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  1. #5281
    Ol' Doogie, Circa 2005 GindyPosts's Avatar
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    I ended up listening to a clip of Tucker Carlson "talking" to Mike Braun on his show last night, and my ears damn near bled. The amount of stupidity and hatred coming out of Tucker made me want to strangle him like a chicken.

    Mike Braun, by the way, is a conservative Republican from a pretty conservative state (my state of Indiana, mind you) who proposed a bill that suggests that police should be held accountable, and told Tucker that they need to keep the Republicans in the Senate at all costs. And Tucker pretty much treated him like a complete moron because... Braun agreed with Black Lives Matter (though someone at his office in downtown Indianapolis did have an "All Lives Matter" sign before that was taken down) on a podcast.

  2. #5282
    My Face Is Up Here Powerboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Powerboy View Post
    He did a few movies I liked, especially "The Cowboys" and "The Shootist", but his movies were generally a "white-washed" fantasy version of our history.
    John Wayne also is endemic of a phenomenon we see all too often. Kirk Douglas was very liberal and was able to get along with Wayne fine when they worked together as long as they stayed away from politics. Apparently, according to Kirk, Wayne was the sort who would never be discourteous to someone who was black in person. He'd be the sort that would sit and eat with him, shoot the breeze with him and so on. He was the sort who would probably think he was not racist because he had black friends. But, on a systemic level, he was a total racist and that is a very common thing. He was the guy who judged someone he knew personally on his merits but he would have all sorts of racist assumptions about black people in general.
    Power with Girl is better.

  3. #5283
    Ol' Doogie, Circa 2005 GindyPosts's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joker View Post
    It's called fetishizing. It's got nothing to do with respect, or admiration.
    Recently, WWE wrestler Keith Lee came out and addressed he was a victim of sexual assault, and more than likely, the fact he's a large, black man was the motivation. There are just... types of people that are ogled at and are warped to a point where they are looked at not as human beings but as hunks of meat to fulfill disturbing sexual desires.

    And it's because of that that you can't use the "I can't be racist" argument since you're not viewing them as actual people. In the case of John Wayne, you can argue he simply had a thing for Mexican women, but he still likely did not respect or care for Mexicans in general; it was just that Mexican women turned him on (and I feel gross typing that).

  4. #5284
    Invincible Jersey Ninja Tami's Avatar
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  5. #5285
    Ol' Doogie, Circa 2005 GindyPosts's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The no face guy View Post

    If it’s the state of California, the statue will be gone if it’s not on federal land. The generation that really cared about him have pretty much died off.

    What he said was well...very racist, particularly by today’s standards, but this statue thing is starting to remind me a little too much like the religious right of the 80’s & 90’s who sat around listening to immoral lyrics in order to ban records. When I was young the left fought against the censorship of punk and rap music, now it seems like the left is combing through a person’s history looking for a sign of racism to ban their material and claim moral virtue, in short the equivalent of the religious right.
    People digging up the past and using it to (hopefully) strike down people they don't like is an annoying thing, yes, but this is a consequence of the internet amplifying reaction times. I'm of two minds of this; on the one hand, people are capable of change, and while there are a few things that certainly can never be forgiven due to how tone-deaf they are, even if used in an ironic or metaphoric sense (such as several people being exposed to be wearing blackface, which is a common thing people have been attempting to find), age usually brings wisdom and people should be granted a chance to prove how far they've come. But, on the other, perhaps you should have never done those things in the first place, and given how every stupid thing we do or say will eventually make it's way on the internet, people should probably learn early on how not to make asses of themselves or what will possibly haunt them for the rest of their lives. Though this is regarding recent history, now when we're talking about the days of antiquity... that's a whole other can of worms.

