To my white friends. If you think you know what it's like to be black in this world, I challenge you to read the profound and transformational post below. I am so grateful I did.
This is from Caroline Crockett Brock's facebook page:
I am a 45 year old white woman living in the south, and today was the first time I spoke frankly about racism with a black man.
When Ernest, my appliance repairman, came to the front door, I welcomed him in. As this was his second visit and we’d established a friendly rapport, I asked him how he was feeling in the current national climate.
Naturally, he assumed I was talking about the coronavirus, because what white person actually addresses racism head on, in person, in their own home? When Ernest realized I wanted to know about his experience with racism, he began answering my questions.
What’s it like for you on a day-to-day basis as a black man? Do cops ever give you any trouble?
The answers were illuminating.
Ernest, a middle-aged, friendly, successful business owner, gets pulled over in Myrtle Beach at least 6 times a year. He doesn’t get pulled over for traffic violations, but on the suspicion of him being a suspect in one crime or another.
Mind you, he is in uniform, driving in a work van clearly marked with his business on the side. They ask him about the boxes in his car--parts and pieces of appliances. They ask to see his invoices and ask him why there is money and checks in his invoice clipboard. They ask if he’s selling drugs. These cops get angry if he asks for a badge number or pushes back in any way. Every time he is the one who has to explain himself, although they have no real cause to question him.
Ernest used to help folks out after dark with emergencies. Not anymore. He does not work past dinnertime, not because he doesn’t need the business, but because it isn’t safe for him to be out after dark. He says “There’s nothing out there in the world for me past dark”.
Let me say that again. Ernest, a middle aged black man in uniform cannot work past dark in Myrtle Beach in 2020 because it’s not safe for him. He did not say this with any kind of agenda. It was a quiet, matter of fact truth.
A truth that needs to be heard.
When I asked Ernest what ethnic terms he gets offended at, he said that the most offensive term people use is ‘boy’.
Ernest has a bachelors in electronics and an associates in HVAC. He is not a ‘boy’, and the term ‘boy’ in the south implies inferiority in station and status. He came to Myrtle Beach and got a job at Hobart. The supervisor repeatedly used the term ‘boy’. Ernest complained. After several complaints Ernest was fired.
Ernest says most white people are a little scared of him, and he’s often put in a position where he has to prove himself, as though he’s not qualified to repair appliances.
After getting a job for 2 years at Sears appliance, Ernest started his own company, one he’s been running for several years. He is the best repairman we’ve had, and has taught me about washer dryers and how to maintain them myself, even helping me with another washer/dryer set and a dishwasher without charging me. I highly recommend his company, Grand Strand Appliance.
Ernest doesn’t have hope that racism will change, no matter who the president is. His dad taught him “It’s a white man’s world”, and he’s done his best to live within it.
When I asked him what I could do, he said, “everyone needs to pray and realize we’re all just one country and one people”.
I am a 45 year old white woman living in the south. I can begin healing our country by talking frankly with African Americans in my world---by LISTENING to their lived experience and speaking up. I can help by actively promoting black owned businesses. That’s what I can do today.
Let’s start by listening and lifting up. It’s that simple. #listenandlift
=====
Edit: I asked Ernest if I could take his picture and post our conversation on facebook. He thought it was a great idea. As he left my house an hour later, he looked me in the eye and said, "If you ever march, or have a meeting on this topic, or want to change things in Myrtle Beach, I'll stand with you." What a great idea. Let's begin standing together. ===
Edit: 1pm EST on 6/1. Ernest just called me and we had one of the sweetest moments, both laughing and crying about the response to this post. He started the conversation by saying, "Caroline, I don't know if I should kill you or kiss you--my phone is ringing off the hook!"
He doesn't have a FB profile, so he's coming over later so I can help him set one up. He's been absolutely overwhelmed, as have I, with the response. We're going to be sitting down together to read your comments. They mean so much. In addition, the Myrtle Beach city manager has contacted me and I'm getting all of us together to be sure this doesn't happen in our city any longer. THANK YOU WORLD.
Edit 6/2 9am. Just got off the phone with Ernest and the local news. They will be interviewing us today, and it will be on the local news in Myrtle beach tonight. I'll post it on my page later.
This is how we change our country. Normal folks. One town at a time.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
Then maybe you should be standing with them in opposition to police brutality. Maybe you should see the importance of building trust between the police and the black community and how much that in and of itself could help improve the black community. Maybe you should see that only a small percentage of the protestors were involved in criminal activity and their actual message is an important one rather than try to distract from their message.
Wrongs being righted is a good thing. It may not be at the top in the order of priorities you see as to address black communities, but let me try to explain this again.
It's not up to any of us to tell people when, where, what or how to protest. That has gone on long enough. " Kaepernick shouldn't kneel during the anthem". " Kaepernick should do it on his own time." "There are more important things black people should be protesting."
They have been hearing objections to when, where and how they express themselves since the civil rights movement and before.
Are there other problems withing the black community? Of course there are. Do you think they are unaware of that?
So the choice is simple. You either support their efforts or you choose to try and dictate the conversation away from that. You either support their efforts or you try dictate to them what they should be more worried about.
I'm one who is willing to support their efforts and not make claims about what they should be doing. I'm one who believes all improvement is good improvement. As such I'll support such improvement.
The things I've mentioned doesn't take an expert to understand. It's a basic principal. It seems that since you claim to be so focused on accountability maybe we should hold the authority figures to the same standard.
Did you ever stop to think that if we don't hold the police accountable, why should they feel the need to be accountable?
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
To my white friends. If you think you know what it's like to be black in this world, I challenge you to read the profound and transformational post below. I am so grateful I did.
This is from Caroline Crockett Brock's facebook page:
I am a 45 year old white woman living in the south, and today was the first time I spoke frankly about racism with a black man.
When Ernest, my appliance repairman, came to the front door, I welcomed him in. As this was his second visit and we’d established a friendly rapport, I asked him how he was feeling in the current national climate.
Naturally, he assumed I was talking about the coronavirus, because what white person actually addresses racism head on, in person, in their own home? When Ernest realized I wanted to know about his experience with racism, he began answering my questions.
What’s it like for you on a day-to-day basis as a black man? Do cops ever give you any trouble?
The answers were illuminating.
Ernest, a middle-aged, friendly, successful business owner, gets pulled over in Myrtle Beach at least 6 times a year. He doesn’t get pulled over for traffic violations, but on the suspicion of him being a suspect in one crime or another.
