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Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

video
» 78 comments

Police officers allegedly doused Black Friday shoppers in pepper spray in an attempt to calm a disturbance inside a North Carolina Wal-Mart, arresting one and sending a child to the hospital.

The chaotic shopping scene spun out control when a man waiting in line for discounted cellphones fell into a display, which incited off-duty police officers to fire pepper spray into the crowd.

“He was raining it over the whole crowd so that it will rain down on their heads. Some of it got on my granddaughter in her face and eyes and she had to go to the emergency room because she’s asthmatic,” said the man arrested during the melee in an interview with local news channel WNCT.

RELATED: Woman Attacks Fellow Black Friday Shoppers With Pepper Spray At Wal Mart

Black Friday shopper Angel Bunting told NBC-affiliate WITN that at least 20 shoppers were affected by the pepper spray. WITN reported that Bunting said “people were standing in line for cell phones marked down from $200 to $35 when a man fell onto the display.” She believed it was an accident, but security thought there was a fight.

UPDATE: Kinston authorities dispute shopper accounts and are telling NBC News that “they only fired a single “puff” of pepper spray when a large group of people tried to grab products before Wal-Mart employees were finished putting the items on display.”

An officer sprayed “a puff” of pepper spray in the air to have the crowd “regain composure,” police said. They told NBC News that none of the substance was sprayed into anyone’s eyes or face and that no one requested medical attention.

Watch footage of the pepper spray-inundated customers covering their mouths below:

(h/t WITN, WNCT)

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  • http://www.storminsmorningjava.blogspot.com/ stormin1961

    shouldn’t this kind of story make you leftist union thugs happy. who better to pepper-spray than a Wal-Mart shopper.

  • Anonymous

    It’s OK… their lowly mid-west poor people. Not (mostly) white kids from a elite California university. It’s all good man.

    http://www.smartcitymemphis.com/2011/11/may-the-excessive-force-be-with-you/

  • americanoutlaw

    I used some pepper spray on my leftover turkey sandwich,delicious. Not as fun as spraying filthy squatters though.

  • Khalid Sheik Yerbouti

    But dad-gummit, they was out of Dale Earnhardt tee-shirts and Bud can cosies.

  • http://twitter.com/lizmckenzie55 Liz McKenzie

    Since when is North Carolina in the Mid-West???  Really reaching there binky.

  • MikeAtTheBeach

    Am I the only person without pepper spray?

  • Anonymous

    The folks in New York and DC see it that way.

  • Anonymous

    So, police officers are pepper-spraying little girls, and this is liberals faults.. man sometimes it’s scary to wonder what goes on in your head. 

    Maybe if your side had helped at OWS and stood up against police pepperspraying random people, stuff like this wouldn’t happen..

    HOWEVER…

    I think this will happen more and more and now pepperspray will be the FIRST thing police officers use…

    Good thing you didn’t stand up for those “dirty” protestors, it’s good, now cops can do whatever they want :)

  • Anonymous

    And you stood with the Tea Party?

  • Anonymous

    Tea Party wasn’t peppersprayed and attacked for sitting down and not moving, I think the Tea Parties never planned to push as hard as OWS has… but it needs to be done.

    With your argument of “you didn’t help the Tea Party”… you are really not helpful. I didn’t help the Tea Party because they were calling Obama a Commie Kenyan Muslim. Sorry if I didn’t jump on the bandwagon. Maybe if the big things you were promoting were getting lobbyists and money out of congress, I would have agreed and helped but the Tea Parties message was incredibly divisive.

  • Anonymous

    This casual use of pepper spray needs to stop.  That crap can kill and it’s slowing getting worked into the status quo.  I don’t like it at all.

  • Anonymous

    U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A. We’re #1

  • Ramseya86

    So some guy fell into a display and the police just started spraying pepper spray into the crowd? That’s a little ridiculous.  What did they even arrest him for? 

  • http://twitter.com/Brett_Cottrell Brett Cottrell

    The CDC warns that Black Friday is a drug that makes you buy tons of plastic junk.  Just say no to drugs.
    http://brettcottrell.blogspot.com/2011/11/black-friday-drug-that-makes-you-buy.html

  • YankeeinDC

    Actually, I’m unaware of anyone in DC who thinks North Carolina is in the midwest – me included.

