missouri death and subsequent looting

I'm just an armchair observer, but I do closely follow several news feeds - and I am curious...

Does it bother anyone else to hear protestors claim 'police genocide'?

When I first read that, my immediate thought was that this claim demeans and minimizes the horrific suffering that entire ethnic groups have been subjected too. I've seen the pictures of starving, injured and dying children and infants that have literally ripped my heart out. THAT, is genocide....

It's hard to truly put thoughts down, but I guess my thought was a) this person truly doesn't know the meaning of the word b) to compare these two situations shows a lack of compassion to those who are truly subjected to genocide and c) a comment designed to enflame not resolve....

Am I off base here? Was there a deeper meaning/purpose to the use of the phrase that I'm missing or not aware of?

you left off:

d) Profiting off the unrest. (which gets my vote)

I don't know how to answer without more details on the shooting, and i don't think those details are available yet. (I'm referencing the question asked, not commenting on any looting, that i see no justification for.) If they're convinced the young man was killed for no reason other than his color, then the 'genocide' comment would be understandable.

Not sure I agree with that RHJ:

gen·o·cide /jene;sid/

noun

noun: genocide; plural noun: genocides

the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.

synonyms:

mass murder, mass homicide, massacre; More

That's what I don't get - by definition - genocide is the absolute removal of an entire culture, ethnic group, race, etc.
I can understand people feeling that the young man was treated differently based on his skin color, but to compare it to genocide - this is either the press capitilazing on an ignorant statement to inflame the situation, or there is something more sinister that is underlying that I am missing.
Am I that naive?

"or there is something more sinister that is underlying that I am missing."

I will not comment further due to political issues that will get your thread to go poof (you can follow the money on your own)

Ok...i don't want to go down that road on this forum. I'm as 'offended' by the looting as anyone else. On the subject of words used by either side, it seems like these things always follow the same path; one side is offended--the other is offended that they're offended.

Gotcha - thanks....

I was half afraid that starting this dialogue wouldn't be well received....

I'll request a mod to shut it down before it gets out of hand.

I wasn't suggesting you kill your thread......just that i didn't want to go any further down the road of defining 'genocide'.

Contemptible thieves using the tragedy as an excuse to steal.

Sharpton?

I don't think everyone that is protesting the death of the young man is a thief.....his parents for example.

No need to nuke the thread. Generally, we've had pretty civil discourse in here as of late.

It is just as destructive IMHO to label anyone who speaks out on the incident as a "thief", or equating any comment about what happened to the young man killed to "looting". Again, i think the looting is despicable. The young man's parents have pleaded with people not to loot. The issue here is deeper than just looting.

I think we are discussing the looters and the out of town people who are there to stir up trouble.

There is a difference between a protest and looting (and using this mans death for economic/political gains).

The original post asked about the use of the word "genocide" by "protesters". Is the only assumption that every "protester" is a "looter"?

I agree
The press is as much to blame for this, and maybe to some extent we are, because of our insatiable thirst/desire for information - so to get the headline(s) to drive your clicks, they (the press) further enflame the situation with carefully chosen words and phrases. So maybe I've answered my own initial question....which is, do reasonable, logical people agree with the initial statement. Likely not - but I still think it's an absolutely horrible analogy for someone to use. I would love to sit that person in front of a pictorial history of genocide....

I think part of the problem is that every news story that comes out is just like watching a sporting event for most people......we must immediately make the issue totally black and white, focus only on the areas that suit our needs, and root on our ideological side. We don't have room for anything but that.

Wow we agree

Done.