Mind you, he is in uniform, driving in a work van clearly marked with his business on the side. They ask him about the boxes in his car--parts and pieces of appliances. They ask to see his invoices and ask him why there is money and checks in his invoice clipboard. They ask if he’s selling drugs. These cops get angry if he asks for a badge number or pushes back in any way. Every time he is the one who has to explain himself, although they have no real cause to question him.
Ernest used to help folks out after dark with emergencies. Not anymore. He does not work past dinnertime, not because he doesn’t need the business, but because it isn’t safe for him to be out after dark. He says “There’s nothing out there in the world for me past dark”.
Let me say that again. Ernest, a middle aged black man in uniform cannot work past dark in Myrtle Beach in 2020 because it’s not safe for him. He did not say this with any kind of agenda. It was a quiet, matter of fact truth.
A truth that needs to be heard.
When I asked Ernest what ethnic terms he gets offended at, he said that the most offensive term people use is ‘boy’.
Ernest has a bachelors in electronics and an associates in HVAC. He is not a ‘boy’, and the term ‘boy’ in the south implies inferiority in station and status. He came to Myrtle Beach and got a job at Hobart. The supervisor repeatedly used the term ‘boy’. Ernest complained. After several complaints Ernest was fired.
Ernest says most white people are a little scared of him, and he’s often put in a position where he has to prove himself, as though he’s not qualified to repair appliances.
After getting a job for 2 years at Sears appliance, Ernest started his own company, one he’s been running for several years. He is the best repairman we’ve had, and has taught me about washer dryers and how to maintain them myself, even helping me with another washer/dryer set and a dishwasher without charging me. I highly recommend his company, Grand Strand Appliance.
Ernest doesn’t have hope that racism will change, no matter who the president is. His dad taught him “It’s a white man’s world”, and he’s done his best to live within it.
When I asked him what I could do, he said, “everyone needs to pray and realize we’re all just one country and one people”.
I am a 45 year old white woman living in the south. I can begin healing our country by talking frankly with African Americans in my world---by LISTENING to their lived experience and speaking up. I can help by actively promoting black owned businesses. That’s what I can do today.
Let’s start by listening and lifting up. It’s that simple. #listenandlift
=====
Edit: I asked Ernest if I could take his picture and post our conversation on facebook. He thought it was a great idea. As he left my house an hour later, he looked me in the eye and said, "If you ever march, or have a meeting on this topic, or want to change things in Myrtle Beach, I'll stand with you." What a great idea. Let's begin standing together. ===
Edit: 1pm EST on 6/1. Ernest just called me and we had one of the sweetest moments, both laughing and crying about the response to this post. He started the conversation by saying, "Caroline, I don't know if I should kill you or kiss you--my phone is ringing off the hook!"
He doesn't have a FB profile, so he's coming over later so I can help him set one up. He's been absolutely overwhelmed, as have I, with the response. We're going to be sitting down together to read your comments. They mean so much. In addition, the Myrtle Beach city manager has contacted me and I'm getting all of us together to be sure this doesn't happen in our city any longer. THANK YOU WORLD.
Edit 6/2 9am. Just got off the phone with Ernest and the local news. They will be interviewing us today, and it will be on the local news in Myrtle beach tonight. I'll post it on my page later.
This is how we change our country. Normal folks. One town at a time.
Ernest seems like a fine man. If only his voice was the one amplified by the media instead of People like yours, I'd have no complaints. "We're all [...] one people."
I'm surprised your type haven't gotten to him yet and told him what BLM means and how he shouldn't be using such thoughtless word like "all" or "one people." You're not upset that he's not fighting and protesting?
He's actually having rational conversations and trying to bring people together? How radical! Who would ever have considered trying that?
Meh, I do really need to do a better job in restraining my own methods from excess despite good intentions. Fighting fire with fire just leaves scorched earth where nothing good will grow no matter what one's intentions are.
Perhaps there is a time for using fire to clear out space, but it needs to turn to planting and tending. Constant, unrelenting use of flamethrowers will leave ground incapable of supporting healthy growth.
You mess with the "Bull," you get the horns. Fiercely Independent.
Then maybe you should be standing with them in opposition to police brutality. Maybe you should see the importance of building trust between the police and the black community and how much that in and of itself could help improve the black community. Maybe you should see that only a small percentage of the protestors were involved in criminal activity and their actual message is an important one rather than try to distract from their message.
Wrongs being righted is a good thing. It may not be at the top in the order of priorities you see as to address black communities, but let me try to explain this again.
It's not up to any of us to tell people when, where, what or how to protest. That has gone on long enough. " Kaepernick shouldn't kneel during the anthem". " Kaepernick should do it on his own time." "There are more important things black people should be protesting."
They have been hearing objections to when, where and how they express themselves since the civil rights movement and before.
Are there other problems withing the black community? Of course there are. Do you think they are unaware of that?
So the choice is simple. You either support their efforts or you choose to try and dictate the conversation away from that. You either support their efforts or you try dictate to them what they should be more worried about.
I'm one who is willing to support their efforts and not make claims about what they should be doing. I'm one who believes all improvement is good improvement. As such I'll support such improvement.
The things I've mentioned doesn't take an expert to understand. It's a basic principal. It seems that since you claim to be so focused on accountability maybe we should hold the authority figures to the same standard.
Did you ever stop to think that if we don't hold the police accountable, why should they feel the need to be accountable?
The problem is that it all has to work both ways for it to work.
If "black people" shouldn't be held accountable if police aren't held accountable, shouldn't it also stand, with your logic, that if "black people" aren't held accountable, police shouldn't be held accountable? (I use "black people" to echo BLM's language)
How about we hold everybody accountable for their own actions?
If white people can't tell black people how to protest, why can black people tell white people how to protest?
You have to be okay with People kneeling during the anthem. You have to say black lives matter, not all lives matter.
You complain about people trying to deflect from certain issues, but they aren't discrete issues. They interact with each other. You can't fix one of them by making a connected issue worse.
Complaining about an action from another group, while excusing or ignoring the same action in your group doesn't generally work well. As your logic went, if "they" aren't going to stop their brutality, why should "we" stop ours? The two problems are connected by brutality itself. The two sides complain about the same things, but only when the other side is doing it. The response is all too frequently to do the same thing they were complaining about the other side doing. You're racist, we're going to make stirring chants supporting our race/group and throw around demeaning generalities about your race/group in response.
It doesn't go away because both sides see their response as justified by the others same action. They don't seem to realize that their actions are causing the response, those actions causing the same response, in a vicious circle.
