Have we become a lynchmob mentality in this nation and no longer follow the rule of law?

No. And that is why it is wrong for a cop to sentence someone to death on the street.

Where to begin with this....

Racism has been part of our history and woven into the fabric of our society since the 17th century. In the 1600s, the upper class aristocratic land owners created a racial hierarchy to justify slavery and maltreatment of certain ethnic groups for the sake of profits, exploitation, and usurpation of resources. It was, for example, believed back then, that Irish people were inherently lazy, and heathen (because they were Catholic), and thus "deserving" of being slaves; Native Americans, likewise, were considered "lazy, and savage," so it was okay to steal their land because they weren't "using their land right (meaning not cultivating the land in the exact same way the English colonists did);" indeed, they even said that African Americans were "stupid" and "prone to servitude." In other words, from the very beginning of the US, before it was even the US, when were were just colonial holdings, racism was used to created a stratified social system.

Throughout our history, that racism persevered, and it continues to persevere. There is still a constructed system of racial hierarchy in the US. It would be incredibly nieve to say that poor black people have the exact same opportunities that rich white people have. To this day, our prisons are full of a disproportionally higher amount of ethnic minorities than our society actually reflects (e.g.: for example, 60% of men in prison are black, when only 20% of our nation's population is black). This leads into my next point: law enforcement treats ethnic minorities differently than they treat white people; that's just a sociological fact; it isn't because non-whites are more prone to criminal behavior, it's because of this racial hierarchy created by the aristocracy, as well as classist attitudes used to justify an unfair, unequal, socially immobile society.

So, African Americans, Latino Americans, Native Americans, etc, are all treated differently by modern law enforcement. This is evidenced by the racial make up of our prison system, obviously. In addition to the racial makeup of our prisons, is the high amount of unarmed citizens of color that are killed, or injured by police.

So, with that in mind, you've got people in this country who have generations of exploitation, usurpations, and maltreatment on behalf of our white supremacist society. They were protesting peacefully for MONTHS before the verdict was read. Unfortunately, the CORPORATE media did not report on ANY of the peaceful protests that continued pretty much non-stop while the police denied 1st Amendment rights to the press to enter the area. It is the DUTY of the media to report on those things. While these protests continued, the police continued beating protestors, and wearing military gear; ALL OF THIS would have been something great for the media to cover, but they did not because these protests questioned the status quo, and white supremacy, and the corporate media has an interest in the status quo (no matter how "liberal" you think the media is, it ultimately is typically owned by a for-profit company, and thus, are part of the "conservative" interest).

People with a voice do not destroy store fronts. People who are included in the process, do not torch buildings. People who have options, do not flip cars. People who have justice do not throw rocks at police officers.

Most assuredly, you, FromWithin, are probably not even reading this anymore, and probably stopped after my first word with more than three syllables, but know this: we still have a white supremacist system, and your support of white supremacy, and the "conservative" support of white supremacy, does nothing to throw people off the racist trail. Most of the critiques I see of the protestors across the nation, are critiques that use old negative stereotypes like: depicting Brown as a "thug," depicting Brown as "lazy and on welfare," and saying things like "why don't they put this much energy into getting jobs," or my personal favorite, calling the protestors "uncivilized (because white people are so much more civilized)." ALL of these negative stereotypes can be traced directly back to the racism created by white landowners in the 17th century to justify enslaving African Americans, mistreating Irish people, and stealing the land of Native Americans. America is still very racist, and still very white supremacist, and denying this is playing a part in the racism in our society.

Let's look at the situation in Fergusson another way:

Let's pretend Brown was not African American. Let's say he was a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant, middle class male, who was open carrying his AR-15 based on a false interpretation of the 2nd Amendment.

Let's say he got into an argument with a shop owner, then left, was stopped by a cop, who shot him SEVEN TIMES.

