Why you can't have nice things.

[KimGordon67]

He should! But the world of book publishing is a nefariously slow and tedious grind.

If only there was a faster way — an instant electronic way, even — for Ish to get his griot-style wisdom of the ages out to those poor downtrodden Negroes who can't ever have nice things, if they could only read his words, absorb his intelligence, soak in his sagacity, then they could change their circumstances, perhaps even overnight! Then they could have the nice things that were only ken to those celestial Caucasians!

alas...it is only us here in this small space of the universe whose eyes are privy to his brain's fecundity. Without other more accessible avenues to disseminate his grandeur, when he goes gently into that night — nay, when we go gently into that night — the life preserver for the American Black will be lost to time, for all eternity.

https://media1.giphy.com/media/cOztgarXataikLpRII/giphy.gif

It is indeed a tragedy of Biblical proportions.
(I was trying to find a relevant BeeGees meme for this, but somehow no one has made one ... and obviously I'm too lazy. This is why I can't have nice things.)

 

[BoyNextDoor]

I'm afraid you missed the point. The protests worked, the drew the attention of the national media to Floyd's case.

Now the news is all about the riots, arson, destruction, and personal injuries. Floyd's name is mentioned almost as an after thought. They destroyed that which they were trying to draw attention to. Now to a great many people it's just another senseless riot in the black community. Yawn.

You are starting to understand "privilege".

Now ask why.

 

[cinnefille]

Cinnegav is concern trolling...

What concern trolling?
I simply phrased what most people -I'm sure- are thinking.

There are two unrelated things happening:
--a genuine social movement sparked by two shocking murders
--and antisocials looting and stealing, alongside instigators of violence.

It happens with many such movements, to various degrees.
But the press isn't helping, by putting the two unrelated things, in the same basket.

 

[bellisarius]

Um ... isn't that sort of the point?

And seriously, when was the last time you 'felt oppressed' by anything. (Like, actually and systematically oppressed, not just mildly inconvenienced.) How the actual fuck would you know how you would react if you were in that situation? How would you know what you would do if your entire community, everyone you cared about, was in that situation, and had been for generations?

Also, this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Jim_Crow

If you convince yourself you're "oppressed", you are, even though your doing it to yourself. It provides you with a convenient excuse not to take responsibility for your own actions and your own life. I've met people like that everywhere I've been and that syndrome is not race based. It's a state of mind.

I find it interesting that the children of black military careerists go on to become highly paid and well respected professionals. If racism is endemic to the society then that would never be allowed to happen. Is it something that sets those children, and their parents, aside other than the color of their skin? The answer is "Yes." Education, stable family, healthy environment. Being instilled with a sense that anything is achievable with the application of some effort. That is really the only things that set those children apart from those in the inner city. And the fact that they exist in fairly substantial numbers puts to lie the notion of systemic racism.

But back to the notion put forth by the poster you responded to. The black community has had the opportunity to vote in virtually every election anywhere in this nation since the '60's. Many cities are dominated by black voters, voters that can vote for any sort of administration they choose. Following through on the wiki page your linked for all of that to be true it has to be accepted that black administrators are purposely oppressing their own black population. Is that true? Actually it quite possibly is. Race baiting is a profitable business for those that know how to work it.

That is not to say that the article doesn't contain some truisms. But the issue is far more complex than what the author is trying to peddle. It further attempts of put the blame solely on one party and that just isn't the case.

 

[KimGordon67]

If you convince yourself you're "oppressed", you are, even though your doing it to yourself. It provides you with a convenient excuse not to take responsibility for your own actions and your own life. I've met people like that everywhere I've been and that syndrome is not race based. It's a state of mind.

I find it interesting that the children of black military careerists go on to become highly paid and well respected professionals. If racism is endemic to the society then that would never be allowed to happen. Is it something that sets those children, and their parents, aside other than the color of their skin? The answer is "Yes." Education, stable family, healthy environment. Being instilled with a sense that anything is achievable with the application of some effort. That is really the only things that set those children apart from those in the inner city. And the fact that they exist in fairly substantial numbers puts to lie the notion of systemic racism.