    But, when it comes to statues... statues are largely decoration pieces that serve no purpose other than to stand around and let pigeons crap on them. If you want to truly honor someone, that honor should be something that can be of substance to the community, like a rec center, or a scholarship program. The weird thing about honoring certain people, though, is... for example, Christopher Columbus was a guy that people are belted out as the guy who "discovered" America in grade school, and then you move on. But when you decide to look more into his life, how he funded the expedition, his beliefs, and the consequences of his arrival, and the only reason why Columbus became so beloved was for Italian Americans to avoid persecution by having a pre-made folk hero upon arrival... not to mention having a fairly useless holiday anyway, it makes you wonder why they were made in the first place.

  6. #5286
    Invincible Jersey Ninja Tami's Avatar
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    A QAnon supporter just ousted a congressman in a massive upset—and a massive headache for the GOP

    Businesswoman Lauren Boebert, who runs a gun-themed restaurant where servers openly carry firearms, has defeated Colorado Rep. Scott Tipton in a stunning upset in Tuesday's Republican primary. With most votes counted, Boebert leads 54-46, prompting Tipton to concede.

    There was no reason to think the ultra-conservative congressman would have any issues winning renomination: Shortly after Boebert launched her campaign in December, Tipton earned a coveted Trump endorsement tweet—usually more than enough to ward off any trouble. Like a classic Republican outsider, Boebert attacked the incumbent for his supposed eagerness to compromise with Democrats and his allegedly insufficient loyalty to Trump, despite that tweet. And like a classic Republican outsider, she raised almost no money, just $133,000 to Tipton's $1.1 million.

    But Boebert had a flare for capturing the attention of the media. Last year, she confronted Beto O'Rourke at an event in Colorado during the former Texas congressman's short-lived presidential bid. Challenging O'Rourke's plan for a mandatory buyback of high-powered rifles, Boebert declared, "I was one of the gun owning Americans who heard you speak regarding your 'Hell yes I'm going to take your AR-15s and AK-47s.' Well, I'm here to say 'Hell no you're not.'” The encounter predictably garnered her an appearance on "Fox & Friends."
    Original join date: 11/23/2004
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  7. #5287
    Spectacular Member Kuro no Shinigami's Avatar
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    Taiwan (also known as Republic of China) and People's Republic of China still do not recognize each other as the legitimate government of China. Most countries used to recognize Taiwan as the legitimate government of China but now recognize People's Republic of China as the legitimate government of China.

    China, where the coronavirus began, stopped counting covid cases past 80,000+ total cases. I believe China was probable falsifying the data to make it look like they beat the coronavirus. I have been doubting China's official recordings since I read the news that more bodies were being brought to crematoriums in China than usual.

    When the covid-19 outbreak erupted, China tried to downplay the seriousness of the virus. But Taiwan was wise to distrust the Communist government. In addition, Taiwan has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. That explains why Taiwan reported no more than total 447 total cases, 7 deaths and also reported no new cases since June 25. There was only one case reported on June 25 in Taiwan. Instead of China, Taiwan should have been given a seat on the WHO (World Health Organization).

    https://www.coronatracker.com/country/taiwan/

    With over 7.5 million people in a 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Like Taiwan and South Korea, Hong Kong had experience with SARS. Hong Kong was also distrustful of the Communist government. Hong Kong restaurants banned mainland Chinese visitors in order to prevent the spread of the virus. The HK protests were happening around the time before the covid outbreak. But most of the protesters had the good sense not to assemble, rally, protest or riot in the middle of a pandemic, unlike the American protesters and rioters. There were a few active protesters, but fewer than before.
    HK reported 1,206 total covid cases, 7 covid deaths and still no new covid cases for several days. Britain should have given HK back to Taiwan instead of China.

    Just because you have the right to assemble and protest does not mean you should do it during a pandemic.

    https://www.coronatracker.com/country/hong-kong/


    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

    The least 5 coronavirus-hit states

    5. Wyoming 1,487 total cases
    4. Vermont 1,208 total cases
    3. Montana 967 total cases
    2. Alaska 940 total cases
    1. Hawaii 917 total cases and +17 new cases as of today.

    Hawaii has more people than Wyoming, Vermont, Montana, and Alaska, yet Hawaii reported fewer cases than those other 4 states. Is it because most of the Hawaiians are Asians who take cleanliness seriously?

