CDC chief drops worst-case Ebola estimate

Well, we live 75 miles away in a town that is 98.9% white. The few black people we have are for the most part great people with middle class values. They've heard the old saw - from city blacks, you're not black enough. So not too worried.

Daughter does work in St. Louis City downtown, but she works early morning and leaves just before rush hour, so avoids the key times of day. Mayor Slay and the City police chief made it clear that protests and marches were ok, but no vandalism or violence.

I had a live feed of both places, and the minute that someone smashed a window in the city, they were arrested, the tactical team came out, and the crowd was notified that they had become an illegal assembly and had to move out and go home.

The Governor had stepped in during August, and replaced the Ferguson authorities with St. Louis County Police Chief Belmar and Captain Ron Johnson of the highway patrol. This time the guard was supposed to be stationed to protect the businesses from the git go. At the last minute, the plan apparently changed. Why? Who ordered it? Not known. I saw them march in after about 4 hrs. of rioting.

I heard Chief Belmar on live TV tell the press that he told the officers: Guys let's just treat it like any other large crowd event (think sporting event or street festival). Maybe it won't be too bad. No explanation given as to why.

I am personally distressed over the whole situation. St. Louis didn't burn like the other cities in the 60s, so it's hard to see why they would in this day and age. However we did have a riot at Rockaway Beach in 1965.

A bunch of college students and teenagers from out of town, got drunk and totally destroyed the place. They were white. They weren't protesting anything. Police rounded them all up held them in one big area, because there was too many to put in cells. Really stupid.

Between that riot, and the dam causing the beaches to be under water, as well as Silver Dollar City opening, the town never really came back. It was really the end of that as a thriving resort destination.

Anyway the minute that the decision in Ferguson, was announced, I saw guys at the edge of the crowd scatter and run off in all directions, so I knew they had a plan for mayhem.

I saw the guy pick up a bat and walk over and break the first window - thinking stop him - they'll ravage the town if you don't. Incredibly, there were no officers to be seen.
I couldn't believe my eyes. That is not the LEOs that I grew up with, nor representative of the ones I have seen in action more recently.

The laws in Missouri are such that you have to fear for you life for a citizen to use deadly force - fear for your property doesn't count. Police Officers have more lee way, but you see how they treated Wilson? Chief Belmar kept saying we didn't have any loss of life, so apparently the decision was made to focus on protecting Life, but not property.

I was glad to see the Oath keepers show up to help. They are planning on "less lethal" responses. The large corporations and wealthy areas have hired armed private securities services. I also noticed that several rioters took out for nearby incorporated areas, but the unified command activated roaming patrols and squad cars to nab them. About the only thing they were able to do was start a fire next to Dellwood City Hall. Gov. Nixon almost got impeached in May this year over other issues. No telling what the Republican Legislature will do once the new session starts. Nixon can kiss any future political aspirations good bye. He let down the whole state and the nation with his weak kneed response. He probably couldn't even get elected as dog catcher now.

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