  • YankeeinDC

    Perhaps you can cite a documented instance in which someone in DC or NY says they see it that or is otherwise shown to see it that way. I’m certainly curious.

  • Anonymous

    Anything not NY (upper east coast) and Cali is Mid-West wasteland to them. Just my opinion… but it come from years of hearing them say it.

  • Anonymous

    So a few bad apples spoil the bunch??? Is that how it works for the Tea Party or does that apply to the OWS folks too? And most were standing against the bailout of banks, auto industry, housing market, etc. You know… spending too much and drowning us in Chinese debt due to other peoples choices.

    And if I’m not helpful due to not marching with the OWS… you are in the same boat for fighting the Tea Party when it was trying to protest Washington spending. It works both ways.

  • http://twitter.com/grimcity Neal Boyd

    I’m not in a union, but I am a leftist thug, and the only thing I’m thinking about is how I can invest in peppers. They seem to be really popular this season.

  • americanoutlaw

    More pepper spray please.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LDO6LIQBI2JQ4Q5MWLWBKGKSJY bensanity

    Well they obviously don’t give a crap about NC because they didn’t even say what town it was in. KINSTON, formerly Kings Town, population 8,000+, over half the town’s on welfare. Home, sweet, home.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YS5LLXFMGXTP6ZKNPHPSBDVU3M Temple

    tatboy (if that is your real name),
    I think our friend snowspot was trying to say something along the lines of “an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere”. I dont think he was asking you to pitch a tent and join OWS. Instead I think he was saying that we all need to speak out when police overstep their authority or commit acts of police brutality, REGARDLESS of who its against, or it will become more widespread and acceptable.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YS5LLXFMGXTP6ZKNPHPSBDVU3M Temple

    And snowspot is right that pepper spray has become the first tool to come out of many policemen’s belts and that it is being unjustifiably used because it has come to be seen as an “all purpose tool” and that its use in situations that dont require violence / force has been deemed acceptable because it is viewed as “violence-lite”. (See UC-Davis and Officer Bologna incidents and Fox New commentators’- most notably O’Rielly- defense of deployment of pepper spray in those incidents)

  • Anonymous

    I was not getting that from the above comment. Thank you for the clarification.

  • Anonymous

    Once again our men in blue did the right thing to control an unruly crowd. This incident started when proper crowd control was not employed at the door. A limited amount of citizens should be let in to shop do not exceed the limit of the story personnel ability to provide service for the shoppers. 

    The use of pepper spray to control an unruly crowd is the least harmful way to defuse the situation. Jail them, fine them and tell them to quit being so greedy. 

  • Anonymous

    He was shoved into the display case by an unruly mob. The man was not sprayed the people starting to riot were brought under fast control in a humane way. Without the fast actions of the officers many may have been injured. This incident started when proper crowd control was not employed at the door. A limited amount of citizens should be let in to shop do not exceed the limit of the story personnel ability to provide service for the shoppers. 

    The use of pepper spray to control an unruly crowd is the least harmful way to defuse the situation. Jail them, fine them and tell them to quit being so greedy.

  • Anonymous

    He was shoved into the display case by an unruly mob. The man was not sprayed the people starting to riot were brought under fast control in a humane way. Without the fast actions of the officers many may have been injured. This incident started when proper crowd control was not employed at the door. A limited amount of citizens should be let in to shop do not exceed the limit of the story personnel ability to provide service for the shoppers. 
    The use of pepper spray to control an unruly crowd is the least harmful way to defuse the situation. Jail them, fine them and tell them to quit being so greedy.

  • Anonymous

    The position that cities has taken is wrong. Instead of enforcing the law, they catered to a very small group of violent people. The OWS are lawless elements turned lose on an innocence public by an evil ruler. I do not see any difference in the OWS than in the mobs that ran the streets on Chrystal night. Both sent to to street by an evil tyrant. In my research in drawing parallels in the youth mobs of the past and the OWS, they are more similarities than there are differences..