  8. #5288
    Ultimate Member Tendrin's Avatar
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    OKlahoma looks set to pass Medicaid expansion. Whoa!

    https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/1278146807378382849

    Annnnd....

    Oh WBE-Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....

    https://twitter.com/fawfulfan/status...45752712097792

    In case you're wondering, this Lauren Boebert woman who just beat the GOP incumbent in the #CO03 primary is completely fucking insane.

    She owns a BBQ restaurant full of guns that was fined for defying COVID orders. She has also spoken admirably of QAnon and the Branch Davidians.

  9. #5289
    Silver Sentinel BeastieRunner's Avatar
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    Up down vote should be the norm on things like that ...
    "Always listen to the crazy scientist with a weird van or armful of blueprints and diagrams." -- Vibranium

  10. #5290
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    Quote Originally Posted by JDogindy View Post
    People digging up the past and using it to (hopefully) strike down people they don't like is an annoying thing, yes, but this is a consequence of the internet amplifying reaction times. I'm of two minds of this; on the one hand, people are capable of change, and while there are a few things that certainly can never be forgiven due to how tone-deaf they are, even if used in an ironic or metaphoric sense (such as several people being exposed to be wearing blackface, which is a common thing people have been attempting to find), age usually brings wisdom and people should be granted a chance to prove how far they've come. But, on the other, perhaps you should have never done those things in the first place, and given how every stupid thing we do or say will eventually make it's way on the internet, people should probably learn early on how not to make asses of themselves or what will possibly haunt them for the rest of their lives. Though this is regarding recent history, now when we're talking about the days of antiquity... that's a whole other can of worms.

    But, when it comes to statues... statues are largely decoration pieces that serve no purpose other than to stand around and let pigeons crap on them. If you want to truly honor someone, that honor should be something that can be of substance to the community, like a rec center, or a scholarship program. The weird thing about honoring certain people, though, is... for example, Christopher Columbus was a guy that people are belted out as the guy who "discovered" America in grade school, and then you move on. But when you decide to look more into his life, how he funded the expedition, his beliefs, and the consequences of his arrival, and the only reason why Columbus became so beloved was for Italian Americans to avoid persecution by having a pre-made folk hero upon arrival... not to mention having a fairly useless holiday anyway, it makes you wonder why they were made in the first place.
    Well I disagree, aesthetically I find that statues provide a sense of history and culture to the surrounding architecture, particularly in older cities. I am for the removal of some statues (Confederate monuments, King Leopold of Belgium) but there is a disturbing trend to try to remove all statues in North America & Europe, by people primarily on the far left who are trying to pull down George Washington and Winston Churchill statues, via searching for some colonial crime as an excuse to have them removed. I hate to use the Soviet Union as an example, but we've seen this with the left before. (St. Petersburg, and the statue of the Czar of Russia, being renamed and replaced by Leningrad and of course a statue of Lenin)

    This all just feels to religious to me, I'm worried that when they're done with statues, they're are going to start to take aim at music, and demanding that certain songs and artists be banned for racism, homophobia, misogyny. I can see them going after Guns N Roses and Eazy E, and a whole host of other artists. It's a slippery slope when you start banning art and history.



    Quote Originally Posted by Kuro no Shinigami View Post
    Taiwan (also known as Republic of China) and People's Republic of China still do not recognize each other as the legitimate government of China. Most countries used to recognize Taiwan as the legitimate government of China but now recognize People's Republic of China as the legitimate government of China.

    China, where the coronavirus began, stopped counting covid cases past 80,000+ total cases. I believe China was probable falsifying the data to make it look like they beat the coronavirus. I have been doubting China's official recordings since I read the news that more bodies were being brought to crematoriums in China than usual.

