Originally Posted by rakopacz@comcast.net (Post 1824316)

So I guess you don’t have a problem with cold-blooded murder by police officers? That’s acceptable to you? I don’t care whether they’re black or white that was murder and cops are murdering Black people at an alarming rate. Get real and stop making excuses for the cops that are racist.

Originally Posted by Bikeracer2009 (Post 1824073)

You're wasting your time with people in the villages. I have tried myself to educate these people on the realities of being black in America. I described my own experience where I lost my drivers license when I was 17 because I got pulled over on a regular basis when I had black friends in the car. When I got back from the army I had a letter from the governor that said my license had been suspended for 1 year due to points. Luckily my time in the army wiped out my points.

I could describe all of my encounters with the police and it would shock most people. But on this crowd it would be a waste of time.

I also described in detail the war on crime and its effects on the black population. Millions jailed, privatized prisons etc, etc and nothing comes of it with these people.

Don't get me wrong. I think most of the people here are great. Even the racist ones are at their core, decent individuals because it's just their views that are racist. They don't seem to be the violent kind. They just believe that not breaking the law and cooperating with the police solves all the problems blacks face in America. This comes from their perspective and you can't change a person's perception of another person's reality if they're not willing to see the difference.

A person said that man came to her door and wanted to talk about her roof. Other neighbors were having theirs replaced etc and she said that this guy was a conman because of his race which she said we all know which one she was talking about but it would be politically incorrect to say it. She wasn't afraid of this black man because she went on to say she followed him around so she could warn her neighbors that this man was a crook and not to listen to him. It turns out he was a legitimate employee of a legitimate company that was in the area replacing roofs. This is the type of racism we have here. The non-violent kind.

The unfortunate aspect of this, is the use of criminals to show this perspective of black life. As you said, it's not the best of what the black race has to offer.

Be prepared for statistical arguments and logic if you bring up racism. No matter what you say it's not going to change the minds of people who can't see past the white world they experience.

Originally Posted by Bikeracer2009 (Post 1824073)

You're wasting your time with people in the villages. I have tried myself to educate these people on the realities of being black in America. I described my own experience where I lost my drivers license when I was 17 because I got pulled over on a regular basis when I had black friends in the car. When I got back from the army I had a letter from the governor that said my license had been suspended for 1 year due to points. Luckily my time in the army wiped out my points.

I could describe all of my encounters with the police and it would shock most people. But on this crowd it would be a waste of time.

I also described in detail the war on crime and its effects on the black population. Millions jailed, privatized prisons etc, etc and nothing comes of it with these people.

Don't get me wrong. I think most of the people here are great. Even the racist ones are at their core, decent individuals because it's just their views that are racist. They don't seem to be the violent kind. They just believe that not breaking the law and cooperating with the police solves all the problems blacks face in America. This comes from their perspective and you can't change a person's perception of another person's reality if they're not willing to see the difference.

A person said that man came to her door and wanted to talk about her roof. Other neighbors were having theirs replaced etc and she said that this guy was a conman because of his race which she said we all know which one she was talking about but it would be politically incorrect to say it. She wasn't afraid of this black man because she went on to say she followed him around so she could warn her neighbors that this man was a crook and not to listen to him. It turns out he was a legitimate employee of a legitimate company that was in the area replacing roofs. This is the type of racism we have here. The non-violent kind.

The unfortunate aspect of this, is the use of criminals to show this perspective of black life. As you said, it's not the best of what the black race has to offer.

Be prepared for statistical arguments and logic if you bring up racism. No matter what you say it's not going to change the minds of people who can't see past the white world they experience.

Originally Posted by Mendy (Post 1824318)

This is a horrific video and extremely sad. Absolutely no reason/excuse for the cops to act like this. This is precisely why people are enraged by police brutality.

Originally Posted by airstreamingypsy (Post 1824215)

If Floyd was white he would still be alive.

Originally Posted by Swoop (Post 1824235)

Tony Timpa was the white George Floyd - he’s dead. They died the same way, but there were a few differences; Timpa wasn’t being arrested for committing a crime and the police in the Timpa case weren’t charged...

Originally Posted by oldtimes (Post 1824083)

Anyone regardless of color who comes to your door soliciting is not legit Good contractors do not need to go door to door soliciting on how to rip off the insurance companies.

Originally Posted by Bonnevie (Post 1824097)

The media chose to give us Floyds story 24/7 for days, they chose not to do the same for Tony Timpa, even though his story was even worse. The big difference was that Floyd was black and Timpa was white. The news media decides what you should be outraged about. If it was really about the police’s use of force, the Timpa story would have played 24/7 also. It’s not MAN dies that sells, it BLACK MAN dies.

