The 10 Kinds of Trolls You Will Encounter When Talking About Mike Brown

[n2doc]

Last edited Wed Aug 20, 2014, 09:58 AM - Edit history (1)

by Olivia Cole

If you're paying attention to the events unfolding in Ferguson -- and by God, you better be -- then you probably already know there is a group of people in this country of ours who are determined to change the focus of the conversation about the killing of Mike Brown and the subsequent protests, attempting to shift the lens away from the Constitutional rights of U.S. citizens and the killing of a black teenager. If you're reading this, you probably already know the folks I'm talking about. But here they are. #Staywoke.

The Full-Blown Racist Troll
Block on sight. Some of them are friends of your Facebook friends -- block them. Some of them are your Facebook friends. Many of them are accounts like the one I have screenshotted below: anonymous and relying on blatantly racist language, such as blackface imagery, monkey references, use of the N-word, etc. These have exploded over the last week. We're talking hundreds. I've been using Twitter avidly for years and I can't recall ever seeing quite this much racist bile taking over an event-related hashtag (#Ferguson) as I have this week. Block them and report them for spam immediately.

The "Wait for Evidence" Troll
This troll may or may not be anonymous and pretends to be focused on respecting and upholding the law. "We don't know what happened yet," they say, "wait for evidence before you lambast an officer of the law." They pretend that things like racism, police brutality, police corruption, etc. don't exist and insist that if concrete evidence is released, they will be swayed to feel "sympathy" for Mike Brown. But they won't. When evidence arises, they find objection to its relevance or veracity. They then transform into The "Mike Brown Shouldn't Have [insert human action here]" Troll, to follow.

The "Mike Brown Shouldn't Have [insert human action here]" Troll
This troll (and the others as well) will go great lengths to justify the taking of black life. "He shouldn't have run," "he shouldn't have been sagging," "he shouldn't have been walking down the middle of the street," "he shouldn't have stolen something." These trolls come in all races and will insist that when a police officer (or a homeowner, or a security guard) assaults a person of color, that person must have done something to deserve it. The fact that Mike Brown was shot at least 6 times doesn't register as overkill, even when two of those shots were in the head. They will also extend effort to paint Ferguson as a ghetto, where this kind of thing happens all the time. Nope. Ferguson, Missouri had zero murders.

more

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/olivia-cole/the-10-kinds-of-trolls-yo_b_5691405.html

[Agschmid]

1. Seen most of these now...

[Squinch]

15. And many of them right here. Once again, this place is breaking my heart.

[smokey nj]

16. They have no shame.

[Squinch]

17. Or they have a lot of repressed shame, and we are being treated to a window into it. Blech.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

110. Too many people depend on others to do their thinking for them and parrot stuff they found.

[Number23]

165. Yep. Seen each and every one of these here. But my favorite is this one

The "But What About Black on Black Crime!" Troll Yes, 85 percent of violent crime against black people is perpetuated by other black people. But guess what? The exact same is true for violent crime committed against white people: the vast majority of those crimes are committed by other white people. People who use the term "black on black crime" either 1) work for Fox News, 2) are seeking to portray black people as violent and out of control, and/or 3) seek to portray black people as only caring about black lives when there is a way to blame white people. Let's run that back: 1) If they work for Fox News...you already know. 2) If we're going to make sweeping statements about people being violent and out of control, perhaps we should focus on young white males. 3) Anyone who would fit with #3 is not interested in facts, otherwise they would be aware of the vast number of organizations and movements to end gun violence in black neighborhoods... spearheaded by black people. The real motivation behind this troll (and all of them really) is to distract from the matter at hand, and that's that an unarmed black teen is dead.

One not-fooling-anyone-here idiot posted the What about Black on Black crime shit and got his post hidden. To be perfectly honest, given how DU is, I was surprised the post was hidden at all.

Now I see this same person posting in every thread on this topic with how "non racist" he and his friends are as well as little comments that anything that portrays blacks in a negative light is "interesting" or some other what s/he perceives to be subtle comment. I've just started laughing in these trolls' faces and posting a pic of a ticking clock letting them know that we are all just biding our time until they are escorted from this web site. Hope it's soon.

[Squinch]

211. I hope it's soon too. I don't know about you, but whenever I see someone who has to talk a lot

about how "non racist" he is, I am pretty sure he's definitely racist.

[Blue_Tires]

53. 8 out of the 10 were on full display here during Trayvon Martin

So I'd hope the forum is better equipped to deal with them this time around...I don't have the time or motivation to once again serve singlehandedly as the designated "troll meme debunker"...

[Heidi]

2. Kick for visibility!

[BklnDem75]

3. I'm seeing a lot of that...

Coincidence that the 'wait and see' people latch onto anything that helps this so called cop? I think not. From believing people who wasn't at the scene to believing the bum rush theory. Seriously, people have to use the imagination side of their brain to make that story work. They also completely ignore that Brown had been shot several times already before this supposed bull charge.

[Moostache]

46. I will slap someone if they dare tell me that was a "Bull Charge"...

I'm not even trying to be hyperbolic about this, but I will literally put my open hand across the face of anyone who tries to tell me that Mike Brown's murder was justified because "he was charging the officer".

Mike Brown was shot in the top of the head.
THE TOP OF HIS SKULL!!!!!
Get a protractor or a computer graphics application and work out those angles....there is no way to explain that fatal shot besides an unnecessary, unjustified abuse of force.
HE SHOT MIKE BROWN WITHOUT BROWN HAVING A WEAPON.
HE EXECUTED AN UNARMED TEENAGER BY SHOOTING AT HIM UNTIL HE EITHER RAN OUT OF AMMO OR UNTIL HE "SCORED" A HEAD SHOT.
MURDERER WILSON NEEDS TO BE ARRESTED AND PLACED ON A FAIR TRIAL.
PEOPLE DEFENDING HIM WITH INANITY NEED TO BE SLAPPED.

At 6'3" tall, in order for Murderer Wilson to aim at the top of Mike Brown's skull he had to keep pulling the trigger on his gun AFTER Mike Brown's body was falling (or worse yet, once it was on the ground)....either way, Murderer Wilson had already discharged his weapon a MINIMUM of 7 times BEFORE the final shot...there is the reported shot from the car, then the 5 OTHER wounds on Brown and the reported removal of a bullet from one of the near by homes...that is 7 shots BEFORE an 8th shot was fire into Mike Brown's head, entering from the TOP OF THE SKULL.

If you want to try to say that this was because of some kind of mythical bull charge at the Murderer, then you are due a five finger greeting across your stupid, incredibly credulous, racist mouth. There is simply no logical way to believe that story unless you WANT to believe it to fit a convenient narrative.

Murderer Wilson MUST be arrested and charged and then afforded a trial. He MUST remain in jail pending that trial and there must be a competent prosecution

[BklnDem75]

51. You better wear gloves because there's plenty

I'm a big dude myself, and if I was attempted to charge someone, I'd use my shoulder, not my freaking head. I blame bad action movies and cartoons for this line of thinking.

[L0oniX]

113. DU is not without it's own racists.

[AverageJoe90]

198. We probably do have a few.

But even anti-Causacian racists and anti-Semites are rare.....and we probably don't have that many anti-POC racists at all, outside of the occasional hit-and-run troll(I'm sure we've had a few of those, though).

[heaven05]

229. probably?????

right. anti-caucasian racist? WTF is that? anti-semites, I understand that term. anti-caucasian racist..... No such thing....prejudiced maybe.....but a brown person not liking a white person cannot be a racist. You really should learn the difference. But maybe you don't want to. ( Difference Between.com )IF you do.

