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An endorsement for #BlackLivesMatter to shut down all commerce in all cities
Hotair ^ | 11/28/2015 | Jazz Shaw

Posted on 11/28/2015 6:45:12 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Black Lives Matter, not Black Friday!

No Justice, No Shopping!

If you took time out from holiday festivities with family and friends to watch the news at all yesterday (likely a bad idea to begin with) you are probably aware of the large scale Black Lives Matter protests which essentially shut down holiday shopping on Chicago’s Miracle Mile. It wasn’t as if they weren’t telegraphing their punches because organizers, including Jesse Jackson, had announced the disruptions days in advance.

Here are a few of the sights and sounds.

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO

The crowds, understandably angry over the more than year long investigation of Officer Jason Van Dyke’s shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, locked arms in front of multiple stores, essentially closing them for business, and faced off with the police. Thankfully there were relatively few arrests and not much in the way of violence, but the city’s commercial center was pretty much shut down.

Thousands of people marched on Chicago’s most prestigious shopping street on Friday, disrupting business on one of the busiest U.S. retail days, to protest the shooting death of a black teenager by a white policeman and the city’s handling of the case.

About 2,000 protesters, some holding signs reading “Stop Police Terror” gathered in a cold drizzle for the march on Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile,” which closed the major city street of Michigan Avenue to traffic on the traditional “Black Friday” shopping day after the Thanksgiving holiday,

Organizers said the rally, led by activist-politician the Rev. Jesse Jackson and several state elected officials, was a show of outrage over the October 2014 death of Laquan McDonald, 17, and what they see as racial bias in U.S. policing.

Frankly, this is precisely what we need to see as far as I’m concerned. If anything, it needs to spread to every other major city in the nation which is run by liberal, Democrat, gun grabbing, heavy spending municipal governments. And it needs to be seen by every law abiding citizen in each of those cities as they try to simply get on with their lives. The portrayal of these protests which they get from CNN and their newspapers is so totally skewed on a regular basis that too many of them have no clue what they’re really dealing with. Cable news spokesmodels will continue to portray this as some sort of noble endeavor, justifying anything and everything that the BLM national network is up to. I saw it again this morning as CNN’s Victor Blackwell (normally a great anchor with an even, “just the facts” tone on most stories) described the activity as BLM “refusing to back down” and “fighting for justice” in the Laquan McDonald case. That’s obviously not what’s happening, but until the rank and file citizens get a first hand view of what’s being done in the name of “social justice” we’re not going to get anywhere.

Having watched the video of the actual shooting, the citizens of Chicago have every right to be demanding answers in the wake of that incident. As I said at the start of this episode, I have no idea what spurred Officer Van Dyke to do what he did. Perhaps he’s a racist. Perhaps he’s just an easily panicked individual who kept on firing long after he should have stopped and should never have been given a badge and a gun in the first place. Either way, after a taser was requested but not available, facing down a suspect high on PCP and armed with a knife who had vandalized some vehicles and was staggering away from the scene, if Van Dyke had stopped after the first shot or two he might have had a case to defend himself. But firing more than a dozen rounds into a suspect who was already down on the ground means he has to face the music over his actions.

But that’s the point which is missing from most of the coverage of the case. Van Dyke is already in jail facing murder charges. A reasonable amount of time for a thorough investigation and due process is understandable, but this dragged on too long. On these points I agree with many of the complaints of the protesters. But as usual, the response is going in exactly the wrong direction and once again discredits the entire “Black Lives Matter” movement. People who head out on Black Friday to go shopping have now been reminded of this and they need to be very clear on the key points here.

The clerks at Banana Republic did not shoot Laquan McDonald. The cashiers working at Neiman Marcus did not shoot Laquan McDonald. Nor did the shoppers looking to make purchases in those stores. The protesters were screaming through bullhorns that they were not only angry with the police officers on the scene of the shooting but that they also wanted the Police Commissioner and Rahm Emanuel indicted. Trust me… I can relate. There’s more than a few times I’ve wanted to see Rahm indicted on one thing or another myself.

But Rahm Emanuel doesn’t work at Neiman Marcus.

