I was young, dumb, and invincible. Also, not an active participant in anyway. I was on the edge observing. Only time I've ever directly observed a mob mentality in real life. I went home as soon as the tear gas came out.

You all are giving them way too much of credit. You must have never been in a riot before. I have. It was March of 2002, in Bloomington Indiana. Maryland had just robbed IU of the NCAA championship in basketball. I stood on the side walk and watched as a mob burned a couch in the street and toppled a stop sign. The police had to fire tear gas into the crowd. I can tell you no one there felt a social contract had been broken. Nobody stood up and gave a intellectual brave heart speech about how they had been disenfranchised and that a couch must be burned. There was bunch of booze involved and a bunch of punk kids looking for a reason to be ridiculous. Same with these people. Bunch of punks.

For sure, I agree. The free TV and booze crowd, though, in no way takes away from the swelling of anger this stuff causes and the overall disenfranchisement that Kat was speaking about.

Still, though - and this even applies to the TV gang - if you don't feel part of a system, then who cares? Get you a TV. Take some booze. Light 'er up on the way out the door. So let's say you're not a thief through and through, but you're up to your eyeballs in rage and realize the system was never meant for you and you have no other recourse, then leave the TV's right where they are and torch the whole joint. If you have no investment in a community, then none of it matters. It is hard to feel invested when the whole show feels like it never was meant for you in the first place.

Again, I'm not saying I condone it, but I really do think I understand it when I try to put myself in their shoes. Heck, even just watching that video made me want to get my hands on that cop and twist his pencil neck off. The rage that something like this is capable of stirring up is palpable.

Unfortunately, I do not agree with your premise. There's no "system" keeping this group or that group down. Point out a racist policy by the government and I'll help fight it. Point out a racist cop and I'll back getting him fired. Point to some imaginary boogeyman like "systemic racism" or "white privilege" or some such nonsense and you're on your own with your imagination.

Unfortunately, I do not agree with your premise. There's no "system" keeping this group or that group down. Point out a racist policy by the government and I'll help fight it. Point out a racist cop and I'll back getting him fired. Point to some imaginary boogeyman like "systemic racism" or "white privilege" or some such nonsense and you're on your own with your imagination.

Saw someone protesting with 4 large flat screens on a shopping cart. One looked to be a 70 incher. I could just see his pain!

I'd go for steaks and booze personally.

I'm a redneck, I would be the only one grabbing a pair of work boots and some sawzall blades.

Sawzall blades are steep! What's up with that?

Can anyone fact check this?

I hate thieves more than anything In this world. But when did stealing become punishable by death. Did I miss when USA became the Middle East?