    When the covid-19 outbreak erupted, China tried to downplay the seriousness of the virus. But Taiwan was wise to distrust the Communist government. In addition, Taiwan has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. That explains why Taiwan reported no more than total 447 total cases, 7 deaths and also reported no new cases since June 25. There was only one case reported on June 25 in Taiwan. Instead of China, Taiwan should have been given a seat on the WHO (World Health Organization).

    https://www.coronatracker.com/country/taiwan/

    With over 7.5 million people in a 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Like Taiwan and South Korea, Hong Kong had experience with SARS. Hong Kong was also distrustful of the Communist government. Hong Kong restaurants banned mainland Chinese visitors in order to prevent the spread of the virus. The HK protests were happening around the time before the covid outbreak. But most of the protesters had the good sense not to assemble, rally, protest or riot in the middle of a pandemic, unlike the American protesters and rioters. There were a few active protesters, but fewer than before.
    HK reported 1,206 total covid cases, 7 covid deaths and still no new covid cases for several days. Britain should have given HK back to Taiwan instead of China.

    Just because you have the right to assemble and protest does not mean you should do it during a pandemic.

    https://www.coronatracker.com/country/hong-kong/


    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

    The least 5 coronavirus-hit states

    5. Wyoming 1,487 total cases
    4. Vermont 1,208 total cases
    3. Montana 967 total cases
    2. Alaska 940 total cases
    1. Hawaii 917 total cases and +17 new cases as of today.

    Hawaii has more people than Wyoming, Vermont, Montana, and Alaska, yet Hawaii reported fewer cases than those other 4 states. Is it because most of the Hawaiians are Asians who take cleanliness seriously?
    I agree, it will be sad to see the light of freedom go out in Hong Kong, when they are taken over by an authoritarian government that harkens back to Mao Ze Dong (Often cited as the greatest mass murder in history) I believe the "west" is defined by culture not race, and Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and other Asian states are part of the west, and should be protectorates of the United States, so long as they desire to be so. Perhaps a more competent U.S President will strengthen ties with a Trans Pacific Partnership.

    I also agree with you on the cleanliness of Asian people. I live in Vancouver British Columbia, and although we were the first Province in Canada to be hit with COVID 19, are numbers have been relatively low. We also happen to have one of the biggest Asian populations in North America per % of the population, and they are polite, respectful, and always wearing face masks.

  11. #5291
    Astonishing Member mathew101281's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JDogindy View Post
    People digging up the past and using it to (hopefully) strike down people they don't like is an annoying thing, yes, but this is a consequence of the internet amplifying reaction times. I'm of two minds of this; on the one hand, people are capable of change, and while there are a few things that certainly can never be forgiven due to how tone-deaf they are, even if used in an ironic or metaphoric sense (such as several people being exposed to be wearing blackface, which is a common thing people have been attempting to find), age usually brings wisdom and people should be granted a chance to prove how far they've come. But, on the other, perhaps you should have never done those things in the first place, and given how every stupid thing we do or say will eventually make it's way on the internet, people should probably learn early on how not to make asses of themselves or what will possibly haunt them for the rest of their lives. Though this is regarding recent history, now when we're talking about the days of antiquity... that's a whole other can of worms.

    But, when it comes to statues... statues are largely decoration pieces that serve no purpose other than to stand around and let pigeons crap on them. If you want to truly honor someone, that honor should be something that can be of substance to the community, like a rec center, or a scholarship program. The weird thing about honoring certain people, though, is... for example, Christopher Columbus was a guy that people are belted out as the guy who "discovered" America in grade school, and then you move on. But when you decide to look more into his life, how he funded the expedition, his beliefs, and the consequences of his arrival, and the only reason why Columbus became so beloved was for Italian Americans to avoid persecution by having a pre-made folk hero upon arrival... not to mention having a fairly useless holiday anyway, it makes you wonder why they were made in the first place.
    They are modern day iconoclasts, make of that as you will.