    Both are doing the bidding of an anti Jewish leader, whose was and is envious of the riches of the upper class. I am surprised that nine percent of the American public have sympathy for these thugs. I think of the words of Martin Luther King when I read posts by these nine percent. “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and consciencious stupidity.” One percent are die hard Marxist the other eight are just ignorance and stupid and do not understand the dangers of these criminals. Which group do you belong?

    Enforce the laws and represents all the people not a select few of violent criminals. 

  • Anonymous

    The position that LA has taken is wrong. Instead of enforcing the law, they catered to a very small group of violent people. The OWS are lawless elements turned lose on an innocence public by an evil ruler. I do not see any difference in the OWS than in the mobs that ran the streets on Chrystal night. Both sent to to street by an evil tyrant. In my research in drawing parallels in the youth mobs of the past and the OWS, they are more similarities than there are differences..

    Both are doing the bidding of an anti Jewish leader, whose was and is envious of the riches of the upper class. I am surprised that nine percent of the American public have sympathy for these thugs. I think of the words of Martin Luther King when I read posts by these nine percent. “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and consciencious stupidity.” One percent are die hard Marxist the other eight are just ignorance and stupid and do not understand the dangers of these criminals. Which group do you belong?

    Enforce the laws and represents all the people not a select few of violent criminals. 

  • Anonymous

    Unruly crowd where ever they are. Spraying is the least lethal way to handle crowds. It is bad for the jailers though the smell lingers and burns the eyes even after the criminals are booked. Law and order is the key to our civilized society. If we did not have laws and officers to enforce those laws we would be ruled by the law of the gun and gangs. 

    This does not work out to well look at Washington DC. 

  • Anonymous

    If I ruled the world no nonessential business would open until the Monday after Thanksgiving and there would be a strict limit on how many people could enter a retail location at any one time.

    That said people are stupid as hell to do the Black Friday thing.It’s not the time when the best deals are available and you can match the deals online.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YS5LLXFMGXTP6ZKNPHPSBDVU3M Temple

    I dont know how you can so unequivocally commend the police/security (from my reading it is unclear who sprayed) based on the eyewitness reports and the lack of video. It sounds like they indiscriminately sprayed into crowed because someone TRIPPED AND FELL. Could it be they misstook a fall for a fight? Absolutely? Is it possible the police/security were worried that they couldnt control a crowd that was too reasonable and possibly aggitated for them to handle? That would be understandable. BUT THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH PEPPER SPRAY. It is the police’s all-use-mr.-fix-it, and because it is viewed as “violence/force-lite” they have come to think of its deployment as something that will have no real consequences and, accordingly, are too quick to use it without thinking.
    Have you ever seen pepper spray deployed against a crowd in an enclosed area? I have. I can sum up what happened as such: an out of control stampede of panicked, scared, half-blind, and blind people tripping over eachother. How is that defusing the situation? How is that the safest option? Couple that with the risk of respiratory complications for children, the eldrery and people with health issues who may be in the vicinity and tell me how this a first or even second resort kind of course of action? (in this case, if u believe the reports, this was securities first resort)
    The LEAST HARMFUL WAY TO DIFUSE SUCH A SITUATION IS CRIMINAL AND CIVIL PUNISHMENT FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT TAKE MORE PROACTIVE STEPS FOR CROWD CONTROL. 
    I am not advocating a prohibition against pepper, what I fear is… well lets put it this way: Deadly force is like Nukes on the world stage: People thought alot harder, and were more hesitant about going to war with them around because the costs and risk of damage inflicted are too high. When your only options for force were your gun, ur batons, or ur hands cops were less likely to use force indiscriminately (all things being equal).

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YS5LLXFMGXTP6ZKNPHPSBDVU3M Temple

    @without_hate:disqus 1) this was part of a larger conversation about attitudes and trends, perceived or otherwise, about/in the use of pepper spray in crowd control and by law enforcement. 2) Where you there? Is there video? I’ve seen no eyewitness report recounting that the man was pushed nor that people were starting to riot. 3) I think you assumptions and general aura say far more about you than the reality. 4) I dont see how creating the potential for respiratory problems and a panicked and half-blinded stampede by (indiscriminately) spraying paper spray into crowd is a fast and humane way of practicing crowd control.

