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Read the rules in the OP before posting, please.In order to ensure that this thread continues to meet TL standards and follows the proper guidelines, we will be enforcing the rules in the OP more strictly. Be sure to give them a re-read to refresh your memory! The vast majority of you are contributing in a healthy way, keep it up! NOTE: When providing a source, explain why you feel it is relevant and what purpose it adds to the discussion if it's not obvious. Also take note that unsubstantiated tweets/posts meant only to rekindle old arguments can result in a mod action. |
Apologies for the double post, but from what I've seen out of Green Horizons lately he's not exactly the screaming liberal I once pegged him as, and I don't think he's being in insulting nor do I think he's being superfluous. Honestly, if I was a black American I'd probably be screaming at the top of my fucking lungs right now. I'm not one to patronize but I do recall singling him out before and I guess I'll consider this my retraction.
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On April 28 2015 13:41 always_winter wrote:The only thing rioting does is reinforce cultural stereotypes and minimize the movement at large. It's tragic, really. To see people wearing "No Justice, No Peace" shirts in the middle of a civil rights assembly, a mere fifty years after one of our nation's greatest heroes literally wrote the book on how to protest, in which nonviolence is paramount. I wish I had something more profound to say, but I don't. I'm really dissatisfied with the state of my country, and I need to stop trying to express myself after midnight because I struggle to find the right words. I'll let someone else do it for me: Show nested quote +I agree with your point that the principle of peaceful, non-violent protest and the observance of the rule of law is of utmost importance in any society. MLK, Gandhi, Mandela and all great opposition leaders throughout history have always preached this precept. Further, it is critical that in any democracy, investigation must be completed and due process must be honored before any government or police members are judged responsible.
That said, my greater source of personal concern, outrage and sympathy beyond this particular case is focused neither upon one night’s property damage nor upon the acts, but is focused rather upon the past four-decade period during which an American political elite have shipped middle class and working class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around the U.S. to third-world dictatorships like China and others, plunged tens of millions of good, hard-working Americans into economic devastation, and then followed that action around the nation by diminishing every American’s civil rights protections in order to control an unfairly impoverished population living under an ever-declining standard of living and suffering at the butt end of an ever-more militarized and aggressive surveillance state.
The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, and ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importances of any kids’ game played tonight, or ever, at Camden Yards. We need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around the U.S., and while we are thankful no one was injured at Camden Yards, there is a far bigger picture for poor Americans in Baltimore and everywhere who don’t have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights, and this makes inconvenience at a ballgame irrelevant in light of the needless suffering government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans. source
People have been nonviolently protesting for months. Nobody paid much attention until it got violent. I don't necessarily disagree with you that its tragic that nonviolence has not prevailed, but when even those efforts no longer succeed, I can't honestly judge people for lashing out, even if its counterproductive.
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GH -> I'm not sure picking apart people's posting habits on internet forums in such detail is helpful. There are numerous other explanations and reasons for those to vary.
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On April 28 2015 13:46 YoureFired wrote:Show nested quote +On April 28 2015 13:41 always_winter wrote:The only thing rioting does is reinforce cultural stereotypes and minimize the movement at large. It's tragic, really. To see people wearing "No Justice, No Peace" shirts in the middle of a civil rights assembly, a mere fifty years after one of our nation's greatest heroes literally wrote the book on how to protest, in which nonviolence is paramount. I wish I had something more profound to say, but I don't. I'm really dissatisfied with the state of my country, and I need to stop trying to express myself after midnight because I struggle to find the right words. I'll let someone else do it for me: I agree with your point that the principle of peaceful, non-violent protest and the observance of the rule of law is of utmost importance in any society. MLK, Gandhi, Mandela and all great opposition leaders throughout history have always preached this precept. Further, it is critical that in any democracy, investigation must be completed and due process must be honored before any government or police members are judged responsible.
That said, my greater source of personal concern, outrage and sympathy beyond this particular case is focused neither upon one night’s property damage nor upon the acts, but is focused rather upon the past four-decade period during which an American political elite have shipped middle class and working class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around the U.S. to third-world dictatorships like China and others, plunged tens of millions of good, hard-working Americans into economic devastation, and then followed that action around the nation by diminishing every American’s civil rights protections in order to control an unfairly impoverished population living under an ever-declining standard of living and suffering at the butt end of an ever-more militarized and aggressive surveillance state.