But back to the notion put forth by the poster you responded to. The black community has had the opportunity to vote in virtually every election anywhere in this nation since the '60's. Many cities are dominated by black voters, voters that can vote for any sort of administration they choose. Following through on the wiki page your linked for all of that to be true it has to be accepted that black administrators are purposely oppressing their own black population. Is that true? Actually it quite possibly is. Race baiting is a profitable business for those that know how to work it.

That is not to say that the article doesn't contain some truisms. But the issue is far more complex than what the author is trying to peddle. It further attempts of put the blame solely on one party and that just isn't the case.

Sometimes people are convinced they're being oppressed because they actually are being oppressed. But apparently it's only 'oppression' if YOU define it as such, based on ... what? Your extensive experience of being oppressed?

You seem to be suggesting that racism (both individual and systemic) doesn't exist. Are you actually serious? Do you understand that for systemic racism to exist, it's entirely possible for there to be exceptions - in fact, the exceptions serve a really valuable purpose, because you can say 'look, this black guy got to be president - clearly there is no racism'. We'll just ignore the massive statistical evidence to the contrary. *eyeroll*

 

[Emerson40]

1. As a percentage of criminal activity they are under represented. In the interest of "fairness" more blacks should be shot by police. But I don't think you see that as a solution any more than I do. Fact; blacks represent 13% of the population but they commit over 50% of ALL felonies save one category, rape. What that means is that over 50% of ALL police interactions with a criminal are going to involve a black citizen. (source FBI UCR)

2. What makes you think we do? Last I checked congressional approval ratings were lower than that of a used car salesman.

Look at you, flying your Fredrick Hoffman flag.

Would you be able to indicate where, in the FBI UCR, you found your facts and figures (what year of data, what section, etc)?

As most of the data is submitted by police departments, I’d be interested to see what, if any, allowances made for the systematic racism in the system? Police discrimination and brutality? Prosecution and conviction rate differences between black citizens and white citizens?

As for the population percentages, it would be interesting to see how these numbers are representative of neighborhood and income, and what differences you may see there in prosecution and conviction rates.

 

[HisArpy]

Look at you, flying your Fredrick Hoffman flag.

Would you be able to indicate where, in the FBI UCR, you found your facts and figures (what year of data, what section, etc)?

As most of the data is submitted by police departments, I’d be interested to see what, if any, allowances made for the systematic racism in the system? Police discrimination and brutality? Prosecution and conviction rate differences between black citizens and white citizens?

As for the population percentages, it would be interesting to see how these numbers are representative of neighborhood and income, and what differences you may see there in prosecution and conviction rates.

Wow, isn't it great that you've managed to ask all those questions about stats that are freely available on the interwebz from the FBI and CDC?

And what's even greater is that you've managed to ask all those questions in a way that suggests that the data you've been given is wrong while simultaneously NOT KNOWING if it is or isn't because you don't have the stats you were asking about.

Unless you do have that information and are purposefully not providing it because it agrees with what was posted.

Isn't ignorance or deceitfulness amazing?

 

[KimGordon67]

As a percentage of criminal activity they are under represented. In the interest of "fairness" more blacks should be shot by police. But I don't think you see that as a solution any more than I do. Fact; blacks represent 13% of the population but they [XXcommitXX] are charged and convicted of over 50% of ALL felonies save one category, rape. What that means is that over 50% of ALL police interactions with a criminal are going to involve a black citizen. (source FBI UCR)​

I fixed that for you. If you are looking at a website that claims to provide accurate reporting on the number of felonies that are committed (and doesn't provide an extensive explanation of how the authors came by those almost impossible to gather data), you should seriously question it's veracity.

 

[bellisarius]

Sometimes people are convinced they're being oppressed because they actually are being oppressed. But apparently it's only 'oppression' if YOU define it as such, based on ... what? Your extensive experience of being oppressed?