  • Anonymous

    without_hate needs to take his meds. 

  • Anonymous

    You don’t happen to sell aerosol capsaicin do you?   There seems to be few occasions you don’t find it’s use to be beneficial.  Personally, I could use a few days where I hear nothing about the noxious stuff.

    Spray ye not, lest ye also be sprayed.

  • Anonymous

    Neal, first we buys up all ‘da peppers, see?  We buyz up all the existin’ supplys, see?  Then, we gits ‘em by their nose hares.   PSSSSSSSST all the way to ‘da bank!

  • Anonymous

    Soon you’ll be able to just run around with an open jar and collect it, gratis. Clearly, it would be easy to come by.  Someone stubbles in a crowded store, PSSSSSSSSSSSTT.

  • Anonymous

    Truer words have never been spoken, Shogan. 

  • Anonymous

    Whose greedy here, the shoppers, or the store that deliberately packed them in?  Darn you Wal-Mart, stop bein’ so goshdern greedy!

  • Anonymous

    The only way you could get me into Wal-Mart (or any other retailer) on black friday would be to threaten me with aerosol capsaicin.

  • Anonymous

    Sounds like someone failed geography or the ink has gotten into someone’s blood stream.  

  • Anonymous

    Probably the only way I would be sprayed if I was walking by and some criminals attack a police officer and I might be collateral damage. That be the price I have to pay for law and order. Maybe this will die down and we move on to some other outrageous subjects.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com
    Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 3:42 PM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template

    Mezzovox wrote, in response to without_hate:
    You don’t happen to sell aerosol capsaicin do you?   There seems to be few occasions you don’t find it’s use to be beneficial.  Personally, I could use a few days where I hear nothing about the noxious stuff.
    Spray ye not, lest ye also be sprayed.
    Link to comment

  • Anonymous

    Both are greedy. Security should have started at the point of entry. The wall mart founder are big Clinton and Democrats supporters so you know where they stand when it comes to money.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com
    Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 4:01 PM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template

    Mezzovox wrote, in response to without_hate:
    Whose greedy here, the shoppers, or the store that deliberately packed them in?  Darn you Wal-Mart, stop bein’ so goshdern greedy! Link to comment

  • Anonymous

    NC=’midwest’?!?

    Wow you are ignorant.

  • Anonymous

    Walmart only pays health benefits to 44% of its employees – at $10 per hour non of them can afford to get hurt controlling a crowd.   You dont like unions and that is fine but this is what you get friend killer prices at killer locations where youll likely get killed on Black Friday.

  • Anonymous

    You seem fixated on my tattoos… curious. And mid-west fly-over country is politically anything NOT upper east coast (NY) and Cali (clinging to Gawd and Guns country as it was called by someone). But I guess you missed that.

  • Anonymous

    See above….

  • Anonymous

    I would expect to see more scenes like this coming soon – they will be riots for cheap food and medicine though, not waffle irons and phones…

  • Anonymous

    Jail them for what?  What laws did they break?

    Someone fell – is that a crime?

    The cops panicked and the reason they panicked was, as you pointed out, improper crowd management by the 18th largest corporation in the world – WalMart.  They couldnt afford it.  Just like they cant afford to provide health insurance to 54% of their employees.

    Thank goodness for our men and women in uniform – there to clean up the mess left by greed of the super rich and its affects on the lower income population.

  • Actually in the Mid West

    Since when is Kinston, North Carolina in the Mid West?

  • Anonymous

    The greed is not Walmart. It is known for its compassion and loving care of its employees. Out of thousands of employees, you have a few mal contents that you can not please. I am sure you seen them on your job, the one that do not carry their fair share and whine and complain all the time. You can bend over backward to try to motivate these people to work but they have a hand out and want to ride the back of others.
    How is it the company responsibility to pay for a person health insurance? I am at a loss on this one. Many company provide as part of the benefit package but they are not obligated to pay for anyone insurance. As I am not responsible to pay for anyone insurance. If a person is really disabled, can not walk because of no fault of his own, It is my responsibility to pay for him. If  they are elder I want to pitch in and help. This is normal. A man that can work can pay his own insurance.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com
    Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 10:14 PM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template

    donow wrote, in response to without_hate:
    Jail them for what?  What laws did they break?

