OT: White privilege

[MaroonBells]

This is a fascinating read....all the way through the thread

https://twitter.com/KristaVernoff/status...54304?s=20

[Guest]

I read through the thread... until the comment about a person masturbating in public.

Yep, powerful stories.  Unfortunately, that's all they are: stories.  True, probably (most of them), but anecdotal- and not statistically backed up by the evidence.  If the world wasn't so afraid of being called "racist", I'm 100% positive that you could find a bunch of white people who could claim the same (police misconduct).  In fact, that was one of the comments in the thread (see? I really DID take the time to read it): that it sounds like the "problem" is cops.  To that, I would agree: but only to the extent that the issue is cops being ignorant and- in some cases- evil... but NOT that they are inherently racist. 

Of course, as always, there were false equivalencies offered up.  The girl who got away with everything (who started the thread) said that she ran away from cops, too, but didn't get shot in the back while doing so.  She left out one little detail: at the time she was running away from the cops, she wasn't firing a (potentially) deadly weapon back at the police.  Also, maybe the reason she got away with so much wasn't because she was "white", but rather because she was an attractive young woman.  There's plenty of anecdotal evidence to show that that is as likely as any explanation for her ability to "get away" with so much.

Racism is a real issue.  But, mostly, it is an issue of the heart.  And there is no way you can force someone to stop feeling what they feel, no matter how evil it might be.  All these calls for "change" aren't really going to change anything, other than further divide America... and hurt black people.

Now, I was willing to read and respond to your post.  I would appreciate the same courtesy:
https://outkick.com/liberals-are-right-t...-violence/

[Guest]

I think we should wait and see, lets not rush to judgement, there just may be .
One question about false equivalency.  A cop is given a taser as a "non lethal" weapon, but when some else has it it's considered lethal. 

[Guest]

@BigAl99 said:

I think we should wait and see, lets not rush to judgement, there just may be .
One question about false equivalency.  A cop is given a taser as a "non lethal" weapon, but when some else has it it's considered lethal. 

training.  But, yes lets defund the police so they aren't trained.  Tasers can be seriously harmful if directed at the head.
How come the heroes of the media always seem to be doing something illegal when they are stopped by the cops?  This guy was passed out behind the wheel of his car.  DUI?  Not dangerous or lethal at all.  just peacefully minding his own business thinking about his daughters birthday.  And then to resist arrest, fight off 2 cops and grab their weapon?  Yeah, all peaceful.

[Guest]

Let's wait and see till all the facts come out.  Don't they train them to not let others take their things, perhaps lanyards would help.

[Guest]

@BigAl99 said:
Let's wait and see till all the facts come out.  Don't they train them to not let others take their things, perhaps lanyards would help.

Yeah, I kinda think that would be rather critical.  Not saying mistakes weren't made or that shooting him was right, just that a criminal that assaulted two officers, resisted, fled and then turned a tazer at the officer isn't a hero.
I was rather shocked that 2 officers couldn't physically detain a guy that has just been passed out.  Perhaps some ground training would be in order.  kneeling on a neck and choke holds aren't normally required if you know leverage.  Of course drugs are a huge variable as well.

[Guest]

@BigAl99 said:

I think we should wait and see, lets not rush to judgement, there just may be .
One question about false equivalency.  A cop is given a taser as a "non lethal" weapon, but when some else has it it's considered lethal. 

I agree with the "wait-and-see" view of things.  And, as I do in all cases, I hope that justice is done.  I do have some concerns about shooting a man who is shooting a tazer back at the police.  If the police officer was alone, I would view it differently; but, here, he has a partner.  So, even if the tazer "worked" and the officer was incapacitated, he has a partner who can defend him.  I can respect the fact that cops have to make life-or-death decisions in the blink of an eye... and I think that this cop may have made the wrong choice.  But unless someone has been in their shoes, and leaves for work each day knowing that they may not come home again, it's hard to be quick to judgment.  That doesn't mean that the cop can't be wrong... only that his mistakes don't necessarily come from a place of hatred (bigotry), but rather of self-preservation.  

In that respect, I think of police officers like doctors: they make mistakes.  I doubt that doctors do it out of any kind of malice (if they do, it would be rare- and wrong, of course), but they do.  And tens of thousands of Americans die each year because of it (far more than people being killed by cops, even if you add up all the deaths).  But, for some reason, we accept the risk that doctors may make a mistake when operating on us.  Oh, there are plenty of lawsuits, too... but no one is saying that the doctors are killing patients on purpose.  If a doctor makes a preventable error- and it leads to the death of their patient- I think that the doctor should be held accountable.  But I also know that- if a doctor is afraid of making a mistake- they'll stop taking "hard cases"... or give up being a doctor altogether. 

Same thing with police.  When they are "afraid" to do their jobs (for fear of being called a racist or- worse- a murderer) the result will be worse for black people, not better (as proven by all the statistics we have available to us).

[Guest]

The first line was sarcasm.  Put that there to see if I could get an Amen.

[Guest]

Interesting article on racism by Joe Thomas. 

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/joe-thomas-systemic-racism-nfl

Racism is a deep and enduring pain in the black community, but the problem is rooted in the white community. And being “not racist” is simply not good enough. In the football world, when something is going wrong with a team, there’s a saying that goes, “You’re either coaching it, or allowing it, and both are a problem.” When it comes to racial bias in America, I believe that it’s pretty much the same thing: You’re either prejudiced, or you’re allowing prejudice to exist — and both are a problem.
We cannot just be nonracist. We really do need to be antiracist.

[Guest]

@MaroonBells said:
Interesting article on racism by Joe Thomas. 

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/joe-thomas-systemic-racism-nfl

Racism is a deep and enduring pain in the black community, but the problem is rooted in the white community. And being “not racist” is simply not good enough. In the football world, when something is going wrong with a team, there’s a saying that goes, “You’re either coaching it, or allowing it, and both are a problem.” When it comes to racial bias in America, I believe that it’s pretty much the same thing: You’re either prejudiced, or you’re allowing prejudice to exist — and both are a problem.
We cannot just be nonracist. We really do need to be antiracist.

So if we treat all people with respect and kindness, are we anti-racist?  Or do we have to see in color and promote division so we can signal that we are anti-racist?