What’s going on?

[MsVee]

The reality is you try so hard to be a good citizen and even if you succeed you live with the knowledge that you are still not safe. I think the Amy Cooper scenario says it all.

The gentleman asked her to leash her dog (as required by the rules in Central Park). Amy’s threat was to call the police and identify him by race. It was clear to her that calling the police on an African-American male would have serious consequences.

My Mother and Father were active in the civil rights movement. They believed in the ability of people to make lasting societal changes. They were proud that their children had access to educational opportunities. They wanted a better future for my siblings and me. My mother was at the March on Washington and in some ways it appears that we have made significant progress in race relations. Unfortunately the untimely murder of George Floyd resonates and echoes with strains of the death of Emmit Till. Have we really made progress, or is this all just an illusion?

Black men are in danger of being murdered if they buy skittles (Trayvon Martin), go for a jog (Ahmad Aubrey), reach for a cell phone (Amadou Diallo), sell cigarettes, (Eric Garner), or even look at a white woman (Emmit Till). The lists goes on and on. None of these actions are inherently dangerous yet they all ended up dead.

I am not normally a pessimistic person but I am questioning several things. I am also so tired of adding names to these death rolls like Michael Brown and Tamit Rice and far too many to mention. How horrific that I can think of so many names and lives ended far too soon.

What is the point in having a Monday off in January to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr King if we as a people have not moved the needle substantially in terms of racial equality?

 

[k9ophile]

What is the point in having a Monday off in January to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr King if we as a people have not moved the needle substantially in terms of racial equality?

I'm not sure that the point of creating MLK, Jr. day was ever meant to celebrate his life and legacy. Far too many people see it more as a three day week-end. OK, so I know in reality, December 25th really isn't the birth of Jesus. Yet we don't move it or the 4th of July to create three day week-ends. I've always thought it was a dishonor to turn MLK, Jr Day into a three day week-end, even if that wasn't the original intent.

 

[Webmommy]

The reality is you try so hard to be a good citizen and even if you succeed you live with the knowledge that you are still not safe. I think the Amy Cooper scenario says it all.

The gentleman asked her to leash her dog (as required by the rules in Central Park). Amy’s threat was to call the police and identify him by race. It was clear to her that calling the police on an African-American male would have serious consequences.

My Mother and Father were active in the civil rights movement. They believed in the ability of people to make lasting societal changes. They were proud that their children had access to educational opportunities. They wanted a better future for my siblings and me. My mother was at the March on Washington and in some ways it appears that we have made significant progress in race relations. Unfortunately the untimely murder of George Floyd resonates and echoes with strains of the death of Emmit Till. Have we really made progress, or is this all just an illusion?

Black men are in danger of being murdered if they buy skittles (Trayvon Martin), go for a jog (Ahmad Aubrey), reach for a cell phone (Amadou Diallo), sell cigarettes, (Eric Garner), or even look at a white woman (Emmit Till). The lists goes on and on. None of these actions are inherently dangerous yet they all ended up dead.

I am not normally a pessimistic person but I am questioning several things. I am also so tired of adding names to these death rolls like Michael Brown and Tamit Rice and far too many to mention. How horrific that I can think of so many names and lives ended far too soon.

What is the point in having a Monday off in January to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr King if we as a people have not moved the needle substantially in terms of racial equality?

The cops who murdered Breonna Taylor STILL haven’t been arrested! Arrested is a start but cops rarely get convicted and that is very disillusioning.

That holiday is to look like our country has done something and that racism is over without actually doing anything. To give us everything we don’t want or need and not the equality we asked for. Like cops kneeling with us at protests but won’t stop themselves from brutalizing and killing us along with any protestor who objects! Have you seen the videos and live videos on Twitter how the police are attacking EVERYONE at these protests? Just so violent.

 

[k9ophile]

The cops who murdered Breonna Taylor STILL haven’t been arrested! Arrested is a start but cops rarely get convicted and that is very disillusioning.

That holiday is to look like our country has done something and that racism is over without actually doing anything. To give us everything we don’t want or need and not the equality we asked for. Like cops kneeling with us at protests but won’t stop themselves from brutalizing and killing us along with any protestor who objects! Have you seen the videos and live videos on Twitter how the police are attacking EVERYONE at these protests? Just so violent.

I saw a video that was implying that Taylor was knee deep in the drug scene and deserved no sympathy. Oh, how I wish I could remember his name so I could reference this. It was appalling. Naturally curious, I did a search. There was a suspect picked up earlier that day at another location who allegedly used Taylor's address for selling drugs. From what I can tell nothing was affirmed. I'm posting an article that I found interesting. I especially was intrigued by the idea that if the amount of drugs is so little that it can be flushed, why the aggressive no-knock raid?

Louisville police raid that killed Breonna Taylor fuels call to end 'no knock' warrants

Breonna Taylor's death led to protests and a review of how Louisville police use "no knock" search warrants, which allow officers to enter a home without announcing their presence, often in drug cases to prevent suspects from getting rid of a stash.

abc7.com

I am also disgusted by all the attempts to say that the loss of Floyd isn't a tragedy because of his criminal history. How well was that history known by the cop who had his knee on Floyd's throat? Would a white man suspected of passing a counterfeit bill be treated with the same force? Hell to the no. It is outrageous that so much force was used for a victimless alleged crime.

