Thoughts on George Floyd's Death and How America Heals

[Apope16]

I speak to you tonight with a heavy heart as sirens, tanks, and shouting echoes outside my window.

I listen to Liberals and Conservatives. In a time of such division there is so much that unites us. Almost every American whether they support Trump or not agrees that the killing of Mr. Floyd over some fake $20 bill was a horrible injustice.

Almost every American including Trump supporters fully support the peaceful protesters expressing their rights.

In listening to conservatives, the dividing point seems to be a consideration of whether this is an isolated killing incident or a major national trend.

Conservatives say that 99% of police officers are good people doing the right thing. They say there are only a handful of shootings of unarmed minorities per year in a nation of 300 million people.

Why are we overreacting?

We as minorities (and many Liberals) hold the standpoint that recent events must be judged from the standpoint of history. For hundreds of years minorities have been thrown off slave ships, bartered and sold, whipped, beaten brutally, and our limbs have hung and flailed to death on top of a tree.

Ever since before this country even existed this has happened to black and brown people and here in 2020 it has never ever stopped. But I am sad to say that burning a country to the ground creates ashes and embers not blocks of timber. With our outstretched fist we cannot open our arms and embrace those who do not understand.

The only pathway to healing this country, our local communities and cities is to somehow educate with compassion those who do not see the broader historical context.

That means we need to end the scapegoating of those who voted for Mr. Trump and show them that we are not stereotypes or inferior just as Trump supporters dont want us to think they are "racist" or "vigilantes".

We cannot transform with fires and looting-only by empathetic love, listening, and an openness to one another's humanity can we build bridges of change.

[katita]

This looting stuff has to end! If people want to carry their message straight clean, the gotta stop that 💩 and have their demand clear. I hear people say “ we want racism to stop”? And there I am “ I though you were protesting to get the other officers put in jail and change the degree murder to first degree?”
nah ah! They gotta put their act together and make clear demands.

[Grond21]

Well said. If we always try to right the wrongs of the past by punishing their descendants, everyone in the world must die

[katita]

Damn, but I’d say that applies only to the white people! Cuz if you really know and understand your American history, you cannot ignore that is the white people who have always shown apathy and disgust against the black, brown and Asian people. From the moment the white men arrive to this land, they not only carry disease, slaves and ideologies (religion) that subdue it’s native people into believing they were worthless and savages. Anyway, as long as the white continue to ignore what other white folks do to minorities, and nothing gets done... the protests will continue and lootings too. If nothing has been done in the path of peace, looting will never cease. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Grond21]

@katita Hmm. All white people? My ancestors all came here within the past 150 years. I had nothing to do with that. Neither did my ancestors. So should I be punished for something that someone else did, just because they have the same skin color?
Is it only white people that have shown apathy against black and brown and Asian people? I think history has shown it's not.

Martin Luther King Jr said that violence is not the answer. He said it hurts both the people who are being violent and those they are being violent against. And love saying I have the solution, I'm just saying what is being tried right now isn't working

[katita]

Perhaps your white family had nothing to do with 150 years ago, but how about you and your family? Which side are you supporting? Because staying silent is equivalent to agreeing that is okay to be racist, that you agree with what the white racist supremacist people say and support? And a comment that throws shade on the actions of people who are tired of being discriminated and abused only sound like support to the white “we are better” ideologies.

Now Mr King was a pacifist and a martyr, but is mostly true that the words of MalcomX were the ones that inspired the blacks of it’s time to fight for their rights by taking them. If it was for that, black people would still be segregated.

And yes, I’m directing myself only to the white privileged people who don’t allow peace to be based on skin color.

[Grond21]

@katita Now that we've established my ancestors had nothing to do with it, you're asking how I support it? First off, the suggestion that if I am silent that I am supporting the racists is hypocritical because I have been told my entire life that My opinion doesn't matter on black issues because I'm white. So if my opinion doesn't matter, then my silence isn't the support of racism, but I'm actually listening to the black people who are asking me to shut up.