You mess with the "Bull," you get the horns. Fiercely Independent.
why on god's green earth would i listen to ANYTHING you have to say to me?
do you even have a clue as to how jacked up you come across to me right now?
every other post you make is something along the lines of "ive done more for blacks" and "i was a teacher" and some other nonsense.
these other white guys might be find with your rhetoric, but let me tell you EXACTLY how you come off to me lately.
you literally got the nerve to state those things.
why? not to establish credibility, but to establish AUTHORITY.
every time you say those things, its from a place of superiority as if you're some sort of Alpha and Rocket, Pit, and i cant ever DARE to question you on anything.
every single time you go "ive done more for blacks....", i, as a black male, INSTANTLY tune out anything you have to say on the matter. that nonsense might be fine with these white males on this board, but for THIS black male, im not gonna waste my time trying to listen to a guy with a savior complex. you are the very kind of white person i have the most beef with.
im not exaggerating when i say i much rather have this convo about black crime with Peen, TB, 40, and GM 10/10 over you. and it aint close.
why? because their opinion and behavior doesnt constantly change depending on the political climate. you go around in circles so freaking much on this board that nobody can actually describe what you stand for.
go read all your post since we've been here. your opinions literally change depending on who you're talking to. you and Bull are the same freaking person, like twins. i swear to god. i dont know what yall actually stand for.
unless yall stance is to not take one. and its getting infuriating because i just dont know how to relate to fence riders.
i have way more positive discussions with trump supporters than i do fence riders like yall. especially you, Vers.
so if you want me to listen to anything, jump off your high horse and savior complex, and then MAYBE ill consider it.
til then, kiss my black ass.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
now if any trump supporter want my honest assessment on black crime (again, sigh), let me know and ill drop some knowledge.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
The problem is that it all has to work both ways for it to work.
If "black people" shouldn't be held accountable if police aren't held accountable, shouldn't it also stand, with your logic, that if "black people" aren't held accountable, police shouldn't be held accountable? (I use "black people" to echo BLM's language)
How about we hold everybody accountable for their own actions?
Here we certainly have some common ground at least to an extent. But let me ask you this. Are every day citizens working for our government? Do they join in and choose a profession to "protect and serve" our society? You see, the police have an entire system standing behind them to enforce accountability from our citizens. The police have internal affairs where some police get to decide the actions of other police. If we expect the same sort of accountability from both, maybe we need to change the way the system works. But then that's the issue here isn't it?
So while we certainly agree that everyone is accountable for their own actions, we may disagree on what we should expect from those who have chosen to serve and protect. One would think they should be held to higher standard than those they are supposed to be "protecting us from".
Quote:
If white people can't tell black people how to protest, why can black people tell white people how to protest?
You have to be okay with People kneeling during the anthem. You have to say black lives matter, not all lives matter.
So you don't see the KKK and white supremacists still being issue permits to protest? You don't see them getting police protection for their rallies?
Those who generally have a problem with terms like "Black Lives Matter" haven't bothered to actually look at the meaning behind it. But the left could certainly do a better job of how they package their message.
Quote:
You complain about people trying to deflect from certain issues, but they aren't discrete issues. They interact with each other. You can't fix one of them by making a connected issue worse.
Actually building a higher level of trust between the police and the black community would help address and make a lot of issues better. Somewhere building blocks must be laid in order to build a foundation on. I do think distractions being made upon "which building blocks should be laid first" is counterproductive.
Quote:
Complaining about an action from another group, while excusing or ignoring the same action in your group doesn't generally work well. As your logic went, if "they" aren't going to stop their brutality, why should "we" stop ours? The two problems are connected by brutality itself. The two sides complain about the same things, but only when the other side is doing it. The response is all too frequently to do the same thing they were complaining about the other side doing. You're racist, we're going to make stirring chants supporting our race/group and throw around demeaning generalities about your race/group in response.
I'm not really sure why you think that the police who hold all the power and are sworn to protect and serve shouldn't be the ones who are willing to step up to the plate and accept accountability.
I'm also not sure why you think those that have undergone centuries of oppression would not be angry. Once again it seems from my point of view you expect everyone in the street to be as accountable if not more accountable than police officers. I mean if that were the case, we wouldn't need police officers in the first place.
Quote:
It doesn't go away because both sides see their response as justified by the others same action. They don't seem to realize that their actions are causing the response, those actions causing the same response, in a vicious circle.
Yet the police and the white race haven't undergone the conditions of the black community. Police brutality has been something left pretty much unchecked for generations. Maybe if people had taken notice generations ago, decades ago or even years ago it would not have come to this.
Do I agree with every tactic being used to fight against it, certainly not. Do I understand why it's gotten to the point where it's been ignored for so long people are willing to do almost anything to bring about a change to it? Most certainly.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
I thought we established with our rules of our gang that we wouldn’t engage fence riders?
Also, if we don’t like fence riders...why did we let Pit in?!
That's an interesting question. Maybe it was the bribes coming from the super PAC my constituents formed?
It's odd how I was hailed as a moderate and OCD made it sound like I was pond scum for promoting candidates like Mayor Pete, Amy Klobuchar and Biden. (in that order)
Now I'm some alt left, radical progressive.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
i have way more positive discussions with trump supporters than i do fence riders like yall. especially you, Vers.
so if you want me to listen to anything, jump off your high horse and savior complex, and then MAYBE ill consider it.
til then, kiss my black ass.
I showed this post to a black friend I have on another board. He goes by the name of PocketPessimist. He told me that as black man, you have no authority to tell me--a white man--what I should think and believe.
I told him I value the opinion of all people and I try to exclude anyone due to race or gender.
But frankly, Swish....when you told me that you didn't need me anymore because there are a whole bunch of new white people jumping on the bandwagon, it told me all I needed to know about you and the group that kisses your black ass.
im not exaggerating when i say i much rather have this convo about black crime with Peen, TB, 40, and GM 10/10 over you. and it aint close.
why? because their opinion and behavior doesnt constantly change depending on the political climate. you go around in circles so freaking much on this board that nobody can actually describe what you stand for.
go read all your post since we've been here. your opinions literally change depending on who you're talking to. you and Bull are the same freaking person, like twins. i swear to god. i dont know what yall actually stand for.
I brought this up in the Come Together thread. But, I will bring it up again.
I'm extremely happy that you don't know what I actually stand for. You don't know because I don't back either side. You can't categorize me and that upsets you. Just like it upsets the folks on the polar side. I have had guys on that side telling me to "go to the basement w/Biden" and that I am a flaming liberal.
