# Ferguson, MO **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 12, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354 "2014-08-12T04:51:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 171
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3401 "2014-11-29T07:48:49Z")
> [@Lucky\_Mike](#): > > One of the things I find very interesting about this case is this crime Brown committed. I mean, how does one think they will get away with something like that? In this day and age of cameras? > > Had he done this before and the police never followed up on reports or look for him? > > It really begs the question of why someone would do a stupid, pointless, nearly valueless crime. But, I guess it is hard to understand some mind sets in this world. The owner was intimidated enough that he didn’t report this to the police. A customer did. If the customer didn’t, yes, he would have gotten away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3402 "2014-11-29T08:38:26Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Mr. **Steophan** , I may have overlooked some posts but I haven’t seen any “proof” that there were no shots fired at Mr. Brown’s back. In his fine Great Debates thread, **sterontz** doesn’t think it can be [conclusively ruled out.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17934397&postcount=212) He does view it as unlikely. The audio recordings show the amounts of shots fired in the bursts, and Brown would have to have been hit by at least one bullet from each group. All the shots hit him in front. There’s no time for him to have been shot at from behind. If you want to believe a certain selection of eyewitness reports when the recorded audio and forensic evidence disagrees with them, that’s up to you, but I can’t imagine why you would want to. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3403 "2014-11-29T09:03:46Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > The audio recordings show the amounts of shots fired in the bursts, and Brown would have to have been hit by at least one bullet from each group. All the shots hit him in front. There’s no time for him to have been shot at from behind. > > If you want to believe a certain selection of eyewitness reports when the recorded audio and forensic evidence disagrees with them, that’s up to you, but I can’t imagine why you would want to. I’ll stick with what I wrote, including the paragraph you quoted. Your second paragraph has nothing to do with anything, and its inclusion hurts your credibility. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3404 "2014-11-29T16:38:38Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > The owner was intimidated enough that he didn’t report this to the police. A customer did. If the customer didn’t, yes, he would have gotten away with it. You didn’t cite anything to support your contention that intimidation was the motive. Also plausible, absent that, is that the owner just didn’t give a rat’s about a handful of cheapass cigars. _Now_ would be a good time for that, but _then_ would have been better. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3405 "2014-11-29T17:06:38Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > I have not made up a single fact, here or elsewhere motherfucker. I defy you to find an example of me doing so, you lying sack of shit. [Moderating] Calling other posters “motherfuckers” is a violation of the Pits language rules. Please avoid doing this in the future. No warning issued. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3406 "2014-11-29T17:30:23Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > You didn’t cite anything to support your contention that intimidation was the motive. Also plausible, absent that, is that the owner just didn’t give a rat’s about a handful of cheapass cigars. > > _Now_ would be a good time for that, but _then_ would have been better. [Intimidation is such a](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/27/235E7F8800000578-2851147-image-42_1417052714597.jpg) [far-fetched idea.](http://plancksconstant.org/blog1/images/tmp/michael-brown-thug.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3407 "2014-11-29T17:46:41Z")
Ah, but that’s not what I said, now is it, buckaroo? I did not make any inference as to motive, you did. Nor did I suggest that intimidation couldn’t be the motive. You are rebutting a point not made. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3408 "2014-11-29T18:03:31Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > You didn’t cite anything to support your contention that intimidation was the motive. Also plausible, absent that, is that the owner just didn’t give a rat’s about a handful of cheapass cigars. > > _Now_ would be a good time for that, but _then_ would have been better. That might be one of the Top 50 Stupidest Posts I’ve encountered on SDMB. Presumably you’ve seen [the video.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5ga8xM8W4M) Presumably you’ve read the sputtering “It wasn’t us!” denial of responsibility from the Ferguson Market. Presumably you’ve seen the “Snitches get stitches” graffiti on the side of the Ferguson QuickTrip store. (Possibly a false flag operation, but that’s CT territory.) If there was no intimidation involved in this theft, I’d say it’s equally correct to say that in the days of Mob protection rackets there was no intimidation involved – business owners just figured paying a few big bills each month wasn’t worth being concerned about. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3409 "2014-11-29T19:12:11Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > That might be one of the Top 50 Stupidest Posts I’ve encountered on SDMB… Certainly possible, what’s your post count? > [@](#): > > …If there was no intimidation involved in this theft… Didn’t say that, either. Merely pointed out that the presumption that the owner did not call the police because he was intimidated is just that: a presumption. That’s it. All I said. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3410 "2014-11-29T19:40:10Z")