I think racism is evil, and all its forms. Against any race for any reason. And I will not stand by it. I am also not being silent in this case, I am being clear that I do not support racism and I will stand with people who fight against it. But I will not stand with people who kill and steal from others because they are angry. Even if it's completely justifiable anger, it never justifies doing evil things yourself. And I absolutely refuse to stand with people who are behaving that way.

I read the autobiography of Malcolm x. It was fascinating, and my opinion of him went up a lot from it. However, it isn't accurate to say that he inspired the blacks more at the time. Most of them credit Martin Luther King Jr with that.

Any white person or black person or Asian person or any other person who approves racism or will not stand up in the face of it is behaving badly

[katita]

Great! It has taken you for ever to say that! 🤣🤣
It would be awesome that you don’t pull the “I stay silent because blacks what me to” card our only when is convenient. That is mostly stated when people only talk but don’t protest shoulder to shoulder with and for the black, brown And Asian communities. Generally taking the silence card and doing nothing about it is no different than a republican.

By the way, I never said that looting acceptable, but I do think that it will not stop unless justice is done, unless this fucking country along with the racist folks wake up and try to change their narrow minds. Sooooooo chill about that! 😂

And Malcolm X, I continue to think that no African American ever spoke the truth about racism and segregation as he did. Like I said, Mr. King was a pacifist protester and he ended up like a martyr and it is why he is so recognized. But he didn’t spit out the truth in the same manner as MalcomX. Both didn’t end well for speaking up against the white racist, don’t forget that!

[Grond21]

@katita sorry, I didn't think it needed to be said. But I'm glad I did and I stand by it 😁

And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I was actually being silent before. I was trying to speak in a hypothetical, but I didn't do that well. Because I'm not actually silent. When they have told me to shut up I haven't. All I was trying to point out, was that it was hypocritical to tell me to shut up because I'm white when it serves their narrative and then tell me that my supposed silence is somehow violence against them or in support of white supremacy. It's only the hypocrisy I was highlighting, not how I was actually behaving.

Gotcha. So you're not saying it's good you're just saying that we can expect it to keep going until racism changes? I hope you're wrong about that. It's cliche, but one evil never deserves another. I hope a better way can be found.

It's interesting you think that way. Can you tell me why you think Malcolm x was so accurate? He certainly was a compelling speaker. I dislike the fact that he said that blacks need to self-segregate. I know he changed his stance after he went to Mecca at the end of his life, but for most of the time he was a big proponent of this. It doesn't mean he wasn't naming a lot of the problems accurately though. India, they both were martyrs. They both died for what they believed in

[RationalMale]

@katita let me ask you. Are you willing to make amends for how your ancestors might have owned slaves? Africans were heavily involved and heavily profited off the slave trade. Not to mention a large amount of Africans owned slaves in the USA too. Maybe you can make amends for black on white murders?

[grif429]

most people don't understand USA population was 30 million in 1860 15 million is the south the north fought a war to end slavery and most Americans came to this country or are from people that arrived during or after the civil war they just want to blame all white people. There was 3000 black plantation owners they owned slaves a lot of black American are desendants of these slave owners people only want to hear and remember what they want.

[grif429]

@katita you act like it's all white people that's the problem. Blacks kidnapped blacks sold then as slaves Indian tribe's were wiping each other out before white's ever arrived yes white's didn't make anything better. But you focus you're blind hate on whites. And for not going out and screaming at the top of your lungs that i am not a racist doesn't make you one. Nations have always expanded and people have died from this that's every race on earth not white privilege.

[Porcelaine]

@katita only to white people? You cannot be serious. Please get educated, no race is innocent, they've all done horrible things to eachother. And noone is ignoring anything anymore. Its 2020, no mistreatment of minorities is ignored.