I'm good w/all that.
Folks like you and them don't get people w/open minds. You only get "hate and bias." It's like the most primitive rungs on the evolutionary chain. Folks that hate others just because of what group they belong to are the low-hanging fruit.
More evolved humans are more centrist in their beliefs and opinions. They don't hate either side. They don't worship either side. They look at both sides and pick and choose what is good and bad w/both sides and move forward instead of getting stuck in the past. Some of us evolve. Some don't.
So yo, former bro who is no mo'.............I have evolved. Maybe you will one day, too.
i highly doubt you did any of that. i have absolutely zero reason to believe you.
nobody is telling you what you cant believe in. im simply telling you that you have no authority to tell me to listen to anything you have to say, because you have zero credibility.
nobody is stopping you from doing anything. im just letting you know that im laughing at you.
also, you dont back any side because you dont have much of a stance. you're stance is to stay in the middle regardless of the topic and spin around in circles sniping everybody, all in the name of compromise.
ive grown tired of your superiority complex and simply treat you like another Nelson.
you're the guy who is incapable of making his own movement, but somehow has the audacity to think he knows how a movement should operate. you're the guy who criticizes Colin Kaepernick, yet dont have the balls to do anything that courageous whatsoever.
kick rocks. i have no time for fence riders.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Great. And I have no time for hateful folks like you. There was a time when I had a whole lot of hope for you. But, you just become ugly as you aged. Keep spreading hate. It will get you places.
please stop talking to me about hope as if you were some sort of mentor.
thats the kind of crap im talking about. im a grown ass man, so stop referring to me as if im some sort of project for you.
you and i are not cut from the same cloth.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
I know you are a grown-ass man. But, one can always learn. I am 63 years old and I still learn.
This will probably upset you, but here is an example. I've been very troubled by what has been going on because I can envision a race war. That is the last thing I want. I am not as dumb as some of you think I am. The climate is volatile right now w/dumb ass Trump trying to divide the country, the damn Corono virus, the Floyd murder, the looting, the statue things, etc, etc, etc.
I want to do what I can to prevent that. That is why I say we should work together. I'm not talking about Trump. I'm talking about moving forward.
Anyway, back to the story.................I have big balls. I drove down to the the blackest section of Columbia in my XLR until I found what I was looking for. A bunch of middle-aged to older black dudes sitting on a porch. I parked and got out the car. I was a bit nervous, but I didn't show it. I had a do-rag on because my damn hair is so long and I used to wear one when I carried the rock in college.
It was interesting to see the reactions when I approached the brothers w/a wave and a smile. One dude looked hostile. Two dude would not look at me and continued talking. Two guys waved back and said "hey" or something like that. I addressed the two who addressed me. [You see the hidden meaning there?}
I told them straight-up why I was there. I also told them I had an ice-cold case of Bud in the trunk and was willing to share.
We talked. As men. Didn't always agree. There was one dude who was funky in a peculiar way, but I let him know how it was. The first two dudes were cool right away. The other two were cool very soon.
The thing is that people are people. Taking radical sides is bogus. I believe in honest communication where the goal is to bridge our gaps. I do not believe in hateful acts. I will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime...........but, after it is over, I will pick him up and buy him a beer. Or, if he knocks my ass down, hopefully he will do the same.
Fight for respect. Fight for justice. Just don't fight for hate.
It's odd how I was hailed as a moderate and OCD made it sound like I was pond scum for promoting candidates like Mayor Pete, Amy Klobuchar and Biden. (in that order)
Now I'm some alt left, radical progressive.
Gee I just thought you were the same old Pit that I know and love
The problem is that it all has to work both ways for it to work.
If "black people" shouldn't be held accountable if police aren't held accountable, shouldn't it also stand, with your logic, that if "black people" aren't held accountable, police shouldn't be held accountable? (I use "black people" to echo BLM's language)
How about we hold everybody accountable for their own actions?
Here we certainly have some common ground at least to an extent. But let me ask you this. Are every day citizens working for our government? Do they join in and choose a profession to "protect and serve" our society? You see, the police have an entire system standing behind them to enforce accountability from our citizens. The police have internal affairs where some police get to decide the actions of other police. If we expect the same sort of accountability from both, maybe we need to change the way the system works. But then that's the issue here isn't it?
So while we certainly agree that everyone is accountable for their own actions, we may disagree on what we should expect from those who have chosen to serve and protect. One would think they should be held to higher standard than those they are supposed to be "protecting us from".
Quote:
If white people can't tell black people how to protest, why can black people tell white people how to protest?
You have to be okay with People kneeling during the anthem. You have to say black lives matter, not all lives matter.
So you don't see the KKK and white supremacists still being issue permits to protest? You don't see them getting police protection for their rallies?
Those who generally have a problem with terms like "Black Lives Matter" haven't bothered to actually look at the meaning behind it. But the left could certainly do a better job of how they package their message.
Quote:
You complain about people trying to deflect from certain issues, but they aren't discrete issues. They interact with each other. You can't fix one of them by making a connected issue worse.
Actually building a higher level of trust between the police and the black community would help address and make a lot of issues better. Somewhere building blocks must be laid in order to build a foundation on. I do think distractions being made upon "which building blocks should be laid first" is counterproductive.
Quote:
Complaining about an action from another group, while excusing or ignoring the same action in your group doesn't generally work well. As your logic went, if "they" aren't going to stop their brutality, why should "we" stop ours? The two problems are connected by brutality itself. The two sides complain about the same things, but only when the other side is doing it. The response is all too frequently to do the same thing they were complaining about the other side doing. You're racist, we're going to make stirring chants supporting our race/group and throw around demeaning generalities about your race/group in response.
I'm not really sure why you think that the police who hold all the power and are sworn to protect and serve shouldn't be the ones who are willing to step up to the plate and accept accountability.
I'm also not sure why you think those that have undergone centuries of oppression would not be angry. Once again it seems from my point of view you expect everyone in the street to be as accountable if not more accountable than police officers. I mean if that were the case, we wouldn't need police officers in the first place.
Quote:
It doesn't go away because both sides see their response as justified by the others same action. They don't seem to realize that their actions are causing the response, those actions causing the same response, in a vicious circle.
Yet the police and the white race haven't undergone the conditions of the black community. Police brutality has been something left pretty much unchecked for generations. Maybe if people had taken notice generations ago, decades ago or even years ago it would not have come to this.