The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, and ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importances of any kids’ game played tonight, or ever, at Camden Yards. We need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around the U.S., and while we are thankful no one was injured at Camden Yards, there is a far bigger picture for poor Americans in Baltimore and everywhere who don’t have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights, and this makes inconvenience at a ballgame irrelevant in light of the needless suffering government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans. source People have been nonviolently protesting for months. Nobody paid much attention until it got violent.
Its because we love violence, as humankind?
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On April 28 2015 13:46 YoureFired wrote:Show nested quote +On April 28 2015 13:41 always_winter wrote:The only thing rioting does is reinforce cultural stereotypes and minimize the movement at large. It's tragic, really. To see people wearing "No Justice, No Peace" shirts in the middle of a civil rights assembly, a mere fifty years after one of our nation's greatest heroes literally wrote the book on how to protest, in which nonviolence is paramount. I wish I had something more profound to say, but I don't. I'm really dissatisfied with the state of my country, and I need to stop trying to express myself after midnight because I struggle to find the right words. I'll let someone else do it for me: I agree with your point that the principle of peaceful, non-violent protest and the observance of the rule of law is of utmost importance in any society. MLK, Gandhi, Mandela and all great opposition leaders throughout history have always preached this precept. Further, it is critical that in any democracy, investigation must be completed and due process must be honored before any government or police members are judged responsible.
That said, my greater source of personal concern, outrage and sympathy beyond this particular case is focused neither upon one night’s property damage nor upon the acts, but is focused rather upon the past four-decade period during which an American political elite have shipped middle class and working class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around the U.S. to third-world dictatorships like China and others, plunged tens of millions of good, hard-working Americans into economic devastation, and then followed that action around the nation by diminishing every American’s civil rights protections in order to control an unfairly impoverished population living under an ever-declining standard of living and suffering at the butt end of an ever-more militarized and aggressive surveillance state.
The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, and ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importances of any kids’ game played tonight, or ever, at Camden Yards. We need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around the U.S., and while we are thankful no one was injured at Camden Yards, there is a far bigger picture for poor Americans in Baltimore and everywhere who don’t have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights, and this makes inconvenience at a ballgame irrelevant in light of the needless suffering government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans. source People have been nonviolently protesting for months. Nobody paid much attention until it got violent. I don't necessarily disagree with you that its tragic that nonviolence has not prevailed, but when even those efforts no longer succeed, I can't honestly judge people for lashing out, even if its counterproductive.
Are you kidding, it got a lot of positive attention and more and more attention is being payed to the issues with corrupt cops, but every time a riot like this happens its set what you want back quite a bit.
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Yourefired, how should the media cover the riots?
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On April 28 2015 12:46 GreenHorizons wrote:Show nested quote +On April 28 2015 12:43 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:20 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 12:17 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:09 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 12:08 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:04 YoureFired wrote:
"And I contend that the cry of "black power" is, at bottom, a reaction to the reluctance of white power to make the kind of changes necessary to make justice a reality for the Negro. I think that we've got to see that a riot is the language of the unheard. And, what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the economic plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years." -Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Violence and riots are negative and destructive, yes, but do not EVER equate the days of rioting with the CENTURIES of discrimination, oppression, dehumanization and exploitation that Black Americans (and other marginalized groups) have experienced.
If you focus on the riots and not on the injustice, you are being racist. The attitude expressed here is precisely why so many Americans are not interested in engaging all of the condescending masturacebators out there. So what should we do, just ignore the problem? I call shit shit when I see it, I don't try to gloss it over. I also love how conservatives conflate desire for social justice with self-gratification. Is it not enough to be motivated by desires for equality and not being an asshole to people? It's not hard to do with the rampant hypocrisy from the left on so many social justice issues. Yes, let's make general statements to discredit pointed questions about race to divert the topic. Sounds like Color-Blind America has trained you well. If you want to actually engage in real talking points let's do it but I'm not down for this non-conversation. ....yet you are more than happy to break out the big "everyone who does X is a racist" paint brush. You're right. This isn't the making of a good conversation. Thanks for proving my point about hypocrisy, though. Except that's not what was said. What was said is that you are being racist, it's not a comment on who one is but on their actions. It's true. If one is focusing on the riots and not the injustice preceding them one is being racist and it's a pretty cut and dry issue.
