Some things as to why shit is happening in American cities

[Stonepounder]

9. Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.

When every hand is against you, when you can be stopped and killed for riding a bike down the street while talking on a cell phone, for playing with a toy gun in Wal-Mart, for wearing your pants too low, then you have nothing left to lose and the rage just boils over. When the 'thin blue line' will cover up, lie, commit perjury to make you the wrong-doer and the cop the knight in shining armor, you have nothing left to lose. When you can be locked up for over two years with no charge and no trial, when you know that if 'they' want, you will go to prison for nothing, or the most minor offence, then you have nothing left to lose.

I stand in awe of the black communities at their restraint. Why they haven't burned down all or Baltimore, or St. Louis, or New York, or Los Angeles, I will never know. I know black men are not stupid. I've worked with them, I've socialized with them, I've marched with them. By, my God, the number of black men who seem to think that when confronted by a cop the smart think to do is to try and grab for the officer's gun - and then miss. WTF?

I don't know the answer. I don't know how to change the incredibly pervasive racism. But I hope and pray someone, somewhere will figure it out. Where is another King, or Kennedy, or even a Southern radical like Johnson when you need them. I'd even settle for another Ghandi to rally around and force America to actually look at itself.