[DocT1977]

@katita All white people? Sounds like you're being pretty judgmental there. I am not disgusted by blacks. You want me to tell you the truth? I'll give it to you straight. I have black friends who have been with law enforcement, the military, fire departments, I have had black teachers and principals alike. I have had a few bosses who were black. A couple of them have been the best I ever had. Do you think they got to where they are by these systematic crutches that people like you keep trying to force upon them? Do you honestly think they need your sympathy? I can tell you one thing Katila. They don't. They got to where they are on their own merit. They did not need the victim label to get to where they are today. The fact that you think they need constant nurturing by society proves who the real racists are. I think you know where you fit in my eyes.

[nightdrot]

Leaving aside the specifics of the case, there being no obvious defense for the police officer, the country is getting a taste of what life would be like absent the police. As Hobbes said of the state of nature, it would be "Nasty, brutish and short."

If anything, the current upheavals are highly reminiscent of the 1960s. Race riots, routinely referring to police as "pigs," the counterculture and so on. This time, however, amplified by social media.

Be that as it may, as can be seen in the pusillanimous Governor of Minnesota and the Mayor of Minneapolis over four full nights, the lessons of those decades past have not been remembered. Instead, they bow and scrape before the "honest feelings" of the crowd and restrict the action of law enforcement on the preposterous assumption that defending law and order will be taken as provocative.

The net result will be businesses burned to the ground, jobs permanently lost and communities decimated. As often as not minority communities for whom these leaders have been shedding crocodile tears.

Fun fact, by the mid-1970s, a Gallup poll found that 71% of women - and 92% of African-American women - reported feeling unsafe walking in their own neighborhoods at night. Such were the fruits of a culture that emphasized feelings over thought, that prized "understanding" over order. That characterized the criminal not as a responsible being but as a victim of the "establishment" or the "police" or "the man" or "racism" or whatever. (The list of oppressors being endless and endlessly flexible in its definition.)

So now we go down the same path again. The idea that the cop who killed George Floyd ought be charged with a crime being somehow seen to be incompatible with the idea that rule of law must still be enforced. So insipid Governors yammer on about understanding the peaceful protesters - as if it will be possible to separate them out of the crowd from the violent protesters - instead of imposing order and keeping the streets calm.

It is a grotesque spectacle born of a culture that has lost the capacity for reason. It does not matter how you feel. Once upon a time grown adults were expected to control their emotions and restrain their actions, no matter the provocation. Now we are expected to understand their passions as the cities burn.

Suffice to say, with that pathetic standard, there will be many more cities lit aflame. The irony being that the whole thing then has sunk in moral exhibitionism and theatricality and Mr. Floyd has become an afterthought and a pretext - but little else.

[Tiffany_Taylor_Made]

My thoughts on the death of George Floyd are based on truths that many people refuse to accept. For many people, their political party and ideologies are more important than the truth and seeking rational and practical solutions to solve our problems. Deaths of unarmed Black people by the hands of police misconduct has been a problem in the United States for decades. According to the statistics, Black people are five-times more likely to be killed by the police when they are unarmed compared to White people, which proves that this is primarily a problem that Black people face. Whenever Black people attempt to address their issues and seek solutions, we are often accused of "playing the victim" and people deny that the issue even exists mainly to support and adhere to their own political ideologies. Of course, conservatives believe in maintaining the status quo and resist social change. Admitting that police brutality and misconduct based on race exists would mean that certain political changes must be made. As a result, they remain biased and deny these issues.

In addition, when you attempt to address the statistics, instead of addressing the issue, they attempt to divert you away from the issue. For example, they would tell you that you should focus more on Black-on-Black crime simply because it happens more and somehow ignore the crimes of police officers. Black people focus on Black-on-Black crime daily. Churches, non-profit organizations, community centers, community outreach, and even the government at times create youth programs to keep Black youth out the streets. In addition, whenever Black people do become victims of violence because of another Black person, concerned citizens often call the police and justice is served. However, when police officers kill unarmed Black men unjustly, they often get off scot-free unlike the offenders of Black-on-Black crime. Also, we pay police officers their salary through our tax dollars to "protect and serve" us. Because of that, their misconduct against us that they often get away with is its own problem that needs to be addressed.

