[Lisa C]

I can understand peaceful protesting. My question is what could possibly be the benefit of destroying your own community?? How does this possibly honor or get justice for Mr. Floyd??? This is ridiculous unacceptable behavior and in my opinion, authorities need to take much more severe action towards these rioters. Otherwise, it's only going to get worse.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by mneumann02

I believe your statement gets at the root cause of why these tragedies occur and why they will never be solved, i.e., Denying The Root Causes of These Tragic Events. Try to take your emotions out of the equation and we can get at the root causes, then solve the problem.

OK fair enough.

And let me state for the record, that I DO NOT condone violence from anyone, toward anyone, nor the destruction of property in protesting.

I believe that the "root cause" is because of the feeling of those quietly sitting on the sidelines that think "as long as I haven't been treated/discriminated against all of my life and it doesn't happen to me, I'm OK with that."

I'm saying that the silence by decent whites and their non-action and unwillingness to be attacked by other whites, like I am in this thread and every time I point out the disparities/discrimination...IS the root cause.

What are YOU trying to say is the root cause?

Originally Posted by mneumann02

Let's start with your claim " I guarantee, if it were old white people suffering what is constantly happening to young black men" we'd be doing the same things. Well, when old white people do something wrong and are confronted by police, we tend to say "Yes, Sir" and comply with their commands. Would there be less of these tragic events if there was more compliance and less resistance?

The reason "we" do this is because we haven't lived a life where we are viewed as suspect, in almost every situation, simply because of the color of our skin.

Since we will never know what that might feel like, it's impossible to say...what % would eventually reach their limit and act like 'some' of the protestors are doing.

Keeping in mind that the vast majority of protestors, are NOT the ones looting and fomenting violence.

MLK was a strong proponent of peaceful demonstrations and yet even that was too much for all too many white people...who felt blacks didn't deserve equality.

So one killed him for it.

The great irony is that this nation was birthed from a feeling of being discriminated against, the Colonialists felt like their backs were against the wall, were never getting a break from the British and basically felt that they were cornered rats...with nothing to lose.

Then once we gained our freedom, THROUGH VIOLENCE, we built this country's foundation on the backs of free labor...re: black slaves.

And yet we celebrate that.

Originally Posted by mneumann02

Forgive me, but I will diverge. I'm basically a liberal but my problem with extreme liberal folks is that they tend to just want to throw more money at failed social programs and blame others for poverty and crime. I want to solve the problems of poverty and crime. We actually can do it, but not by denying the root causes.

LOL, I'm actually far from "extreme liberal."

The fact that someone willing to try and point out racism and racists, is automatically called an "extreme liberal"...says a lot.

Does that make everyone who totes around their assault rifles, waving the confederate flag and trying to intimidate others...is an "extreme conservative?"

You've mentioned "root cause" a few times, but have failed to say what YOU think that is.

What do you think the root cause is...and how would you approach fixing it?

I believe the majority of posts in this thread, of which there has been no recognition/understanding of how a person might feel if they had simply been born with dark skin...IS a root cause.

[DeanFL]

..we were so sad and angered by the death of Mr. Floyd allegedly killed by the MN policeman.

<now>

..we are so sad and angered by the rage and destruction by these mobs nationwide TAKING ADVANTAGE of this crisis. As many of you had noted what does these actions solve? What is gained? Is it truly in honor of Mr. Floyd? Will it absolutely eliminate something as this -by rogues cop(s) that may occur again in the next decade. Probably not - the mobs will find reason for more destruction and looting. Where are the Afr Am leaders? Can't they attempt to defuse this before it expands to more American cities.

Now> we are appalled about TWO matters. sad for OUR country.

[anothersteve]

Carrying the burden of the world surely is not an easy task , yet they persist, and do it purely for self servance.
Some talk, some act. Some see who talk, some see who act. The quiet are the ones who purely act. No colored words needed.

Steve

[diane reynolds]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

With all the destruction in Minneapolis we are looking like a 3rd world country. 2 wrongs don't make a right. Stealing and destroying someone's business is not protesting.

I never condone violence and destruction of property, but when peaceful protest like the NFL players taking knees and white Americans just being horrified at such behavior, what is the next step? Rioting is a last ditch effort to be HEARD> who, here in The Villages, is listening?

