All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Mister Mets]

1) It's not a competition

2) We don't actually know that, as police shootings are not federally reported

3) If we want to make it a competition, who wants to bet that the cops are the ones more likely to walk away unpunished?

I wasn't trying to make it a competition.

I was responding to someone who made the comparison. "Yes the cops in the Floyd incident at bare minimum are guilty of gross negligience. But these things only happen sporadically. Meanwhile multiple cops will be shot each week. "

And it seemed to me that the statistics in the comparison do not favor the blue lives matter crowd.

The USA was born of a riot, (and violence and killing) but that was white people so it’s not a bad thing.


White people that didn’t like taxation. Black people that don’t wanna die. Where’s the pro-life party now?

Generally calling for an investigation against the police officers. Most elected Republicans seem to be responding the same way most elected Democrats are.

There might be some arguments that police shootings are not the #1 cause of death for young African-Americans.

You selectively responded to my post -- while simultaneously disregarding the issue I raised regarding Republican cuts to education.

Which you are still selectively disregarding in an effort to try to harp on semantics rather than your party's "personal" attacks on my civil rights.

Just as you did the issue of voter suppression and related "distasteful" choices.

And the issue of immigration and "open borders".

And the issue of police brutality and "personal anecdotes".

Don't get mad just because I call you out for your deflection, nor when I point out that I have no interest in playing games of rhetoric.

That said, feel free to get back to the topic and address the primary issue of Republican cuts to education brought up in the videos.

Or don't and simply acknowledge that is why I feel it's useless to discuss these issues with you, while others may not.

Well one of the reasons -- the primary one being that the Republican party never lives up to your rhetoric regarding either policy or integrity.

More importantly, it's not about my response on these forums, which is virtually irrelevant in the scheme of things.

It's really about how the world is responding to Republican "leadership" and I'm just one of the many speaking the truth.

It's telling that you're criticizing me for selectively responding to your post when you cut out the portion where I mention education spending, the very issue you say I disregarded.

If it seems I don't acknowledge your feelings, it's because I do prefer to discuss the issues and not other posters.

[aja_christopher]

This is also 100% correct, as you so frequently are, Aja.

I just think it's important to note that peaceful change is rarely ever achieved without the power structure having an alternative they're concerned about, and people frequently defang King and forget about the role militancy and social unrest played in achieving civil rights for black Americans.

Voting should be that means of redress but we've already seen how Republicans suppress and openly disregard that as well.

I already mentioned that Obama created policy to address this during his presidency and that Republicans promptly ignored it and threw it out.

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa...s-print-action
https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce...inalreport.pdf

Now we get to see how Trump handles civil unrest and addressing the issue of police violence.

[aja_christopher]

If it seems I don't acknowledge your feelings, it's because I do prefer to discuss the issues and not other posters.

I don't care whether you acknowledge my "feelings" Mets -- I care that you repeatedly deflect from and ignore issues like police brutality and Republcans cutting education funding, creating record deficits, ignoring climate change, and suppressing African-American votes.

I don't even "care" on a personal level -- I just don't "care" to waste time arguing talking points to no affect.

You're obviously not going to change and neither am I, so if you aren't going to further address the issue raised regarding Republican cuts to education and the subsequent teachers protests which I took time to link to then I'd appreciate you moving on from this issue or taking it to PM.

[Tendrin]

Voting should be that means of redress but we've already seen how Republicans suppress and openly disregard that as well.

Yep! We've seen this game many times before unfortunately.

[aja_christopher]

Yep! We've seen this game many times before unfortunately.

Of course we have -- Republicans like to elect racists into office.

Like Trump.

Not Romney, or McCain, or Jeb but a candidate whose political career consisted of labelling the previous black president a Kenyan Muslim on Twitter.

The only question at this point is how they can possibly go lower in future elections.

[Tendrin]

Of course we have -- Republicans like to elect racists into office.

Like Trump.

Not Romney, or McCain, or Jeb but a candidate whose political career consisted of labelling the previous black president a Kenyan Muslim on Twitter.

The only question at this point is how they can possibly go lower in future elections.

Reminded of Ta-Nehisi Coates writing 'the first white president', and how many people went after him for that. And yet, here we are.

[worstblogever]

The USA was born of a riot, (and violence and killing) but that was white people so it’s not a bad thing.

Should probably point out that one of the events which preceded that was protestors against the British.

In a historically representative moment that kind of covers the next 250 years of American history, they shot Crispus Attucks first, who is believed to have been of half African descent, and half-Native American descent.

No idea why the white British guys were scared enough of him to single him out of the mob. No idea...

[aja_christopher]

Reminded of Ta-Nehisi Coates writing 'the first white president', and how many people went after him for that. And yet, here we are.