  12. #5292
    Ultimate Member Gray Lensman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JDogindy View Post
    People digging up the past and using it to (hopefully) strike down people they don't like is an annoying thing, yes, but this is a consequence of the internet amplifying reaction times. I'm of two minds of this; on the one hand, people are capable of change, and while there are a few things that certainly can never be forgiven due to how tone-deaf they are, even if used in an ironic or metaphoric sense (such as several people being exposed to be wearing blackface, which is a common thing people have been attempting to find), age usually brings wisdom and people should be granted a chance to prove how far they've come. But, on the other, perhaps you should have never done those things in the first place, and given how every stupid thing we do or say will eventually make it's way on the internet, people should probably learn early on how not to make asses of themselves or what will possibly haunt them for the rest of their lives. Though this is regarding recent history, now when we're talking about the days of antiquity... that's a whole other can of worms.

    But, when it comes to statues... statues are largely decoration pieces that serve no purpose other than to stand around and let pigeons crap on them. If you want to truly honor someone, that honor should be something that can be of substance to the community, like a rec center, or a scholarship program. The weird thing about honoring certain people, though, is... for example, Christopher Columbus was a guy that people are belted out as the guy who "discovered" America in grade school, and then you move on. But when you decide to look more into his life, how he funded the expedition, his beliefs, and the consequences of his arrival, and the only reason why Columbus became so beloved was for Italian Americans to avoid persecution by having a pre-made folk hero upon arrival... not to mention having a fairly useless holiday anyway, it makes you wonder why they were made in the first place.


    That isn't the only reason - early Americans were actually aware of the fact that the US wasn't the only country in the Americas and often referred to themselves as Coumbians (The nation of Columbia didn't take that name until the 1820s) in order to distance the new nation of the US from it's British origins. The term 'Americans' didn't really take off until the patriotic fervor of the Spanish-American War. But Columbus was a big thing in the US well before the waves of Italian immigrants, although that was due to international politics of the day.
    Dark does not mean deep.

  13. #5293
    Ultimate Member Gray Lensman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kuro no Shinigami View Post
    Taiwan (also known as Republic of China) and People's Republic of China still do not recognize each other as the legitimate government of China. Most countries used to recognize Taiwan as the legitimate government of China but now recognize People's Republic of China as the legitimate government of China.

    China, where the coronavirus began, stopped counting covid cases past 80,000+ total cases. I believe China was probable falsifying the data to make it look like they beat the coronavirus. I have been doubting China's official recordings since I read the news that more bodies were being brought to crematoriums in China than usual.

    When the covid-19 outbreak erupted, China tried to downplay the seriousness of the virus. But Taiwan was wise to distrust the Communist government. In addition, Taiwan has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. That explains why Taiwan reported no more than total 447 total cases, 7 deaths and also reported no new cases since June 25. There was only one case reported on June 25 in Taiwan. Instead of China, Taiwan should have been given a seat on the WHO (World Health Organization).

    https://www.coronatracker.com/country/taiwan/

    With over 7.5 million people in a 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Like Taiwan and South Korea, Hong Kong had experience with SARS. Hong Kong was also distrustful of the Communist government. Hong Kong restaurants banned mainland Chinese visitors in order to prevent the spread of the virus. The HK protests were happening around the time before the covid outbreak. But most of the protesters had the good sense not to assemble, rally, protest or riot in the middle of a pandemic, unlike the American protesters and rioters. There were a few active protesters, but fewer than before.
    HK reported 1,206 total covid cases, 7 covid deaths and still no new covid cases for several days. Britain should have given HK back to Taiwan instead of China.

    Just because you have the right to assemble and protest does not mean you should do it during a pandemic.

    https://www.coronatracker.com/country/hong-kong/


    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

    The least 5 coronavirus-hit states

    5. Wyoming 1,487 total cases
    4. Vermont 1,208 total cases
    3. Montana 967 total cases
    2. Alaska 940 total cases
    1. Hawaii 917 total cases and +17 new cases as of today.

    Hawaii has more people than Wyoming, Vermont, Montana, and Alaska, yet Hawaii reported fewer cases than those other 4 states. Is it because most of the Hawaiians are Asians who take cleanliness seriously?
    I think it is also due to the fact that it is much easier to isolate an island than anywhere else. New Zealand, Japan, and Iceland also have very low case counts.
    Dark does not mean deep.