LOL
right. so as a white guy, my desire to stay informed on the riots so as to not get stabbed on my way to school makes me a racist
Also: if you think the riots are in response to oppression rather than a result of lackluster upbringing, then you haven't been paying attention. the ones who are rioting clearly don't give a shit about freddie gray
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On April 28 2015 13:51 heliusx wrote:
Yourefired, how should the media cover the riots?
Maybe that's the problem, I don't know any other way that our headline-grabbing media would cover it. It isn't really their job to educate about racism, its our education system (and that hasn't really done shit besides make it clear that you shouldn't say the N-word).
However, I would rather their coverage be more even-handed in showing what caused the riots in the first place. Even a segment on "what is motivating people to do this?" would be better than "omg here's a picture of Black people throwing rocks at police eat it up"
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On April 28 2015 13:51 travis wrote:Show nested quote +On April 28 2015 12:46 GreenHorizons wrote:On April 28 2015 12:43 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:20 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 12:17 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:09 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 12:08 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:04 YoureFired wrote:
"And I contend that the cry of "black power" is, at bottom, a reaction to the reluctance of white power to make the kind of changes necessary to make justice a reality for the Negro. I think that we've got to see that a riot is the language of the unheard. And, what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the economic plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years." -Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Violence and riots are negative and destructive, yes, but do not EVER equate the days of rioting with the CENTURIES of discrimination, oppression, dehumanization and exploitation that Black Americans (and other marginalized groups) have experienced.
If you focus on the riots and not on the injustice, you are being racist. The attitude expressed here is precisely why so many Americans are not interested in engaging all of the condescending masturacebators out there. So what should we do, just ignore the problem? I call shit shit when I see it, I don't try to gloss it over. I also love how conservatives conflate desire for social justice with self-gratification. Is it not enough to be motivated by desires for equality and not being an asshole to people? It's not hard to do with the rampant hypocrisy from the left on so many social justice issues. Yes, let's make general statements to discredit pointed questions about race to divert the topic. Sounds like Color-Blind America has trained you well. If you want to actually engage in real talking points let's do it but I'm not down for this non-conversation. ....yet you are more than happy to break out the big "everyone who does X is a racist" paint brush. You're right. This isn't the making of a good conversation. Thanks for proving my point about hypocrisy, though. Except that's not what was said. What was said is that you are being racist, it's not a comment on who one is but on their actions. It's true. If one is focusing on the riots and not the injustice preceding them one is being racist and it's a pretty cut and dry issue. LOL right. so as a white guy, my desire to stay informed on the riots so as to not get stabbed on my way to school makes me a racist Also: if you think the riots are in response to oppression rather than a result of lackluster upbringing, then you haven't been paying attention. the ones who are rioting clearly don't give a shit about freddie gray
You should be an informed citizen and I support you staying safe! That doesn't mean I am not critical of the media's general sensationalism of the event, and its relatively one-dimensional coverage.
And to your second point: whooooaaaa there. That is explicitly racist. What do you think makes their upbringings so shitty? Its tough to grow up when your friends get into gangs and drugs when they're in middle school and your dad is locked up. It also sucks when your family has no cumulative wealth because you were stolen from your homeland and forced to work as a slave. Basically, please consider that there are people who have different life experiences than you; life is much tougher (in general; there are exceptions like with everything) for Black people, and its not their fault for that.
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On April 28 2015 13:55 YoureFired wrote:Show nested quote +On April 28 2015 13:51 heliusx wrote:
Yourefired, how should the media cover the riots? However, I would rather their coverage be more even-handed in showing what caused the riots in the first place. Even a segment on "what is motivating people to do this?" would be better than "omg here's a picture of Black people throwing rocks at police eat it up"
it would be against journalistic objectivity.
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On April 28 2015 13:58 lastpuritan wrote:Show nested quote +On April 28 2015 13:55 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 13:51 heliusx wrote:
Yourefired, how should the media cover the riots? However, I would rather their coverage be more even-handed in showing what caused the riots in the first place. Even a segment on "what is motivating people to do this?" would be better than "omg here's a picture of Black people throwing rocks at police eat it up" it would be against journalistic objectivity.