You seem to be suggesting that racism (both individual and systemic) doesn't exist. Are you actually serious? Do you understand that for systemic racism to exist, it's entirely possible for there to be exceptions - in fact, the exceptions serve a really valuable purpose, because you can say 'look, this black guy got to be president - clearly there is no racism'. We'll just ignore the massive statistical evidence to the contrary. *eyeroll*

This is true, act like an asshole and you're probably going to end up being "oppressed." At least in the sense that no one is going to be giving you a job or much of a helping hand.

I am NOT suggesting that there aren't racists out there. But I am suggesting that systemic racism is a thing of the past.

I'll give you another example. Black females are WAY over represented in the job market and in taking advantage of educational opportunities as compared to black males. This presents a problem to both the racialists and the genderists. According to their mantras that just isn't possible. Part of that is directly related to the wiki page you linked, crime. It's hard to find gainful employment with a criminal record. Add to that the huge degree to which children are born out of wedlock in the black community, the female HAS to step up and take care of the children. But that still doesn't explain why they're given jobs to begin with if racism is systemic. It doesn't explain why they're given those educational opportunities if racism is systemic.

To a much greater degree than you may want to acknowledge the white community has taken to heart Rev. Kings argument re. "the content of your character." And if your character is found to be wanting I'm not going to want to have much to do with you regardless of the color of your skin. As another example have you seen the movie "Tombstone?" While the dialog is subject to question the events portrayed are quite true. One of the most carefully researched, and well acted, movies of it's genre. "The Cowboy" faction of that movie did exist and they were the 1881 version of the inner city gangs in the west. No one wanted much to do with them and they were all white save one. They were judged by the content of their character and found wanting.

I will be the first to admit that without credentials I will scrutinize a black man a little harder than I would a white man upon first meeting. Stereotyping? Yes, I'll even admit to that. But no more so than polite society scrutinized Italians in the 1930's and '40's. The same was true for the Irish in the late 1800's. When your group has been given a reputation in the press for certain behaviors you have to work a little harder to stand out as an individual.

And exactly what is the reputation that the press is giving the black community today? It certainly isn't the reputation that the protestors had that led to the civil rights movement.

 

[Mal_Huevo]

https://i.redd.it/17bv8h5g8p151.png

 

[Conager]

As a percentage of criminal activity they are under represented. In the interest of "fairness" more blacks should be shot by police. But I don't think you see that as a solution any more than I do. Fact; blacks represent 13% of the population but they [XXcommitXX] are charged and convicted of over 50% of ALL felonies save one category, rape. What that means is that over 50% of ALL police interactions with a criminal are going to involve a black citizen. (source FBI UCR)​

I fixed that for you. If you are looking at a website that claims to provide accurate reporting on the number of felonies that are committed (and doesn't provide an extensive explanation of how the authors came by those almost impossible to gather data), you should seriously question it's veracity.

Where are the corresponding stats where the suspect that "got off" was an un-prosecuted white guy given a pass by racist cops and or prosecutors?

Every jurisdiction either has a homicide department or uses there local sheriff's Department or state investigators right? Some capital murder brring in Federal investigation as well. Homicide investigators like to close cases. All of them

Take a gas we're most of the unsolved cases are located? Guess what the race of the victim and the felony record looks like? Guess what the race of the pool of usual suspects in the unsolved is?

On murder, Blacks are caught and prosecuted less often, not more often.

I lump in all earnest attempts at homicide in with actual homicide. As it is, homicide victims are predominantly black. The number of victims would be staggering if their assailants had better equipment and training, and if the trauma wards in every major city with significant gang activity (all of them, these days) have some of the finest trauma surgeons in the world.

How is that for "systemic racism?" No expense is spared and abity to pay, the race, criminal record, onvious gang affiliation (tattoos) is not considered at all since no one "deserves" to die and trauma surgeons are driven people.

So no, the "system" might incarcerate the wrong black guy, but generally speaking, as my father used to say, "not all the criminals are in jail."

Black suspects murdering other blacks with long criminal records are probably more likely to find themselves murdered than they are to find themselves incarcerated.

