one conviction I mean

People on here are talking about “going back to africa” are you kidding. In africa people are still part of the food chain!Black Aemericans are the MOST educated,Wealthiest, and most powerful black community in the history of the world. Why dont people realize this and take advantage of it.Affirmative action people. Get out there get and education and become someone important and change things yourself. Over the past 30 years the black community in the USA(the greatest and fairest country in the world) has risen dramatically. Look at the statistics people. More than half of all black are middle class. 50 percent of blacks now own there own home. There is some crazy phenomenon in this country called white guilt(even though no one today even ever met anyone who owned a slave). Take advantage of it.PPl recognize that alot of blacks go to low performance schools, so they try to compensate with college quotas so black kids can get an education. Take advantage of it.And use this case to help prevent this from happening to your children. Teach them that you have to respect cops and do what they ask and they will grow up and do just that and they wont have any problems with the cops. if you teach children that this country is racist and cops hate black ppl then the children will grow up with a chip on their shoulder and not do the right thing. I see the people who the police rough up. They arent the compliant ones. This isnt a race issue here. 4 cops thought they were preventing a gun fight,the driver of the car then actually hits one of the cops and smashes into 2 cops cars. What should the cops do say ill take my risk at getting killed. And the number of shot is irrelevent.if you shoot sum1 1 time and they die are they less dead then if you shoot them 100 times. NO!!Lets take a negative and turn it into a positive by teaching our children to behave civilly. Also education is key people. In new jersey inner city schools spend alottt more money per pupil than suburban schools. The problem isnt funding. The problem is the kids in the school who's parent are cracked out so they dont care about their kids school.Than the other kids(the majority) cant get an education because of all the screw ups. No one is going to change things for you, you have to educate and do it for yourselfs.They answer isnt riot its educate.

Unbelievable! I’m not surprised b/c police officers are almost never convicted in situations like this. Probable cause is such a broad standard so when that is thrown in, the prosecution has to be on their A game. It’s obvious the prosecution didn’t pull it together b/c I’m not understanding how they couldn’t argue and prove that 50 rounds WAS excessive force. Hopefully they will go back and SUE in civil court and recoup damages for wrongful death, loss of consortium and emotional distress. Maybe even sue under Section or 1981 or 1983, civil rights statutes). No amount of money can bring her husband back but it damn sure will serve justice. RIP Sean Bell and my immense condolences go out to the Bell family

[quote comment="78066"]This is indeed very sad. You would have to be colored to understand the kind of feelings a person of color hoards within by this verdict. But we try to remain civil as we walk down the street, as we see arrogant officers laughing and celebrating, all on the strength of dignity we do not react. It is not a case of black or white...it has to do w/humanity. These officers off course does not want to lose their life or freedom...so they hire legal help so that they are able to have the opportunity to live a free life...the sad thing is they don't think anything of the pain and sorrow they have caused, by their own carelessness. In N.Y. there are three letters written on the police cars as they are patroling by, they are CPR, they supposedly stand for Courtesy, Proffesionalism & Respect. unfortunately, those three letters in the colored community stands for Cunning, Persecute & Racist. It is sad when you see colored officers patroling the more prominent neighborhoods, and white officers patroling the less prominent neighborhoods. They already look scared...that entire set up is intentional...if a young person looks suspicious, they have their hands on their weapons just because he looks suspicious. Nicole Paultre, her mother, Seam Bell's parent's & family and most of all Sean and Nicole's beautiful baby girl. That beautiful little girl will never hear the voice or hold the hands of father again, because the same people who are desperately trying to keep their life, took away her daddy's life. I have to commend Nicole Paultre, this is very dignified & strong woman. It takes a hell of a woman to remain as dignified and strong as Nicole has through something like this. What touched me the most is seeing Nicole break down after the verdict. No one deserves this, no matter what color. The only thing is unfortunately...we, as colored people will be the ones who continually have to go through this.[/quote] Great point, but can you refrain from using the term "colored". That sets us back 40 years.

NORTH CAROLINA AND INDIANA YOU MUST GOOOO OUT AND VOTE FOR MR.OBAMA WITH A QUICKNESS!!!SO CHANGE CAN HAPPEN!!

I am soooo sick over this. And they wonder why people are so hopeless and violent these days. No justice. No peace.

