I've been following a lot of the coverage on CNN and I admit I am somewhat fascinated by what I'm seeing. I have no doubt that there are some there who are provoking and inciting the crowds. The same here on this board. We call them trolls.

I have one question that I can't figure out ... would the rioting have happened if the cop was black?

I cannot understand "looting". I've seen it a few times in my life (not firsthand, though). The Rodney King stuff, in New Orleans after the hurricane, the race riots of the mid-60s and in the worst case, in Brooklyn during the blackout of 1977. It is a crime of opportunity, not anything else. It is NOT a sign of unhappiness or anger. It's a chance to get something for free. It is shortsighted because it only serves to destroy a community. I don't care what color of residents do this, it KILLS A COMMUNITY! (You ever notice this almost always happens in the heat of summer? The inner-city kids get worked up and do this shit because they're bored. You won't see this happen on a cold winter night because nobody wants to be hanging out on the streets then).

All that said, I believe the cops overreacted here.