If you want to protest, go to City Hall or the Mayor’s residence. Heck, if I lived in the neighborhood I might show up to join you. But that’s not what happened. Once again the Black Lives Matters protesters decided to take out their anger on their fellow citizens who have no involvement in government or law enforcement, choosing the usual activity of “disrupting white spaces” because this isn’t a fight against the police: it’s a fight against the rest of society. They are shutting down the businesses which employ the few of their neighbors who can still manage to find jobs. Rather than trying to fix an ailment of society, they are helping to tear it down.

That’s the message that the rest of the country needs to understand, so I hope these protests in this exact form spread to the rest of the cities around the country. Black Lives Matter is a misguided, destructive force which all too often incites violence of their own, particularly against police officers who have nothing to do with the handful of high profile police shootings which dominate the news. Rather than picking up wider support, the public should judge for themselves how they view the tactics of this group and respond accordingly.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blacklivesmatter; chicago; extortion; thugculture
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To: SeekAndFind
It's not going to happen in my small, central Texas town and I'm not going anywhere it might happen...

If I and/or my loved ones were accosted by a large, intimidating, dangerous crowd in a public place we would defend ourselves with the maximum force we have available.

Might be time to consider a KelTec PMR30 for those living in high risk areas...

21 posted on 11/28/2015 7:26:03 AM PST by Feckless (The US Gubbmint / This Tagline CENSORED by FR \ IrOnic, ain't it?)
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To: SeekAndFind
Having watched the video of the actual shooting, the citizens of Chicago have every right to be demanding answers in the wake of that incident. As I said at the start of this episode, I have no idea what spurred Officer Van Dyke to do what he did. Perhaps he's a racist. Perhaps he's just an easily panicked individual who kept on firing long after he should have stopped and should never have been given a badge and a gun in the first place. Either way, after a taser was requested but not available, facing down a suspect high on PCP and armed with a knife who had vandalized some vehicles and was staggering away from the scene, if Van Dyke had stopped after the first shot or two he might have had a case to defend himself. But firing more than a dozen rounds into a suspect who was already down on the ground means he has to face the music over his actions.

Facts are pesky things, so here they are because CLEARLY this "reporter" didn't watch the video and CLEARLY this reporter doesn't have any critical thinking skills either:

1. Officer Van Dyke rolled up on the scene and was there SIX SECONDS before opening fire.

2. Other officers had been present on the scene FAR LONGER than Van Dyke was. That's evident in all five video's which have now surfaced.

3. None of the other officers present viewed McDonald as an imminent threat to their lives. They were not firing at him, there was no physical altercation in progress --- none of that.

So Officer Van Dyke rolls up on the scene and in SIX SECONDS, with other officers present determines his own life is in danger and he opens fire, emptying his high capacity 9mm magazine into McDonald, including firing at him when he's down on the ground.

I think it's obvious to any logical, reasonable person that Van Dyke committed murder here. Unless Van Dyke gets an all white jury who decides jury nullification is a good thing (like the all black OJ Simpson jury did......) there's no way Van Dyke isn't going to be convicted of murder.

Here's my question, which I don't hear ANYONE else asking: why aren't the other officers who were present charged as accessories to murder for FAILING to stop Van Dyke? They stood by and did NOTHING.

This entire situation pains me greatly. I'm as ardent of a law enforcement supporter as you'll find here on FR. I believe each and every one of these cases must be examined individually and charges should stand or fall on the merits of those cases.

Still, this one is crystal clear that it's MURDER. There's just no other logical, rational, reasonable way to look at it that's credible IMO.

22 posted on 11/28/2015 7:27:29 AM PST by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: SeekAndFind

Only morons take action that harms them more then it harms those they perceive as enemies


23 posted on 11/28/2015 7:31:06 AM PST by 48th SPS Crusader (I am an American. Not a Republican or a Democrat)
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To: Lockbox
2. I believe that police are trained to empty their weapons

I know several County Sheriff's near me. What they've told me is that they're trained to use as much reasonable force as necessary to protect themselves against an attack, and subdue a perp while arresting them.

If you don't put up any resistance, chances are very, very high you'll not end up face-planted onto the pavement, on your stomach, with a knee in your lower back exerting excruciating pain while being arrested. If everyone remains calm, everyone goes home uninjured as it should be.

On the other end of the spectrum, the minute you physically touch an officer in any way, your ass is going down to the pavement hard and you'll be in the back of a cruiser faster than your mind can process it. Go for their weapon or make a move like you're going for their weapon and you're going to get a ride to the morgue.

