Trucker Facing Charges For Driving Into Protesters

No, I'm saying there are crimes and there are crimes. Mens rea is an important part of criminal justice philosophy. "Stealing" food from a dumpster is different than doing a "dine and dash".

I'm also saying one person's bad action doesn't excuse the bad actions of a second party.

You can play the what if game all you'd like to make this into a trolley problem, but it doesn't change the very real facts in this case.

 

As opposed to the precedent of letting bad cops go on being bad cops? (See John Burge and Ronald Watts)

As opposed to precedent where the color of your skin and the amount of money in your pocket are the biggest determining factors in the criminal justice system?

 

Yes, assault with a deadly weapon (the truck driver) and jaywalking (protesters) are the exact same severity....
Get real!

 

Nobody in their right mind is in favor of bad cops keeping their jobs. Violent mobs roaming the streets are not the answer to weeding out bad cops. There's been nation wide riots nightly for nearly 6 months now. Numerous businesses burned and looted, federal buildings attacked, private homes attacked and dozens of innocent people even children killed by the mobs.
It seems like you view these violent crimes as a necessary means justified by a desired outcome.
I don't think that burning buildings and attacking innocent civilians for political or social change is justified in any scenario.
There are already numerous checks and balances designed specifically to review police behavior in officer involved shootings or complaints of excessive force. Obviously the systems in place aren't perfect and there's police causing problems all over the country. The common sense and intelligent thing to do is study the current policies and crime data to analyze the information from an UN-BIASED point of view and try to initiate reform based on the findings. Burning buildings and looting businesses is not the answer. Attacking people who disagree with you is not the answer. Shutting down highways is not the answer. A toddler throwing a tantrum shouldn't get what they're screaming for but a toddler that politely asks for a treat is likely to receive it.

There's a very good reason why I'm not currently in jail, I'll give you a hint...
It's because I have a job and when confronted by police I listen to them and treat them with respect. The color of my skin has absolutely nothing to do with it but personal responsibility has absolutely everything to do with it.
The funny thing about getting up in the morning and going to work is that you just don't really have time to be a criminal. If a police officer were to profile a law abiding person due to race, religion etc. then I would say that's a perfect time to report the misconduct and follow up on it to see it through. If the officer were actually guilty of profiling yet there weren't any serious administrative or criminal penalties then that's a perfect scenario for police reform. Take a scenario like that before reasonable people and they would back you 100% on reforming the policy. But run wild in the streets rioting violently and logical people will hope for your arrest.

 

Tell me how many years was it between the initial complaints against Ronald Watts and his suspension? How many years did it take before he was fired? How many years before he was charged and convicted? Between the initial complaint and his firing - how many people did Ronald Watts frame? How many lives did he destroy? Why did the police union defend him for so long? How many of his subordinates who KNEW what Watts was doing but stayed silent are still serving officers? What happened to the officers who spoke out about Ronald Watts criminal behavior? What is Ronald Watts' supervising officer doing right now? How many of the prosecutors who KNEW they were using inadmissible evidence to obtain convictions still have their law license? Why did the Chicago Police Union just elect a man whose police powers have been revoked?

How many officers on the M-SP police departments are Giglio impaired? How many nationwide?

Why is it that when the civilian review board recommends terminating an officer for misconduct the officer is rarely fired?
How Mayors, Police Unions and Cops Rig Civilian Review Boards
Richfield takes case of fired police officer to Minnesota appellate court
Thousands of Complaints Do Little to Change Police Ways

Why do black defendants receive sentences 10% longer than white defendants who committed similar crimes?
https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2413&context=articles

Champaigne, IL is 16% black, but 90% of the people arrested for jaywalking are black. Why is there such overreprestation of minorities in arrests and citations for minor infractions? And why do police organizations resist making this data public?
In Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, 89% of Those Arrested for Jaywalking Are Black
How Police Unions Fight Reform

Why is it that so often police accounts are contradicted by video evidence? Why is it that when police misconduct goes viral, it turns out the officer never filed a report?

Richfield takes case of fired police officer to Minnesota appellate court



This isn't a toddler throwing a temper tantrum to get a treat. This is a serious problem that threatens the foundation of this country. To continue your (bad) analogy this is a kid running into traffic to get away from the pedophile.

 

But somebody should really

My first thought was to advise against chasing children... but that's rude so I shall refrain.
So you point out a wealth of situations where corruption is occurring. I don't deny that corruption and misconduct is widespread.
Why can't the violent mobs peacefully assemble on the steps of the city hall building, police department and county buildings without starting fires? Why can't the mobs refrain from looting? It only creates a greater divide and increases the hate. Violence breeds violence and criminals roaming the streets is the absolute worst thing in terms of criminal justice reform.
I think we're in an instant gratification world and everyone rioting expects instant change but that's not how things work. If they want to change things the only surefire way is to do it legally.
I'm not disagreeing with you about corruption and misconduct just the actions of the rioters. I feel like they could've accomplished far more and gained a larger following by doing it legally.
Had the rioters stayed in front of city hall this thread never would've been started and the truck driver possibly would've went to join the peaceful protest after work. But sadly the criminal rioting mob decided to break the law and in doing so lost support from anyone with common sense and a sense of decency.

 

rioting. That’s the its not a protest when people are getting beat up.

 

People (driver) weren't getting beat up until they (protesters) were assaulted with a deadly weapon (truck)....

 

Because peaceful assemblage hasn't resulted in change.

You seem to equate the protesters blocking a highway with rioters. That is not the truth.

Calling protestors "rioters" is at best disingenuous and at worst can be construed as racist.

There is a difference between non-violent protest and peaceful protest. Peaceful protest goes out of it's way to avoid confrontation and rarely results in change. The aim of non-violent protest is to create "tension" and force the powers that be to react. Hopefully the reaction is towards justice, but if it's a violent crackdown, so be it. Without the brutality of the British response to independence in India, Egypt, Ireland, and the United States the various independence groups would never have gained mass support. The Freedom Riders broke the law, the Selma marches broke the law, the Pullman strikes broke the law, the Boston Tea Party broke the law. You can go all the way back to the Magna Carta to find instances where after attempts at rational discussion had failed to redress grievances, mass action created lasting change.

For years it was known that the Kenosha, WI police department had problems. Meetings were held, promises of reform made, but those problems were allowed to fester until a spark created an inferno.
Kenosha PD accused of 'corruption, lies'

If peaceful protest had accomplished anything, or had shown promise of possible success then we would not have seen the mass demonstrations we have. You're right that if a bunch of people had gathered outside of city hall for a few hours we wouldn't be talking about it 6 months later. By blocking the interstate the protesters became national news. By driving into the protesters the truck driver made a one week story into a year long saga.

"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”

― Benjamin Franklin

Sometimes you've got to bang your shoe on the table to make yourself heard.

 

Where are the fathers at in these communities you love to defend? Let's start at the home front, you know the root of the problem?