[Heyitsrick]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I guess the word "some" tripped you up a bit. Sorry.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, there are absolutely positively people who show up just to stir the pot. That's kinda what I already posted that you seem to be claiming to disagree with, by saying the same thing using different words.

And sure some of those well-intentioned people will get angry and fight back, if a group of ill-intentioned NON-protesters show up with torches, or sticks, or knives, or KKK patches, or nazi signs, or rifles, or whatever else they do when they show up at these things intending to stir things up.

Personally if it were me, I'd run. But I have no problem admitting to cowardice in the face of violence. I don't have the stomach for it. But in a crowd of people peacefully protesting, when they are faced with violent people who are NOT protesting, moving them closer and closer together (herding them) and manipulating their movements, it's inevitable that at some point - someone is going to start shoving back.

People who show up to stir things up know this. That's why they do it.

As a resident of "the real world", here's my takeaways:

Some people would write an entire post essentially saying that it's really outside agitators (white nationalists) who are to blame. Never mind that there's no evidence of such activity in this case that I've seen as of this writing.

Some people would make statements that it's not BLM protesters at all. It's those outside instigators. Really? Wow. Who knew that no one in the BLM movement could ever resort to property destruction or violence?

Some people would suggest that the real well-intentioned protesters just aren't smart enough to realize they are being manipulated by these outside extremists. Of course, some people who suggest this think that they, themselves, are smart enough to see it from afar. It's just those intellectually-limited protesters who can't see what's going on around them.

Some people find that after posting something so off-base, they have to come back and repeatedly explain their points. You see, those people think that everyone else online is intellectually challenged and incapable of understanding the truth of what's going on. Oh, lest I forget, the intellectually challenged people online are also uncivilized - or close to it.

We should all be thankful for some people like this. Where would we be without the omniscience topped with gratuitous sarcasm?

Just so it's clear, here's my thoughts on anyone involved in violence and/or property destruction: find them, root them out and prosecute them. It makes no difference whatsoever if they are white nationalists or any part of those engaged in supporting BLM. Those people are criminals. They need to be brought to justice.

But for some people to suggest or imply that no one involved in the BLM movement could possibly be involved in property destruction and/or violence without being manipulated is just naive at best.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by GoodLife

And on the other hand, we have people trying to blame the riots and destruction on white supremacists when there is no evidence for it.

“I have not seen any clear evidence that white supremacists or militiamen are masking up and going out to burn and loot,” Howard Graves, a research analyst at the SPLC

Think BIG picture.

Richard Spencer. (poke here)

“A race is genetically coherent, a race is something you can study, a race is about genes and DNA, but it’s not just about genes and DNA. The most important thing about it is the people and the spirit. That’s what a race is about.”

I DARE you to watch...

13TH (click here)


And of course, there will be a small faction of any large group...that leans toward violence.

MLKJR. had to fight against the same thing.

What's sad, is when those who prefer to hate, try to use the small %...to paint a whole group.

[Mardarlowe]

Just thugs being thugs

[tenorgirl]

Originally Posted by coalminer

Peaceful protests get you, chastised, berated, and ignored. Ask Colin Kaepernick

Colin was berated because he chose to protest the symbol under which we ALL live instead of taking his concern to those who could do something. Do you think he honestly took his concern to his local politicians? Nope, he thought the best way was to dishonor ALL Americans and then MSM helped him along. Which IMHO was just as disrespectful as the raised clenched fists on the Olympic podium.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by GoodLife

If you already have a certain viewpoint/anger/hatred/bias/prejudice towards whites, then the decades long effort by the work of billionaire Soros....will just fuel your confirmation bias.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

[tenorgirl]

Your last sentence describes MSM perfectly

[davem4616]

Originally Posted by riley2011

So why aren’t they being stopped?

You just asked the $50K dollar question

What happened that leaders all over the country seem to be just standing on the side lines watching this and are not taking any nonviolent steps to stop this?

There isn't anyone to negotiate with, or learn exactly what these 'protesters' (very loose use of that term) actually want...what's that tell us (they don't want to negotiate?...it's a mob and they really don't know specifically what they want??...it's not just a 'mob' and they have no intention of negotiating??...that this is about creating chaos in the US??)

It's occurring all over our country....this is no longer a spontaneous protest to right a wrong...those don't last this long, those protesters can articulate what they want changed and will come to the table to talk

something very nefarious is at work here, something that wants to stay in the shadows

This is no longer about race, the underdog, slavery, etc...this has been planned and is now being executed

[MandoMan]

Madison is not only the capital of Wisconsin but the home of the main campus of the University of Wisconsin, one of the best public universities in the country. It is also the home of thousands of generally pretty cool graduates who love the city and school and decided to stay on. Most of them are very liberal. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, mind. Many are minimally employed but just love the city. However, there are quite a few teachers and teaching assistants who are radicals dedicated to spreading an agenda of what they call “Social Justice” but which really means “take the money of those who have it and give it to those who don’t.” (That “those who have it” group includes, in their minds, most people able to own homes in The Villages.) These radical teachers (a small minority of the teachers there, actually) are popular and develop coteries of student followers and train them by assigning reading material and research assignments and developing classes that teach how to effectively combat what they call “white privilege”—which is also a code word for overthrowing the established order (though I think most African-American young people don’t realize that). A lot of their graduates hang on in Madison.