Our attention should never be diverted from it simply because those on the Right are offended by other people mentioning it. We've attempted several things to bring change such as legislation, peaceful protest, and attempting to get the government to hold law enforcement accountable, but to no avail. As a result, many people viewed violent protest as a last resort. I don't support violent protests, but as history proves, in many instances, war is necessary. Europeans mainly resorted to violence to colonize land beyond European and those subjugated often resorted to violence to fight for their freedom. While I definitely don't support violent protest, I strongly oppose the reason people are protesting even more and, hopefully, the police learn their lesson and learn some accountability. If change doesn't happen and police officers continue to unjustly murder Black people, they can expect more violent protests in the future.

[ttnnkkrr]

so. looting is always wrong. but there have been erosion to the constitution for a while now. in recent months it has accelerated and the flagrant abuse of power and destruction of our first amendment rights no matter of meaning. the wholesale abuse of the umderpriviledged. home incarcerations. disregard of medical needs that aren't covid 19... well this man was actually just the straw that broke the camel. we have been headed for a very long time to the reality that nothing short of a complete overhaul of our government. was necesary. there have been movements towards correction squashed by the legislative body wholly at the beck and call of the industrial complex. please make note that wear protests started but were met by officials and law enforcement on bended knee that little or no violence ensued. and that is the point.

common sense was a pamphlet written by thomas pain about all government being inherently evil and the need of the people by excessive deadly force when necesary to bring a government to heel.

we have perhaps been witness to the beginning of that process. to regain complete and irrefutable control of our government. it is going to be violent and messy. but it has been long comming..

peace without liberty is tyranny. and it is an unfortunately true that there is no time like the present.

i myself an insured middle aged white male was forcefully physically placed in the drvers seat of my own car under influence of narcotics and refused medical care for pneumonia in a mainly empty hospital and instructed by police to drive home.

no attempt is made to identify asymptomatic carriers disguised as essential workers from delivering the virus house to house. but we are told we cannot willfully choose to go to a park or a church. please stay at home and the virus will come to you. if you are poor and out of work your depression amd abusive or suicidal reaction is not important. your childrens lives dont matter as we saddle them with rapidly borrowed trillions of dollars of debt. and if you have critical chronic illnes or an acute potentaly life threatening event that is not covid 19 please keep it to yourself.

if you were the victim of violence. guess what we let them out over covid 19.

so surprise surprise it took as little as one racially charged murder to break the camel..

the sooner our officials humble. apologise and fall into line the sooner this will end.

[Kaneki05]

By getting rid of a racist president would be the way to start. And heal America dunno what you mean by that since America will always be flawed like most countrys. And will always have racists and injustice. If you mean go back to like normal. Well just wait until the protesters stop they will at some point shrugs. And what happened was bad no one is gonna disagree with that.
But it's not like this protesting will stop all injustices or racism to come so in the end people are just fallowing the heard and ego boosting themselves into were they feel like there making a change by creating more chaos in a way.

also it's just this year really. There has been racist killings by cops in years before and sure people spoke up and caused a stir but never really did this. Which shows it could just be all the events of this year effecting it.

It's always kinda funny to think if these people actually gave a shit about justice they would protest every day about every act that happens every day that is injustice. Bet you 100$ they didn't protest on the streets for justice in China nah. Or France. Or every-time a racist cop killing. But even if you did protest for all these that's all your life will be since there simpley isn't enough to protest about everything.

That's not to say we shouldn't but there is bigger things that should be focused on first or/and better ways to do it. Honestly best way to describe most people who are protesting now about this one death is there all like Hayley from American dad lol. There trying to help but just make things worse or are doing it just to prove a point or make them seem more good for standing up.

Nothing is ever gonna be perfect the voices have been heard now. And ultimately we just have to live with what the government choose to do. Or we could go into full on anarchy if there is choice is that bad. But it does need to be said this death don't really deserve the whole let's take down the whole government route. And heck i hate most governments and i am saying they shouldn't.

Unlike China were it does cause well... It's pretty obvious why.

