Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Differing Perceptions Of Waco, Baltimore Bothering Some

WASHINGTON (AP) — The prevailing images of protests in Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, over police killings of black men were of police in riot gear, handcuffed protesters, tear gas and mass arrests. The main images of a fatal gun battle between armed bikers and police in Waco, Texas, also showed mass arrests — carried out by nonchalant-looking officers sitting around calm bikers on cellphones.

The firefight in Waco is raising questions about perceptions and portrayals of crime in America, considering the vehement reaction that the earlier protests got from police, politicians and some members of the public.

Unlike in Ferguson and Baltimore, where protests went on for days, there was no live news coverage of the Waco shootout. And yet the incident at a Texas restaurant hasn’t been used as a bridge to discuss other issues about families, poverty and crime, media critics, columnists and civil rights activists say.

More

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

....hard to gloss over the fact that in the "Waco shootout", security video shows that only ONE biker was shooting.

Anonymous said...

This isn't an apples-to-apples comparison.
The bikers had their fight, the cops stopped them, arrested them and that was that.
Ferguson and Baltimore.. people rioting, looting and running wild for days on end; throwing rocks and bottles at the cops.
Two different scenarios. Completely different.

Anonymous said...

The comparison is easy.... People make money off encouraging Racism. People have made very handsome livings off Racism accusation including, Al Sharpton. They encourage this, and without this they would HAVE NO JOB!!
People like Al Sharpton live very comfortably shaming whites as racist. Make you wonder why Obama is encouraging the "divide in America" and I feel encouraging racism. Is this is next adventure!!?? Joining Al Sharpton in increasing Racism in America for the purpose only to line his pockets!!! It's a thought for sure!!

Anonymous said...

It's a cultural thing.

Criminals who feel entitled to be criminals at any cost, vs. criminals who know they're criminals and expect the consequences when caught.

Anonymous said...

11:36 is correct - that culture is just plain ornery!

Anonymous said...

I don't really care if it was one or many, I APPRECIATE and RESPECT the police, the guard, and all our military personnel for the work that they do each and everyday to put themselves in harms way to protect us. Saving people in burning homes, cars, accidents, shootings, break-ins. I don't know how they or their families stand the awful pressure they endure daily.

All of us should stop take a deep breath and understand without them as our buffer, we all would be dead.

GOD bless all of you and I thank you for your service.

Anonymous said...

The way I see it the difference is people in Waco have Republican leadership,good paying jobs,very little blight,nice homes,motorcycles vs Baltimore and the Eastern Shore filled with democrats running us in the ground.

Anonymous said...

One other thing that differs between the 2 events. Most whites and Hispanics don't feel they have some racial axe to grind - just because the Waco bunch were mostly white and Hispanic. And we don't have the media telling us that they were a bunch of choir-boys and aspiring college students. On the other hand, the whole black community gets in an uproar because some black criminal gets whacked. Their focus seems to be skin color only. These people need to just STFU.

Anonymous said...

"....hard to gloss over the fact that in the "Waco shootout", security video shows that only ONE biker was shooting."

So WTF are the cops supposed to do? Ask for a show of hands as to who is shooting at them?

Anonymous said...

I'd like to know how many rounds the police fired in Waco, in the course of an hour, versus the number fired in Ferguson and Baltimore through several days of black violence. The clear message is that it is OK to open up on whites and Mexicans, but blacks are accorded special treatment.