There is no need to have an “organization” to which these people answer. They can learn what they need to learn online from many sites and from their teachers. Don’t imagine that labeling some organization as terrorist is going to stop anything. It won’t. It’s what they WANT! If they are persecuted, they will gain more sympathizers and followers. That’s how they win! It’s not “Antifa”! It’s people who agree, have learned what to do to sow discord, and are willing to do it. There was an attempt to do this in the late sixties and early seventies, but it wasn’t big enough and it frittered out, though a couple million Americans still believe in the goals and may even run for office.

For decades, scholars have written books explaining that the purpose of terrorism is to get the normal, average, law-abiding people of a country (most of us) so upset at these acts that we decide we are willing to take strong actions to stop the anarchy: willing to crack down. So we crack down hard, and as a result millions are so appalled by the new laws that they sympathize with the protestors and join the attempts to overthrow the government. Most of these people are good, decent people, but the government reaction to violent protests and terrorism lead them to seek peace by overthrowing the government and democracy and the rule of law. That is usually the goal. That is how it is playing out now. Naturally, countries that believe in communism and would like to see us overthrown are providing propaganda to inflame both sides—all sides. Fighting and disagreement and separation of friends from friends is how they hope to decrease American power and influence. (I have friends at The Villages who frequently repost disgusting and untrue memes on Facebook that they think are witty barbs against liberals, but were designed and originally posted by Russian trolls.)

Two of my children have marched in BLM rallies because they believe in fairness and equality. They are as far from radicals as can be. Whatever the skin color, I think that describes the majority of protestors. But there are definitely anarchists trying to sow anarchy in hope that it will lead to a violent overthrow of our country or at least change millions of minds. That is their agenda. Some of the arson and violence comes from these anarchists. Most of the looting and a lot of the arson and violence is done by criminals and thugs and people who just want free stuff. Meanwhile, the anarchists win whether or not they are in charge. Every time police fire tear gas canisters or rubber bullets or use their shields and clubs, the anarchists win. Again they aren’t organized. They are amorphous. But they still win, a bit at a time, as they politicize both left and right and those in-between.

[I was a state university professor for 34 years and before that a state university graduate student. I’ve watched this happen. When I arrived At my school in 1986, we taught mostly literature classes about various periods of English and American literature. It was a sacred calling to us. Today most of those classes are seldom taught. We used to think English majors should get out of college knowing a little about ever period and every major writer. No more! The department has been taken over by people who openly talk with scorn in department meetings against teaching the work of “dead white men.” They now teach more classes about Activist Writing and how to do it and publish it than they do about the great works of the past. In response to the current situation, the director of freshman writing is developing a new composition class syllabus she hopes most teachers will use called something like “Anti-Racist Activist Writing”. That will sound good to a LOT of students at my school, but it’s a great chance to indoctrinate hundreds of students every semester with communist and anarchist ideas and give them the tools to join the “struggle.” I’m so glad I’ve retired. I couldn’t take it anymore.]

[Andyb]

Read the article in the liberal Baltimore paper about racism, it will answer a lot of questions.

[ldj1938]

This has nothing to do with protests. WHY aren't these people going to jail?

[Lil GTO]

Originally Posted by mtdjed

They are more than protesters. These people you are describing are vandals, hoodlums, looters and criminals. Protesters are OK , but they must obey the law. Once they have crossed over that boundary, they have given up their right to be called a protester. The ones that choose to cross that line ruin any positive work a legitimate protester may have accomplished.

In my opinion protesters have never accomplished anything just disturbing the peace.

I did watch that documentary. Which views of mine are you interested in exploring?

Pick one of my views from this and previouscomments.

I support BLM.

I feel this is the most racist community I've ever lived in and have personally heard the N word freely spoken to me on several occasions.

I pointed out a person's post as having a racist remark because they believed the color of person at their door was proof enough that the person was a scammer.

I'm not going to review all of my comments but feel free to do so and I'll defend them. As far as this latest comment, what in particular prompted your assessment that I needed educational assistance?

[Bob3302]

Well said Choro

[aallbrand]

I have to laugh at all the people who post about protesters. Unless your of color you have no idea what its like . Imagine every time your children and loved ones leave the house and not knowing if they will be stopped by law enforcement, and harmed or killed. Change is needed and our great country is what it is because of protesting. Its almost laughable when I hear people concerned about a Wendys or a statue getting damaged but cant name 3 innocent lives taken by Law enforcement just in the last year .

[pineweasel]

Thank you so much for input and perspective. Much appreciated.