[Apope16]

Trump has nothing to do with this. looting and burning of cities happened under Obama

[Kaneki05]

All i said was get rid of racist president would be a way to start? You really gonna say having a racist president don't impact anything? Lmao

[Craftsman]

Very eloquently said, apope16. I'm pretty sure there are many on all sides who agree that change is needed, though are equally sure burning one's neighborhood or another person's neighborhood down is not among the solutions.
I remember violence and looting happening ever since the Watts riots of August 1965. Since then we've had what are classified by some as race riots:
1967: Newark and Detroit, both in July. Police brutality.
1968: Memphis, April, after Dr. Martin Luther King assassination.
1980: Miami, May. Police Brutality.
1992: Los Angeles, April 30 to May 1, Police brutality, Rodney King. Violence in Atlanta, Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco and San Jose.
2001: Cincinnati, April. Police brutality.
2014: Ferguson, August. Police brutality.
2015: Baltimore, April. Police brutality.
2016 Charlotte, September. Police shooting.
And the past weekend, across the USA, Police brutality.
Those are just the 'bad ones'. There were too many incidents to list, to tell you the truth, when one factors in the political, gay rights, and other demonstrations that descended into rioting.
Two things come to mind here. The first is, we've had riots for a long time. It doesn't look like rioting is a tactic that works. How do we find another way to get the word out?
I don't have the answer. I do think that if we can get people to sit down with people, an answer can be found.
Second thing is, police have used a heavy hand at times, triggering the riots. These heavy handed tactics have not worked. If anything they have made the situation worse. That may sound counter-intuitive, though by taking a knee and starting a dialog with demonstrators, and getting police out of riot gear and back into a community service look has helped. I've seen video confirmation of that effect. Surprised my Conservative butt something fierce, lemme tell ya!
One thing I know. The safest place for me to be in a riot is far, far away. Suppose they gave a riot and no one came? I'll do my part in writing, in speaking, and in voting while sitting in a place of relative safety, listening to and speaking with people.
Sorry for the diatribe. This was going to be a short reply and opinion that simply said "You speak with great truth, with clear thought and wise heart."
I got carried away. Mea Culpa.

[MrWolf]

I agree that this needs to change.

But all i see is people using a man's death horribly.

The whole world is watching as it is getting out of hand.

This ain't right and this is for most not the right way to do so.

This man did not deserve that. But the blame should be into the system that lets people like that in to the law enforcement.

I mean I've seen to much of that as i work in the security sector for a big company.

Most of us a ex military. But we go trough daily checks and they follow our behaviour.

Becuse we deal with certain situation. Sure we are a paid army and all that yet this is the way it sould be if you are unstable mentally you have no place there. And the same should be in the law enforcement.

I didn't know George Floyd but i feel really sorry for it. Becuse he was a human being. Nobody deserves this. Color doesn't matter at all because we all work, fight, grow, fall and we bleed the same.

There needs to be a global law against such things.

[Justdee]

I want to see police reform. I want to see justice reform. There is clearly an bias approach to justice in situations like this. Cops, no matter what their race, are free to unjustly harrass, attack or kill an unarmed black citizen without reproach. This is not the case when a black cop does the same to a white person (i. e. Officer Noore who shot and killed a white woman about two years ago I believe). I feel all cops who negligently performs their duties and it results in the killing of a civilian, needs to be puniched to the full extent of the law. No ifs, ands or buts about it. But we clearly see that that's not the case ESPECIALLY in cases that involve a black civilian.
Police officers operates that gangsters in urban neighborhoods and they KNOW that they will not get checked for it.
And what gets me is that people are mixing the two sets of people during this time. There are Protestors and then there are looters. Those are two totally different people. If you paid attention, you'd see undercover white civilians and police officers initiating the riots with bricks, tagging, stealing and using aggressive force.