Do I agree with every tactic being used to fight against it, certainly not. Do I understand why it's gotten to the point where it's been ignored for so long people are willing to do almost anything to bring about a change to it? Most certainly.
I still don't agree with all of your conclusions, but this is a stance that's understandable. I do think we agree on a lot.
You mess with the "Bull," you get the horns. Fiercely Independent.
now if any trump supporter want my honest assessment on black crime (again, sigh), let me know and ill drop some knowledge.
I am open.
This started long before Donald Trump became President. Drop some. This is a honest discussion between friends. Friends don't always agree, but friends are willing to listen and debate in a friendly, respectful manner.
You and I have had several discussions. We haven't always agreed in the end, but at least for me, I never walked away feeling you were disrespectful, I hope you feel the same.
Sure, we have both said some things that got each other a bit hot under the collar, that is just a part of discussion. It never painted the entire canvas.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
yea Peen you're cool so its all good. we're boys so its good to know if we get snappy at each other, we both know it doesnt mean anything.
oh, btw, i JUST figured out that you can actually expand the size of the text box when typing, so hopefully my spelling and grammar errors are kept to a minimum now that i can actually see what im typing.
ok so, i think black on black crime is a problem.
i also think its nowhere near as big as a problem as white americans make it out to be. and here's why:
something like 90% of black murders are done by other blacks, right? sounds super bad.....
until you realize between 86-88% of white murders are done by other whites. you see, i never get caught up in the "omg stats" because the FBI and law enforcement has made it clear for years that a murder victim is beyond far more likely to die by the hands of somebody they know than not. and statistically across ALL ethnicities in this country, that means the person you know will most like be the same ethnicity/skin tone as you.
for those of you not named Peen who are already lost, here's a very simple way to put it:
Hannah and Susan are far more likely to die by the hands of Dustin and Austin, and Shaniqua and Keisha are far more likely to die by the hands of Tyrell and Daquan. there, easy enough to grasp for everyone on the board.
now, as far as the reasoning WHY the murders happen, there's simply no excuse. and im not here to make one, and have been on record saying as much. but regardless, we do need to understand why it happens.
i've done a lot of research into this over my very short life, and one of the recurring things ive found is that white murders tend to be more along the lines of high emotion and passion, while black murders tend to be poverty and system related. now, that is NOT to say that blacks dont have crimes of passion, or that whites dont have murders based on the system and poverty. but atleast from my understanding, that trend seems to be the case.
you'll have whites getting mentally fed up and unloading on everyone around them. blacks tend to lash out at smaller groups or just individuals, but there's more consistently to the numbers where whites comes in at waves. there seems to be an eerie balance to latino's, but as far as this discussion goes, we'll stick to the black/white relationship, as that tends to be the biggest contention in our country historically.
*disclaimer* *my own person experience* *disclaimer*
*disclaimer* *my own person experience* *disclaimer*
from growing up as a military brat living in the suburbs with literally everybody getting along with everybody, until we moved to cleveland struggling and living in the hood, i can say that from my own experience, crimes and murders are DIRECTLY related to environment.
it is easy to grow up a good kid and have a great childhood when the environment says the only thing you can be mad about is daddy not going to your games cause he has to work late.
a lot of you guys still dont get how fast kids have to grow up in the inner city, on the flip side. the feeling of desperation to do ANYTHING to help your parents - or JUST your mom - out in order to pay the bills and keep the eviction notices from being nailed to the door. peen, ive said this before on the board: ive almost joined a gang here in cleveland simply because i was 15 and needed money to help my parents out. and my parents are two veterans of the US Army, who thought America was truthful about taking care of vets and plenty of hiring opportunities when they got out.
yea, as ive learned growing up with veteran parents, as well as a combat veteran myself, thats nothing but lip service.
ive had the unfortunate pleasure of knowing what its like to live in the burbs, and live in the hood as a kid. the only thing keeping me from going through with my dumbass plan was the fact that my parents used all the money they saved up and put me in a private school. we didnt move, we didnt upgrade our quality of life. they used every penny they had extra and took me out of that hellhole school district.
and let me explain to you how that relates to the crime and ultimately the murder rate.
Peen, i went to JFK high school in cleveland ohio. cleveland city schools. trash ass district.
our books were torn up, if we even had enough books for students. certainly didnt have enough to let kids take the books home and do homework in. our computers were busted, didnt work half the time and when they did, we barely learned anything. when our teachers would be absent, we didnt have a substitute teacher. and we were on block scheduling, which means that we only had 4 classes a day, which were 90 minutes a pop, and then went to new classes after winter break.
so guess who was sitting in class doing nothing for 90 minutes with no supervision?
i ask every single person on this board: what do you honestly expect a bunch of teenagers to do with no supervision for ATLEAST 90 minutes a pop on a consistent basis, regardless of race?
so yea, our schools were broke as hell....or atleast thats what they keep telling our communities.
peen, you know what our school did get, though?
we got a new basketball court. we also got a new football field. looked really nice too. but i bet a lot of yall reading this dont even understand the subliminal message being sent to black youth: WE CANT MAKE IT ACADEMICALLY.
the best route is sports. thats the message being sent to us. the school district and principals didnt fight for new computers, teacher salaries, or new books. we got new sports fields and stadiums.
the message got sent loud and clear. our only way out is sports or entertainment overall, not through education like white kids. our school looked less like a school and more like a prison that society expect most of us to end up in. but take a drive to Beachwood, or Mentor. suburbs right down the street from us.
man, their public schools look like college campuses. they got to eat outside, and have all the cool tech. their teachers and substitutes actually show up, they actually learn something.
must be nice to be white.
our entire communities in the inner city would remind you of Kosovo or bosnia. little hope, with the vast majority of the population with NO intention on developing the area because we're desperate to get a good job and LEAVE. due to housing policies from the state and federal level, a law enforcement culture that is less about protecting the community and more about locking as many of us up as possible, and a drug war from government that has devastated our communities and locked up so many black fathers, sons, nephews, and brothers to the point that our women are the highest demographic for single mother households in the country, has led to communities so desperate for resources that we have developed a system of survival:
gangs.
and you can go around the world and see that situation play out. white people are complaining about a very crime ridden system that black america has created due to the situation that said white people put us in to begin with.
you dont like it when we try to move in the same neighborhoods as you.
you dont like when we try to go to the same schools as you.
you dont like when we try to get the same level of education and compete for the same jobs as you.
