Aftermath of Ferguson

[watcher1]

This week, Ferguson took a big step forward. With the city's first municipal election since the death of Michael Brown, the city tripled the number of black members of its city council.  For the first time in Ferguson history, half of the council members will be black. About 30% of voters had cast ballots, more than double the participants in the last two elections. The sad part of all this is that in the 3rd Ward, which includes the area Brown was from and where many businesses were destroyed and looted, only 19% of voters cast ballots. But that is more then three times the number who voted in 2012, when the ward had its last contested election.

[sheriff andy]

That was one aspect of the protestors complaints about Ferguson I didn't understand.
They were complaining that blacks were not fairly represented on the council, but they were the ones to elect said council.

Like I've always said, if you don't vote you have no right to bitch about the guy that gets in.

[Lois]

I agree with you on that, Andy.

[watcher1]

Like I've always said, if you don't vote you have no right to bitch about the guy that gets in.

Why I posted this. If the past incident did not stir up people to come out in droves to vote for change, what will?  Sad part of this is also the extreme apathy all across the US of people to vote.

[Dgan]

I'm sure they will find some way to spin their lack of voting on rich white people. It's easier than putting forth the effort to go vote when the election stations are probably every bit as close as the stores they looted.

[sheriff andy]

I am curious to know how many business opened back up.  In LA after their riots some years ago those stores stayed closed and were never replaced by another.

The thought being that with riots every few years there is no profit in opening a large grocery just to have it looted and burned.

[Dgan]

I honestly hope that none of them re-opened but instead took their business to neighborhoods that appreciated them.

[Lois]

I am curious to know how many business opened back up.  In LA after their riots some years ago those stores stayed closed and were never replaced by another.

The thought being that with riots every few years there is no profit in opening a large grocery just to have it looted and burned.

It must be hard to get insurance after riots.  That would prevent a lot of stores from re-opening.