[websterII]

first the slaughter has to stop. the cops forget who they work for.. the cops seem to foreget that life is the most valuable thing there is. just cus it's not their father brotehr son does not mean they aren't sombodys. this cop murdered this guy. this cop used deadly force.. on a compliant detainee. now what did this guy do to desaerve summary execution? how could anyone. stand by and watch his murder.. especially when their job is uphoding the us constitution. I dont like the riots.. but i understand them.. and i'd be out marching in protest too if i could. our nation is dying to corruption and wealth inequity. when i was a kid no one worked 2 jobs.. everyone could afford a at home parent a car and a house.. now look at us.. since 1970 worker productivity has vastly increased.. but compensation has remained flat.. meanwhile inflation made everyting more expensive.. now you need 4 min wage jobs just to live. in 1960 the min wage == 25 dollars an hour intodays money.. and you only get 9 bucks.. that's a joke.. when productivity has doubled you shuld be getting 50 dollars an hour min wage. and guess what.. while this country has 1 billionaire.. dont tell me there is not enough money.. bezos alone is == 150,000 millionaires.. that's too much.. for some.. and nothing for too many.

[lightbulb27]

I could attempt to give a broader view of history, but that just seems to invalidate the feelings and make things worse. ugh! Visit the slavery museum in N. O... I learned much there. All should. I cannot deny the feelings of so many.

I'll say this... today I went to a safe place with people who are doing extremely well. You won't see them on TV. They live in nice homes, great jobs and income, having kids and families. They don't fear the police... they only see them when they call them... because they don't steal, do drugs, and cause crime. Their kids do their school work, are respectful and I trust them implicity. I don't fear them stealing my stuff or hurting me. If I see a few of their teens down the corner, I have no fear. They eat well and mostly healthy. They are sound with money and are producing educated and well balanced people based upon families.

Set a new vision and be like them. If you find someone operating outside that behavior, discipline them! I won't say who they are.. does it matter? They will be your new masters if society fails to evolve. Don't blame them for being better, take responsibility.

Remember this issue was aflame under Obama, he had nothing for it... and a social organizer and exceptional orator at that. He's hiding in the Hamptons... far away from this mess. Smart man! Trump and his supporters have little to do with it. All I talk to want order, protect peoples property and lives, and make changes, whatever they are, for everyones security and well being. Some have been hassled by police themselves. Changes are good... make good changes!

[lightbulb27]

Note: Minneapolis has had a few of the awful cases of police vs citizens violence. "Castile" shooting being another. As I undersatnd it... they have continued to have knee to neck and back as a valid tactic... I could be wrong, mixed information. But they don't just make up crap like that... its taught and it's killed other people as well. And it is Democrats in power in that state!!! My state has stronger Republican influence... we don't accept knee to neck. Maybe the liberals should stop allowing such liberal assault techniques on their citizens? That be a first item to change... ban that technique.

[Hypnos0929]

We should stop the looting but how many riots need to be had before people do more than just speak? You tweeted "I'm praying for you" or "I can't breathe" GOOD JOB but that doesn't solve problems!
THIS KEEPS HAPPENING BECAUSE YOU KEEP SAYING "THAT'S NOT ENOUGH PROOF THAT THE SYSTEM IS CORRUPT".
Black people have complained for decades that police need more oversight but y'all keep saying it's not de jure so it doesn't really matter. You people only want peaceful changes but you make no effort to make those changes and when there's efforts to make violent revolutions you fight against it with your dying breath. I finally get why white people love MLK because you don't want to be forced to make a choice. I'll even quote Dr King:
"I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice"

[Anonymous]

I’m starting to wonder if people have a hardwired ability that whenever it happens to go out and auto-loot. Do we listen for the marching orders from the media? Who’s going into the rich areas with gated communities and security guards? Why do people target minority areas in places like downtown LA? Well I guess they find a store and figure “I need a 65 inch 4K flat screen“ they never go batshit inside of a BMW car dealership. No one is forcing them to find certain stores. The media would be against them if they went into rich areas and would call for the president to bring in the military. But because the rioters target minority areas they just get pissed if there’s action taken against them. What’s the point of attacking their own communities that are already in disrepair from decades of failed liberal government. If people come into fix things would they still be pissed? Lots of the rioters aren’t even from the states they protest in, and that’s interstate travel to cause harm, which is also against the law as William Barr has stated. Who needs tv when there’s real life