so instead, we've created a corrupt system that gives a lot of black youth atleast a chance at feeling like a group, feeling like they're helping. we created a entertainment industry that gets hilariously criticized by whites, yet ironically funded by whites. through drugs and other measures, blacks created a system were atleast somebody wins, unlike the white system where its designed so that very few of us, if any, win. and yet...
you dont like it when we created a system of survival due to white america trying to quarantine us into the inner city.
if you want black america to change our "behavior", then the environments in which we grow up in must then be changed.
but when guys like Clem, myself, and the white guys who constantly get labeled as having white guilt try to explain to you guys the very EASY steps we can take to atleast get the ball rolling in the right direction, we get NOTHING but pushback and lip service.
and if we even get a counter argument as to what will help....its just the same policies that led black america into the hellhole situation we're in to begin with. it will accomplish absolutely nothing, but then you guys will turn around and be mad because we dont support the policies you tell us about, due to the fact that its just a continuation of kicking the can down the road.
and then we get really fed up...but thats the point when we're just labeled "angry black men"
and the circle of trash continues on til this day.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Just a quick reply for now....I do agree environment plays a big part. If you get cornholed in to a crappy neighborhood, for whatever reason, those folks are going to face problems that don't exist in "nice" neighborhoods.
How do we change that? I guess we have been trying to figure that out for a long time. The Italian mafia, the Irish mob....those people didn't come out of "nice" neighborhoods. They came out of the slums, for lack of a better term.
I have some thoughts, but will have to think it over a while. I need to measure my words so it comes out right.
Oh....thanks for the kind words. We don't always agree, but we can look each other in the eyes, man to man, shake hands and walk away with respect for each other. There was a poster, DC Dawg....we had the same deal. I miss him posting. He doesn't post much anymore.
I'll get back to you on this.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
As a former teacher who worked in the 'hood, lower-class neighborhoods, middle-class schools, and even in an extremely wealthy area, I can tell you the following things:
--Every school I worked in had the same problem w/books. Not enough of them, out-of-date, poor condition.
--Parent groups will raise money in some of these schools to help aide school resources. As a teacher, it could get annoying because there was always some fund-raiser going on and we were expected to help w/the fund-raising to the extent that it took time away from academics. One wealthy school I worked for would have an annual auction at some hotel in town. That thing would bring in a ton of money. It was really cool because it didn't take time away from the kids learning.
--More money is allocated for educational purposes to the lower-economic schools. That is a fact.
--It is harder to stay focused on education while so much crap is going on around you. Drive-by shootings will tend to do that to people. Not feeling safe is a huge problem. Living in a "good" neighborhood makes life much easier and thus, it is easier to achieve.
My thoughts on the above:
I think there are a lot of misconceptions in the general public who gets the most money for educational purposes.
I said this in another thread, but I am completely good w/allocating more money to schools that have a lower socioeconomic rate. Those kids need more help and I think furthering their education is a great way to get them out of the impoverished areas. It takes time, but it is worthwhile. The very last school I worked for in the Columbia, SC area was about 74-78% black. We received a ton of money. Each kid was provided their very own lap-top that they could take home. Believe me, my kids never received anything like that. Each grade level would get to go on 5 field trips per year at no expense to the families. We had a state of the art technology room. We had a nature center. We raised bees and sold the honey. We had several aquariums where kids could learn about aquatic life. We had money to have guest speaker after guest speaker. We had free breakfast for kids even in the summer when the kids were off school. We had tech programs that were very costly, but helped the kids learn in new ways. We hired a prof USC to head our science department. The list goes on and on and on. Again, I am 100 percent in favor of doing such things. I'm just bringing them up to add a dose of reality to the misconceptions about which schools get financially rewarded.
--More money is allocated for educational purposes to the lower-economic schools. That is a fact.
I went and had a look to see if there was much written about this to quantify how much poorer school districts and schools with higher needs might get ... I don't think your characterization is entirely accurate / consistent after seeing this breakdown of the states and how they allocate monies to poor school districts.
Good post Swish, thanks for taking the time to post it.
I have a serious question, regarding funding, that I don't know or understand, and wonder if your experience could shed some light and give me a better understanding.
"so yea, our schools were broke as hell....or atleast thats what they keep telling our communities.
peen, you know what our school did get, though?
we got a new basketball court. we also got a new football field. looked really nice too. but i bet a lot of yall reading this dont even understand the subliminal message being sent to black youth: WE CANT MAKE IT ACADEMICALLY.
the best route is sports. thats the message being sent to us. the school district and principals didnt fight for new computers, teacher salaries, or new books. we got new sports fields and stadiums.
the message got sent loud and clear. our only way out is sports or entertainment overall, not through education like white kids. our school looked less like a school and more like a prison that society expect most of us to end up in. but take a drive to Beachwood, or Mentor. suburbs right down the street from us.
man, their public schools look like college campuses. they got to eat outside, and have all the cool tech. their teachers and substitutes actually show up, they actually learn something."
People keep telling me that schools get the same funding from the government, and if that is true, why do you think there is such a difference in the appearance of the schools and their assets, outside of the sports areas? As someone who has seen and been in both, what may you have seen, read, experienced or researched that would explain this?
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
but when guys like Clem, myself, and the white guys who constantly get labeled as having white guilt try to explain to you guys the very EASY steps we can take to atleast get the ball rolling in the right direction, we get NOTHING but pushback and lip service.
Interesting read. I am glad that you took the time to share that. You have certainly painted a picture that has the feel of a vicious circle that is difficult - if not impossible for some - to escape.
To the quote above. I am very interested about the steps - easy or not - that can be taken to get the ball rolling in the right direction. I don't recollect reading about those specific steps...but if you write them out I WILL read them. I won't pay any attention to broad accusations or protests that I find offensive. However, I will listen to rational comments and ideas and try to learn what can be done.
This problem has existed for a long, long time. I'm disappointed that discussions in this regard are more about a stance or belief than they are about solving the problem (not saying that you do/created that or that I am completely innocent in that regard).
It goes way beyond the states. There are countless programs and organizations that provide money to the schools. Don't believe me if you wish. But, I know what goes on in schools. I worked in them for decades.
i use to think that it was a funding issue. But DC a while back posted some info that i went and researched, and for the last year or so my opinion on that has evolved.
*absolute fact* the federal government has absolutely funded more than enough. and they will continue to do so.