Lunge at a police officer with any form of weapon, and that's suicide by cop. Trust me on this: you won't find a single law enforcement officer who's happy about a suicide by cop situation. Not one.

24 posted on 11/28/2015 7:34:59 AM PST by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: SeekAndFind

Is there any doubt that Soros and our own government are backing and most likely giving this movement marching orders? If you’ve been paying attention it’s as if Obama is following the Hitler playbook as there are so many parallels its frightening.


25 posted on 11/28/2015 7:37:50 AM PST by jsanders2001
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To: driftdiver

Ask George Soros about this. It’s his money that is driving this.


26 posted on 11/28/2015 7:40:09 AM PST by wjr123
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To: driftdiver

They will need to protest the Internet. Where should they go to ticket?


27 posted on 11/28/2015 7:42:51 AM PST by stevem
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To: stevem

When you shop on the internet, you have to open a YouTube video of BLM protesters yelling at you.


28 posted on 11/28/2015 7:44:55 AM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s beginning to look a lot like an amazon.com Christmas, everywhere you go!


29 posted on 11/28/2015 7:47:30 AM PST by Lake Living
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To: SeekAndFind
. They are shutting down the businesses which employ the few of their neighbors who can still manage to find jobs. Rather than trying to fix an ailment of society, they are helping to tear it down.

Their protests are an assault on aggregate sales revenue, which has a negative effect on aggregate savings,which lowers aggregate productive expenditure, which lowers demand for labor, which leads to less employment or lower money wage rates, or both.So libtards end up with another perversity of result, where their actions hurt their own kind.

30 posted on 11/28/2015 8:01:08 AM PST by mjp ((pro-{God, reality, reason, egoism, individualism, natural rights, limited government, capitalism}))
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To: SeekAndFind

Fanning the flames of hate is more important than justice for Laquan McDonald.


31 posted on 11/28/2015 8:01:56 AM PST by kanawa
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To: SeekAndFind

when a state of war exists, it’s ok to kill the enemy


32 posted on 11/28/2015 8:02:20 AM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPyes but now I must concentratc.;+12, 73, ....carson is the kinder gentler trumping.)
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To: Feckless

That kind of BLM crap won’t fly around here. It wouldn’t end well for the savages.


33 posted on 11/28/2015 8:03:58 AM PST by Noumenon (Resistance. Restoration. Retribution.)
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To: SeekAndFind

The stores should sue the money behind the organization. Would that be George “Simon Barsinister” Soros?


34 posted on 11/28/2015 8:07:48 AM PST by willk (everyone)
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To: SeekAndFind

Shouldn’t this group be represented by #BlackIdiotsDon’tMatter?


35 posted on 11/28/2015 8:11:29 AM PST by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: SeekAndFind
Meanwhile Obama and family "help" where they can do so "safely"....Obama calls troops, offers refugees welcome, and shows that 'Black lives matter' on Thanksgiving...

Calls the troops....

...most POTUS go VISIT the troops!...


36 posted on 11/28/2015 8:14:34 AM PST by caww
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To: SeekAndFind

Am I alone in finding it amusing that people who will kill each other over a pair of basketball shoes and who abort babies without guilt want to claim the high moral ground and place blame on the whites whose taxes fund their welfare and EBT?


37 posted on 11/28/2015 8:26:55 AM PST by Senator_Blutarski
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To: ichabod1

I’m trying to read Peter Kreeft’s book, Socratic Logic. Hey, I made it through the introduction but only to find that there’s a short test at the end which I have no idea how to get through so will have to read it again. But - what’s the point in learning basic logic 101 when there are all these folks who are approaching classic logic as a white male construct. Sigh.


38 posted on 11/28/2015 8:29:16 AM PST by Mercat
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To: usconservative

“It’s MAGNIFICINT MILE you stupid MORON! “


You spelled it wrong,

It’s “MAGNIFICENT”

.


39 posted on 11/28/2015 8:29:40 AM PST by Mears
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To: SeekAndFind

Are the neighborhood drug dealers going to stop dealing drugs?


40 posted on 11/28/2015 8:34:17 AM PST by P-Marlowe (Tagline pending.)
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