BLM

[40bill]

That’s fair. If we all agreed it’d be a boring world.

Here’s a thing about me that’s important: I’ve always been interested (and at times outraged) by racial injustice because I encountered a lot of racism growing up from whites in my eastern Kentucky hometown. I don’t want to exaggerate it but it was a lot.

It soured me a little on my fellow man. I’ve cut ties with a few people because of it. It has jaded me a bit. I tend to see some racism where most whites maybe give a pass.

That's understandable. I've dealt with humans that had bad breaks due to race, and others that blamed all their troubles on race without consideration of their own personal failings. Broad gamut. And seen it claimed by blacks and whites.

I grew up in the 60s and 70s....so this situation today is eerily familiar...but actually more hostile, and in many ways less focused The civil rights acts were largely about laws. This these days seems....almost personal, moralistic.
most nations trying to codify morality (abortion is a good example for many) end up in a bad cycle.

I had a conversation with a friend in his mid thirties who leans toward some form of reparation. The issue with that idea is who gets left out? Are you actually trying to balance a scale or are we creating another generation of resentment?
ah, well....great line from Hamilton: "Oceans rise, empires fall...."
This will shift soon enough. I just hope it isnt full blown vigilantism.

[Westtncat]

We can only approach the world's issues according to our'own experiences. Everyone has a different background.

[teamchemistry15]

We can only approach the world's issues according to our'own experiences. Everyone has a different background.

Does that mean we are unable to educate ourselves and understand other points of view? The world is bigger than the bubble you have lived in.

[Westtncat]

Of course we can learn. Or I hope we can. In simply saying people can and do have engrained beliefs and thought processes. We may not even realize it. Their are people who grew up a lot different than me. Probably a lot better off with a mom and dad at home. I grew up in a single parent home and for the first few years of my life we lived in government funded housing that let you pay according to your income. We paid 6 dollars a month. Me and'my sister were the only two white kids in the whole complex. So no matter how much we learn I get a little touchy when people talk about white privilege.
someone who grew up with privilege might see it their duty to educate me about. In the end I lived a life they don't relate to nor do I to theirs. I can still try and learn but some things are harder to change your view on. This becomes an even harder bridge to cross when it comes to generational gaps and even geographical differences. Also it's hard to overcome ego. In the end I think we all think we know more than the next guy. 😀 but yes we should all continue to seek knowledge.

[Spiritof96]

Was under the impression that the robbery video had been challenged? I thought they believed Brown and the store owner were engaged in a marijuana transaction.

That may be updated info I don't have, but that information is not what the officer was operating on.

I have very little sympathy for someone who assaults a cop. I mean, it's a human life, ended for a stupid reason, but the tragedy was Brown's decision making that led to the situation and his decisions in responding to the officer. The bigger tragedy is the myriad of lies that were told (and still accepted as fact) about that incident, the platform it gave divisive people, and the lasting negative implications for the nation.

[Joneslab]

According to that grand jury testimony I mentioned, it's unclear exactly what happened with Michael Brown because the eyewitness testimony was all over the place. I tend to think he shouldn't have been harassed in the first place for something that many black kids do (they walk down the middle of streets to keep themselves out of harm's way in case of gang shooting) but that's debatable.

As for the assault on the officer, the grand jury was provided with evidence that he was diagnosed with "a bruise."

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/11/25/366507379/ferguson-docs-how-the-grand-jury-reached-a-decision

[Joneslab]

And of course it's divisive. It's divisive by nature. Black people think they're being targeted by police.

That's incredibly divisive to even bring it up and talk about it. But sometimes hard conversations need to be had.

I don't know if "systemic racism" is at play in many of these police shootings. But as I said above, I can see a situation where that might be the case simply from observing a lot of white people talk about black people when there are no blacks around.

I have always believed since I was probably 6 or 7 years old that race is a deep, entrenched issue in this country. We don't really want to talk about it until a tragedy happens, and then you immediately have two sides: the side that is convinced that racism is at play, and the side that is convinced that racism is never/rarely at play.

I knew guys back in high school who would have definitely killed black people if given the chance. So I guess I'm not as quick to dismiss the possibility of racial targeting/racism/etc.

All of that is very divisive. Much moreso if a black person is sitting there saying it to a white person.

[Spiritof96]

According to that grand jury testimony I mentioned, it's unclear exactly what happened with Michael Brown because the eyewitness testimony was all over the place. I tend to think he shouldn't have been harassed in the first place for something that many black kids do (they walk down the middle of streets to keep themselves out of harm's way in case of gang shooting) but that's debatable.