*my opinion* the issue is that the because of "states rights", the federal government has developed a nasty habit of passing policies then basically walking away from them. we pass, but dont manage. pretty dumb.
from a civilian standpoint, this comes from the fact that everybody, from the wealthiest to the poorest, tends to pay attention to big picture politics more than they pay attention to their local ones.
think about it. how many people can one typically name in the federal government? we got people from florida who can name atleast 5 house reps from Cali.
now ask that same person who their state rep is. ask them who their city council members are, the sheriff, the school district director.
hell, ask them who the freaking mayor is. gonna get a lot of silence.
those are the ones who actually dictate how that money gets distributed and managed. and as DC and...sigh, Arch, has pointed out, those are the ones deciding to take cuts of that funding, AKA red tape.
so, the suburbs are typically better managed AND have better funding due to property taxes and such. when they get boost in funding, *typically*, they know what to do with it, at least as far as education goes.
the inner city? well, we was already running massive deficits, so bills gotta get paid first. because a lot of people dont have the money to own homes, as well as other issues around poverty, we dont have the funding necessary amongst our own people to sustain much.
a ton of my classes were like 40 kids and 1 teacher. a lot of those teachers didnt even bother learning our names.
and im sure im missing a ton of other valid points, but thats my thoughts on it. you already have financially wrecked areas with historically mismanaged policies due to corrupt bodies in government, and the kids ultimately pay the price for it.
the funding is there, just by the time any of the money actually reaches those kids, its basically dried up.
again, im sure it aint all good in the burbs and people have horror stories, but compared to the inner city, those stories are few and far between.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
ive been looking at more history from those time periods.
when i look at the rise of those post-civil war european immigrants....i mean the time period was very different. and so i get why white americans have such a do or die mentality when it comes to making in america.
prior to the 1930's, you really did have to make it on your own. government was not coming through to save the day, and you really did have to pick yourself up by the bootstraps.
i get that.
but, i bet if i explained to you that this environment is the perfect recipe for good old fashion tribalism, you would agree with me. i mean after all, that environment led to italian, irish, and other ethnic mobs/gangs.
yet somehow, black gangs dont get that same level of understanding from white americans in this country. there is a lot of disdain shown to them that isnt shown to those european mobs, and a lot of that has to do with where they come from, and HOW they came here.
black americans are the ONLY demographic that did not voluntarily come to America on our own. we were forced here, those europeans weren't.
so i get frustrated when people say 'learn your history'. if white america knew their history, then they would know that your european ancestors brought the same bickering and tribalistic beefs to america that you had in Europe.
go look at european history while the colonies were being established.
i mean....come on guys. really seem like you white guys favorite pastime is War. it was literally non stop. yall were hellbent on killing each other and taking over other countries while killing each other.
i mean....ok.
but because of that nonstop history amongst EUROPEANS, blacks were looked at completely differently. you guys looked at each other still as people, but we were looked at as nothing more than farm animals, because thats ALL WE WERE to white america.
and that mentality didnt end in 1865. that mentality didnt end in 1964.
need i remind you white guys on this board that in 1964 when the civil rights act was passed, the majority of white americans still supported segregation?
need i remind you that white americans soldiers treated nazi POWs better than their fellow black american soldiers?
need i remind you that black soldiers were being caught by whites and lynched after fighting in WW1?
that didnt happen to the italians. that didnt happen to the irish.
because of the way we came to this country, the way we have been viewed, and in some ways continued to be viewed, will always be different than those minority communities that came here based on an american dream.
we are the only demographic that did not come to this country with that privilege. that MUST be acknowledged.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
I will listen to rational comments and ideas and try to learn what can be done.
This problem has existed for a long, long time. I'm disappointed that discussions in this regard are more about a stance or belief than they are about solving the problem (not saying that you do/created that or that I am completely innocent in that regard).
I don't have time right now, but I would like to respond to your question this evening. Swish and peen have brought up similar sentiments. I will say that I don't have all the answers and I may not have any answers. However, I do think it is important that we focus on solutions rather than just pointing out the problems.
I think intelligent, rational discussions where people try to find solutions is a really good thing.
but when guys like Clem, myself, and the white guys who constantly get labeled as having white guilt try to explain to you guys the very EASY steps we can take to atleast get the ball rolling in the right direction, we get NOTHING but pushback and lip service.
Interesting read. I am glad that you took the time to share that. You have certainly painted a picture that has the feel of a vicious circle that is difficult - if not impossible for some - to escape.
To the quote above. I am very interested about the steps - easy or not - that can be taken to get the ball rolling in the right direction. I don't recollect reading about those specific steps...but if you write them out I WILL read them. I won't pay any attention to broad accusations or protests that I find offensive. However, I will listen to rational comments and ideas and try to learn what can be done.
This problem has existed for a long, long time. I'm disappointed that discussions in this regard are more about a stance or belief than they are about solving the problem (not saying that you do/created that or that I am completely innocent in that regard).
i think one of the easiest steps to take is to the end the drug war.
and that doesnt even help just minority communities. that helps everybody.
but our communities have been devastated by unjust and racist policies to the point that it has ruined our households. people of ANY race should be going to jail for no other reason that possession and use of drugs.
but white america has got to acknowledge the blatant hypocrisy shown in the criminal justice system when its white americans vs black. white people, in charge of the criminal justice system, decided to make coke carry a less charge that crack cocaine, because whites used coke and blacks and latinos used crack cocaine. dont get me started on weed. the system wasnt designed for rehabilitation either. you guys just straight up threw us in jail.
gave us a criminal record so that we can basically never hold a decent job again, then turn around and act like its our fault.
but now look at white america's response to the drug crisis going on in their communities right now. WSU, its so bad that you guys life expectancy dropped. those are facts. and yet look how white america is treating their crisis.
fresh needles? a clean place to shoot up? more funding for rehabilitation centers? making sure their lives arent ruined over a mistake?