 

[bellisarius]

As a percentage of criminal activity they are under represented. In the interest of "fairness" more blacks should be shot by police. But I don't think you see that as a solution any more than I do. Fact; blacks represent 13% of the population but they [XXcommitXX] are charged and convicted of over 50% of ALL felonies save one category, rape. What that means is that over 50% of ALL police interactions with a criminal are going to involve a black citizen. (source FBI UCR)​

I fixed that for you. If you are looking at a website that claims to provide accurate reporting on the number of felonies that are committed (and doesn't provide an extensive explanation of how the authors came by those almost impossible to gather data), you should seriously question it's veracity.

So, the various police and state law enforcement agencies are lying to the FBI? There are NO authors, it's just raw data as reported.

 

[bellisarius]

Where are the corresponding stats where the suspect that "got off" was an un-prosecuted white guy given a pass by racist cops and or prosecutors?

Every jurisdiction either has a homicide department or uses there local sheriff's Department or state investigators right? Some capital murder brring in Federal investigation as well. Homicide investigators like to close cases. All of them

Take a gas we're most of the unsolved cases are located? Guess what the race of the victim and the felony record looks like? Guess what the race of the pool of usual suspects in the unsolved is?

On murder, Blacks are caught and prosecuted less often, not more often.

I lump in all earnest attempts at homicide in with actual homicide. As it is, homicide victims are predominantly black. The number of victims would be staggering if their assailants had better equipment and training, and if the trauma wards in every major city with significant gang activity (all of them, these days) have some of the finest trauma surgeons in the world.

How is that for "systemic racism?" No expense is spared and abity to pay, the race, criminal record, onvious gang affiliation (tattoos) is not considered at all since no one "deserves" to die and trauma surgeons are driven people.

So no, the "system" might incarcerate the wrong black guy, but generally speaking, as my father used to say, "not all the criminals are in jail."

Black suspects murdering other blacks with long criminal records are probably more likely to find themselves murdered than they are to find themselves incarcerated.

The press has done a good job building a myth.

 

[Conager]

The press has done a good job building a myth.

Any weekend in Chicago, 5-10 killed, but 30 shot. Some, not for the first time.

 

[bellisarius]

Any weekend in Chicago, 5-10 killed, but 30 shot. Some, not for the first time.

Isn't funny how oppression works? It causes folks to murder each other and not their oppressors.

Maybe that'll change and we'll have a full blown race war on our hands. It's hard to imagine a worse outcome.

 

[girlsmiley]

The whole world is watching.

I don't think this time is going to be like all the other times.

 

[bellisarius]

The whole world is watching.

I don't think this time is going to be like all the other times.

Watching what?

 

[cinnefille]

And seriously, when was the last time you 'felt oppressed' by anything. (Like, actually and systematically oppressed, not just mildly inconvenienced.) How the actual fuck would you know how you would react if you were in that situation?

How would you know what you would do if your entire community, everyone you cared about, was in that situation, and had been for generations?

Also, this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Jim_Crow

The whole world is watching.

I don't think this time is going to be like all the other times.

Kind of histrionic, isn't it?

 

[girlsmiley]

Watching what?

Watching the shit hit the fan.

 

[KimGordon67]

So, the various police and state law enforcement agencies are lying to the FBI? There are NO authors, it's just raw data as reported.

God, this is a bit tricky for you, isn't it ... I wish I could make a Venn diagramme for you. But try and imagine it in your head. 'Actual crime' is a big circle. Mostly inside that big circle (although with a sliver sitting outside the circle for false arrests/convictions) is a smaller circle - no one know how MUCH smaller - of arrests and convictions.
Any website worth it's salt would present the data in the smaller circle as reported crime, or prosecuted crime, or something like, not just 'crime'. It's pretty much impossible to know how much actual crime is going on. Not totally impossible, but near enough.

Now imagine the process that starts with someone engaging in a criminal activity and then finishes with someone in jail - imagine all the steps along that process. There's been actual research done that shows at almost every step along that process, the outcome for black person is statistically more likely to be negative than the outcome for a white person - not every time, and you'll be able to pull individual examples out of your arse to demonstrate that I'm 'wrong' - but the stats on this are pretty clear. (And no, I'm not linking to any actual research, because I gave up wasting my time providing support for my arguments in here a long time ago, when it became patently obvious that no one ever read, but instead just shifted gear to the next talking point.)