[AverageJoe90]

238. "but a brown person.....cannot be a racist". Seriously? Get outta town, pal.

Honestly, that is just so fucking ignorant of reality that even the me of 5 years ago wouldn't have dared.

All I can say is, even the SPLC acknowledges that PoC can be racist on a personal level. They have a page dedicated to black supremacist groups:

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/ideology/black-separatist

In any case, I have no desire to debate you further, not only because I don't wish end up distracting from the discussion, by trying to debunk fringe B.S., but also, you're probably uneducatable anyway. If even one of the foremost experts(organization wise!) on racism in this country can't convince you, then who can?

[heaven05]

242. you're right

no one can.

[AverageJoe90]

243. Then I can't help you.

And honestly, stupid stuff like that("PoC cant be racist&quot is what makes us liberals as a whole look like a bunch of wackos. And given that we've got two potentially historical federal-level elections coming up, and a whole bunch of state-level races that desperately need to be won, including that of Wendy Davis here in TX, now isn't the time for that kind of dumbassed tomfoolery. And I don't like to be harsh, but it's the damn honest truth.

Let's try to focus on helping people and getting more Democrats into office, instead of dabbling in the nuttiness of the fringes just to satisfy one's immediate wants, shall we?

[heaven05]

244. I did not ask for your kind of help.

I have NEVER needed your kind of 'librul' help and yes, let's us part company. I can't say it's been pleasant. I do hope Davis wins

[lolly]

183. Of course, the people who have access to the evidence are controlling its release

So, we get Brown's toxicology report but not Wilson's, edited videos of the cigarillo caper but no incident report, etc.

Typical "wait-and-see" commenter

1. "None of us were there. Let's all just calm down and wait and see what the evidence proves."

****uncollaborated, anonymous rumor that a million witnesses say they saw Brown rush Wilson with his arms out and his head up/Brown posed with a gun for pictures/Brown was high on angel dust/etc.etc.****

2. "See! Bam! PROOF that Brown was a thug and Wilson feared for his life!"

[BklnDem75]

7. Do you have a link to that?

All I see are people asking for due process starting with an arrest.

[lolly]

184. Guess we need to add "Straw Man Troll"

Invents an extreme opinion and attributes it to people who are calling for a thorough investigation.

[MohRokTah]

9. .

Really?

You really just posted that?

[Tommymac]

26. Thanks for making the point.

[bvf]

39. Haven't seen that.

Where? Links?

[Fantastic Anarchist]

56. You're an example of the list in the OP.

No one is calling for the officer to be shot, and you know that.

[badtoworse]

5. You forgot the worst kind of troll: The "I've already made up my mind troll"

This kind of troll doesn't actually come out and say that, but they are easy to spot. Any information that is potentially favorable to the LEO is immediately discounted by them because it could only have been fabricated by the police. This kind of troll has a closed mind and won't consider the possibility that the police officer really was justified in taking the action that he did.

[NaturalHigh]

14. I think I might have seen a few of those.

[pintobean]

25. And, they make lists

of how anyone who disagrees with them is a troll.

[NaturalHigh]

62. I'm on the list with you!

[L0oniX]

111. I've been on the list since joining DU.

[cwydro]

68. Bingo

And I especially like the poster upthread who is threatening to slap anyone who disagrees.

Tough guy (or gal). Shakin' in my boots.

[Tommymac]

28. I'm One. As are the 5 eyewitnesses to the Murder of Mike Brown.

There is no justification in shooting down an unarmed teenager who WAS SURRENDERING!!!!!!!!!!!

[cbdo2007]

45. oh come on....DU wouldn't possibly have any of those *eye roll*

Everyone here is completely logical and searching for justice. lol

[Moostache]

54. FUCK THAT....Seriously, you think that there is "justification" for LEO actions here?

Discharging a weapon callously in a residential neighborhood is reckless as hell to begin with...and we know Murderer Wilson was no exactly a marksman since he had to fire no fewer (and possibly more) than 8 times.

Continuing to fire at a suspect when they have been hit and are going down to the ground (the ONLY way someone who has been shot 6 times is going to have the top of their skull exposed to the line of fire is if they are prone on the ground or in the process of falling to the ground) is equally unjustified.

If you want to stretch credibility to its thinnest possible thread, then you might, MIGHT be able to justify ONE warning shot at Mike Brown...but EIGHT (minimum)? REALLY? You think there is "information that is potentially favorable to the LEO"?

You disgust me as a human being and I hope for your sake that you never run afoul of someone like Murderer Wilson.

[badtoworse]

65. I'll stand by what I've posted.

My mind is open until I've heard all the facts. Given that the investigation is still ongoing, it's clear that all the facts are not yet known, much less made public.

BTW, police don't fire warning shots and they don't shoot to maim. That only happens in the movies.

[DeadEyeDyck]

77. here, here

[heaven05]

85. you're making a fool of yourself

[Iron Man]

102. Don't they have tazers?

[badtoworse]

103. I don't know. Do you?

[Iron Man]

106. Why would I have a tazer and not the cops?

[badtoworse]

109. I don't know how many cops carry tazers and I don't know if Wilson had one.

Assuming Wilson did have one, I don't know if using it was an option under the circumstances. I don't see how any of these questions are relevant to this thread. Why did you bring up tazers?

[Iron Man]

119. Brown could have been tazed instead of being killed.

That's my point.

[badtoworse]

132. Perhaps. I don't know if Wilson had one and if so, how accessible it was.

The point is certainly worthy of discussion, but seems a bit off topic for this thread.

[SomethingFishy]

138. So you are a "Haven't heard all the facts troll"

man you walked right into that one...

[tjl148]

143. Have you heard all the facts? n/t

[JaneyVee]

150. What fact are you looking for that would justify

Shooting an unarmed teenager?

[tjl148]

204. I will take that as a no, you don't know all the facts.

Might want to hear the whole story. Things change under cross examination. I'm not saying they will, but rushing to judgment doesn't help anyone, IMHO. And yes, the police do get away with murder and I don't trust them. But we just don't know yet if that is the case here.

[badtoworse]

144. I certainly am. Anyone who says they know all the facts is full of shit

[JaneyVee]

149. So you're ok with cops killing unarmed teenagers?

You don't need facts, you need principles.

[badtoworse]

151. I believe there are times when the use of lethal force by the police is justified.

We don't yet know whether this was one of those times.

[JaneyVee]

152. Yes we do, because the police would have

Released that info already. Do you think even IF the teen punched cop in the face and ran he deserved to die? Do you believe one punch is justifiable to kill another human?

[badtoworse]

161. I don't believe the police would release any information related to an active investigation.

Any LEO's weigh in, but I believe that is standard procedure.

[lolly]

185. Unless, of course it's damaging to the victim

Because you do realize that they already have released all the "evidence" they could scare up on that score, right?

[badtoworse]

213. The video should not have been released. No argument about that.

I think everyone agrees it was a mistake. I don't expect there will be any informantion released by law enforcement going forward.

[notadmblnd]

155. We know and you do too.

Unfortunately your xenophobia has you so freaking blinded that you can't see that it could happen just as easily to you or yours.

And don't come here crying when it does.

[rhett o rick]

159. Theoretically you may be right. We should let the system take care of it and

not be so concerned. However, the system has been proven to be badly busted in favor of letting police kill in cold blood. Since it appears that's what happened here and since we have no faith in the "system", I hope you can see the consternation.