I would be willing to bet that you, and every other uneducated "conservative" would be talking about "constitutional rights," and "big government," and blaming "Obama" for it. You can bet the Fox News Entertainment would be showing pictures of Brown singing in the church choir and graduating high school. They would be talking about the dangers of a militarized police force, and how it's wrong for the police to shoot civilians when they haven't showed any hostile intent to a hostile act.

The NRA, various "Tea Party" soviets, and different "militias" would be involved (just look at what happened with Cliven Bundy, who wasn't even shot, and just wanted to use government land on the taxpayer's dime for free). The Africa American community in Fergusson doesn't have white billionaire donors who want to use them for political gain. The African American Community only has themselves. Not even the media is on their side.

-Bear in mind that in this scenario, the protagonist is actually CARRYING A WEAPON.-

Now, let's pretend Brown wasn't African American. Let's say someone told you an unarmed citizen was shot SEVEN TIMES by a militarized police officer, and the citizen never was charged with a crime. Let's say that after that unarmed citizen was shot, the police in the city denied the press their first Amendment right to free press. Let's say that same police department arrested people for peacefully demonstrating....

Do you see? Where are the "conservatives" that are so worried about the Constitution that they never read? This is real police-state fascism, and you "conservatives" are silent on it BECAUSE THE CITIZEN WAS BLACK. Be honest about it at least! The right wing is racist.

This is what we have come to in this nation. [...] Try using your brain just once in your life & quit allowing a corrupt biased media to control your mind.

Racism in law enforcement is a documented reality, as are abuses of police authority and a systemic failure in accountability. These issues would be better served if both liberal and conservative media stopped trying to push their agendas onto them. If you cannot see that the conservative media is just as corrupt and biased as the liberal media, then "WOW!" you are letting them control your mind just as surely as are those who buy into liberal media.

Have you heard any of these talking heads on the Left put one ounce of accountability for this man's death on his robbing of that store? [...] Have we become a lynchmob mentality in this nation and no longer follow the rule of law?

The responding officer, Darren Wilson, had no knowledge of the robbery allegedly committed by Michael Brown so it actually does not factor into the events that unfolded between the two. This is not to say there has been no character misrepresentation, but it does demonstrate that the media you consume has been feeding you misinformation just as surely as the media you are criticizing. Notably, Wilson was also never declared innocent because that is not actually how our criminal legal system works (decisions are if there is enough evidence to move to trial or not, and if there is enough evidence to convict or not).

I assume the irony of referencing lynch mobs in defense of your argument utterly escapes you, so I will not even get into that. Suffice it to say that we have not had lynch mobs for a while now, certainly not in the widespread sense you indicate. Regarding the protests I presume you were intending to reference, most were peaceful and those which became riots were out of hand. Protests are pro-democratic, and riots are generally symptomatic of underlying problems more than being problems in and of themselves. In either case, neither protests nor riots were so significant as to constitute a national "mentality".

It truly is sickening watching city after city being destroyed by riots. [...] Under Obama, the Black communities are worse off than under Bush.

Stop over-exaggerating and generalizing; not a single city has been "destroyed" by riots, no one has died during the protests, damage has been relatively minor as far as riots go, and not all Democrats have been espousing the extremism of their party just as not all Republicans espouse the extremism of their party the way you are doing. Most people in this country do not even identify with a political party enough to have bothered going out and voting in the mid-terms.

I want to live in a color blind nation where when we see a Cop doing something questionable, we would not look to the race of those people involved but rather the simple evidence of the case. But that will never happen as long as Democrats use racism as an election strategy.

I would like that as well. Unfortunately, racism in law enforcement is still a reality and can factor into cases such as this one. It should not be the assumption, but nor should it be totally disregarded in the name of naive "color blindness". Republican election strategies are at least as deplorable as Democratic election strategies; both parties play on ignorance, fear, and anger... and the majority of voters let them.

P.S, for all those died in the wool Liberals who will say that Fox news also plays up these stories. Let me say that Fox news only plays them up after the Left makes them a story to begin with. Fox news is the only tv network news giving the other side of the story. Were it not for Fox, that cop would have been crucified and found guilty before the evidence even came out. Fox news was right once again, what a shock.

