The Apocalypse Continued...

[tw]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I have to agree with Jag, that people that resort to this kind of mayhem are criminals. No matter what the frustration level is or if they never broke a law before......now they are criminals.

Jaguar is saying more than that. Jaguar is saying French rioting is only by criminals. He is saying this violence is not a result of decades of discrimination. He is saying as the French minister is saying - they are all scum. Jaguar is also invited to correct this - how I read his posts.

What did comments from French minister Sarkozy create? It triggered riots all across France when he blamed the victims for discrimination. Suddenly these minorities are “scum” as Jaguar would maintain? How can that be? Suddenly there is a massive increase in criminal types? Nonsense.

Nothing posted says the violence is acceptable. Jaguar either ignores or denies underlying reasons for the riots. But again, quote this sentence to properly respond to my posts. "Nothing posted says the riots are acceptable." To not include that sentence in any reply is to completely misrepresent everything I have posted here.

To say all those rioters are scum or criminals is to say same about vast cross sections of America's own black communities. Are you also saying that massive numbers of America's blacks are also scum? You cannot have a double standard. Did America suffer race riots because blacks were scum - or because of widespread discrimination, lack of jobs, and denial of opportunity?

There is no proper way of addressing French riots without citing its root cause. Posted were damning numbers. Unemployment rates of 3 and 4 times higher among those who, somehow, are not being discriminated against? African and Arab technical graduates have a 5 times higher unemployment rate. Again, posted are damning and not quoted numbers. Does one reply and simply ignore those numbers? Instead these people are scum and criminals? How do you just ignore numbers that suggest nationwide institutionalized racism?

Which is it? Is the root cause criminals and scum? Or is the root cause institutionalized racism? Somehow you instead have me saying that government should come to their aid. You would post what I never said? Stick only to what was posted, without jumping to conclusions or assumptions.

Provided are underlying facts and numbers. Jaguar simply provided his opinions without facts. Do you just ignore those numbers? Which is it? Which one is the root cause? Criminal types, or a nationwide denial of widespread racial discrimination of people born in France? Which is the fundamental problem that has caused all those riots?

[lookout123]

maybe i have a terminal misunderstanding of reality, so feel free to point it out.

when i was down on my luck, partly due to choices, partly due to circumstances... my wife was on bedrest for a problem pregnancy, one month i made $600 GROSS income i was already delinquent on my mortgage, had surrendered one of my vehicles, was 30+days late on every single bill, i met with the "hardship coordinator" for the local power company to hear i wasn't eligible for assistance, was laughed out of the public assistance office, and was literally selling blood to pay for groceries... would i have been justified if i had vandalized, looted, or otherwise harmed another citizen, or would i have been a criminal?

i think i would have been a criminal. background is irrelevant. current decisions are within one's control. good bad or ugly we each control our own actions and there is no excuse for harming another individual's person or property, short of open warfare.