[badtoworse]

164. I can understand why some here feel the way they do, but that doesn't mean I share their opinions.

Personally, I have a great deal of respect for police officers. On 9/11, the NYPD and the Port Authority Police rushed to the WTC to help people and 60 of them lost their lives doing so. Sure, there are bad cops, but I believe the vast majority of police would have done the same and I think people need to keep that perspective.

I don't agree with your statement that the system is busted in favor of letting the police kill in cold blood. Doesn't mean the police don't make mistakes (Amadou Diallo comes to mind) and it doesn't mean that there aren't some low lifes in uniform (Justin Volpe comes to mind). To me, killing in cold blood means doing it in the absence of a perceived threat, not making a mistake about whether a threat really existed. When lethal force is used, the cop rarely has more than a second or two to make a decision and unfortunately, they're just as human as anyone else - they won't always get it right.

[rhett o rick]

218. Case after case from across the country of police shooting people without

justification. A young man gets pulled over for a traffic ticket and decides to make a run for it. He wasnt dangerous, but multiple cars chased him and ended up shooting his pickup full of holes killing him. Near where I live a mentally ill man was in a tree and wouldn't come down so he was shot. A wood carver street person didn't drop his knife because he couldn't hear and couldn't understand and boom he is dead. How many people have been choked to death in the last month? These are not accidents. These are intended consequences of not obeying the police or making them mad. Parents called the police because their mentally ill son was acting out. The police took care of it quite quickly as they walked in and shot the kid dead. These are just a few examples of a culture that allows police to kill in cold blood. They aren't "human as anyone else." They have been given the green light to kill with impunity.

[badtoworse]

233. There certainly are cases where police action is unjustified and results in death or injury.

The is also no question that there bad cops or that some departments are a lot worse than others. I haven't found any objectively produced statistics that show trends, but I will concede the problem may be larger than I thought and I may be cutting the police too much slack. At the same time, I'm not convinced the problem is pervasive enough to justify the nasty rhetoric (no pun intended) that is now dominating DU in respect of the police.

[rhett o rick]

234. The interesting thing about outrage, often nothing is done via the status quo.

Often it takes some over the top outrage to make people believe it's time for change.

[badtoworse]

235. That is certainly true

[rhett o rick]

219. Look at this video. The police didnt even take time to asses the situation.

The drove up and when the young man didn't do what they wanted. Bang-bang-bang and he is dead. It's a culture of killing with impunity.

[badtoworse]

222. You didn't include the video.

[rhett o rick]

236. The police made no effort to assess the situation. Drove up, got out of their cars and shot him

dead. He didn't die right away, they let him squirm on the ground before that cuffed him. Cold-blooded murder. The chief said they were protecting themselves. Bullshit. They drove up and made no effort to calm the man down. High-fives all around the cop bar for them tonight. They are sick bastards and I hope they go to prison.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025423463

[badtoworse]

237. I have to agree with you - I didn't see any threat

That is pretty sick stuff.

[cwydro]

232. Yes

Police were heroes here after 9/11

[L0oniX]

215. Since when do pigs aim for the head?

[GeorgeGist]

224. It happens in some civilized countries. Like Germany and The Netherlands and France and...

[chrisa]

100. It's confirmation bias - an annoying aspect of Internet forums and the news.

If people want something to be true, they'll ignore opposing information. Any facts that come out against their opinions can be explained away as fake, often using baseless explainations themselves.

I want an investigation by the FBI on this case, but I'd rather not convict a cop just because a majority of people want him convicted. That's what juries are for.

[Ikonoklast]

136. And those who side with Authority no matter what the evidence.

Closed mind indeed.

Apologists.

[badtoworse]

145. They too would be "I've already made up my mind trolls"

[AverageJoe90]

191. I'm sorry, but I can't agree with this.

Every bit of evidence that we have right now, very strongly suggests that Mike Brown posed NO real threat to the safety of Officer Wilson.

[smokey nj]

6. They're here!!!

[wryter2000]

13. Yup. eom

eom

[bvf]

40. Didn't take long. n/t

[BlueCaliDem]

126. Yep. And flocking while high-fiving each other.

Nauseating.

[HughBeaumont]

8. Pretty much a dossier on pro-police brutality cases of any kind.

Repubs love their authoritarianism.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

57. Exactly!

They are servile to authority while claiming to be freedom-loving. It's the perfect cognitive dissonance. They love their armed militarized police force but hate the government!

Idiots.

[MohRokTah]

10. And they're already showing up in your thread. eom

[NaturalHigh]

11. Saying "wait for evidence" is now trolling?

Great. Got it. I hope you're not selected for jury duty.

[uponit7771]

19. Yes, because it's a strawman to the real issue of racism at hand. There would be no need to wait

...for evidence, in the case of Mike Brown, if the FPD wasn't allowed to be an oppressive force to the people of color in that town.

Functionally IMHO... the phrase also implies we should trust what's coming from the untrustable.

[NaturalHigh]

20. No need for a trial then?

That's not the way I remember it in Civics class.

[Jappleseed]

21. where is Mike's trial?

If waiting is what is suppose to be done then there is no way what the murderer did is right. So no matter what the murderer is wrong.

[NaturalHigh]

23. Well, unless and until the police officer is convicted...

he's legally not presumed to be a murderer. I think you already knew that.

[Jappleseed]

38. He is a murderer defined by your own requirements.

You said he (oh wait you meant only us) need to wait for all information before making snap judgements. Since it is your requirement and he did not follow that, it makes him a murderer in your own words.

[NaturalHigh]

43. Sorry, I don't even understand your reply.

[Gemini Cat]

133. It was obvious to me

perhaps you should re-read what was written.

[atreides1]

83. He won't be convicted!

It's that simple...there may be an indictment, but I don't believe it'll go to trial!

Michael Brown will be seen as just another black "thug" who was killed because of his lack of respect for authority, kind of like the picture painted of Trayvon Martin!

[heaven05]

94. You

are a piece of work. Laughably transparent and without conscience. You are an example.............of...............a....................

[NaturalHigh]

122. See #121.

Thanks kindly. Have a pleasant day.

[Tommymac]

32. There is enough evidence out there to make an arrest for Murder 2.

Then let justice be done.

It is how it works. I am not calling for the execution of Darren Wilson - just that he be charged with Murder 2 and arrested.

Too bad he didn't feel the same way about Mike Brown.

[NaturalHigh]

50. I think the grand jury is convening today.

[Sherman A1]

44. Agreed

I find this OP is more about putting folks into pigeon holes rather than adding to the debate. That said if it is a must, then I and many others with whom I have spoken should be included in the wait until the investigations are completed and the due process and see what it tells us.

It appears to be more about name calling rather than discussion.

[Tommymac]

47. Taking the advice of the OP Article

Blocked/Ignored.

Have a great day.

[Sherman A1]

97. Great!

allow me to do the same....

[heaven05]

96. "due process"??????

okay. More and more am I reminded of and saddened by the willful blindness of those who presume themselves to be 'fair'. No due process happened for Michael Brown. What do you say of his "due processing"? Trayvon Martin and zimpig, his murderer and the trial opened my eyes to a lot of so called progressives and liberals and their thought processes and what it's based on. Won't go into that because that is another sore point of some so called liberals and progressives here and on other 'leftie' forums. All you and your cohorts have done is to remind one of the real lack of progress in this country when it comes to race relations. Really, your type of logic is a sad reflection on how much further we have to go. Yeah, you can talk about due process, yet did Michael Brown get his due process? Or was he just processed?

[Sherman A1]

99. so let me ask

are you now judge and jury?