People act like racism disappeared or something and has made a come back. It's still prevalent as ever...no matter what 9/11 brought to this country with foreigners attacking, blacks are still considered the threat! W people will rather hate blacks then to acutally follow the constitution...read that again too cuz it makes perfect sense. W people have been attacking us for thousands of years, what is missing over the verdict is...2 damn black cops shooting at their own. You can wound or kill a person with 1 bullet. These cops are trained to have a good eye and they can take your kneecaps out or something to restrain you. Im finding some black cops are worse then the racist police out there. They fall into the trap. If anything, the black cops could have relaxed the tension of that night by being able to communicate with the individuals fired upon. So we as black people can be upset but we can't judge...we have someone in place for that. Those cops along with others will have to account for their actions when the man upstairs extends his wrath!!!!

OBAMA 08 IS ALL I GOT TO SAY!!!!!

you have got to be the most ignorant person I have ever come across. No matter how long we live in this world, black ppl would always be margianilized, and it continues becaus eof ppl like you who find all forms of excuses to get off talking shit. I will pray for you. My hope is that you never have to deal with it, I wonder what your reaction would be then? This here ish is what I am talking about. Hoe sit down.

That one was for Karyn.

These cops will reap what they sow, Trust! God will judge them for their actions!

I don't understand what everyone here was expecting. These cases are exceedingly difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt and those who tell you otherwise are doing you a disservice.

To hear what happend today makes me sick to my stomach! I do pray for peace in everyone's life that was affected.

[quote comment="78044"][quote comment="77941"][quote comment="77818"][quote comment="77747"][quote comment="77722"]Oh man, I know I'm going to be in for it but we're all entitled to our own opinions so here goes nothing: I'm a black woman and feel that by calling the not guilty sentence "wrong" or "BS" is the problem that perpetuates racism. C'mon, if all those cops were black and had done the same thing to a white guy and then the black cops were found not guilty then everything would be a-ok. So how is that right? And if the opposite happened -- they found the black cops guilty then all hell would have broken loose again. "They were found guilty cause they're black, blah blah." C'om people, we as a race are better than that. I'm tired of hearing about slavery, oppressing us for so long, etc. but this is 2008 and people today had NOTHING to do with what happened to our ancestors. There's a reason why a higher percentage of Latino and African-Americans are in prison and/or father illegitimate children, etc. Go ahead and launch into a tirade of how I'm a sell-out, etc. I'm just saying....[/quote] ...what you’re speaking' of is a strange hypothetical, it has never happened and has nothing to do with the tragedy that just occurred. If your are concerned about "counter-attacks" why would you post this in light of the fact that the whole African American community is in mourning over this??? No one needs to go on a tirade, the fact that you’re expecting or trying to incite such an outcome to your statements would suggest that you obviously feel that you’re self hating and a sell out. What are your intentions?[/quote] well said :D tore her ass up.[/quote] Just Nikki. I commend you and agree with your statement wholeheartedly. To Ms. Karyn: Please allow me to formulate my thoughts on what you believe perpetuates racism. We as African Americans have doors closed, applications for employment rejected and suffer from cancellations of programs that benefit our youth. Is our belief that if we were non-African American those doors may have remained opened, received the job offer, or had people trying to not only save current programs, but also create new ones for our youth "BS" and racist? There are individuals who are "so tired" of hearing us talk about the oppression of our people, Jim Crow and the basic day to day, either overtly or instructional racism ,that we face. I am one of those who is equally as "tired" of hearing people who think what we see, feel and experience is some sort of figment of our imagination or our reading to deeply into something that is not there. You have your African Americans who proudly boast "I'm educated and I worked hard to get where I am. I did it myself. I didn't need the support of "Affirmative Action" programs and such to get me where i am today." Those are the ones I've never quite understood because for as much as people want to pretend, guess what? Race does matter. I AM one of those who is highly educated ( 2 BA degrees as well as a Dual Masters), am in senior management with my company and grew up in "suburbia". But for no amount of education, no matter how articulate I may be in a board of directors meeting, how "fine" my hair is, I am still a BLACK woman in America rather than a woman who happens to be black. In being a BLACK woman in America means a struggle, it means working twice as hard to get half as far, it means understanding that no matter how much we kid ourselves, we have yet to be viewed as equals citizens in this country. So, to you, Ms. Kayrn..."I'm just saying"[/quote] I love it! You better preach!![/quote] Well said. And the sad thing is, no matter how high up the ladder we get along w/all of our education and experience, there is always someone up there reminding you that, your leash is not that long.