Originally Posted by Byte1 (Post 1824088)

Interesting how it is the slimebag criminals that are the victims. Complaints of criminals being mistreated by the police, and using race as a tool? Just goes to show you how naive some folks (the protected) are when it comes to common sense. Sorry if I do not sympathize with the plight of criminals, regardless of ethnicity. Racial profiling is not the same thing as "systemic racism." Although, it does seem that WHITE cops are being racially profiled or singled out when it comes to implied misuse of authority. Police Depts. have their own Internal Affairs section that investigates bad conduct of their officers. The media and the average civilian has no clue as to what is authorized/practiced police procedure. I have heard ignorant folks ask why "warning shots" were not used, rubber bullets, and social workers instead of physical restraint or lethal force.
This whole thing went totally out of control after a certain person of power stated that "the police acted stupidly" when they arrested his friend a few years ago. Criminals are given way too many chances to modify their illegal, unaccepted behavior. Time to give them the same consideration that they give to their victims. And when a police officer gives an order, if the slimebag does not comply, he should not be given any second thought as to how civil he is treated.
In the old West, gun slingers were hired to clean up an out of control town. Once that was done, the gun slinger lawman was then run out of town because he was an embarrassment and a reminder of how impotent and weak the civilians were. Now, we are seeing the same thing. Defund the police because a social worker can do their jobs. What a laugh. What a joke. What a pathetic and stupid idea. LAW ENFORCEMENT is done by law enforcement officers, not social workers.
Floyd died as a result of an overdose, NOT by being strangled to death. Blake resisted arrest and attempted to grab a lethal weapon to use against the police and was shot. Two individuals with major crimes in their record. Two dirtbags that have resulted in civilians taking up arms and destroying property and killing civilians and police. These two are your champions for justice? Why choose the worst of examples? Why not protest the killing of a retired police Capt who was a GOOD example?

I agree that Floyd's name would not even be known if he was white. But, whites do not have any reason to believe that the police are automatically biased against their color. How do you convince a minority that the majority supports their equal rights but does not condone or advocate bad and unlawful behavior any more than they should? We do not convince anyone by destroying or killing.

Equal rights includes equal responsibility. Laws are not racist. Laws are the same for everyone, not based on color. That idea of laws based on color was destroyed decades ago. Some continue to state that blacks are incarcerated more than whites. OK, but answer one question; did those blacks that were incarcerated break the law? Does it really matter what the ratio of black to white population when it comes to the origination of the crime? Are we going to excuse criminal behavior based on the color of the dirtbag?

Originally Posted by MaxCat (Post 1824164)

Checking our own unconscious bias . . .

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.

I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.

When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.

Conscious inclusion creates natural diversity…and it starts with a choice. Be inclusive…it’s your choice.

Originally Posted by Byte1 (Post 1824153)

Sounds like someone is doing exactly what they accuse others of doing "...wasting your time with people in the villages." Blatantly grouping one demographic as being a certain way or living a certain behavioral pattern.

What makes certain WHITE folks believe they are the experts on "BLACK Americans?"

Originally Posted by Byte1 (Post 1824225)

Inclusion into our American society means that one must be assimilated. Inclusion by itself without assimilation means that one resists being part of the whole. We have an American culture, not Polish, not German and not African. To be treated the same, or to be included as part of the American family, one must want to be assimilated into the American culture. We are Americans, not Polish-Americans, not German Americans and not African-Americans. Just plain Americans. And simple example of assimilation is black artists that sing country songs. They are not black country singers, just country singers. Country music is NOT a white thing; it's just an American thing.
Time to stop saying "a black man was killed by the police today" and just say "a man was killed by the police today..." The media and those wishing to separate and demean blacks, making them lower where they can control them tend to excuse their behavior when they violate rules, when they would not tolerate the same behavior from white folks. This is demeaning to blacks and makes them feel inferior. Expect the same behavior and ethics as you do with whites and they will shrug off the excuses, gain respect and become just as productive as the rest of America. To respect them is not to treat them special but to treat them with color blindness. And require the same from them. And some day all folks will treat blonds equal to other intelligent people. :icon_wink:

Originally Posted by Byte1 (Post 1824311)

Apparently, you are racist if you side with the police. The Blake incident is another case where the subject was a felon and was wanted in connection of three crimes. There was a warrant out for his arrest and the police had been radioed that information. He had a knife in his car and it appeared he was reaching for it. So, after being tased and ordered to stop, he ignored the police and went for it anyway. Maybe he had no intention of getting it and was just going to drive away. Maybe he should not have been shot seven times. That's for the court to decide, NOT an unlawful group of rioters. Protesters become felons when they burn down businesses or shoot people, including the police that were doing their jobs. There is NO excuse for civil disturbance such as we are seeing. NO ONE can excuse those people. If ordered to stand down, and they ignore the order, then they should be arrested and incarcerated. The racial argument has absolutely NO bearing on this rioting, destruction of property and murder. If there is a question as to the lawful shooting of a subject, the court has jurisdiction, not an unlawful group intent on committing more crime.

Floyd is the same situation. Only Floyd was not shot. He died of an overdose. Even if the Cop was instrumental in his death, the court has jurisdiction, not an unlawful crowd bent on committing felonies. That is why we have laws. The court is always the avenue for justice, not more crime.

There is NO systemic racism in America. That is only a political tool being used to change our country.

"There is a certain class of race problem-solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public." --BTW

Originally Posted by Bikeracer2009 (Post 1824360)

She specifically said

"It's politically incorrect for me to tell you what race he is but we ALL know what race I'm talking about".

How is that not racist?

She said he was a conman not someone violating a no solicitation rule. Maybe he was doing something wrong but why bring up his race? I guess his race helps to prove he was a conman or a scammer.

Originally Posted by Swoop (Post 1823542)

If you go by what is reported by the national news networks, you would assume that unarmed blacks were being killed daily by police, in numbers much higher than whites. Actually there were 13 unarmed blacks shot by police last year and twice as many whites. The media decides what they want you to hear. If Floyd was white, the national news media wouldn’t even have picked up his story!!

Originally Posted by RedBoneJones (Post 1824424)

Percentages of whites in the US 72%. Percentages of Blacks in the US 13.4%. Now run those numbers.