[heaven05]

107. please stop

I'm embarrassed for you in how are reflecting your true nature to all people on here who KNOW this 'incident' was cold blooded murder. Please stop.

[Sherman A1]

115. You know every fact of the case?

I suppose there is no longer a need for the FBI to investigate any further? Should the AG no longer come to the area? Should the Grand Jury not meet?

It's all over and done?

[heaven05]

117. Look

I heard all your type of caution from many on here at the zimpig-Trayvon Martin case and trial. Oh wait for the facts, it's in the jury's hands, the trial judge is fair and impartial, Trayvon was a thug, he had marijuana in his system and on and on.....if this jerk wilson is found guilty in a trial by his peers, which I repeat, again, I doubt, he deserves the same due process he afforded Michael Brown. Can I make it any clearer for you?

[Sherman A1]

120. Are you then

suggesting that we re-write the Constitution to serve how you apparently see these issues?

You appear to have already made up your mind that the Officer is guilty (which he may very well be and if so deserves the full weight of the law to be brought against him and his actions) however, as I suspect your information has come from a stream of media reports on the incident, which may or may not be accurate. I think I will await the findings of those who are trained and charged with the investigation by the justice system.

[heaven05]

123. you can wait till hell freezes over

The officer is a racist murderer of Michael Brown. Because of people who are 'fair' and impartial', he will probably get away with it knowing amerikkka as I do. I called it correct on zimpig walking way be before his murderous actions were sanctioned by his 'fair and impartial' jury, so I know I'm not far off the mark. You answered none of the questions asked you, you just want to be 'fair and impartial', I understand. You're a credit to your..........................

[Sherman A1]

128. Yes, I want to be fair and impartial

Yes, I want the case fully investigated, without a rush to judgement or trial by media. If the Officer is guilty then he should be punished in accordance with the law. I want no detail left undiscovered or missed that might jeopardize either the investigation or the case against him should he be brought to trial.


If you want something other than that, well, that is up to your judgement and your opinion.


Good Day.

[OilemFirchen]

124. We are all Darren Wilson now!

Or wait.... fuck... now you're just confusing us for fun.

[haele]

147. No, but we want fairness in justice. The Badge should not be an excuse.

Simple fact - if this had been a case of a "Mr. Wilson" shooting an unarmed youth because he suspected him of threatening him or talking back when he was attempting to assert authority over the young man, he would be booked and have to post bail at the very least - or perhaps he would still be sitting in jail waiting for a judge. Same as what would happen if it were you and I who pulled the trigger.
In Ferguson, MO, "Mr. Wilson" is being protected and able to be "walking free" simply because he's a police officer.

History shows that because Mr. Wilson carried a badge when he shot an unarmed youth, he is the recipient of all sorts of privilege, of "benefit of the doubt" that would never be granted to anyone who is outside the justice system or doesn't have enough wealth to buy their justice ("he can't be guilty, he's suffering from Affluenza...&quot . His word will always carry more weight than anyone else's, if he lies and it can't be proven with 100% certainty that it is a lie, or if a friend in blue "backs him up", his word will always be considered unimpeachable.

Of course he's innocent until proven guilty. Just as young Mr. Brown should have been.

But there are still consequences for pulling a trigger and ending a life. And "Mr. Wilson" is not facing any, except perhaps staining his pants while he's hiding out like a common gang-banger hoping his buddies will protect him from the firestorm his actions have caused.
And sadly, because Mr. Wilson had a badge when he pulled the trigger seven times (at least) in the middle of a street and is "an upstanding white citizen with a family and a job in public service", this little inconvenience is the most he will ever experience as consequence.

Plenty of Americans are always willing to give someone with a badge and a gun more social "value" and respect, even if he or she is just as a lazy, cowardly, fearful, angry, substance-abusing, lying thug as those they would otherwise spit upon and call useless animals and thugs that need to be pushed out of "decent society" and locked away for life.
The only difference being is the badge and the gun that the thug was able to con the taxpayer into letting him or her wear.

Mind you, I'm not saying Mr. Wilson is a thug or bully who would be otherwise useless to the general public. He might very well be an otherwise nice, church-going man with a quick trigger finger that any decent person would be happy to have a beer with.

I'm just saying there are some people who use a badge and a government issued firearm as an excuse to act out their anger or their rage on anyone that they can target as "easy prey".

Like an unarmed young black man in a town where statistics indicate there are an average of three arrest warrants outstanding on every black household, and the court system is the second major revenue stream for a city in which there is a close to 70% poor (and obviously found guilty by the local judicial system) black population.

Haele

[NaturalHigh]

121. "It appears to be more about name calling rather than discussion."

Yes, you nailed it. Not just name calling, but name calling in CAPITAL LETTERS!!1!

Yeah, I can laugh at those types all day.

[heaven05]

91. eyewitnesses who saw the murder

Last edited Wed Aug 20, 2014, 11:45 AM - Edit history (1)

are not public evidence of an execution? Michael Brown was shot down like an "animal", not my word, a white policeman's words describing angry black people. Shot 6 times, five when trying to surrender. But oh yeah, those were black eyewitnesses, so they re suspect. I understand.

[Leontius]

163. The ones who said Brown was shot in the back while running away damn right "they're suspect".

You understand that don't you.

[heaven05]

166. this fool racist of a cop

shot at Michael Brown quite a few times as he was running for his life. I could see how a person may have misconstrued the scene when he was hit in the arm from the back. You understand that don't you. Now you're suspect.

[Leontius]

239. Even the Brown family's chosen ME says no shots entered from the back. You're not even suspect

you're done, caught perpetuating a lie.

[heaven05]

241. Michael Brown was murdered

I don't care whether you believe, damn sure don't care what you say in regard to my statements. I'm no where near done. Period. Go find a tree, okay. You're a disbeliever of the truth. That's all I need to know about you. You're transparent and obvious. on edit: Anything you might say means nothing to me. You can't shame me, make me angry or make me believe you are better than me. You've defeated yourself.

[Leontius]

245. True: Brown is dead shot by Officer Wilson no question

Not true: Brown was shot in the back. You want to still make that claim after the Baden autopsy says it did not happen that way? Two people, two stories, yours and Badens', somebody is lying. Who should we believe?

[cstanleytech]

214. If it involves a cop shooting someone yes waiting for the evidence is the act of a troll because

we all know that cops are just rage minded asshats who are always automatically guilty so there is no need to wait for the evidence.

[ReRe]

12. I met one...

... about an hour ago right here on DU.
Whining about how "dangerous it is for a cop to be a cop. "
This is how I replied to him:

[AlbertCat]

86. "dangerous it is for a cop to be a cop."

Of course it IS dangerous to be a cop.

That's why everyone cannot be one..... like the trigger happy, "I wanna be Rambo", "black people scare me" types we see operating in MO. They need to be weeded out.

[ReRe]

95. That's right...

... it takes all kinds, AlbertCat. And I don't think I would feel safe with a wimpass police dept like the one in Ferguson, MO.

[Hoyt]

127. That to me is the real issue. If nothing is done about that bunch, it's only a matter of time

until another unarmed kid/man gets killed. We need a better class of police, with commensurate pay. And I know there are a lot of good ones out there now, but there are too many of the Rambo types.

I still believe video recorders will go a long way to taming much of the problem in shortrun.

[cantbeserious]

18. So True, And So Many At DU

eom

[Jappleseed]

22. Should take a bet on how many you catch with this thread.

Two already and more to come.

[Tommymac]

24. K & R

Thanks - made that article a favorite.

[JustAnotherGen]

27. Which one is this? Direct copy/paste from a poster at DU

This is what I read yesterday - not sure which type this is. Could they be a few at one time?

