Yeah, that's fucking ridiculous.

OK, I did it! So I'm either getting Invisalign or a TON of new glasses this year.

Sadly, I think they're saying exactly what the right wing wants to hear.

tommyrot, I am so sorry for your loss.

The robbery story is so clearly total bullshit, it's not even funny.

After 5 days, the *best* cover they could come up with was something that makes the let's-build-a-wall-to-keep-out-kaiju plan in Pacific Rim look smart.

Absolutely stupid panic mode. And I'm disappointed in my social media feeds for still making it sound like Ferguson is on fire, for not boosting the report of Ezell Ford (shot in LA on Tuesday) or what's happening in Chicago right now, and in Anonymous for naming the wrong officer.

Sadly, I think they're saying exactly what the right wing wants to hear.

Oh, totally. They needed a reason -- any reason, no matter how implausible -- that it was justifiable to shoot an unarmed civilian. And there are a LOT of people that are going to be glad to have this shred of an excuse to point to and say "See? He deserved it!" (And some of these people, statistically speaking, will be people who themselves shoplifted as kids, or who have children of their own who shoplifted, and yet they're all still alive.)

I mean, Jesus Christ, the SWAT team busted a drug- and gun-selling operation in my neighborhood (yay Northside) that was fronted in a candy store. No, seriously. So there were actual weapons there. And the SWAT team managed to not kill any of the suspects, even though the suspects had immediate access to guns (and may have been armed). AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.

I'm not all-caps yelling at anyone here; I'm just so frustrated.

What Juliana said. Also, Anne, I just caught your tagline anew. It seems rather current.

I'm sorry for your loss, tommyrot.

I've read that the store owners who the Ferguson police said that Mr. Brown was suspected of robbing have already said he didn't rob them.

Seriously, 1: why couldn't they have said this right away [not that shooting an unarmed suspect is how you deal with shoplifting], and 2: after 5 days, that was the best story they could come up with?

They've been trying to push that narrative since the beginning, despite witness contradictions as indicated by Calli.

Consuela - I've been listening to audiobooks about the French Revolution as less frustrating than current events. At least Robespierre and his lot got theirs in the end. I have less hope for that these days.

They've been trying to push that narrative since the beginning

I didn't hear that. I guess I wasn't following closely enough until just recently.