.    Why does it matter where Brown was living or where his parents live?  I'm sorry, but I'm not buying your "I'm just curious" rationale, not about where Brown was living or about your sense that the media isn't being fair in reporting details.  It feels like you might believe that more details would reveal more things that will provide reasons why maybe it's not all that terrible that Brown is dead

3.    You say there's a ton of crime in Ferguson, but how much of that is the result of police targeting blacks in order to fund the Ferguson PD?  

4.    I don't recall reading any comments that said Brown and Johnson walking in the road wasn't a problem.  Do we know for a fact that Brown and Johnson were facing the direction Wilson was coming from?  Because I've had the impression that wasn't the case, and if I'm right, that means the 2 didn't see the vehicle until Wilson ordered them onto the sidewalk.

The violence in Libya is rooted in the empowerment of militias.

Seems there might be a lesson for us in there

The ideologies of the fractious militias do not seem very different, but differences there are, old scores to settle and of course, who gets the sweet oil.   Khalifa Hifter's momentum to eradicate the extreme Islamists seems to have stalled, but he can't be counted out.

UAE pilots flying out of Egyptian airbases targeted Islamist fighters showing a step up of opposition to the movements.  Awareness of these attacks has been denied by the US, but, that seems unlikely.  What is more likely, is that Special Forces have provided intelligence that allowed the fighter jets to hit key militias.  

More evidence that truth is stranger and more surreal than fiction.

I guess you could say it's nice that he (almost) turned his life around.

But from the start I have been waiting the GSR evidence.  If a gun was fired inside the cop car there should be GSR.  If the gun was fired close to Wilson's leg as was claimed by a friend of a friend there should be GSR on Wilson's pants.  If Brown was trying to grab/grabbing Wilson's gun there might well be GSR on Brown's hand/arm.  If Brown's hand/arm was hit by a bullet while he was reaching inside the cop car there should be GSR on Brown's hand arm.  Baden said while he found no GSR on Brown's body he had no chance to examine Brown's clothes for GSR and if it existed that would be where it would be.