I'm not hiding my beliefs.

Michael Brown is a criminal who strong armed a convenience store and attacked a police officer. He is to blame for his death and no one else.

[smokey nj]

30. Full blown racist troll.

Is that person still here? Was that post juried?

[JustAnotherGen]

35. Nope

I just went toe to toe - it didn't start off that way. It started benevolent, shrug shoulders, wait and see. I had a feeling on that one . . . I generally won't alert on something unless it really breaks TOS/below the belt on community standards/spam.

I think we need to see how their 'words evolve'. If you keep asking/challenging gently - you generally can get them to show their asses.

I'll put a post from that in my journal so you can see the whole sub discussion. It was very interesting to say the least. Check journal in 5 minutes.

[smokey nj]

69. Damn! That guy needs to be escorted from the building.

[JustAnotherGen]

72. Ahhh

A few of us think it's a woman - the screen name game you know.

But you see how it's done right? She probably thought she could goad me into a hide - but I kept my toes on the TOS line. I've got a feeling there are a lot more that are going to come out of the woodwork over the next week or so.

Remember - TOS. Keep your tippy toes on it.

[Gormy Cuss]

73. "Police are the Good Guys" troll

"criminal" and "strong armed" and "attacked a police officer." Straight up LEO troll.

[Ms. Toad]

81. Is that poster still with us? n/t

[JustAnotherGen]

84. So far as I know - yep

She didn't break TOS / Insult - etc. etc.

But this should serve to show - if some of us are seeing the 'Trolls' - that one right there is a PERFECT example.

We aren't just making stuff up you know?

[Ms. Toad]

88. I just read the exchange linked to from your journal.

I'm surprised anyone on DU would make that statement - and surprised that anyone who would make that statement doesn't even have any hides.

[JustAnotherGen]

92. Poster has only been here about a month

I kind of would hope - eh? Let it stay because . . .

Now there are more people who have seen it, noted it, and can identify HOW it evolves.

What was interesting was how many back and forth posts it took - to get that poster to say what they were REALLY thinking.

I even said - 'There it is' - because I knew it was coming.

[gollygee]

168. MIRT got that person

zapped for being a concern troll

[JustAnotherGen]

172. For reals?!?!

Eh? They'll be back.

[gollygee]

173. Oh yeah

Might already be here. I wonder if some trolls have more than one account so they can back themselves up.

[NuclearDem]

29. Must've done a Discussionist case study.

[L0oniX]

209. LOL

[bravenak]

31. Aaaaand here they are!!!!

The cover up squad! Fighting for the oppressed!! Criminalizing the victim!!! It's the 'But Cops Are The Good Guys Team'!

[Tommymac]

34. They're Here

[bravenak]

36. So true.

I bet they think she had it coming too.

[lunasun]

48. Ha !

[Ed Suspicious]

67. +X

X=1 or more.

[bravenak]

75. Thanks!

[Enthusiast]

33. Kicked and recommended!

Thank you, n2doc.

[bullwinkle428]

37. K&R. This piece is priceless! Everyone at DU needs to read this.

Some more than others.

[chrisa]

41. Most of these aren't trolls.

The term is now widely misused to mean "someone who annoys me." A troll is someone who baits others for attention / angry responses.

Most of these are just people who are misinformed or who spout cliches.

[Maedhros]

129. Good point. [n/t]

[whereisjustice]

49. The "Journalists Should Move to the Free Speech Zone If They Don't Want to be Arrested" Troll

[Fantastic Anarchist]

52. I prefer not to block the racists.

I prefer confronting them. And in confronting them, I prefer to humiliate them or make them feel like they are a significant minority and their vision is archaic.

So, I just usually confront them with a one-liner (this helps in not going down a red herring rabbit hole). A simple one-liner to let them know they're idiots so I can move back to the topic at hand with other discussants.

My preferred lines are:

Don't you have a cross-burning or Klan meeting you have to attend?

or

You're literally too stupid to insult.

It let's them know that I'm not interested in the comment they posted, calls them out as racist, and that I'm pretty much ready to move on to discussing the actual merits of the thread.

By the way, these kinds of trolls particularly reveal themselves on Reddit.

Just my two cents.

[Rex]

55. Funny which 'posters' got all hostile over your OP!

[Bettie]

59. I laughed at that too

And was not surprised to see which ones got all pissy.

[Rex]

63. Me either.

I mean it is not like he is talking about US here on DU...but if some want to get all offended, I guess they only have their subconscious to blame.

[Bettie]

66. It hurts to recognize yourself

and the only thing to do then is to explain why you are definitely not doing that!

"I'm not a racist/murder apologist/whatever, but..."

It goes with the popular theme: "Racism exists, but not in THIS case".

[Rex]

74. Very good observation.

[uponit7771]

137. +1

[Squinch]

140. And if we had tried to name who would be getting hostile before they even showed up, I bet

we wouldn't have had any problem doing that.

[Enrique]

58. we should come up with a list of thoughts to have

so as not to be considered a troll.

Then we could all post just those thoughts.

[Bobbie Jo]

139. This is one of those things

that should be self-evident.

[nomorenomore08]

186. +100

[heaven05]

230. no matter

Last edited Thu Aug 21, 2014, 09:26 AM - Edit history (1)

a troll is a troll. Period. No escaping the fact that there are people on here who do not have everyone's best interest in mind, especially if they happen to be 'different' or voice an opinion that well might be true but is to painful or shaming to admit, like maybe there are out and out racist in our end of the political spectrum? And, from my experience here, during the zimpig-Trayvon Martin travesty, more than a few. But the good thing was, they were overwhelmingly outnumbered by decent americans. Like the comments on this latest racist murder/incident in Missouri-ippi-da.

[stonecutter357]

60. K&R

[Evergreen Emerald]

61. So everyone who disagrees with you is a racist troll? Nice

"They pretend that things like racism, police brutality, police corruption, etc. don't exist and insist that if concrete evidence is released, they will be swayed to feel "sympathy" for Mike Brown. But they won't. When evidence arises, they find objection to its relevance or veracity. They then transform into The "Mike Brown Shouldn't Have " Troll, to follow."

Way to dehumanize the "other." You have made false assumptions about me.

Let me tell you where I am coming from--I work and live with police officers. The people I work and live with are the nicest, kindest, most gentle people you would ever meet. They risk their lives every day for anyone and everyone. A couple have had to fight for their lives when someone attempted to take their guns from them.

Often those arrested make false claims. They complain that they put their hand cuffs on too tight, or requested sexual favors, or threatened to kill them if they didn't talk. One time I was with an officer in a vehicle and there was a complaint that the officer was speeding and nearly hitting people--it was completely false. Had I not been there, what would have happened?

And most of those arrests are video recorded--and the lies are easily disproven. Apparently when you tell drunk people that they are being video and audio recorded, they don't remember. I believe every encounter should be recorded.

They are also the first to call out an officer who is corrupt and to make sure they no longer have a badge. Because one bad apples spoils them all. We only need to look on DU to prove that. Everyone here has put every law enforcement officer in the same category. Even my friend who ran into a burning building to save a child is included in that stereotype.

I am horrified that a child died. And I am horrified that a police officer, who has power and authority, may have used it to murder another human being. It is sickening. And, when I see the grief in his mother's eyes, it makes me cry.

I also believe that all of the facts will come out. With the forensic evidence, and witness statements. I am not ready to hang him yet. And I would not be ready to convict anyone until the evidence is in. I hear so many conflicting things coming out on the internet...I take it all with a grain of salt.