    Someone fell – is that a crime?

    The cops panicked and the reason they panicked was, as you pointed out, improper crowd management by the 18th largest corporation in the world – WalMart.  They couldnt afford it.  Just like they cant afford to provide health insurance to 54% of their employees.
    Thank goodness for our men and women in uniform – there to clean up the mess left by greed of the super rich and its affects on the lower income population. Link to comment

  • Midwest

    Just in case you wanted to know the Wal-Mart Founder, Sam Walton died before Clinton was elected and was given the Metal of Freedom Award from Bush (a republican) in 1992.

  • Anonymous

    Just thought you want to know that Clinton involvement in politics did not start in 1993. He been a parasite on the government pay roll his entire adult life till he left office. There is nothing unusual about the Walton family supporting the Clinton they are from Arkansas. Powerful men gravity toward money,. In fairness they buttered their bread on both sides but they lean toward the Clinton.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com
    Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 11:16 PM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template

    Midwest (unregistered) wrote, in response to without_hate:
    Just in case you wanted to know the Wal-Mart Founder, Sam Walton died before Clinton was elected and was given the Metal of Freedom Award from Bush (a republican) in 1992. Link to comment

  • midwest

    First of all Grocery Stores and Dept. Stores are essential when you are talking a 4 day closure so they would be open anyway. Can you imagine the seen at Grocery Stores if no one could buy food for 4 days. It would be worse than Black Friday. That is one of the reasons Banks can not be closed more than 3 days in the USA.

    We have freedom of choice here in the USA. If someone chooses to go Black Friday Shopping they are free to do so. Just as you are free not to.

    While there are “Rulers” in some parts of the world, the USA is not one of them, thank God.

    And last but not least, if you “Ruled the World” the economy would be even worse than it is.

  • Anonymous

    See above…

  • Anonymous

    I was wrong. Alice has been a big donor to packs that support Republican more than Democrats on the national stage. I was surprised because earlier own the father supported democratic causes even though he hated politics and politicians.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com
    Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 11:16 PM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template

    Midwest (unregistered) wrote, in response to without_hate:
    Just in case you wanted to know the Wal-Mart Founder, Sam Walton died before Clinton was elected and was given the Metal of Freedom Award from Bush (a republican) in 1992. Link to comment

  • Anonymous

    Wal Mart loves their employees as a source of revenue – they buy death policies on all level workers and make a handsome profit when they die.  Beautiful.

  • http://twitter.com/grimcity Neal Boyd

    Well then, Laissez les bons temps rouler!

  • http://twitter.com/grimcity Neal Boyd

    “…least lethal way to handle crowds” sounds so 1984…

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Theresa-Darklady-Reed/581698361 Theresa ‘Darklady’ Reed

    Why are the only people who seem to gloat about people getting pepper sprayed… right-wing anti-union bullies? 

    I’ve never met a “leftist union thug,” let alone one who thought spraying a Wal-Mart shopper would be a good idea or something to be happy about.

    I feel badly for the shoppers and the underpaid, non-union employees who slave for Wal-Mart with little to show for it.

  • http://societyfordaintydamsels.wordpress.com Fennel

    This is to “Without Hate”:
    Well you sure seem to hate the Occupy persons.  The slogan they use 1% vs the 99% refers to how big business is
    OWS and other occupy groups throughout the US and for that matter the world.  They are protesting th fact that corporations don’t pay their fair share in taxes.  That cooked books by the Wall St. Bankers Goldman Sachs, Back of America , Bear Stearns  others made millions of US citizens lose millions of dollars in total numbers.   That the Wall St. Bailout was of course to bail out the banks. Meantime there are those that are homeless , lost their shirt because  of the mortgage crisis that the major banks created. They did this by encouraging  customers to get loans when they knew they couldn’t afford them. Resulting in foreclosures, loss of jobs, income, homelessness,
    Below is a report by The Center for Public Integrity.

