@iteach, you do realize that not all the rioters were black, right? And in other examples of riots - I am most familiar with the LA riots of 1992 because I was in high school here when they happened - again, all the rioters are not of any one race. So when you say "But don't you think it's possible that the cops feel justified in the way they treat black people after they riot like this?" do you realize how uneducated this statement alone makes you sound?
@iteach, you do realize that not all the rioters were black, right? And in other examples of riots - I am most familiar with the LA riots of 1992 because I was in high school here when they happened - again, all the rioters are not of any one race. So when you say "But don't you think it's possible that the cops feel justified in the way they treat black people after they riot like this?" do you realize how uneducated this statement alone makes you sound?
Not only were "all the rioters black", it makes her sound like ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE were out there rioting. FFS
I have to say this here bc I've said it on FB regarding the "but he ran!!!" argument.
Let's have a show of hands of who never ran from the cops when they were younger, say under 21?? You know, having some beers, house party, oh no COPS!!! Everyone runs. Perhaps we all should have had our spines severed, because you know, GUILTY :/
100% the police were wrong in Baltimore, they are awful cops. There are also good cops out there. But don't you think it's possible that the cops feel justified in the way they treat black people after they riot like this? It's like "see, this is why we do it, because they are criminals" I'm not saying I agree with that thinking, I don't. I think everyone was wrong in Baltimore. The guy for getting in trouble in the first place (please know,that no matter what he did, he did not deserve what happened to him), the awful cops for murdering him, and the rioters. I just feel like violence and destruction of your community aren't the answer.
I have to say this here bc I've said it on FB regarding the "but he ran!!!" argument.
Let's have a show of hands of who never ran from the cops when they were younger, say under 21?? You know, having some beers, house party, oh no COPS!!! Everyone runs. Perhaps we all should have had our spines severed, because you know, GUILTY :/
I was about to post about how many of my friends that I can count who I know have run from the cops at least once. Never mind possession. All of them are currently breathing with no criminal records. Fuck everybody that justifies this bullshit. If you can watch this injustice happen to another citizen and make it ok in your head you are a horrible human being.
I have to say this here bc I've said it on FB regarding the "but he ran!!!" argument.
Let's have a show of hands of who never ran from the cops when they were younger, say under 21?? You know, having some beers, house party, oh no COPS!!! Everyone runs. Perhaps we all should have had our spines severed, because you know, GUILTY :/
I was about to post about how many of my friends that I can count who I know have run from the cops at least once. Never mind possession. All of them are currently breathing with no criminal records. Fuck everybody that justifies this bullshit. If you can watch this injustice happen to another citizen and make it ok in your head you are a horrible human being.
After I posted, I was thinking, we all deserved to be chased when running because we were actually doing something illegal!!
I really don't understand what his police record has to do with anything. Do people who spout that shit really think that the cops take the time to pull up everyone's record prior to pursuing them? It doesn't excuse the fact that they chased him, arrested him for dubious reasons (ahem, for being black and walking down the street), and then proceeded to mistreat him to the point that HE DIED.
I totes hid from cops when a party got busted - they found me, and since I am white, I wasn't arrested, ticketed or charged with anything. Like not even a citation.
I just can't with this shit anymore, and I am fucking white as a damn sheet. I cannot even fathom the level of fear, outrage, anger, stress and hopelessness that is felt by black people and other minorities in this country.
Post by orangeblossom on May 6, 2015 13:10:14 GMT -5
I am raging at what iteach said. You don't know what you're talking about AT ALL. Did you see there were peaceful protests? Did you see that the day after the riots, people from all over the city were helping to clean up? Did you see the masses decry the riots?
The media thrives on reporting negative stuff, because that's what sells, and lets be honest human nature gravitates towards the negative. Let me make this simplistic for you. If you experience a bad experience at a store or a restaurant, you're more likely to complain to management. A wonderful experience, you might contact them and sing their praises. An average experience, you keep on keeping on. So yes, if you are foolish enough to believe that there were only riots, more power to you, but I can assure you that wasn't the case.
I am black, and I don't like rioting any more than the next person. That said, I at least get it.
I don't care what he did in the past. It is completely irrelevant to what happened. It has no bearing on the fact, that officers hurt him before he even got in the van, and didn't call for help then. It has no bearing on the fact that he repeatedly asked for medical help, and was denied. Plain and simple, the ONLY thing that matters is the moment he was arrested, and last I checked, making eye contact and running from police is not a damn offense.
Oh, and whole I'm at it. Police who you feel should be afraid of black men, and apparently you feel you should be afraid as well, are based on the constant demonizing of black men, that starts in childhood. The "preschool to prison" pipeline is real.
I truly am sorry for any child you may teach, because no doubt your ignorant biases come through, even when you think they don't. Trust me, they do.
If one more ignorant ass idiot rolls up in here talking about and trying to justify what's happened in Balitmore, or Ferguson, or the toy aisle of a fucking Walmart (and the list of course doesn't end there) using prior arrests or contact with police as any kind of reason that these atrocities have continued to happen, I think my head may actually explode.
Post by aussiecrush on May 6, 2015 13:36:35 GMT -5
404. That's the number of men, women and children killed in this country so far in 2015. Up 51 people from the same time last year. The majority of those people are minorities. 404 people who will never go home, who have families and communities who grieve them and love them. Cars and buildings can be replaced. If simply talking, protesting, voting was enough to create change we wouldn't be here today. Also, screw you and your privilege.