I know that DU is livid. And I know that this will fall an deaf ears, and I will be accused of being a racist troll. You are wrong.

[JustAnotherGen]

78. The author of the article was totally not talking about you!

Someone with your post count at DU is not the problem.

It's the disinfo folks we've run into the past few days.

They have clear agendas.



I totally feel ya - I have the NSA function at a major wireless carrier and if you saw me - I totally do not have sharp teeth, claws, hooves, a tail, or horns. You just gotta detach - they aren't talking about you or your people.

[AverageJoe90]

193. "they aren't talking about you or your people." Not helping, Gen. nt

[heaven05]

104. you're good

no, they ARE NOT the first to call out corruption on a fellow police officer. Not true. Not true. The malice of the 'peace' officer in question is indisputable. That he MURDERED an unarmed man is indisputable. That this type of 'incident' happens to UNARMED black males, usually but not always young, on the streets of america, much more than with young white males(suspects) is indisputable. Hell they don't even have to be police officers to get a pass on the shooting and killing of UNARMED black males. Good try and not saying you don't know some "kind, gentle, nicest" PO. In my experience, they are a rare bunch.

[AverageJoe90]

194. "Good try" I'm pretty sure he was sincere.

And mind you, I'm good at spotting trolls. But my question is, are you really skeptical, or is there something else going on?

[heaven05]

200. I bet you are

Last edited Thu Aug 21, 2014, 07:49 AM - Edit history (2)

Yes I am extremely skeptical. The peace officer rarely brings peace in the black community. When you and the one I responded to live there, you can be an 'expert' commentator. And: what else are you looking for to be "going on"? Who are you?

[JustAnotherGen]

228. Don't pay any attention to that heaven

I always read that one's posts and an old Calabrese saying that my husband says comes to mind -

The blind man says one day we'll see.

Another -

Things always come into the hands of those who can't touch.

[Squinch]

141. I know and love some cops too. However, I have to disagree with you that cops in

general are diligent about weeding out those who behave this way. The simple and undeniable fact in this country is that black men are more likely to be arrested and jailed. They are more likely to be killed in these kinds of situations (I can't remember the last time a white child has been killed by the cops this way) and the cops, are more likely to get off. It SHOULD be the police departments who are leading the programs and activities to end this situation, but it simply is not.

If the cops don't want people to jump to the conclusion that the cop is guilty and will get off and justice will be denied, they should not be hiding the guy who did it and vilifying the victim, as they always do. If this were done by a black citizen, that black citizen would have been charged by now without question.

[AverageJoe90]

195. I sincerely don't believe that was the intention of the article, TBH. However......

I do understand your point. Yes, there are still good cops out there(otherwise we'd REALLY be screwed). And it honestly doesn't help us, as activists, to put ALL cops in this category, because not only is it inaccurate, but it also makes us look bad.

[woo me with science]

64. Hyperpartisans who will blame the militarized police, but not the politicians who militarize them,

and thus will resist real change because it requires stopping the militarization programs, which requires pressuring corporate Democrats as well as Republicans.

[wandy]

70. And in my opinion the most discussing type............

The Misinformation Bots

These are particularly dangerous and I have seen a lot of them in the past week. I won't speculate on where they come from -- although I have a fairly good idea -- but their sole purpose is to spread misinformation about Mike Brown and Darren Wilson, targeting people tweeting under the #Ferguson and #MikeBrown hashtags and sending them to false articles on homemade websites about alternate eyewitnesses that saw Brown attack Wilson, etc. Don't engage with these people: they likely get paid for it. Report them as spam and, you guessed it: keep it moving.

The close friend(s) Josie among them and the anonymous reliable source(s) have effectively set the narrative. Whoever wrote the base propaganda used by these various people have created the 'facts' in all absence of police reports and any truth be damned created the 'urban legend'

[JustAnotherGen]

76. This is perfect

Because they do show up - and they do have an agenda.

[4139]

71. She forgot the "I know everything and anyone who disagrees with me on anything is a troll" troll.

[mythology]

79. What utter nonsense

An internet troll isn't just somebody who disagrees with you.

The author of the article is using the term troll as an ad hominem attack to attempt to dissuade people from having the temerity to disagree.

[NaturalHigh]

90. That's the way I took it too.

[AlbertCat]

80. I can't recall ever seeing quite this much racist bile taking over an event-related hashtag

Weren't on twitter in November of '08?

[Nye Bevan]

82. Seems like President Obama is a combination of Troll#2, Troll#5, and Troll#10:

While I understand the passions and the anger that arise over the death of Michael Brown, giving into that anger by looting or carrying guns, and even attacking the police only serves to raise tensions and stir chaos. It undermines rather than advancing justice.

....

As Americans, we’ve got to use this moment to seek out our shared humanity that’s been laid bare by this moment. The potential of a young man and the sorrows of parents, the frustrations of a community, the ideals that we hold as one united American family.

...

This is not something new. It’s always tragic when it involves the death of someone so young. I have to be very careful about not prejudging these events before investigations are completed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/running-transcript-obamas-remarks-on-ferguson-mo-and-iraq/2014/08/18/ed29d07a-2713-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html

[JustAnotherGen]

87. That's funny . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016100274

People Who Don't Think Race Matters In Ferguson Think Obama's Remarks Are Racist
http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/08/people-who-dont-think-race-matters-in-ferguson-think-obamas-remarks-are-racist/378719/


Few people were surprised when conservative commentators started criticizing President Obama for commenting on the Michael Brown shooting and aftermath in Ferguson, Missouri, and a new Pew poll shows why: white and Republican Americans are more likely to think race is getting too much attention in Ferguson. Conservative commentators calling the president racist are just the most prominent and extreme examples of people who think Obama is addressing race issues that don't exist.

In the last week, right-wing blog WND published a column by Larry Klayman arguing that the president was the "Racist in chief" for siding with his "black brothers" against "'whitey.'" Fox News' Todd Starnes wondered why the president offered condolences to Michael Brown's family, but didn't offer his condolences to the cop who shot him. Daniel Greenfield at FrontPage magazine wrote that the president "tends to avoid explicitly racist rhetoric. Instead he empowers those who do."

The essays are the extreme example of what Pew shows is a common trend: 47 percent of white people think race is getting too much attention, as opposed to only 18 percent of blacks and 25 percent of Hispanics. Sixty-one percent of Republicans think race is receiving too much focus, compared to 46 percent of Independents and 21 percent of Democrats. The divide is more extreme now than when Trayvon Martin was killed, but still in both cases there was a divide between whites and blacks.

With that in mind, it makes sense that white conservatives would see the president's remarks as race baiting.

The funny is that those on the right consider him a bigot against 'whitey' (their word not mine) for saying anything at all!

Let's leave Obama out of it. He can't win for trying and all it does get people to drawers bunch.

[Number23]

174. Game. Set. Match. Winner -- JustAnotherGen

[JustAnotherGen]

181. Victory dance!

[URL=http://gifsoup.com/view/1069631/alan-dancing-the-hangover.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://gifsoup.com]GIFSoup[/URL]

[6000eliot]

89. Did they mention the "everything is Obama's fault" troll?

[Enrique]

93. fairly devastating

I'd bet that anyone with any responsibility whatsoever would be considered a troll by these criteria. Including Capt. Ron Johnson for example, or even possibly Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

[NaturalHigh]

98. Yes, everyone except the "HE'S GUILTY!" types.

These people better hope that nobody with their mentalities are ever on a jury trying them.