    The Roots of the Financial Crisis: Who Is to Blame?  Funders include Macarther Foundation,  Carnegie Corp. of NYC,  Open Soc. Inst.  

    Banks that Financed Subprime Industry Collecting Billions in Bailouts

    By John Dunbar and David Donald |
    May 06, 2009 | ShareThis| Print This

    The top subprime lenders whose loans are largely blamed for
    triggering the global economic meltdown were owned or bankrolled by
    banks now collecting billions of dollars in bailout money — including
    several that have paid huge fines to settle predatory lending charges.

    These big institutions were not only unwitting victims of an
    unforeseen financial collapse, as they have sometimes portrayed
    themselves, but enablers that bankrolled the type of lending that has
    threatened the financial system.

    These are among the findings of a Center for Public Integrity
    analysis of government data on nearly 7.2 million “high-interest” or
    subprime loans made from 2005 through 2007, a period that marks the peak
    and collapse of the subprime boom. The computer-assisted analysis also
    reveals the top 25 originators of high-interest loans, accounting for
    nearly $1 trillion, or about 72 percent of such loans made during that
    period.

    The Center found that U.S. and European investment banks invested
    enormous sums in subprime lending due to unceasing demand for
    high-yield, high-risk bonds backed by home mortgages. The banks made
    huge profits while their executives collected handsome bonuses until the
    bottom fell out of the real estate market.

    Investment banks Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan & Co.,
    and Citigroup Inc. both owned and financed subprime lenders. Others,
    like RBS Greenwich Capital Investments Corp. (part of the Royal Bank of
    Scotland), Swiss bank Credit Suisse First Boston, and Goldman Sachs
    & Co., were major financial backers of subprime lenders.

    I know that those who believe otherwise will keep on believing no matter what the evidence shows.

  • Anonymous

    Formidablement!

  • bumsrush

    How come the cops are always pepper sprayin’ Black shoppers every Friday?

  • Anonymous

    I am not against their message it is the lack of respect for other people right. They have no right to occupy parks, building or schools. They should be protesting the government not blocking the right of free passage. They are violent parasite. Conduct them selves in a law abiding manner and I will support them.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com
    Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 10:33 AM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template

    Fennel (unregistered) wrote, in response to without_hate:
    This is to “Without Hate”:
    Well you sure seem to hate the Occupy persons.  The slogan they use 1% vs the 99% refers to how big business is OWS and other occupy groups throughout the US and for that matter the world.  They are protesting th fact that corporations don’t pay their fair share in taxes.  That cooked books by the Wall St. Bankers Goldman Sachs, Back of America , Bear Stearns  others made millions of US citizens lose millions of dollars in total numbers.   That the Wall St. Bailout was of course to bail out the banks. Meantime there are those that are homeless , lost their shirt because  of the mortgage crisis that the major banks created. They did this by encouraging  customers to get loans when they knew they couldn’t afford them. Resulting in foreclosures, loss of jobs, income, homelessness, Below is a report by The Center for Public Integrity.

    The Roots of the Financial Crisis: Who Is to Blame?  Funders include Macarther Foundation,  Carnegie Corp. of NYC,  Open Soc. Inst.

    Banks that Financed Subprime Industry Collecting Billions in Bailouts

    By John Dunbar and David Donald | May 06, 2009 | ShareThis| Print This

    The top subprime lenders whose loans are largely blamed for triggering the global economic meltdown were owned or bankrolled by banks now collecting billions of dollars in bailout money — including several that have paid huge fines to settle predatory lending charges.

    These big institutions were not only unwitting victims of an unforeseen financial collapse, as they have sometimes portrayed themselves, but enablers that bankrolled the type of lending that has threatened the financial system.

    These are among the findings of a Center for Public Integrity analysis of government data on nearly 7.2 million “high-interest” or subprime loans made from 2005 through 2007, a period that marks the peak
    and collapse of the subprime boom. The computer-assisted analysis also reveals the top 25 originators of high-interest loans, accounting for nearly $1 trillion, or about 72 percent of such loans made during that period.