Maybe if Trump had worn a tan suit -- instead of aiming racist invective at blacks, Latinos and Muslims -- they might have called him out for it.

[Tendrin]

Maybe if Trump had worn a tan suit -- instead of aiming racist invective at blacks, Latinos and Muslims -- they might have called him out for it.

Don't forget about the latte salute and dijon mustard incidents. True scandals.

[aja_christopher]

Don't forget about the latte salute and dijon mustard incidents. True scandals.

Don't forget his preacher -- because racism only matters to them if they think it's aimed at white people.

[sammy_hansen]

I wasn't trying to make it a competition.

I was responding to someone who made the comparison. "Yes the cops in the Floyd incident at bare minimum are guilty of gross negligience. But these things only happen sporadically. Meanwhile multiple cops will be shot each week. "

And it seemed to me that the statistics in the comparison do not favor the blue lives matter crowd.

Generally calling for an investigation against the police officers. Most elected Republicans seem to be responding the same way most elected Democrats are.

There might be some arguments that police shootings are not the #1 cause of death for young African-Americans.

My larger point is imagine if the GOP spent as much time protecting actual humans being murdered by police as opposed to foetuses. It was a rhetorical flourish, if you will. As you say Mister Mets, you have the power to select better candidates in primaries... Are you?

Also, I’m aware about the death statistics of young African-Americans. But surely we all expect people who are sworn to protect and serve (or some variation of) would not be the frequent cause of so many avoidable murders?

[PwrdOn]

Should probably point out that one of the events which preceded that was protestors against the British.

In a historically representative moment that kind of covers the next 250 years of American history, they shot Crispus Attucks first, who is believed to have been of half African descent, and half-Native American descent.

No idea why the white British guys were scared enough of him to single him out of the mob. No idea...

And of course, they were acquitted in the subsequent trial

The trial of the eight soldiers opened on November 27, 1770.[66] Adams told the jury to look beyond the fact that the soldiers were British. He referred to the crowd that had provoked the soldiers as "a motley rabble of saucy boys, negroes, and molattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish Jack Tarrs" (sailors).[67] He then stated, "And why we should scruple to call such a set of people a mob, I can't conceive, unless the name is too respectable for them. The sun is not about to stand still or go out, nor the rivers to dry up because there was a mob in Boston on the 5th of March that attacked a party of soldiers."[68]

Adams also described the former slave Crispus Attucks, saying "his very look was enough to terrify any person" and that "with one hand [he] took hold of a bayonet, and with the other knocked the man down."[69] However, two witnesses contradict this statement, testifying that Attucks was 12-15 feet away from the soldiers when they began firing, too far away to take hold of a bayonet.[68] Adams stated that it was Attucks' behavior that, "in all probability, the dreadful carnage of that night is chiefly to be ascribed."[69] He argued that the soldiers had the legal right to fight back against the mob and so were innocent. If they were provoked but not endangered, he argued, they were at most guilty of manslaughter.[70] Farah Peterson, of The American Scholar, states that Adams' speeches during the trial show that his strategy "was to convince the jury that his clients had only killed a black man and his cronies, and that they didn’t deserve to hang for it."[68]

The jury agreed with Adams' arguments and acquitted six of the soldiers after 2½ hours of deliberation. Two of the soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter because there was overwhelming evidence that they had fired directly into the crowd. The jury's decisions suggest that they believed that the soldiers had felt threatened by the crowd but should have delayed firing.[71] The convicted soldiers were granted reduced sentences by pleading benefit of clergy, which reduced their punishment from a death sentence to branding of the thumb in open court.[72]

[aja_christopher]

And of course, they were acquitted in the subsequent trial

Now they get the added thrill of being able to do it while their victims are handcuffed and people are begging for them to stop.

And if no one had filmed it they'd be right back out on the streets the next morning doing the exact same thing again.

Just another black American killed for "resisting arrest" -- while lying face down and bound on the ground as someone slowly choked them to death.

[Tendrin]

Don't forget his preacher -- because racism only matters to them if they think it's aimed at white people.

I remember when my sibling called me, gleeful that Obama was 'finished' because he 'went to a madrassa' and 'had an America hating preacher'.

[aja_christopher]

I remember when my sibling called me, gleeful that Obama was 'finished' because he 'went to a madrassa' and 'had an America hating preacher'.

On a religious level, you have to wonder why these people don't take note when we are hit by plagues (like 100,000 Americans dead in a national pandemic) or other misfortunes (like Great Recessions and record deficits and unemployment) while Republicans are in office.

It's almost as if both signs from "heaven" and scientific realitities on earth matter less to them than the color of their fellow man's skin.