  14. #5294
    Ultimate Member Tendrin's Avatar
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    It's official. Oklahoma just passed Medicaid expansion.

    I fully expect this to be immediately sabotaged by their local government.

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    ‘We Can’t Be Duped by Petty Reforms’: A Q&A With a Black Panther

    Kent Ford, who founded the Portland, Ore., chapter of the Black Panther Party, says we’re finally seeing Fred Hampton’s multiracial coalition in action.


    JULES BOYKOFF: A recent spate of police killings of African Americans—including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor—has galvanized people across the country to take to the streets in protest. How does your own repression connect to what’s happening today?

    KENT FORD: Back in the day, the community was a tinderbox, just like it is now. The police were always on us, stopping us for minor infractions. A license plate light here, a turn signal there. Jaywalking. Just real petty stuff. My own run-ins with police brutality go back to the late ’60s, when cops snatched me out of a police car and roughed me up. I was handcuffed just like George Floyd was. They claimed I was swallowing something even though I wasn’t. They slammed me onto the ground, just beating on me. One stuck his finger in my mouth, and I bit down on it. He started hollering, “He bit me. He has my finger.” When they stopped beating on me, I let his finger loose. They charged me with riot and inciting a riot, and they took me to jail. I promised God that night that if I lived through this, I would struggle against the system as long as I lived. I was acquitted, by the way, and a federal judge awarded me a $6,000 settlement.

    Point 7 of the Black Panther Party’s 10-Point Platform read, “We want an immediate end to police brutality and murder of black people.” That was written in 1966! This is 2020, and it’s relevant as ever. When the police in Minnesota killed George Floyd, it was murder, a public lynching plain and simple. Same for Breonna Taylor. Practically every city across America has similar stories. Here in Portland, there’s Keaton Otis, Aaron Campbell, Kendra James. Keaton Otis got shot 23 times by Portland Police, only months after they dusted Aaron Campbell. I go to a vigil for Keaton Otis every month.

    I try to connect what’s happening in Portland with what’s happening in other places. You can’t understand what happened to George Floyd without talking about Palestine. Palestinians have lost their homelands to Zionists. You can’t understand what’s going on in this country if you don’t talk about the US war machine abroad. A line runs straight through. I got to admit, I drank a bit of the Kool-Aid that under Obama things would get better. But let’s not forget, Black Lives Matter got started under a black president. It’s bigger than Obama. It’s a system, a racist system.

    JB: Please talk about the Black Panther Party’s mutual-aid programming in Portland.

    KF: Our survival programs were the core of our daily activities. By 1970 we had two health clinics running strong. At the Malcolm X Dental Clinic, volunteer dentists saw patients on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. The Fred Hampton Memorial People’s Health Clinic had more than two dozen volunteer doctors, around 50 nurses, and was open five nights a week, from 7 to 10 PM. The clinics offered free care to everyone—it didn’t matter what your race was. I can tell you that the community needed this. The clinics were bustling, man.

    The free breakfast program was one of the Black Panther Party’s signature programs. In Portland, our free breakfast program served up to 125 children a day. We were getting up at 5 o’clock in the morning, and we were loading up the trunk with weapons of mass destruction: bacon, eggs, pancake mix. And that was one of the biggest and baddest things that we did. We were often shorthanded, but by the grace of God we got it done. Kids will come up to me today and say, “Mr. Ford, you used to feed us at the church when we were kids.” It’s just beautiful. The city had completely written off this area of Portland. It was a no-man’s land. The people in the area loved us. They knew we had their backs, and they had ours.

    JB: And you had political education programming, too.

    KF: Yes, we were big into political education, or “PE” as we called it back in the day. We had a requirement for each party member to read for two hours a day. We also had a reading group where we discussed the writings of Kwame Nkrumah, James Baldwin, Angela Davis, Malcolm X, Harold Cruse, Mao. Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth was like a Bible for us. We held political education classes every Wednesday and Sunday night to talk about what was going on at the local, national, and international levels. Our readings focused on three evils of the empire: militarism, capitalism, and racism. Sometimes we would have lawyers come to the PE classes to explain the law to us—the basics about demonstrations, about minor driving infractions that police would use against us to keep a cap on the political situation.

