Here is a link to a fairly complete local story on the situation in Benton Harbor MI.
Herald Palladium
Herald Palladium
Update on Benton Harbor
- Thread starter KenGr
- Start date
Sh!ts been brewing in Benton Harbor for years. Its finally boiling over. Its getting ugly there. Everyone in the community sees the police as the bad guys. There are 16,000 people living there, mostly in poverty, 90% are African American, and almost all the cops are white. That's not the healthiest recipe right now. Some elderly couple got their house burned down that were living in it for over 30 years. What a mess.
I don't know. With my job I never find the time to burn down houses anymore. I think the drugs and teen pregnancy are running rampant there too. The town used to be a big tourist haven except for the last ten years or so.
For anyone who didn't see my thread in regular OT, I am a photographer for this newspaper. Last night, the 3rd night, was fairly quiet at heavy rain kept crowds away, combined with the presence of hundreds of state troopers from every post in the state. They plan on staying tonight "just in case". I don't expect anything to happen but it will be interesting. In next week's issue of newsweek look for my pictures.
This looks like another one of those bandwagon incidents in which people with too much time get caught up in a cause for the sake of protesting; however there must be some truth in their claims of police corruption for it to have escalated this much.
And just three or four years ago, residents were complaining because, IIRC, the Benton Harbor Police Department was either dissolved or reduced in man-power by a substantial number due to lack of funding and crime was running rampant. The county sheriff and state police said they would try to divert resources to compensate for the loss of local policing.
The city has funding problems because these people are animals who have chased away the local tax base of residents and businesses. They fled, all who could move, anyway, leaving just the bottom dwellers behind. Same thing is happening in Muskegon.
Perhaps they should try committing fewer crimes if they don't like being on the losing end of confrontations with police who are doing the job tax-payers expect them to do, which includes stopping violators racing their motorcycles down public streets at 80MPH. Getting a job would be a good place for many of them to start.
The city has funding problems because these people are animals who have chased away the local tax base of residents and businesses. They fled, all who could move, anyway, leaving just the bottom dwellers behind. Same thing is happening in Muskegon.
Perhaps they should try committing fewer crimes if they don't like being on the losing end of confrontations with police who are doing the job tax-payers expect them to do, which includes stopping violators racing their motorcycles down public streets at 80MPH. Getting a job would be a good place for many of them to start.
Doesn't racism require some prior knowledge as to the race of the other person? I'm assuming the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet and something more than shorts and a t-shirt. I'm also assuming that it's difficult to read the license plate of a motorcycle going by at 100 mph or when it's several blocks ahead of you.
Originally posted by: Linflas
Prior to this the only time I recall even knowing there was such a place as Benton Harbor is because Heathkit used to have their headquarters there. Yes I am a geezer.
Whirlpool is headquarted in Benton Harbor.
Not that I believe the claims of racism in this case, but the motorcyclist in question was well known in the community. Often seen popping wheelies for block(s) at a time racing down the street. He drove a 900CBR that was quite recognizable.
Well, you know, that's logical thinking and we can't have any of that!
This is just impoverished, highly disfunctional, and disgruntled people looking for any avenue of outlet through which to release their frustration and misery, legitimate or not. I sympathize with them, but we can't tolerate this kind of expression.
I'm mad so I'm gonna burn the neighborhood to the ground. Umm...no.
nineteen homes were burned as a final tally, FYI. Five were occupied, one of which left a family of six homeless. Governor Granholm is speaking here at 3PM EST, which I will cover. I'm told by a stringer there are two dozen bodyguards for her.
Very nice photo.
It's jerks like you that make me want to waste hundreds of dollars and bigger and better cameras. I must resist my DSLR tempations!!
It's jerks like you that make me want to waste hundreds of dollars and bigger and better cameras. I must resist my DSLR tempations!!
Zebo
Elite Member
- Jul 29, 2001
- 39,398
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See this is why i could'nt be a cop. I would have shot the rider in the back for driving at 80MPH though a residential area, endangering the lives of slow moving children and old people, and continuing to run for a relativly minor traffic infraction.
Darwin at work.
Darwin at work.
Maybe he should have tried parking it and taking the ticket, he did crash into a house correct? Killed himself? How many other people in his own neighborhood did he put in danger? They should have a block party and celebrate this asshat is gone......
It's very unlikely the policeman knew who was on the motorcycle. The biker was well known in his neighborhood and may have been known to the Benton Harbor police (he had only a minor record, apparently) but the policeman was a Benton Township officer, not the city police. He followed him into the city in pursuit. There was no specific reason for him to even assume the biker was a Benton Harbor resident. Also, there are lots of CBR's in the county. It's a very common bike.
Relative to the economic situation in BH, keep in mind that it has 25% unemployment but that amounts to probably only a little over a thousand people out of work in a county that does not have high unemployment. (Again, this is a small town.) A host of events have resulted in a number of the undereducated, the unskilled, and those with drug/alcohol/criminal problems being concentrated in BH, making life difficult for the majority of BH residents who don't share those problems.
Completely agree. It's nice to hear from another local resident. State police are showing up again in force tonight, but I think one of the major things that will persuade people not to cause a disturbance (other than the overwhelming force) are the pleas from the family and relatives of the dead young man to cease the violence. The governor came down and announced they are creating a commission to deal as a liason with the community of BH, and pastors in the community are really reaching out to people in an effort to calm them down. I don't think anything will happen. They postponed his funeral until monday though, a smart move IMO.
Originally posted by: ZaneNBK
Very nice photo.
It's jerks like you that make me want to waste hundreds of dollars and bigger and better cameras. I must resist my DSLR tempations!!
Why are you calling him a jerk? What is DSLR? Dumb,Stupid,Loser Rhetoric?
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