The riots are the product of rebellion against injustice. How is painting the whole picture not objective? If anything, the media is heavily slanting the story right now.
If an a chemical buildup that lingered for years finally exploded and killed somebody, you wouldn't just say "shit here's an explosion!! oh no somebody died!!" You would also try to identify what caused it.
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People who say that rioting "detracts from the message" are absolutely wrong. If there were no riots we wouldn't even be talking about it right now. It would have been on local Baltimore news for a day or whatever, and then quickly fade into the background. Rioting is what happens when you've been having months of peaceful protests in cities all over the country, and nothing has changed; a young man gets taken into custody and gets beaten to death. There were widespread protests that never turned into riots across the country in recent months, and yet what is different? Now we have a city under siege and the national guard called in. The rioting was on every channel today, live coverage, non-stop. Sure, it's polarizing, and people will view it through their own ideological lens, but to say that it "detracts from the message" is just asinine. It is the message. If you think a couple peaceful protests over that boy's brutal death would have convinced all the (racist) internet commenters who are condemning the rioters that the Baltimore police department needed to be completely rebuilt you are delusional. Rioting is not an attempt at persuasion. It's a "fuck you, pay the fuck attention to us."
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Fair enough. So if they have the segment then is it ok to show videos of what is happening?.
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Yeah, it's dumb to deny that the riots have overshadowed the issue of unfair and discriminatory police practices, or to act like they're connected with attempts to impose justice or fairness on police officers. That's precisely why riots are bad and counterproductive to social causes, even before considering the damage to property and citizens.
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It doesn't help that the mayor of Baltimore pretty much condoned the action(s) of the rioter(s). Baltimore has been a messed up place for a long-time and between police unaccountability and militarization (this isn't just related to blacks and ghettos, this is a nationwide problem ESPECIALLY in Arizona...good lord it's so bad there), it's not a leap to understand why the general populace views these institutions with who suspicion and disdain. As for this particular incident, violent rioting will lead to the marginalization of the problem you're trying to fix. The issues at hand are far more deeply entrenched than merely racism (which isn't to undermine the heinous atrocities that've been going on forever pretty much).
It'd be one thing if the violence at hand was directed at the perpetrators, but it's just wanton destruction and vandalism. Nothing, but criminals. Why can't these people ever loot Government facilities and destroy their property or say, go to the local courthouse/tax office and re-take their money or whatever. Time to end these wars (which came home to roost in more than a few ways (militarization, increase of use of force, hiring vets and stuff like MIAC and other Government-reports painting civilians as the enemy, etc.), civil asset forfeiture, corrupt internal affairs and criminal justice system, etc.
The whole thing is a mess.
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On April 28 2015 13:59 YoureFired wrote:Show nested quote +On April 28 2015 13:58 lastpuritan wrote:On April 28 2015 13:55 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 13:51 heliusx wrote:
Yourefired, how should the media cover the riots? However, I would rather their coverage be more even-handed in showing what caused the riots in the first place. Even a segment on "what is motivating people to do this?" would be better than "omg here's a picture of Black people throwing rocks at police eat it up" it would be against journalistic objectivity. The riots are the product of rebellion against injustice. How is painting the whole picture not objective? If anything, the media is heavily slanting the story right now. If an a chemical buildup that lingered for years finally exploded and killed somebody, you wouldn't just say "shit here's an explosion!! oh no somebody died!!" You would also try to identify what caused it.
you can start writing your news report saying the protesters are rioting against injustice, but if they are throwing rocks, you picture them while they are throwing rocks. i mean, come on, why would you think painting the whole picture represents objectivity for a journalist when he is there only for journalism, his job. for me, his honesty and objectivity starts when he pictures or informs us solely what is happening right there, right now, without adding any comment in it.
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^How does stealing toilet paper from a convenience store play into that message?
As someone with unwavering sympathy for the plight of disenfranchised Americans, and who understands it has nothing to do with racial background but rather cultural subversion, I vehemently disagree. It goes against everything MLK stood for, it's more akin to the radical ideology spawned from Malcom X, and does nothing but reinforce the stereotypes currently held by those in power. MLK understood this better than anyone.
Now I'm going to bed.