[Guest25]

It's no longer about George Floyd, these riots have nothing to do about it, people are just taking advantage of others' emotions. Brick have intentionally been placed in certain places so people have Items to throw at government structures. I worked in D. C. today, there was glass everywhere, stores broken into and cleaned out, puddles of blood all over the side walk from people who were breaking into stores, a couple cars were still on fire. Spray paint markings all over the place people blaming trump for this (he has nothing to do with the death of George Floyd), one person even painted, "Freedom Fighters" which is complete BS because every person in those riots was there for their own personal, and selfish gain.

[angiebangie]

Are you serious? Blood on the sidewalk? Are people dying from these raids?

[Guest25]

I don't know about dying, but the jewelry store I walked past had a bunch of blood inside it, and puddles outside and trails of it from someone who was running away. The jewelry that was stolen wasn't just unsold jewelry, my coworker and I found an envelope on the sidewalk with a person's information on it saying what repairs their jewelry was in for, some of that stuff belonged to people.

[angiebangie]

This is so out of control!

[anametouse]

You hit the nail on the head. I 100% agree

[Porcelaine]

I was with you until you mentioned slaves. "We as minorities (and many Liberals) hold the standpoint that recent events must be judged from the standpoint of history". No, we dont, because what happened there has nothing to do with this horrific situation. Racism will never end. And you cannot bring centuries old history every time it happens, because this is a completely different scenario, different people, different motives. America will never heal if you keep scratching old wounds. This is a new unrelated injury.

[Apope16]

Thanks for your well written reply. My response is only that you cannot solve a problem unless you diagnose it. Just as you cannot cure cancer unless you remove the tumor. You can advance an issue of racism in society unless you actually talk about race.

[Porcelaine]

So talk about race in order to advance the issue of racism, but as I said, this case or illness is different. Even a thousand years from now racism will exist, but the root or the beginning of this will not be with slavery, or whatever was the very first act of racism. Someone will always be like, 'you look different, you must be different' and jump to all kinds of disgusting conclusions and assumptions about that person just from skin color and not history. And they will treat them unfairly. No matter how far we come, how well we educate others, there is no cure for ignorance and hate.

[Apope16]

That is a defeatist view. but you could be right. we have advanced a lot as a society so far. who knows? you are probably right.

[Twinrova]

Let's start with this, the riots, amd even the peaceful protests, are stupid and unjustified. George Floyd was killed by a moron; not a racist. There isn't a shred of evidence to support the narrative that George Floyd was killed, because the perpetrator was racist; it makes ZERO sense to assume otherwise. Also, the police officer is being persecuted for several charges, among which is murder 1 (which is dumb by the way), so justice is on the path to being served. So why riot? Oh because of systemic racism? SORRY, but this incident, as well as the stats regarding police violence don't support that narrative. The riots are stupid, and evil; they should be condemned as such. There is absolutely no justification for them whatsoever, and I challenge anyone to demonstrate otherwise.

[Apope16]

de facto racism is what i will call it. I will say that you can judge someone is racist by their actions. what they actually do to people compared to other races. This officer did not see that Floyd was a human being and got pleasure in the power to kill a black man.

[Twinrova]

Are the police racist when they make fatal mistakes that kill white people? You can't just presume the presence of a racist motive when black people are killed, and not do the same when people of another race are killed. Why is the framework of assessment any different? Perhaps you can explain why, but I doubt it.

[Dargil]

The carnage is not about George Floyd. Betting half of those white snowflakes with masks do not know his name. This is about Millennials and younger protesting their own grim futures of useless degrees, huge student debt and zero accomplishment. They have been brainwashed by government schools, mass media and Hollywood. On some level, they know their futures are inescapable serfdom. I love this country, but I think it is finished in its current form. Authoritarian rule, winking at the Constitution, is coming.