And, yes, I have seen some videos of cops' aggression against protestors. It's sickening.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

 

[JackieOnLine]

I've seen a lot of posts on facebook explaining WHY "Black Lives Matter" rather than "All Lives Matter" and I really hope there are some people who can be educated.

but you know a certain percentage really do believe Black lives don't matter.

as SB said earlier, racism is baked into this country.

 

[MsVee]

In order to address and solve problems you have to first acknowledge that a problem exists. The biggest issue with racism seems to be people are so busy denying they are racist they miss the point America has a race problem.
If I point out to my friend who is not African American that White privilege exists, I am not attacking her. I am making an observation but as long as she thinks it is an attack we cannot have a meaningful discussion.

 

[hilary1617]

In order to address and solve problems you have to first acknowledge that a problem exists. The biggest issue with racism seems to be people are so busy denying they are racist they miss the point America has a race problem.
If I point out to my friend who is not African American that White privilege exists, I am not attacking her. I am making an observation but as long as she thinks it is an attack we cannot have a meaningful discussion.

I'm sorry. I see it too.

I see it's hard for people who think of themselves as kind to acknowledge certain truths out loud that they have somehow managed to ignore or justify away in their own minds. Denial is terribly convenient. Seems to me the eyes are working, but blinders are being donned.

I'd have to be a complete fool to be able to think in this day and age that my experiences and achievements have somehow escaped being skewed positively by my shade, even setting aside the massive head start of inherited resources that compounded over centuries which favored my pale ancestors even more.

Still, even though the notion that we live in a color-blind meritocracy is such an obvious pretense, there are those that will never give up the charade. I'd add that a friend who becomes defensive when another friend shares an obvious and painful truth is merely an acquaintance

I have no solutions to offer. I only know that I see, I speak up, I vote, and I need to do so much more.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

In order to address and solve problems you have to first acknowledge that a problem exists. The biggest issue with racism seems to be people are so busy denying they are racist they miss the point America has a race problem.
If I point out to my friend who is not African American that White privilege exists, I am not attacking her. I am making an observation but as long as she thinks it is an attack we cannot have a meaningful discussion.

What y’all said…and…because they don’t KNOW what the term White Privilege means, many think that because they were not born with silver spoons in their mouths, it cannot possibly apply to them.

I’m neither White, nor a POC. In my youth, we were firmly lower middle class. Dad was a young executive, Mom belonged to the Women’s Club Juniors. And then…they got divorced. My sister was at summer camp. Mom and I sat on the living room floor counting and rolling pennies so we could buy groceries. At one point, I disguised my voice, called our church folks, pretended to be an adult neighbor and told them I thought the family needed help. They brought groceries. Next thing I knew, Mom was working on the assembly line in a can opener factory. Choices for my future were seriously limited. I graduated from HS at 16. By then, Mom was working in an office. I got an office job and made a few dollars a week more than she did. HOW THE HELL COULD I HAVE WHITE PRIVILEGE?

To be honest, what I had/have is more like not-Black privilege. I don’t know what others see when they look at me, but it’s not a Black woman and usually not a Mexican-American woman. Sometimes, I’m Italian. My mom was often Armenian. ALSO, you know that woman in the store/office/crowd who doesn’t have a name tag or a clip board, but looks like she might be in charge? That’s me. Standing still, saying nothing, not dressed particularly well, I am the person the people approach and ask if I’m the manager.

What that means is that store security doesn’t follow me around...except maybe to ask when their break is. I’m not often spoken down to. And you should have seen the ROYAL FIT I threw, way back in the day when I was about 22 years old, when we sometimes took our paychecks to the grocery store and they cashed them there and gave us the change (do you remember back then?) I had a county paycheck and Spanish surname and they wanted my thumbprint to cash my “welfare check.” (I really pulled “a Karen,“ went to a pay phone, called their corporate office which then called the store, made them apologize and then I left my cart full of groceries and told them I’d never be back. And I never went back.)

But you know, POC are often ASSUMED to be cashing welfare checks and spending money that came from “decent, hard-working folks” instead of ”parolees, deadbeats and Welfare Queens.“

That’s just a teensy, tiny glimpse of simple, non-life-threatening examples of life while “not White.” You know how generally, staying home and not going out is not oppressive, but during a pandemic it becomes a PITA and for some people mental issues ensue? Having someone want your thumbprint to cash a check can be irritating, but what if, in EVERY financial transaction you were involved with, the underlying assumption and the routine behavior was that the other people involved, strangers to you, had to protect themselves from you because you were likely a crook? How much will that chafe on your psyche? How angry would you get just getting ready to go to the store? Day after day, year after year, decade after decade?

But let’s step away from non-life-threatening for just one question… a question that almost every Black man answers with a small number:

How old were you the first time a cop pointed a gun at you?



Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

 

[JackieOnLine]

you should have seen the ROYAL FIT I threw, way back in the day when I was about 22 years old, when we sometimes took our paychecks to the grocery store and they cashed them there and gave us the change (do you remember back then?) I had a county paycheck and Spanish surname and they wanted my thumbprint to cash my “welfare check.” (I really pulled “a Karen,“ went to a pay phone, called their corporate office which then called the store, made them apologize and then I left my cart full of groceries and told them I’d never be back. And I never went back.)

I love that you are such a bad ass.