Edit: That was in response to something a few posts up. Can't collect my thoughts quickly enough. Bedtime.
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On April 28 2015 13:44 always_winter wrote:
Apologies for the double post, but from what I've seen out of Green Horizons lately he's not exactly the screaming liberal I once pegged him as, and I don't think he's being in insulting nor do I think he's being superfluous. Honestly, if I was a black American I'd probably be screaming at the top of my fucking lungs right now. I'm not one to patronize but I do recall singling him out before and I guess I'll consider this my retraction.
I appreciate it. Admittedly I have screamed at the TV and my monitor more than once over the last few years with these issues, but I try not to put it in my post. Sometimes people's comments are just so absurd I can't help but let myself slip a little. I just try to channel Fredrick Douglass and think about "The Dress" and try to imagine that we don't see the issue in 'different colors' because they are simply okay with doing racist things, but because they sincerely can't see the same thing I see (even if what I see are the 'real' colors).
I probably own more and shoot my guns more often than most of the conservatives here, so that right there disqualifies me from being a typical raging liberal ;P Politically (other than social issues) I'm closer to moderate Republicans than I am screaming liberals.
This might make some peoples head explode, but I sincerely think moderate, reasonable, republicans are some of the best government officials out there. I appreciate republicans pragmatism more than most would probably give me credit for.
It was the widespread purging of pragmatic republicans and rhetoric first from speaking during Bush, then from getting elected after Obama won that makes me seem much further to the left than I am. Hell if the Election was held tomorrow me and reasonably well known republican, Dog "The bounty hunter", would vote for the same person. Hint: It's not a Republican.
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On April 28 2015 13:58 YoureFired wrote:Show nested quote +On April 28 2015 13:51 travis wrote:On April 28 2015 12:46 GreenHorizons wrote:On April 28 2015 12:43 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:20 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 12:17 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:09 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 12:08 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:04 YoureFired wrote:
"And I contend that the cry of "black power" is, at bottom, a reaction to the reluctance of white power to make the kind of changes necessary to make justice a reality for the Negro. I think that we've got to see that a riot is the language of the unheard. And, what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the economic plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years." -Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Violence and riots are negative and destructive, yes, but do not EVER equate the days of rioting with the CENTURIES of discrimination, oppression, dehumanization and exploitation that Black Americans (and other marginalized groups) have experienced.
If you focus on the riots and not on the injustice, you are being racist. The attitude expressed here is precisely why so many Americans are not interested in engaging all of the condescending masturacebators out there. So what should we do, just ignore the problem? I call shit shit when I see it, I don't try to gloss it over. I also love how conservatives conflate desire for social justice with self-gratification. Is it not enough to be motivated by desires for equality and not being an asshole to people? It's not hard to do with the rampant hypocrisy from the left on so many social justice issues. Yes, let's make general statements to discredit pointed questions about race to divert the topic. Sounds like Color-Blind America has trained you well. If you want to actually engage in real talking points let's do it but I'm not down for this non-conversation. ....yet you are more than happy to break out the big "everyone who does X is a racist" paint brush. You're right. This isn't the making of a good conversation. Thanks for proving my point about hypocrisy, though. Except that's not what was said. What was said is that you are being racist, it's not a comment on who one is but on their actions. It's true. If one is focusing on the riots and not the injustice preceding them one is being racist and it's a pretty cut and dry issue. LOL right. so as a white guy, my desire to stay informed on the riots so as to not get stabbed on my way to school makes me a racist Also: if you think the riots are in response to oppression rather than a result of lackluster upbringing, then you haven't been paying attention. the ones who are rioting clearly don't give a shit about freddie gray You should be an informed citizen and I support you staying safe! That doesn't mean I am not critical of the media's general sensationalism of the event, and its relatively one-dimensional coverage. And to your second point: whooooaaaa there. That is explicitly racist. What do you think makes their upbringings so shitty?
lots of stuff. I think it would be ignorant to simply label it as "oppression", but if you disagree than that's your opinion.
Its tough to grow up when your friends get into gangs and drugs when they're in middle school and your dad is locked up.
okay
It also sucks when your family has no cumulative wealth because you were stolen from your homeland and forced to work as a slave.
Umm, they weren't slaves dude, their ancestors were. Please join us in reality. I live in reality, it's a place where I take responsibility for my own life, just like my parents did.
