Let us just say that, as a Northern Ireland native, I am sceptical that that will be the outcome.
2 Likes
Important points, all.
And of course statistical analysis has its place.
My point here was directed at those (lucasmon, in this thread) who attempt to wave them as āevidenceā that ātHeRe iS nO aCtUaL PrOBleM hErE!ā And, in turn, how such a denialist mentality gets us nowhere productive.
Well said
1 Like
Orā¦ Become actual police officers. I really hope this is not a real thing
1 Like
As I donāt desire some American version of the IRA, I sincerely share your hope.
Iām really quite puzzled by how frequently, casually, and confidently people dismiss the idea that black people experience life in general, and police action in particular, quite differently from white people in America.
Never mind the unlawful killings which spark the protests and subsequent violence, consider larger samples, consider the powder in the keg: traffic stops, incarceration for (minor) drug offences, harassment, white people calling cops when theyāre discomfited, etc.
Why, despite the ever-growing mountain of data, do so many wave away all the reasons why black people dread any interaction with the police in America?
Why are so many people telling their fellow Americans, āItās all in your head, donāt be a victimā, when black men worry about going for a walk alone in the suburbs?
How could all this smoke have no fire?
1 Like
It would mean making current laws less restrictive. How will that be reconciled with the democratic position on guns?
Oh, Iām sure theyāll find a way.
Perhaps a lot of these accusations of āharassmentā are either unfounded or subjective ?
Having had thousands of interactions with black citizens at this point Iād say, in my experience, you typically get what you give and vice versa.
Are you also willing to listen to the flip side of that coin ? Whites and police are similarly harassed and, as statistics and data show, assaulted violently at an alarmingly disproportionate rate to the opposite.
We must examine each individual case on its own merits, the facts we can gather, credible witness testimony, etcā¦ Believing every accusation of indiscretion without proof is not a good idea.
That saidā¦ Iāve seen plenty of police needlessly escalate situations to sometimes volatile levels. Poor training. Poor people skills. Fear. It happens as we are simply human.
What I never, or rarely, see are calls for citizens to act in a manner that reduces tension or reasonably given we are performing a vital function to society and the vast majority of us are doing do in good faith without malicious intentions.
Like any relationship itās give and take, compromise, understanding and being guided by mutual principles and not fleeting emotional āvalues.ā
Iād also caution people to not hold others accountable what had no hand in your experiences. Collective guilt and shaming are hobgoblins of a small mind.
1 Like
Right or wrong, look at the community. It is more dangerous because of the residents more than the cops. This isnāt an attempt at justifying or excusing some police behaviors but donāt expect cops to act like Andy Griffith when they arenāt in Mayberry. Poor people in general probably have different experiences with cops than affluent people.
And who tells the cops to do these things? White people. The same white people who are protesting.
The media and poor community outreach. If residents got to know the cops who work in their neighborhoods it would make a difference. With that said, there are many cops who volunteer their time to work with kids in the community but we never hear about that. Some of them are the closest thing to a father figure those kids will have. BLM only shows up when the cameras are rolling.
Ask them how they feel about walking alone in the ghetto. And who lives in those suburbs? The same white people who are protesting.
2 Likes
For what itās worthā¦ My experience and what the media portrays are vastly different. Sad how they warp reality and overlook black citizens that speak highly of us and support us
5 Likes
I lived in the ghetto and I never heard someone say they didnāt want any cops around. I did hear calls for more police however. Complaints about the police were more about response time and presence more than brutality. And here is a little something to consider, one day the cops came to my house to tell me that a sex offender had moved into the neighborhood. I never experienced that before. I decided to go online and see how many sex offenders lived around me and they were everywhere. None of them were cops and none were white. These are who these kids are raised among and even by. These are who their mothers are dating and living with and even financially supporting. Cops are way down on the list of things inner city residents should worry about.
2 Likes
Damn. Thatās alarming.
1 Like
There are far more law-abiding black people than there are criminals. This is fact. To your anecdotal evidence, I will reply with the experience of a teacher and scientist who has had a gun pulled on him by an off-duty officer, and had the police literally trying to force the door to his apartment because someone called the cops. For a reason he does not know to this day. These are two separate incidents.
Not in the āghettoā, and not a felon, unless you count having too many board games.
āWhyā is an entirely different question; I was addressing the idea that none of this real, and itās all in their heads.
@Beyond_Beyond Please donāt bother replying. You contributions are quite worthless.
I did a little research into the Windrush Scandal, and it doesnāt seem to involve many people(83). Most had left the UK for a period of time, possibly over a time limit, that invalidated their original authority to be in the UK as a resident. Sloppy paperwork pre 1973 meant that they werenāt at the time required to do anything formally to move to Britain, and were considered British citizens. When it came time to proving their legitimacy in the 21stC the sloppy paperwork made it very difficult to prove they were legitimate. Wrongly treated people have been offered compensation, by the government.
If the Windrush scandal peaked in 2018, why werenāt there riots then? Why wait 2 tears for an opportunity to do something if they were so incensed. Where is the proof that the violence in London had anything to do with the scandal. Pure speculation.
As a generalization Iāve never got the impression that Afro Carribbeans carry a massive chip on their shoulder against white people like you seem to get with a lot of Africans or Afro Americans.
Of course some of itās real. I was only cautioning against believing all of itās real.
As to your experienceā¦ Iām sorry that happened to you.
Not to me, fortunately.
So why blame the cops? This is my point. Policing is a reflection of what the people in power and/or community want. All of these white people crying about racism never looked around their neighborhoods or at their schools and asked, where are all the black people at?
And this doesnāt justify his killing, but none of those white people would have wanted Floyd for a neighbor or friend.
1 Like
Againā¦ Itās certainly a shitty thing to have to experience, but Iād say itās also not a logical stance to assume your experience summarizes ALL police encounters.