[heaven05]

108. right

if you say so. Or please excuse me, if our POTUS says so. He, our president has to tread a fine line, between the racists, apologists, the angry, despairing and frustrated to appear to be a man(POTUS) of us all. He is a politician first, and more to the point an AA POTUS. HE HAS TO SAY THESE WORDS and god bless him, I don't. Wilson is a cold blooded murderer and deserves the same due process, after his trial, if he is found guilty. Which I truly doubt.

[nomorenomore08]

199. We're not talking about people who sincerely want justice, peace, and unity.

We're talking about disingenuous assholes. And Obama is certainly not one of them.

[AverageJoe90]

206. This. ^^^^^

[Iron Man]

101. Excellent article.

I've seen every one of these trolls online.

[alcibiades_mystery]

105. So. Fucking. Good.

An excellent classification of the shitheads out there.

Perfect, really.

[AgingAmerican]

112. Would not Obama be a 'wait for evidence' troll?

It's hard to see that as trolling. Sometimes we tend to react first and wait for evidence second. We tend to have strong, emotional, knee jerk reactions to things like police violence.

Obama's statements on this matter would fall under this 'wait for evidence before acting' blanket.

"I have to be very careful about not prejudging these events before investigations are completed. Because, although these are, you know, issues of local jurisdiction -- you know, the DOJ works for me," Obama told reporters on Monday. "And then when they're conducting an investigation, I've got to make sure that I don't look like I'm putting my thumb on the scales one way or the other."

[heaven05]

114. How about

people having strong "knee jerk" reactions to obvious incidents of racist murder and racism perpetrated in the name of 'proper police procedure' which this will probably be deemed by a jury of wilson's peers? Is that wrong?

[AgingAmerican]

118. The evidence

...is what will 'hang' the cop.

Most everyone has emotional knee jerk reactions, myself included. I am just saying that waiting for evidence before making a judgement doesn't make someone a troll. If it does, then Obama is a troll (which he isn't).

[Cali_Democrat]

158. I knew this OP would hit a nerve

Thank you for not disappointing...

[AgingAmerican]

221. Next time

... think before you put your foot in your mouth.

[VanGoghRocks]

116. I wish whoever was in charge here could just pin this one to the top

of the list. Thank you for posting. Used it to read my FB list the riot act (npi) just now.

[phil89]

125. Waiting for evidence is trolling?

I think the author misunderstands what trolling means.

[Maedhros]

130. I think there is some nuance in the OP's position that the author didn't present well.

If the author is calling out those who argue "Wait for the evidence!" and then, when the evidence is produced and implicates the officer, argue "The evidence is wrong!" - that would be a legitimate criticism.

Simply counseling against hasty judgement in the absence of facts is not trolling.

My own position on this incident is that the Brown shooting, in and of itself, is tragic and infuriating. However, the bigger issue is that this is but one of a long history of similar events that invariably result in the assassination of the victim's character and the police officer being cleared of wrongdoing. Even if Brown is found to have been guilty of shoplifting or "strong arm robbery", or even if he had attempted to grab the officer's gun, police officers should be trained and capable of handling such a situation without pumping six rounds into the victim after the fact.

We need:

* Better-trained police
* Better-paid police, so we attract better candidates for the job
* Better oversight of police, and better accountability for when they act wrongly
* Better funding for police departments and not for police weaponry

[phil89]

157. I agree, and no former military should ever be considered for

hire as law enforcement. Adding a 4 year degree requirement might be a nice step in the right direction too.

[backscatter712]

197. At this point, we have plenty of evidence

We have evidence that Michael Brown was unarmed. We have accounts from multiple witnesses that the officers shooting him were not in any danger, and that Brown was surrendering. We have evidence that his hands were in the air when he was shot. We have evidence that his crime, if he committed one at all, was at worst, shoplifting a pack of smokes or two from a convenience store, and last time I checked, that crime did not carry the death penalty. We have plenty of evidence that the police in Ferguson are engaged in systematic racial oppression, and routine excessive force, caught on camera.

The wait for evidence is over.

[phil89]

212. Well in fact it's not

Gotta have a trial

[840high]

131. Why not wait for all evidence?

[NaturalHigh]

135. That's "trolling" according to some.

[Gemini Cat]

134. An excellent article.

k and r.

[Zorra]

142. They forgot # 11, the "But...but...people who discuss their unpopular concerns and politely express

their opposing opinions should be allowed to to so without being suspected of being a troll!" troll.

[KamaAina]

146. Plenty of examples right here.

[joeybee12]

148. Seen some of them here, unfortunately...knr

[louis-t]

153. She forgot about the 'what about black on white'

A guy I know is a dedicated Liberal, posts anti-GOP stuff all the time, yet he posted a rant about how 'only black people riot', and 'where were Sharpton, Jesse Jackson when a white guy was pulled out of his car and beaten by black kids'. I told him the black kids were arrested and are on trial. He corrected me and said two of them went to jail for less than 6 months and one got probation. He said they should have all gotten 10 years. I said "I see, so, beat someone up, 10 years in jail. Pump five bullets into a kid who is running away, then give him one more in the eye when he puts his hands up and turns around, no arrest, no jail time and smear the kid who is dead?"
There has been no response.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

156. Wow, a lot of DUers missing the point. The important thing is that those who are

trolling (and the meaning of troll has evolved and is evolving like many words do--for better or worse) on the issue use these approaches.

Not everyone who says wait for the evidence is necessarily trolling, but many who say that are. Those who approach issues with FoxNoise talking points are, in a sense, trolling a conversation which should be taking place in the context of the reality of a wider issue. Police brutality, which is abuse of power, is often paired with racism resulting in a severe dearth of justice in certain communities. With everything we have learned about the community of Ferguson, this is clearly one in which that particular problem is running rampant.

So you know a few cops who are good guys and it pisses you off that people are angry about what happened and are making an assumption that the cop who killed Mike Brown is part of that problem. You're appalled at the injustice of making such a judgment against the cop. Well, Boohoo for you. Tell it to the parent of the child who was summarily executed without a trail.

[RagAss]

160. They all wear White Fucking Hoods !

[valerief]

162. Great list. Applies to all trolling. nt

[Number23]

167. She forgot one. The "this is all orchestrated by the 1% to keep us fighting amongst ourselves"

troll. This one is not nearly as pervasive as the others but is every bit as annoying, clueless and uninformed about the history of this country as the rest.

[whereisjustice]

170. actually, this is being orchestrated by the 1%, who do you think pushes military gear

to these small towns. But I agree, class warfare, and racism is just one of many fronts on that war, isn't being orchestrated to keep us fighting amongst ourselves, this is being orchestrated to keep us from fighting the 1%.

[Number23]

171. You're all over the place with this response

The police departments are the ones requesting this stuff, rich people are not "pushing" it on them. Your response is scattered at best.

[whereisjustice]

177. of course the 1% want to militarize the police, but let's hear the denial from them

Goldman Sachs?
JP Morgan?
Monsanto?
GE?
BP?
Lockheed Martin?
General Dynamics?
Halliburton?
Pfizer?

These corporations and the CEOs who profit from them are never shy for words and storm our government when their best interests are not being served by our Congress and Executive Branch.

I'm sure the outrage will be along any day now. We'll wait...

[Number23]

178. I have completely lost interest in your attempt to derail this conversation with nonsense

See ya.

[whereisjustice]

180. Right, Locheed Martin CEO on Meet the Press demanding DoD stop militarizing police

due to shareholder pressure. You know, the 1%

Now that is something I would pay to see.