Fox News was on the responsive on this issue, but this does not mean its representation was accurate or unbiased. It also does not mean that Fox News is always on the responsive. You are seriously naive if you think any mainstream, corporate news outlet is actually unbiased and accurate.

Could the Cop have acted differently where the crimminal might have lived? Who knows, maybe, but all those who are so quick to judge him, what would you have done if a large man who just robbed a sotre attacked you & tried to take your gun from you. If he was once again charging you, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE? Bottom ine is a man chose to rob a store & then chose to attack the cop who was going to arrest him. His choices are the main reasons for his death.

Had I been in Officer Wilson's position I would not have known that Brown had just (allegedly) robbed a store. I would have known only that Brown and the other person with him were walking down the middle of the street. Most law enforcement officers are trained to use escalating command language rather than diffusive, cooperative language (which is an issue unto its own); there is reason to believe based on testimony of Wilson that this is the case within the FPD. I would not have personally used that language. Had the situation escalated regardless, I would not have let the individual approach me in a position that left me prone or unable to access my weapons effectively (e.g. roll up the window upon being approached in an aggressive fashion, pulled the vehicle away, gotten out when being approached, etc.). I would also have been carrying my non-lethal taser gun because my "comfort" is not as important as my efficacy on the job. Had the person backed off after being shot, as is the case in this scenario, I would not have pursued to engage as Wilson did but have trailed and requested back-up. Had I actually been charged, which testimony is conflicted over and medical testimony indicates is unlikely given the entrance and exit wound trajectories of the lethal shots, I would not have exercised lethal force on someone who was evidently unarmed; I would have aimed at the legs to immobilize. The point being that there were a lot of different ways Wilson could have responded throughout the entire exchange that would not have led to use of lethal force. There is enough evidence supporting this and enough undermining his claims that there should have at least been a trial in the matter. That there was not should raise concerns about the way law enforcement always protects its own, regardless of our race or other backgrounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT2v64Ykxc0

;)

The responses to this argument are so typical of Democrats brainwashed by a Liberal media. It truly is sad listening to the new age lynch mob. Remember when we truly had rampant racism in this nation, when an angry mob would want to lynch a Black man for something before any evidence was even put forth. You people are the new racists in this nation. It is scary what you are doing. You are bringing back an America of division & racial tension. You are truly ignorant racists who judge any white man who kills a Black man in self defense. It also happens against unarmed white men, but you could care less when it happens against Whites.

Where is your outrage when the VAST VAST amount of Black murders are at the hands of other Black men? You fools could care less about all their lives. It is only the very few cases of a white man killing a Black man that makes you outraged. I guess you don't care about Black on Black crimes. Their lives are worthless to you. It proves my entire premise that this is pure politics & Democrats truly could care less about the lives of Black people.

Do you ever see Democrats speaking out over the broken families in the Black communities, causing the gangs and violence & children with no parents at home. Do Democrats ever say word one about the core reasons for the problems in the Black community? It''s not the white man hurting the Black families, but live in your world of racism & politics.

You just spewed complete garbage as does every good little Democrat. We've already had black on white murders like with OJ Simpson where OJ was found innocent. Hmmm, I forget... when did White people riot in the streets? There are many examples of Black on White murders and it is funny how Fox news does not incite riots spewing complete lies of how all Black people are racists. Fools like you condone that kind of sick irresponsible journalism.

Only fools keep talking bout Assault rifles when in fact more people are killed by hammers than by assault rifles every year. But don't let that stop your mindless rants against Gun rights. In NY state, Democrats passed the so called safe act (safe for criminals) where any hunting rifle that holds 10 or more rounds is illegal. Fools actually swallow the lies from Democrats about so called assault rifles.

Did you hear about those Black men who killed a white man with hammers? Gee, why is that not all over the news? Can you even grasp your clinical hypocrisy?