[quote comment="77585"]MY HEART IS BROKEN! HOW TO STOP A CAR WITH A GUN? 4 TIRES+4 BULLETS=STOPPED CAR! NOT 50! EVER! FOR ANY REASON![/quote] So true.....that's why people take the law into their own hands, because of chit like this. It's disgusting.

To be honest i knew the judge was gonna let the cops off easily, the justice system sucks when it come to black people if the role who have been reversed and the guys in the car were white men those three cops would have been punished, someone father,son,husband,etc was killed and the judge felt that he was a danger the man was going to get married i don't think he had any evil thoughts in his mind , but after seeing what happen to Sean bell family show me that being black is really a crime in America.

[quote comment="77742"]NATAHSE THERE WILL BE NO PROBLEM 'CAUSE BLACK FOLK IN MY CITY ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE THE COPS PROBLEMS - IT WILL BE OUTTA MIND BY WEDNESDAY. A GROUP OF US DID WHAT WE COULD. BUT NOT MANY PEOPLE WERE WILLING TOSTAND WITH US. WE EVEN ORGANIZED WITH THE COPS RE: TRAINING AND THE CULTURE OF THE NYPD IGS- WE SHOULD BE AT THE PRECINCT SSTANDING OUTSIDE IN SILENCE STARING DOWN EVERY COP THAT COMES & GOES OUT OF THE STATION - BUT WE WON'T - WE SHOULD BE IN OUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES FACES - BUT WE WON'T - WE SHOULD BE HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE CHIEF OF POLICE, THE COMMISSIONER - BUT WE WON'T - WE SHOULD VOTE IN MUCH GREATER NUMBES THAN WE DO WE SHOULD DO MORE THAN MARCH AND BITCH - BUT WE WON'T[/quote] Let's start with you. What are YOU willing to do? in your community? "WE" starts with "YOU"

I am scared of the message that this sends out to all the young black people, that our lives aren't worth much which is far from the truth. How can I protect my son from things like this??

Disguting. Like someone said before their down fall will come. & hopefully very soon!!

[quote comment="78086"][quote comment="78066"]This is indeed very sad. You would have to be colored to understand the kind of feelings a person of color hoards within by this verdict. But we try to remain civil as we walk down the street, as we see arrogant officers laughing and celebrating, all on the strength of dignity we do not react. It is not a case of black or white...it has to do w/humanity. These officers off course does not want to lose their life or freedom...so they hire legal help so that they are able to have the opportunity to live a free life...the sad thing is they don't think anything of the pain and sorrow they have caused, by their own carelessness. In N.Y. there are three letters written on the police cars as they are patroling by, they are CPR, they supposedly stand for Courtesy, Proffesionalism & Respect. unfortunately, those three letters in the colored community stands for Cunning, Persecute & Racist. It is sad when you see colored officers patroling the more prominent neighborhoods, and white officers patroling the less prominent neighborhoods. They already look scared...that entire set up is intentional...if a young person looks suspicious, they have their hands on their weapons just because he looks suspicious. Nicole Paultre, her mother, Seam Bell's parent's & family and most of all Sean and Nicole's beautiful baby girl. That beautiful little girl will never hear the voice or hold the hands of father again, because the same people who are desperately trying to keep their life, took away her daddy's life. I have to commend Nicole Paultre, this is very dignified & strong woman. It takes a hell of a woman to remain as dignified and strong as Nicole has through something like this. What touched me the most is seeing Nicole break down after the verdict. No one deserves this, no matter what color. The only thing is unfortunately...we, as colored people will be the ones who continually have to go through this.[/quote] Great point, but can you refrain from using the term "colored". That sets us back 40 years.[/quote] I use the term colored, not to set us back 40 years. But there are plenty of us that look black, and claim black, but have the blood of many different races flowing through our bodies.

This is so sad. This is what Rev. Jeremiah Wright meant when he said "God DxxN America!!" He was right!

Time for a protest!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a DAMN SHAME...

if the races were switched would the verdict be the same!!!!! just food for thought.

OMG what's going on in 2008

I meant to say these tricker happy cops.