[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

“Almost every American including Trump supporters fully support the peaceful protesters expressing their rights“

Sorry, but that’s a load of shit. The same people 4 years ago said that kneeling as a peaceful protest is wrong. The only difference now is the extreme has moved to rioting, to some degree, so their compromise to discredit is that peaceful protesting should be achieved. That’s how people justify themselves over their beliefs without appearing as racist, bigoted, prejudice, or ignorant.

Case in point would be the NFL. They made a statement supporting peaceful protesting and sentiments of outrage, but they literally blackballed (and admitted it) one of their own. As a result, literally everyone has fucking scorched the league and calling them out as hypocrites. Don’t let this shit fool you. People are still the same asshats. They just have a new excuse.

[Anonymous]

As much as people seem to want to make all of this about race, it's not. It's an issue of police brutality, nothing more. A black person who gets arrested by police in the US is actually at a lower risk of being killed by police than a white person, but that is not the perception most people have.

It's a shame that the national media supports the illusion that this is a racial issue because it just fans the flames of racism. Instead, they should be reporting the numbers and facts. But sadly, that's not what our media does anymore.

[db684]

Yes. There are some racists still out there. Whether its a systematic thing 🤷‍♂️ is honestly up for debate. I'm not sure how to end racism but I know that words are involved. Do you remember that black guy who befriended several members of the KKK just by sitting down and having a conversation with them? That's how I believe its done. Because if you sit down and talk to someone who's different to you, after a while you begin to realise that you're not so far apart.

That's my two cents at least.

[Guest25]

A part of it is a lot of people miss understand real racism, real racism is treating other people differently because of their ethnicity. Example: I'm not going to fix you're neighborhood, and your poor living situation, instead I'm going to give you some money so you don't want get out of here and get a better education, and learn that I'm keeping you here making you think you're doing the right thing, just vote for me. Also I believe racist people, are those white people (this is coming from a white person), who feel the need to get offended for black people, Asian people, and any person who isn't white. And any person who makes every incident about color. Personally, I hate everybody, I'm not a racist I'm an equalist, I hate everybody equally.

[db684]

Right. Ok then...

I personally don't go out of my way to show I'm not racist. I just accept them as they are. Its just a different skin colour. I don't get what's so scary to some people...

[Guest25]

Exactly, be that role model for others. It's annoying when people go out of their way to show that stuff. I saw a picture today of a guy and his family (all white people) that said on it, "Black lives matter", yes they do, but you and your family have nothing to do with it.

[Anonymous]

Mr. Floyd didn't die because of a fake $20 bill. He died because of everything else that transpired and because he was high on fentanyl which is notorious for causing respiratory depression. I'm supposed to believe that the reason Mr. Floyd broke into a woman's house and robbed her at gunpoint is because his ancestor was enslaved. By that argument, anything can and will be justified. Oh wait, every race on earth was enslaved in the past? Oh. Um... That explains a lot. The real question is why do blacks think they are so special? I mean... hip hop music isn't THAT good.

[Opinion Owner]

Here is the police report. It's not very surprising considering in the video that was already released, he appears to be arguing with the cop and making his job difficult. The reality is the vast majority of these cop brutality cases, something similar or worse happens which changes it from a routine traffic stop or arrest into a beating or killing. I will never defend violent criminals whether it's a cop or poor black man. htv-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com/.../...0783482.pdf

[Apope16]

Being high doesn't kill you. having knee on your neck for 9 minutes would kill anyone regardless of whether they are on drugs or not.

[seth900]

More then a 100 passed and still we are speaking about same things. Every humans has all the rights to work, vote, marry or have a business or be a president every gender or race. But here we are speaking about same things. This is not about the police riots its more about complaining that white have it better, when actually everyone has to work same hard. I was black for me it would be shame that my race people would say they feel less human then others. When in reality they have all rights as others. Its its more about the divided America poor and rich and it just turned to blaming whites for all there problems of course need to find someone to blame. But come one a color of the skin? Golden words you are what you think you are. So if people from ghetto think they will always be poor and they are oppressed by whites then its true for them. They see and believe what they want to see.