    The Center found that U.S. and European investment banks invested enormous sums in subprime lending due to unceasing demand for high-yield, high-risk bonds backed by home mortgages. The banks made huge profits while their executives collected handsome bonuses until the
    bottom fell out of the real estate market.

    Investment banks Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan & Co.,
    and Citigroup Inc. both owned and financed subprime lenders. Others, like RBS Greenwich Capital Investments Corp. (part of the Royal Bank of Scotland), Swiss bank Credit Suisse First Boston, and Goldman Sachs & Co., were major financial backers of subprime lenders.

    I know that those who believe otherwise will keep on believing no matter what the evidence shows.
    Link to comment

  • Anonymous

    You are really not very astute business wise. The loss of a valuable employee can cost a corporation and extreme amount of money. You protect the corporations to save the jobs of other employees and you turn this normal business practice into something evil. We never fly in the same plane, we have insurance against the loss of one of our team members, this is normal. Quit making something evil out of something good.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com
    Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2011 1:07 AM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template

    donow wrote, in response to without_hate:
    Wal Mart loves their employees as a source of revenue – they buy death policies on all level workers and make a handsome profit when they die.  Beautiful. Link to comment

  • Danny

    Umm… North Carolina is on the east coast not the midwest…

  • shineOnBlueMoon

    You are so right. The coming resource wars will drastically thin the population and send us back technologically, and spiritually if it’s possible to go lower than we have. It will be like a Steven King novel. Life imitating art is the only way I can handle it!

  • shineOnBlueMoon

    I fail to see that Wal-StreetMart invests much at all in its employees; they are dispensable and easy to replace. Replacements, as you know, are often hired at a lower wage.

    Do you agree or disagree that American workers should be paid a living wage, including benefits such as paid time off, wellness benefits and company discounts for auto & home insurance?

    If health insurace is not included, shouldn’t the corporation pay its employee enough to be able to continue to be a productive and profitable worker?

  • shineOnBlueMoon

    News flash, without_hate:

    Greed works both sides of the aisle, and I think that most here are aware that there are more shades of gray than just black and white. Let’s just stick to the topic in as nonpartisan a way as possible, OK?

  • shineOnBlueMoon

    It’s a harbinger of much harder times to come.

  • shineOnBlueMoon

    Well, that’s true, it is a toss-up…NO, you are completely out of your tree!

    Of course we leftist union thugs are going to stand up for human rights, even though IMO the typical Wal-StreetMart consumer is a refugee from America’s Most Wanted.

    As Jesus said (you remember Jesus, don’t you?) What you do the the least of us you do to me, or sumtin’ like that. Or yourself, comprende, comrade?

  • shineOnBlueMoon

    I disagree that Law & Order are the keys – IMO, they are the byproducts of a well-educated,optimally utilized, well-paid, mentally healthy citizenry.

  • shineOnBlueMoon

    Bril, just bril!

    (the condor flies at midnight…)

  • shineOnBlueMoon

    Wow. It didn’t take you long to prove your name wrong.

  • Anonymous

    Telling the truth is an act of love. Condemning criminal behavior and painting a racist driven movement as heroic is an act of hate. On Chrystal night good men stood by and let the evil events unfold. I agree that the OWS has a right to protest, but their right ends when they begin to deny others their rights. I am curious did you see the racist signs, or  the signs calling for the assassination of a governor.  Perhaps you missed the stories on the attack on women.
    As we write, the assault team leaders of  our dear leader red army are planning attacks on our police officers. Read the coverage in the LA times. Live with love for the constitution, obey the law and stand up and speak up when you see evil and you will be a happy person. Protest peacefully and follow the rules as we all have to do.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com
    Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 3:16 AM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template

    shineOnBlueMoon wrote, in response to without_hate:
    Wow. It didn’t take you long to prove your name wrong.
    Link to comment

  • Anonymous

    I am sorry, I do not get your point. Are you saying that we need to have a better educated citizenry. I agree but that can not happen as long as we have union thugs running our education system and a department of education ran by liberals.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com
    Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 3:12 AM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template

    shineOnBlueMoon wrote, in response to without_hate:
    I disagree that Law & Order are the keys – IMO, they are the byproducts of a well-educated,optimally utilized, well-paid, mentally healthy citizenry.