For those who support Officer Wilson and wonder, [here is a roundup of arguments used by the other side, with links.](http://dollpoetry.tumblr.com/post/103624303286/hes-not-a-murderer-michael-tried-to-take-away) (Haven’t looked them over yet, so not necessarily mine; my purpose is just as described: to show reasons why the other side thinks as it does to those who support Wilson. This post as over 100K likes so I feel it’s representative.) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3411 "2014-11-29T19:52:34Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > For those who support Officer Wilson and wonder, [here is a roundup of arguments used by the other side, with links.](http://dollpoetry.tumblr.com/post/103624303286/hes-not-a-murderer-michael-tried-to-take-away) > > (Haven’t looked them over yet, so not necessarily mine; my purpose is just as described: to show reasons why the other side thinks as it does to those who support Wilson. This post as over 100K likes so I feel it’s representative.) I’m quite certain it’d be very interesting if it weren’t bright pink and grey text on a bright white and pink background. Do you have a version that’s readable by human beings whose eyes function in the visible light spectrum? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3412 "2014-11-29T19:53:17Z")
(And [some links to what news they’ve been reading](http://cousinnick.tumblr.com/post/103859106549/so-a-lot-of-you-know-that-i-have-been-feverishly).) Again, not comprehensive, and I haven’t perused the links (and some do seem more like opinion pieces), but again it’s highly approved of on a generally liberal/progressive platform, so I thought it appropriate to help at least understand where folks are coming from.) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3413 "2014-11-29T20:01:44Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m quite certain it’d be very interesting if it weren’t bright pink and grey text on a bright white and pink background. Do you have a version that’s readable by human beings whose eyes function in the visible light spectrum? Oops, my apologies; I first saw it on a mobile device, which does not use Web themes. [Here is a random reblog.](http://shmemson.tumblr.com/post/103707686014/hes-not-a-murderer-michael-tried-to-take-away) ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3414 "2014-11-29T20:56:24Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Certainly possible, what’s your post count? > > Didn’t say that, either. Merely pointed out that the presumption that the owner did not call the police because he was intimidated is just that: a presumption. > > That’s it. All I said. Apologies for the high ranking. I twitched the wrong way. There could have been other reasons. (I’m not completely convinced it wasn’t the store owner that called, and the cops tried to help him by claiming it was another customer – which would still show intimidation, but not the exact kind **Terr** specified.) Ontheotherhand! I tried to find a dollar amount for the convenience store theft, and it wasn’t easy. Wikipedia had about $48, but their link was to a video and I didn’t watch it. Other places had figures around $43. Lots of Google hits excerpted lefty sites saying (approximately), “killed for a $5 box of cigars!” The actual police report doesn’t give a number I can find. I’ve read that both young men had at least one box, so I’m thinking a cost of at least $10 and possibly as high as $48. My point: If someone walks out with $10 worth of merchandise and strong arms you as he leaves and has you scurrying back inside after you follow him outdoors there’s intimidation involved if you don’t call the cops. It may be long-term, “that’s just the price of doing business in a rough neighborhood” intimidation, but intimidation none-the-less. And if it’s $48 worth of stuff, even more so. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3415 "2014-11-29T22:19:09Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Apologies for the high ranking. I twitched the wrong way… Never happened. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3416 "2014-11-30T07:38:00Z")
Similar to previous posts, [what URLs Brown supporters might point to in reaction to some of the arguments already made here.](http://rosethomass.tumblr.com/post/103604034509). Again not vetted, but it also seems popular. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3417 "2014-11-30T14:36:14Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Similar to previous posts, [what URLs Brown supporters might point to in reaction to some of the arguments already made here.](http://rosethomass.tumblr.com/post/103604034509). Again not vetted, but it also seems popular. I only got a couple sentences in, and they lost me. Speculating that Wilson got married to stop his wife from testifying and pointing out that there exist other times in other circumstances where police didn’t kill a person ruined ant credibility it had. Of course I shouldn’t have wasted my time on it in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3418 "2014-11-30T14:38:35Z")
I like the concept of “ant credibility” ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3419 "2014-11-30T15:08:51Z")
Listen, I’m not sure it was a sound plan to expand the colony to the cracks of that driveway, but the Queen made a promise. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354/3420 "2014-11-30T15:35:26Z")
You’re not just saying that because she’s black? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354.md?page=170) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ferguson-mo/695354.md?page=172)