^^^^^ WSU, there is no way in hell you can look at that, and tell me you dont get why black america would be absolutely filled with anger over the difference in responses to drug crisis in our communities.
i refuse to believe anybody with any sort of intelligence could look at those FACTS and go "yea, that sounds fair."
decriminalize drug USE, legalized weed, tax it, throw it to the ATF, and call it a day.
nothing can be fixed if we dont get the government out of the business of creating a profit stream for the criminal justice system and private prisons.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
ive been looking at more history from those time periods.
when i look at the rise of those post-civil war european immigrants....i mean the time period was very different. and so i get why white americans have such a do or die mentality when it comes to making in america.
prior to the 1930's, you really did have to make it on your own. government was not coming through to save the day, and you really did have to pick yourself up by the bootstraps.
i get that.
but, i bet if i explained to you that this environment is the perfect recipe for good old fashion tribalism, you would agree with me. i mean after all, that environment led to italian, irish, and other ethnic mobs/gangs.
yet somehow, black gangs dont get that same level of understanding from white americans in this country. there is a lot of disdain shown to them that isnt shown to those european mobs, and a lot of that has to do with where they come from, and HOW they came here.
black americans are the ONLY demographic that did not voluntarily come to America on our own. we were forced here, those europeans weren't.
so i get frustrated when people say 'learn your history'. if white america knew their history, then they would know that your european ancestors brought the same bickering and tribalistic beefs to america that you had in Europe.
go look at european history while the colonies were being established.
i mean....come on guys. really seem like you white guys favorite pastime is War. it was literally non stop. yall were hellbent on killing each other and taking over other countries while killing each other.
i mean....ok.
but because of that nonstop history amongst EUROPEANS, blacks were looked at completely differently. you guys looked at each other still as people, but we were looked at as nothing more than farm animals, because thats ALL WE WERE to white america.
and that mentality didnt end in 1865. that mentality didnt end in 1964.
need i remind you white guys on this board that in 1964 when the civil rights act was passed, the majority of white americans still supported segregation?
need i remind you that white americans soldiers treated nazi POWs better than their fellow black american soldiers?
need i remind you that black soldiers were being caught by whites and lynched after fighting in WW1?
that didnt happen to the italians. that didnt happen to the irish.
because of the way we came to this country, the way we have been viewed, and in some ways continued to be viewed, will always be different than those minority communities that came here based on an american dream.
we are the only demographic that did not come to this country with that privilege. that MUST be acknowledged.
I recently read a great book that begins post-Civil War and concludes in present society.
It was an eye opening read. It dives deep into the structural racism in our country that was put in place through legislation, Supreme Court decisions, Federal, State and Local government agencies.
Nearly every time Black people made strides to advance and better themselves as a whole, policies were put in place to disrupt the advancement.
The book is - White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide
i think one of the easiest steps to take is to the end the drug war.
and that doesnt even help just minority communities. that helps everybody.
but our communities have been devastated by unjust and racist policies to the point that it has ruined our households. people of ANY race should be going to jail for no other reason that possession and use of drugs.
but white america has got to acknowledge the blatant hypocrisy shown in the criminal justice system when its white americans vs black. white people, in charge of the criminal justice system, decided to make coke carry a less charge that crack cocaine, because whites used coke and blacks and latinos used crack cocaine. dont get me started on weed. the system wasnt designed for rehabilitation either. you guys just straight up threw us in jail.
gave us a criminal record so that we can basically never hold a decent job again, then turn around and act like its our fault.
but now look at white america's response to the drug crisis going on in their communities right now. WSU, its so bad that you guys life expectancy dropped. those are facts. and yet look how white america is treating their crisis.
fresh needles? a clean place to shoot up? more funding for rehabilitation centers? making sure their lives arent ruined over a mistake?
^^^^^ WSU, there is no way in hell you can look at that, and tell me you dont get why black america would be absolutely filled with anger over the difference in responses to drug crisis in our communities.
i refuse to believe anybody with any sort of intelligence could look at those FACTS and go "yea, that sounds fair."
decriminalize drug USE, legalized weed, tax it, throw it to the ATF, and call it a day.
nothing can be fixed if we dont get the government out of the business of creating a profit stream for the criminal justice system and private prisons.
Another excellent book I read somewhat recently that really dives into to what you're discussing was:
The New Jim Crow Laws: Mass Incarceration In The Age of Colorblindness
Great. And I have no time for hateful folks like you. There was a time when I had a whole lot of hope for you. But, you just become ugly as you aged. Keep spreading hate. It will get you places.
Translation; At one point in time I thought I could get you to agree with everything I had to say. At one time I felt you would soon begin to believe that I was so much smarter than you. That I could mold you into seeing things my way. Since that didn't happen now I will belittle you and talk down to you. Then I will tell everyone else how wrong they are for doing the exact same thing.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
It disgusts me that anytime thing is mentioned it goes straight into "Gun control!" Gangs don't use licensed and registered guns. The toothpaste is already out of the tube, limiting responsible citizens to rigid standards that criminals do not adhere to is not the solution.
Everytime this issue is brought up the dudes that I've blocked call me a racist. Education, accountability and emotional intelligence emphasis amongst the black community leaders is the only way out I can see. There is a tupac interview where he says along the lines of "we live with the criminals packed into 800 people in a building. The police has tear gas, rifles and military gear to protect themselves against those criminals but you expect us to not arm ourselves?" Paraphrasing obviously. Disarming is a terrible, knee jerk solution.
Being told it not your fault, it's the white mans problem to fix your entire life is NOT productive even if there is some truth to it. The only way to end the violence is from within, educate, hold your communities accountable and teach your boys to de-emphasize "respect" through emotional intelligence.
Until these issues are resolved, in this system as it is currently, it's a merry go round. Dismantling a system which has brought prosperity to so many is nearly an impossible task. Those who thrive it in, have all the resources and will fight to keep it.
I live in suburb that has so many wealthy black folk that I was quite frankly very surprised by the amount, almost a 1 to 1 ratio I'd reckon. All of those folk, intelligent, nice, courteous, emotionally intelligent, accountable to their communities, just flat out wonderful people. You think those black folk want to dismantle the system that has brought their lives such prosperity? Think again.
You keep beating the drum of Chicago like all the rest of the right wing does. You have no idea how much you resemble them these days do you?
Why don't you actually look at the murder rate per capita in American communities. It will show you that you're being nothing but a parrot.
Many communities have a higher murder rate than Chicago. Even many major cities have a higher murder rate than Chicago.
But you just keep trying to create distractions to take away from the changes people are trying make right now. You've gotten very good at it. Kudos.
Fine, pick St. Louis, pick Baltimore, pick Detroit, pick Birmingham.. is it the fact that he picked Chicago that is really the issue here?
Not really. However it has been the rallying cry of those who wish to create distractions.
And the picture portrayed is "Nobody is talking about this. Nobody care about this." Which is a totally false narrative.
In every major city in America here are are black organizations fighting to reduce crime in their neighborhoods. I actually posted a list of them for Chicago in one of the many, "But look at black on black crimes in Chicago!" threads. But it falls on deaf ears.
They still use it as a rallying cry and pretend nobody is trying to do anything about it or don't care about it.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
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