[Dahabs]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

Those of you who would rather focus on the fires/looting, instead of what has brought people to the point where they feel they are at the end of their rope, have nothing to lose, because no one cares how the African-American community has been constantly mistreated and abused...YOU are also to blame.

If you just stand on the sidelines and refuse to recognize and to become active and support true equality, you are no different than those German citizens...who just stood by while Hitler rounded up Jews/critics/gays/Etc.

If you're one of those keeping your mouth shut and purposely confusing 'Nationalism' (which is simply code for "white nationalism") with 'Patriotism,' when blacks are on the front lines serving you and dying at a horrendous % rate compared to other demographics, just so you can hide in your house during this virus crisis...you also carry part of the blame.

I guarantee, if it were old white people suffering what is constantly happening to young black men and were treated from black policemen the way so many black men are treated from so many white policemen, millions of you would be screeching about the horror and injustice...and a certain % would be running around with their assault rifles screaming "give me my liberty back."

This morning, a FULLY credentialed news team who was doing absolutely nothing wrong, other than the on-air reporter being black...was arrested while reporting.

You can claim all you want about how you're not racist or a bigot, but if you refuse to become involved to right these wrongs...you forfeit that claim.

MLK referred to it as "the silence of good white people."

Are YOU one of those people?

Would you be fine with it, if the tables were turned...180 degrees?



Repeat this 100 times...until it actually sinks in:


“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke

Couldn't agree more. Well said!

[Dahabs]

Originally Posted by diane reynolds

I never condone violence and destruction of property, but when peaceful protest like the NFL players taking knees and white Americans just being horrified at such behavior, what is the next step? Rioting is a last ditch effort to be HEARD> who, here in The Villages, is listening?

The NFL "taking a knee" protests was misconstrued by many as a disrespect to the flag and the anthem when it was intended to draw attention to the differences in the treatment of the various segments of American society. Is the ignorance willful or just plain blind?

[J1ceasar]

Pretty easy with a video tape . and a non violent crime to begin with.

[Bay Kid]

No social distancing last night as protest that turned into riots across our country. An excuse to burn, loot and destroy.
The media is loving this.

[riamd1954]

Totally agree that cop is a real pos and deserves jail time!! On the other hand they are savages for destroying there own homes and towns!! This is a good excuse for rioting and absolutely disgusting!!!

[B-flat]

Originally Posted by John_W

These type events make living in TV so much nicer and probably helps many to decide to move here. I know I couldn't wait to leave the Baltimore area, I still like the sports teams and maybe visit, although it's been since 2013 since my last visit.

I lived in a probably one of the best suburbs in Baltimore, it was Bel Air, and in 2016 two cops were ambushed and killed inside a Panera's next to Wegmans a 1/2 mile from my old house.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local...11b_story.html

I usually try to avoid seeing or reading about these events, there's really nothing we can do about it. I even hate when I see someone start a thread like "Forget About Getting Fired", what good did that do, other than rile up a few people who live 1500 miles away. I wish those threads were never allowed. It's always the same posters, they stay quiet until something bad happens in the country and they quick to jump on the topic and post their views like they're know-it-alls. I wish that thread was closed right now,

Your post caught my attention. When we travel by car to and from New England we usually spend the first night in a hotel that’s less than 2 miles from that Panera. In the past we have bought our evening meal there, I would have never guessed that was the site of a shooting.

[Pamelah]

I agree ColdNoMore. I think people would stand up IF we knew where to stand and what to do!
This government is incapable of taking a lead. What do we do?

[noslices1]

The officer whose knee was on the person who died’s neck was charged with “Third degree murder”. What IS third degree murder? Did the officer just fall asleep for the 8 minutes he was kneeling on him and just forgot to Listen to him say he couldn’t breathe? I thought I also hear him say, “He’s trying to kill me.” As well as, “I can’t breathe.”

[Paper1]

China is smiling

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

It seems to me that we have two choices in this country when we think that there has been an injustice. We can work within the system to try to get justice served. We can wait to see if people will eventually come to trial and be found guilty or not guilty.

Or we can burn down and loot businesses that had nothing to do with the original crime.

I wonder if any of those businesses that have been attacked were owned by African Americans or other minorities.