    JB: And you remain an avid reader today.

    KF: You can go a long way in understanding politics if you read Arundhati Roy, Malcolm X, and then fill in the details with Cornel West, Angela Davis, Assata Shakur, and Gary Younge. Gary Younge is one of the top minds in the world—I would put him up there with Malcolm. There’s also Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow. There’s The Holocaust and the Nakba: A New Grammar of Trauma and History, edited by Bashir Bashir and Amos Goldberg. There’s A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History, by Jeanne Theoharis. You read it, you process it, you take it into your heart, and then you take it to the streets.

    JB: In the media we’ve been seeing a lot of good protester/bad protester coverage. What are your thoughts on that?

    KF: I know better than to fall for that ****. Back in the day, we were the “bad protesters” in the local newspapers. We are all out there for the same thing: to fight against police brutality and the harassment of people of color, of black folks. We are all cut from the same cloth. The ideas that these guys are bad, and these guys are good is meant to be a wedge that divides us. Look how long they’ve been telling us to just be peaceful—remember, Malcolm and Martin met the same fate. Trump talks about big bad antifa as some kind of terrorists, but I want to thank antifa for saving Dr. Cornel West’s life in Charlottesville. I want to tell antifa that they are welcome at our rallies—let’s get our heads together. And don’t come at me about looting. The United States has been looting black communities forever.

    JB: Portland is known as a white city, in part because the Oregon State Constitution made it illegal until the mid-1920s for black people to settle in Oregon. What has it been like working with white allies in a predominantly white city?

    KF: That’s what we had to work with, and so we went with it. We made alliances with Students for a Democratic Society, the Peace and Freedom Party, the Communist Party, and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. We always had the support of a bunch of anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist groups. Even Bill Walton from the Portland Trail Blazers would show up for activist events and protests now and then. Many of these allies provided bail money when we needed it. They even set up a bail fund for us, no questions asked. When I was held on riot charges and had $80,000 bail, white people paid it. A radiologist named Morris Malbin paid half and Penny Sabin, the heiress of Blue Bell Potato Chips, put up potato-chip stocks for the other half. Malbin held fundraisers for us. All the doctors in the clinics were white. I have seen people come together—black people, white people, Native people—and that keeps me in the struggle.

    JB: Gary Younge recently said, “When people refer to the destructive nature of the riots and rebellions, they first have to contemplate the destructive nature of what went before but also the possibilities that are generally opened up by these moments.”

    KF: Exactly. People running the protests in Portland are powerful, they have big hearts. They are bringing the right messages to the people. They tell people about their legal rights. I was talking to a couple of them on the phone the other day, and I told them to keep taking it to the streets. That’s where it’s going to be solved. They are going to get pressure to start making concessions. We can’t be duped by petty reforms. We have an opportunity to think big: to decrease police budgets, to end homelessness, to get full employment.

    Right now we’re seeing the spirit in the streets all over the United States, even in the small cities and towns. Here in Oregon, there are protests in towns that don’t usually see protest, places like Klamath Falls. This is the real rainbow coalition that Fred Hampton was talking about back in the 1960s before the police dusted him and Mark Clark [a Black Panther member killed by police alongside Hampton]. We are on the move now. We have a real chance to make things better for our grandbabies. It’s a shame that we had to see that horrible eight minutes and 46 seconds to wake people to the reality of the situation. We have to watch each other’s back, look out for each other. I’m 77 years old now, and who knows, I might not be here today, tomorrow, or the next day. But I can rest assure one thing: So long as people are out on the streets struggling against the murder of black people, I’ll be there. I’m on the back nine, but I feel like I’m just starting the front nine. We’ve been here before, but this time let’s take it to its conclusion. Let’s start over and get it right.

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