    Link to comment

  • Anonymous

    I can not be non partisan. The definition of non-partisan as defined by the liberals is for me to allow them to continue to destroy our county with immoral philosophies and to void our constitution. non-partisan to a liberal is to shove their ideas down the throat of a compliant populace. We did that for decades and we have a country that has a failing government, a failing education system, a break down of law and order, corrupt officials in the white house, An Attorney General and a President will lie to Congress and the American people. An Attorney General that armed drug cartels. A President that uses tax payers money to reward donors. Non-Partisan did not work out to well over the past decades.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com
    Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 2:59 AM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template

    shineOnBlueMoon wrote, in response to without_hate:
    News flash, without_hate:

    Greed works both sides of the aisle, and I think that most here are aware that there are more shades of gray than just black and white. Let’s just stick to the topic in as nonpartisan a way as possible, OK?
    Link to comment

  • Anonymous

    You are implying that Walmart does not pay their employees fairly. This is union propaganda that sees a pile of gold and will do anything legal or illegal to get their greedy hands on it. I do not know what the benefits package of wall mart contains. I understand they operate under a profit sharing plan.
    To me all companies should operate on the team system and work together to maintain profitability. The company owes the employees a safe, secure,none racist, non sexist atmosphere to work and be productive. Benefits and salary to be based on the profitability of the company and a workers production.
    One way to insure that wages go up is to enforce the immigration laws and get the criminals out of the job market this will drive wages up.

    Why would you pay an employee for time off ?  An employee should be paid for earned vacations, sick leave and long term and short term disability. You do understand that a company has to make a profit to pay the employees. You seem to want to dismiss the responsibility of the employee to the company. They must do their part to make a profit.
    The profit can can be improved drastically by getting rid of the massive  un-fair tax code replace it with a fair tax across the board. Tort reform etc. This would go a long way in allowing companies to increase the salary and benefits paid to an employee.I trust the employee to be able to manage his affairs a lot more than I trust the government.
    Dump Obama care so as we can address the health needs of the employees in a responsible manner. This massive  Kill Bill will destroy our economy and there will be more lay off.
    For as owing an employee insurance coverage, the answer is no. It is a flawed concept. The employee can earn these benefits by working hard and producing a profit for the company.Company and employees must work together for their mutual benefits. A company that does not take care of it’s employees is doomed for failure. Employees are owed nothing they have to earn their wages and benefits through production.
    A company should always operate an open shop. If legislators will not protect the right of the businessman and allow union thugs to intimidate employees and company, my advise is to shut the company down and move to a business friendly environment. I have operators standing by to take your calls and begin you move to Asia immediately.
    We need to get the wages up in the agriculture sector. The only way to this is to fine a  farmer his entire year production if he is using an illegal on the farm. We may have to pay ten cents more for out vegetables so as American workers in the Agriculture Industry can earn a decent wage. We will not be over run by criminals taking our jobs.
    I am running against Sheila Jackson lee and the corrupt democrats and republican, I hope after hearing these sound policies, I can count on you to help me clean up the cess pool of Washington.  My staff will send you details on where to send your contribution and ideas on how to improve our country.

    ________________________________
    From: Disqus
    To: without_hate@yahoo.com Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 2:50 AM
    Subject: [mediaite] Re: Police Blast Pepper Spray At Unruly Black Friday Shoppers Inside North Carolina Wal-Mart

    Disqus generic email template shineOnBlueMoon wrote, in response to without_hate: I fail to see that Wal-StreetMart invests much at all in its employees; they are dispensable and easy to replace. Replacements, as you know, are often hired at a lower wage.

    Do you agree or disagree that American workers should be paid a living wage, including benefits such as paid time off, wellness benefits and company discounts for auto & home insurance?
    If health insurace is not included, shouldn’t the corporation pay its employee enough to be able to continue to be a productive and profitable worker? Link to comment

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