I can't today - with the stupid - it hurts. Can a Latina get up on your "Fuck You" train? I'll bring the tacos, to give us strength to fight the good fight.
I really don't understand what his police record has to do with anything. Do people who spout that shit really think that the cops take the time to pull up everyone's record prior to pursuing them? It doesn't excuse the fact that they chased him, arrested him for dubious reasons (ahem, for being black and walking down the street), and then proceeded to mistreat him to the point that HE DIED.
Stop it with the "but he has a record" BS.
I pointed this out TO A COP I know. He continued to argue with me about Michael Brown. I defriended. I just can't. A fucking cop.
Ok, so this time he didn't do anything wrong. He had a pretty long rap sheet, so he was no stranger to being in trouble. By running, he acted guilty, which of course led the cops to believe he was guilty. He made a mistake by doing that, for sure. Again, he did not deserve what happened to him, the cops do deserve every second of jail time they will hopefully get (or the death penalty, not sure if Maryland has it though)
So by your rationale people can't change. If he had a rap sheet and was no stranger to getting into trouble then he must've been guilty of something? I did some crazy stuff when I was younger too. And I changed. I am not the person I was 15 years ago. I just don't get why you would say that.
AND NO he didn't make a mistake running from the cops. Had he been able to outrun them maybe he would still be alive.
100% the police were wrong in Baltimore, they are awful cops. There are also good cops out there. But don't you think it's possible that the cops feel justified in the way they treat black people after they riot like this? It's like "see, this is why we do it, because they are criminals" I'm not saying I agree with that thinking, I don't. I think everyone was wrong in Baltimore. The guy for getting in trouble in the first place (please know,that no matter what he did, he did not deserve what happened to him), the awful cops for murdering him, and the rioters. I just feel like violence and destruction of your community aren't the answer.
Well. They may *feel* justified in treating black people that way, but here's the thing about being a cop: your job is to enforce the law. Not your feelings.
Here's the other thing: cops see all kinds of horrific shit on a regular basis. Stuff far worse than someone looting a CVS and setting a fire. But cops don't get to kill the addict who sells her 10 year old daughter for sex in exchange for drugs. They don't get to beat to death the gangbanger who fires at a rival on the street and ends up killing a five year old sleeping in his bed. And believe me, they want to. They have lots of feelings about that. Personally, I wouldn't so much as side eye them for doing so. But that's not their job and that's not their right. They are part of the justice system and the *law*. That is what they represent, that is what they uphold. Not their feelings.
I really don't understand what his police record has to do with anything. Do people who spout that shit really think that the cops take the time to pull up everyone's record prior to pursuing them? It doesn't excuse the fact that they chased him, arrested him for dubious reasons (ahem, for being black and walking down the street), and then proceeded to mistreat him to the point that HE DIED.
Stop it with the "but he has a record" BS.
I pointed this out TO A COP I know. He continued to argue with me about Michael Brown. I defriended. I just can't. A fucking cop.
I've never been a cop and I understand that it's a difficult job. I just really don't understand how a good cop can stand by and defend the reprehensible actions of a bad cop. In my line of work, if I see someone seriously screwing up I report them, I don't defend them. I don't understand why this is such a foreign concept.
Do you want to know why white people aren't rioting over the death of this young police officer? It's because we white people are confident that the murderer will be arrested, prosecuted, tried, convicted, and sentenced to the absolute maximum possible sentence allowed by law. I don't think for even a second that he's going to see the light of day until he's an old man, if at all. I have full faith that justice will prevail because for white people, it usually does. This is not something that minorities in this country- specifically black Americans - can count on.
And if I genuinely didn't feel like the person who murdered him would ever be punished, because the system didn't give a shit about him or anyone else like him, then I might be out there in the streets setting stuff on fire too.
Ok, so this time he didn't do anything wrong. He had a pretty long rap sheet, so he was no stranger to being in trouble. By running, he acted guilty, which of course led the cops to believe he was guilty. He made a mistake by doing that, for sure. Again, he did not deserve what happened to him, the cops do deserve every second of jail time they will hopefully get (or the death penalty, not sure if Maryland has it though)
Huh. So Walter Scott deserved to get shot 8 times in the back because he ran. Tamir Rice deserved to get shot because he was playing with a gun. Trayvon deserved to get shot because he should have just showed Zimmerman his Freedom Papers.
Let me start with the first idiotic thing you said - So, where exactly do people who riot go? Because marching over to the nice, segregated section of Baltimore to riot is going to go over just dandy won't it? People riot in their own neighborhoods. They don't travel to burn down shit. See - drunk ass college students who lose games. They burn cars in shit in their own neighborhoods. They don't travel to the black side of town to tear up shit.
Secondly - the Baltimore Sun did a story last year on the level of police brutality in the city and the fact that Baltimore paid out $ 5.7 MILLION MUTHAFUCKING DOLLARS OVER A THREE YEAR SPAN should make you sick to your stomach. It's absolutely unconscionable that this is allowed to go on.
Thirdly - everyone has an impulse - fight or flight. I'm pretty damn tired of folks forgetting that this is an automatic response. We're constantly asking folks to ignore an automatic response - but only if your ass is black. Because bet not a single solitary black person question the cops because we can't live. We get shot on first fucking sight - again see Tamir Rice.
So - take your ass on somewhere and SAT THE FUCK DOWN with this shit. In fact here - I saved a seat for you ...