Ferguson, Missouri. Here’s my take on the situation. The Media is all over how the Police are too Militarized and are too heavy handed. True. And frighteningly so. However, take a look at the other side of this. We have a complete breakdown of society that happened within just hours. People were upset about a Police Shooting… So the response of the people there was to flip over vehicles, burn down buildings, and loot everything that wasn’t under armed guard. In their own town, in their own neighborhood, to their own neighbors. They are doing this to themselves. I’m sorry, but that has got to be contained and stopped, like firefighters fighting a wild fire. With what I’ve seen in the many videos of the rioters and what they are doing – I think the Ferguson Police were doing it right. A big show of force that communicated “This stops here”.
Then they went and jumped the shark as that power went quickly to their heads and became part of the problem themselves.
This is a situation that needs to be evaluated in great detail as to how it proliferated from protest to pure chaos. We need to see the stages and the signs and we need to break this down into lessons we can learn from.
This is Prepper School Fodder right here.
Civil Unrest is a reality that moves just as fast as a fictional Zombie Uprising. We use Zombie Uprising as an analog for Disaster Training… but guys, I’m telling you. You just saw that happen in Ferguson, MO. There’s your Zombie Uprising, so don’t tell me Zombies are not real. Because that situation in Ferguson is very real. And if it can happen there, it can happen anywhere. It can happen where you live. So we need to think about that. Break that down.
Look at where you live. Imagine that situation in YOUR TOWN. Ask Your Self some questions.
1. Where would it most likely happen?
2. Can you Button Up and Hold Out, or will you need to Go Mobile?
3. If you need to Move Out, then what is your movement plan?
4. What is your Destination?
5. What are your Preps for that? Moving or Holding.
6. Who is in your Group to back you up and what is their Readiness?
You need those answers NOW. Because looking at Ferguson, you don’t have time to make the preps when things start to happen. You only have time to execute your plans.
There is a book about that for my town.
Yep… spot on as usual! I was thinking about the zombie/ crowd thing earlier this morning. I was wondering about P226 or P220?
Maybe someone can answer me this? What did the teenager do to get arrested? I have not been able to find out. Everyone keeps talking like he was innocent of fault?! He was put in the car and then struggled and got loose? Would he not have been searched and handcuffed before being in the car? If so, why shoot him? Don’t get me wrong. I think law enforcement is a thankless job full of risks.
From the announcement, it appears he was a suspect in a strong arm robbery just a couple hours earlier.
One of the stories goes that either the cop grabbed him after he was shoved back into his patrol car, and/or he reached through the window and was going after the officers gun which discharged inside the vehicle first.
I believe the robbery was 15 minutes before the confrontation and surprisingly the news showed the security camera footage of the kid robbing a store of cigars and shoving the manager (old guy) out of the way when he confronted the choir boy as he was exiting the store. Amazingly the other guy that was with him admitted to the robbery…but of course there are people calling it “character assassination” on a dead kid who was supposed to start school in a few days.
I’m just gob smacked how people can destroy their own community all under the guise of anger at the system. If all of the businesses were smart they would ALL pack up shop and leave town completely since the people there just can’t control their emotions. I’m just shocked that there hasn’t been any deaths …or more arrests for that matter.
Great article, it is amazing how fragile our society is.
Let’s hope that we do not see a ‘Detroit’ of the late 60’s again, but prepare so that if it happens we can protect our loved ones.
George,
There is a brilliant guy who developed a theory about why people in authority can become abusive. Google “the Stanford Prison Experiment” and then read “The Lucifer Effect” by Phil Zimbardo.
It’s pretty common among certain forums to see the old saw, “when all you have is a hammer, all your problems start to look like nails, ” to describe the trend of police militarization. While that’s certainly true, it’s just as counterproductive to try and drive home nails with your pocket knife. Is it a justifiable position to be outraged at disproportionate use of force in every day life? Sure, but to be bitching about responding to a riot with gear actually designed for riots? At that point I’m convinced that le can do no right in some people’s eyes.
I recall when South Central LA burned after the Rodney King affair, when it was over, all da folks standing in front of the burnt out post office on the 15th, wondering where their checks were. Now, with electronic transfer, imagine the carnage when(not if) the gummint can’t pay the gelt anymore. You won’t need a police event to light that powder keg.
I think we are missing part of Ogre’s point… Zombie attack are fiction or are they? The mob in Ferguson was very real! Think about the L.A. riots and periodic Florida riots. Heck, they were riots in Wisconsin a couple years back?! Who in the heck riots in @#$% Wisconsin? How would you plan for such an event?
The media “gentle giant” meme has suddenly gone dead.
Survailence video of that asshole stealing cigars, and punching out a c-store clerk for demanding payment has surfaced.
Heh.
Well I was over at the “Knowledge Is Power” blog and there was this Epic Rant from a black man about the foolishness of the
Ferguson rioters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f0mVn0HH6U