As for the assault on the officer, the grand jury was provided with evidence that he was diagnosed with "a bruise."

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/11/25/366507379/ferguson-docs-how-the-grand-jury-reached-a-decision

That is interesting, Wilson still got punched in the face by a guy who out-weighed him by 80 lbs and Brown did try to grab the gun. The punch by itself meets the standard to escalate to deadly force if Brown doesn't stop.

[Spiritof96]

And of course it's divisive. It's divisive by nature. Black people think they're being targeted by police.

That's incredibly divisive to even bring it up and talk about it. But sometimes hard conversations need to be had.

I don't know if "systemic racism" is at play in many of these police shootings. But as I said above, I can see a situation where that might be the case simply from observing a lot of white people talk about black people when there are no blacks around.

I have always believed since I was probably 6 or 7 years old that race is a deep, entrenched issue in this country. We don't really want to talk about it until a tragedy happens, and then you immediately have two sides: the side that is convinced that racism is at play, and the side that is convinced that racism is never/rarely at play.

I knew guys back in high school who would have definitely killed black people if given the chance. So I guess I'm not as quick to dismiss the possibility of racial targeting/racism/etc.

All of that is very divisive. Much moreso if a black person is sitting there saying it to a white person.

The division I refer to is the counterproductive, critical theory, social justice BS that has no hope of accomplishing it's alleged aims.

[40bill]

Thanks to a sea of media, including (and perhaps especially) social media, we have a world of opinions that we accept as fact, even to the point of denying solid evidence in favor of our opinions.

[Joneslab]

Thanks to a sea of media, including (and perhaps especially) social media, we have a world of opinions that we accept as fact, even to the point of denying solid evidence in favor of our opinions.

A lot of the evidence we see these days is carefully manipulated by partisan middlemen.

The evidence of racism is obviously extremely tricky to get to because who's going to admit he's a racist?

I would say in my life the people I've met who I would say "Man, that guy's a racist" is about 2% of people. But look what 2% can do if given the cover of apologists. We've had lootings in Louisville that have been carried out by four people (a jewelry store was broken into and blamed on BLM when it was four guys). You might have one cop on a beat who's a horrendous cop but that guy can do some serious damage if the conditions are right.

It doesn't take a whole lot of manpower to completely ruin things.

[Jload]

My main problem with BLM is it is was founded by 2 virulent Marxist and funded primarily by communist and a couple of billionaires that hate this country. That there is still need for work on race relations is obvious My point however is that I can't stand that the people running our society have decided that the sports world must now be dragged into the political-culture war.I watch sports for escape and entertainment. If I want to argue politics or be educated or have my social awareness raised I know where to go to do so, That's NOT why I come to sports sites or games, Sports was the o e place that could be avoided but the under 55 crowds obsession with Co trolling everybody and everything at all times has now made that impossible

[Catsrock]

Thanks to a sea of media, including (and perhaps especially) social media, we have a world of opinions that we accept as fact, even to the point of denying solid evidence in favor of our opinions.

No doubt, Bill. Except that I wouldn't say especially social media. I accept that individuals are going to spout off their 2 cents worth on social media. But I used to look to CNN or Foxnews for news and info. Now they are nothing more than political agenda propaganda machines. Each is as bad as the other and to me that's more to blame in widening the political divide than the legislative and executive branches of government themselves.

It's just impossible to find unbiased news anymore. Lots of Americans pick their outlet and drink up their biased cool-aid as gospel. I feel I try see see things with an open mind. This leaves me exhausted by both extremes.

[Joneslab]

No doubt, Bill. Except that I wouldn't say especially social media. I accept that individuals are going to spout off their 2 cents worth on social media. But I used to look to CNN or Foxnews for news and info. Now they are nothing more than political agenda propaganda machines. Each is as bad as the other and to me that's more to blame in widening the political divide than the legislative and executive branches of government themselves.

True this.

I've never watched Fox I don't think but I used to watch CNN back in the early 2000s, only because I knew what channel it was on the DirecTV dial. I've turned it on a couple of times in the last few months and it is so ungodly terrible that it borders on parody.

[Westtncat]

A little off topic but I highly recommended "The Social Dilemma" on Netflix. It tells you exactly how we are programmed. Very interesting and it might make you take at different look at yourself and others.