[JI7]

175. it's fucking annoying

another one that is related is those who blame racism on the middle class being eroded and people who feel like they have no future for their kids and the usual crap.

someone else posted some racist shit that the joe the (Fake)plumber posted in response to what is happening in ferguson. are we to believe it's just the difficulty of the middle class which is getting him to react in such a fucked up hateful racist way ?

i mean, why didn't racismgo away or decrease when FDR was President and he implemented many social programs (which of course didn't benefit minorities in many cases because of racism) ?

[Number23]

176. I have long since subscribed to the belief that alot of this "blame the oligarchs for all ills"

thinking is a way for average white folks to absolve themselves of any responsibility for helping to eliminate racism in our country.

I am under no illusions and understand that wealth being concentrated into the hands of fewer and fewer people is bad for our country, for democracy, for the whole damn world. But for the VAST majority of black people and POC in this country, it's not been just rich white folks making it hard for everybody elese and turning around and saying "blame the rich! Blame the rich!" now just seems all too convenient, ignorant and dishonest as hell.

[heaven05]

179. You really have

missed the point of, yeah we got to keep em(the 99%) fighting for various reasons among themselves by hyping race issues amongst the ignorant and the poor, create an economy that destroys the lives of millions, then gin-agitate about those economic issues and who's at fault, whether it the administration that would be in office at any time or the 'others' that are "lazy" and causing all this uproar, then their eyes will then be off our skullduggery of creating the NWO paradigm. It won't be an enlightened paradigm. Have fun!

[Number23]

182. So it was rich people hanging black folks from trees? It was rich people that lynched members

of my family? It was rich people that marched in the streets and screamed when black children tried to integrate white schools? It's rich people shooting and killing and dragging black people from the backs of trucks and denying us jobs?

Some of y'all need to get a grip. If you want to play this "only rich people have contributed to this current situation and made America suck" game you knock yourself out. This country was built and founded on the tenet of white supremacy which made sure that whites were kept on top meaning that even poor whites have ALWAYS been allotted freedoms and rights that not every one else has been privy to, regardless of education, ability or wealth. If you want to play the "it's the 1% trying to stoke up disagreement among the 99%" vs. "this is the sad racial history of this country leaching once again into the present" then that's on you.

[heaven05]

187. and it was condoned and agitated by whom?

The white church and the white 'leaders'. Some of y'all better learn history before you spout off. My grandmother was shot by ignorant klan members, we ran them off. You can bet your bottom dollar those on missionary ridge didn't mind them shooting black people at all. I will not minimize your family tragedy at all, but my study of history taught me what I just commented on. The 'silent' racist' are the real enemy to peace, justice and racial harmony. Period.

[Number23]

188. Just because it was condoned by someone doesn't mean that the folks doing the

"condoning" are the only part of the fucking problem and the only issue. If a man wants to kill his wife and hires somebody else to do it, is the man doing the hiring the only one going to be charged with the crime?

I'm done here. You think whatever shit you want.

[heaven05]

190. why you have to be that way?

fine. You are entitled to believe as you will. No more argument/discussion/comments from me.

[Uncle Joe]

169. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, n2doc.

[AverageJoe90]

189. There is, unfortunately, one other type of troll:

The See? This is (literal) white privilege! type of troll; they take advantage of this senseless tragedy to selfishly plug their own pet agenda, and may attack anyone who disagree with them as being some sort of secret bigot, or whatever. Some may be white, some may not be. But regardless of that, at least some of them(the more extreme ones, that is) can be considered the opposite number of the Full-Blown Racist (White) Troll.....although some of the others can be reasoned with, if you explain that "white privilege" wasn't meant to be a literal thing, but rather, a metaphor.

I'll just leave y'all with this. No matter where it comes from, the fringe left or the far right, trolling must be dealt with. BTW, if anyone has Twitter, here's some hashtags(one of them is original).

#RememberMikeBrown. #WhitePrivilegeIsAnIllusion. #LetsFightInjusticeTogether. #WeArethe99Percent.

[heaven05]

192. right

if you say so. White privilege is a reality, but that IS NOT what this current tragedy is about.

[AverageJoe90]

196. "that IS NOT what this current tragedy is about." Well, alright....

At least you admitted that much. But, unfortunately, they're already out there, it seems. If you go on Twitter, you'll probably see that if you know where to look.

[heaven05]

203. I will NEVER say

one group has a monopoly on the truth. Yet you can be damn sure a lot of black people have a monopoly on the truth of what the racist state sanctioned killer/'peace' officer does in the black community.

[nomorenomore08]

202. You and I, being white, are far less likely to be killed by a police officer.

I'm pretty sure that's where the "this is white privilege" folks are coming from.

[AverageJoe90]

205. "I'm pretty sure that's where the "this is white privilege" folks are coming from." TBT.....

I have no doubt that there's where you yourself stand, and that some others are also trying to make a valid point(if perhaps not in the most effective manner). But you guys aren't the trolls, though, so, honestly, don't worry, because this isn't about y'all. You are okay.

I am referring to the Flavia Dzodan/Trudy from Gradient Lair types who go on to Twitter, YouTube, etc. and spew out crap about how everyone who doesn't agree with them is a closeted racist, etc. And, to be honest, I've had the unfortunate personal experience of dealing with more than a few of these types over the past year or so. They are out there.

[nomorenomore08]

201. Thing is, "I'm waiting for the evidence" essentially implies "The guy got what he deserved!"

People may claim otherwise, but their lack of outrage (or really, any emotion) over the killing betrays their real intent.

[cstanleytech]

216. Nope its just a request to wait until everything has been examimed just like is done in every other

criminal case in this country every day.
Once the evidence is gathered then if it shows the shooting was unwarranted there will be a thing called a trial and then a verdict will be made on the guilt or innocence and its all based upon that thing we discussed a bit ago called the evidence.

[NaturalHigh]

223. Uh...no, not really.

It means we should wait for the evidence, maybe even a trial. If I'm ever accused of a crime, I hope not to be tried and sentenced by some random people on the internet.

[AnalystInParadise]

207. I didn't see an entry

for the

1. All Cops are fucking pigs "troll"
2. White people are all the same if they don't support me "trolls"
3. The cops deserve to be killed "trolls"

But hey, why be consistent, right?

[L0oniX]

208. The trolls are out in full force tonight.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

217. k and r big-time. n/t

[hedda_foil]

220. A black male is killed by police every 28 hours in America. This is a racial issue.

Even after we have followed these murders in post after horrifying post here on DU, this stat leaves me almost unable to comprehend the horror, and shamed for not realizing the staggering number of black boys and men killed by police.

A black male is killed by police every 28 hours in America. This is a racial issue.

[Font size=20]A black male is killed by police every 28 hours in America. This is a racial issue.[/font]

[GeorgeGist]

225. 11. Police can't shoot to maim troll.

[NaturalHigh]

227. LOL...not again.

Anyone who shoots to "maim" is an idiot. That's a good way to miss and get the gun taken away. Any half-way decent instructor will teach you to aim for center mass.

Real life often doesn't resemble movies and television where people can quick draw and hit any point they want.

[peacebird]

226. Sadly my son is 2,3,4,5

[Puglover]

231. Really well put together.

Thanks very much for posting.

[onecent]

240. I received a strange email from someone I did not expect

would be willing to be in the controversy...passing on an email to me and many of his friends that Michael Brown had a rap sheet with at least 4 felonies, some sealed cases on him and they supposedly got it from casenet.

I went to casenet, there are 404 PAGES of Michael Brown's names in St. Louis County for everything from traffic tickets, to murder.....I have heard he did not have a rap sheet.