Basically, please consider that there are people who have different life experiences than you; life is much tougher (in general; there are exceptions like with everything) for Black people, and its not their fault for that.
ok that's great except for that what I said was that their behavior in these riots is not a response to oppression. I did not say that it didn't obscurely result from oppression, because I don't think that is the case. I know that everything results from causes. However, if we look at this reasonably, the rioting is a result of a desire for thuggery and opportunism. If they cared about oppression they would not have been rioting, they would have been protesting. But today they actually would have been doing nothing per the request of Freddie Gray's family.
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On April 28 2015 14:11 travis wrote:Show nested quote +On April 28 2015 13:58 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 13:51 travis wrote:On April 28 2015 12:46 GreenHorizons wrote:On April 28 2015 12:43 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:20 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 12:17 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:09 YoureFired wrote:On April 28 2015 12:08 xDaunt wrote:On April 28 2015 12:04 YoureFired wrote:
"And I contend that the cry of "black power" is, at bottom, a reaction to the reluctance of white power to make the kind of changes necessary to make justice a reality for the Negro. I think that we've got to see that a riot is the language of the unheard. And, what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the economic plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years." -Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Violence and riots are negative and destructive, yes, but do not EVER equate the days of rioting with the CENTURIES of discrimination, oppression, dehumanization and exploitation that Black Americans (and other marginalized groups) have experienced.
If you focus on the riots and not on the injustice, you are being racist. The attitude expressed here is precisely why so many Americans are not interested in engaging all of the condescending masturacebators out there. So what should we do, just ignore the problem? I call shit shit when I see it, I don't try to gloss it over. I also love how conservatives conflate desire for social justice with self-gratification. Is it not enough to be motivated by desires for equality and not being an asshole to people? It's not hard to do with the rampant hypocrisy from the left on so many social justice issues. Yes, let's make general statements to discredit pointed questions about race to divert the topic. Sounds like Color-Blind America has trained you well. If you want to actually engage in real talking points let's do it but I'm not down for this non-conversation. ....yet you are more than happy to break out the big "everyone who does X is a racist" paint brush. You're right. This isn't the making of a good conversation. Thanks for proving my point about hypocrisy, though. Except that's not what was said. What was said is that you are being racist, it's not a comment on who one is but on their actions. It's true. If one is focusing on the riots and not the injustice preceding them one is being racist and it's a pretty cut and dry issue. LOL right. so as a white guy, my desire to stay informed on the riots so as to not get stabbed on my way to school makes me a racist Also: if you think the riots are in response to oppression rather than a result of lackluster upbringing, then you haven't been paying attention. the ones who are rioting clearly don't give a shit about freddie gray You should be an informed citizen and I support you staying safe! That doesn't mean I am not critical of the media's general sensationalism of the event, and its relatively one-dimensional coverage. And to your second point: whooooaaaa there. That is explicitly racist. What do you think makes their upbringings so shitty? lots of stuff. I think it would be ignorant to simply label it as "oppression", but if you disagree than that's your opinion. Show nested quote +
Its tough to grow up when your friends get into gangs and drugs when they're in middle school and your dad is locked up.
okay Show nested quote +
It also sucks when your family has no cumulative wealth because you were stolen from your homeland and forced to work as a slave.
Umm, they weren't slaves dude, their ancestors were. Please join us in reality. I live in reality, it's a place where I take responsibility for my own life, just like my parents did. Show nested quote +
Basically, please consider that there are people who have different life experiences than you; life is much tougher (in general; there are exceptions like with everything) for Black people, and its not their fault for that.
ok that's great except for that what I said was that their behavior in these riots is not a response to oppression. I did not say that it didn't obscurely result from oppression, because I don't think that is the case. I know that everything results from causes. However, if we look at this reasonably, the rioting is a result of a desire for thuggery and opportunism. If they cared about oppression they would not have been rioting, they would have been protesting. But today they actually would have been doing nothing per the request of Freddie Gray's family.
The rioting was started by high school kids... It's not like it was Al Sharpton out there throwing rocks. It was largely teenagers, not typically the type to handle the nuance of fighting oppression. You don't know anything about what it's like for them so you should just not speak to their motives.
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EPT