 

[Lancedalot]

The whole world is watching.

I don't think this time is going to be like all the other times.

Your boy Floyd pled guilty to and did prison time for a home invasion armed robbery wherein he put his gun to the woman's gut whose home it was and held her at gunpoint. Why do you hate karma?

You imagine the whole world is watching through your same bigot glasses? And please share how this time is going to turn out any differently than when Tony Timpa suffered the same fate at the hands of cops? Or Jose Durango? Or Hu Whan? Or Australian Justine Ruszczyk Damond who was also killed by a Minneapolis cop?

You know what is different about all those police killings and Floyd's? None of them were convicted armed robbers and no riots broke out after police unjustly killed them, just like you didn't utter a peep about them, either, because none of them were black. That's racist discrimination, bigot.

What's no different about any of them is that they all were killed unjustly by cops which should be, all by itself, the one and only intolerable point that needs laser-like focused upon. But bigots like you have to make it all about something else and then lie about it to your own kids. Shame on you.

 

[RobDownSouth]

Isn't funny how oppression works? It causes folks to murder each other and not their oppressors.

And some folks even murder their children, or so I'm told.

Maybe that'll change and we'll have a full blown race war on our hands. It's hard to imagine a worse outcome.

Ah, a favorite trope of the whackadoodle right: the "all-out race war" they so desperately crave.

Be careful what you wish for, old man. A full-blown race war will have BotanyBoy dead within the first hour, and you won't live long enough to see the following sunrise.

And Zumi will be grinning as he adds your ears to the string of ears around his waist.

 

[Rightguide]

It appears to be a real shit show there — although I notice when a bunch of white folks showed up with their assault weapons to demonstrate against the Democratic governor, there was no sign of tear gas anywhere. Funny how that works.

There was no sign of violent illegal behavior either, numb nuts.

 

[Rightguide]

Antifa needs to be declared terrorist organization. They along with BLM planned and coordinated these riots.

 

[IrezumiKiss]

Watching the shit hit the fan.

Hi, Smiley!

Looks like you got a troll on your ass! I know, it's not the first time and it probably won't be the last. It happens when people express indignation over injustices happening in the world online and you get some smug schmuck who thinks it's his (yes, it's almost always a cis [white] male) duty to teach you a lesson for bringing it up and having the nerve to stand up for something. This is The Way Of Internet Community Forums. The trolls who do these things always exist in every community. As long as damaged anti-social human beings exist on this planet, you cannot and will not be able to escape this inevitability.

Welp, that being said, let's strip this bitch down to the choners. The troll here tried to give you some facts about the murdered with the objective of mitigating your indignation. Now, here's what you tell your little girl:

1) George Floyd wasn't an angel in his lifetime and yes, committed crimes.

2) Despite George Floyd not being an angel in his lifetime and yes, committing crimes, he didn't deserve an extrajudicial death at the hands of the state.

dassit.

If the troll tries to double down on some egregious bullshit regarding some belief that everybody gets murked by the state equally, then hit him with this:

3) UConn student Peter Manfredonia (allegedly) killed two people, led authorities on a manhunt for four days and ended up being apprehended instead of being a sponge for lead bullets or steel knees to the throat despite being an active threat to all communities within range during those four days.

https://i0.wp.com/www.yc.news/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/THE-END2.png?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/us/uconn-student-manhunt-killing-home-invasion-family-plea/index.html

there is not a Black or Brown or person alive in America who would be able to get away with the same thing unscathed by law enforcement, not when the church-massacre prone Dylan Roofs (Rooves?) of this country get taken to Burger Kings on their way to the hoosegow because they're peckish, but let's not get sidetracked. Points 1 and 2 are all the legitimacy you need to tell her.

also, there was in Lit GB times of yore a racist right-wing schmuck here by the name of Koalabear who used to highlight every day by mentioning how many people died in Chicago due to "urban" deaths or whatever. That person is no longer among the living due to a blood disorder that nobody gave a fuck about, but I mention him in order to let you know that there are still those here who adopt the same method of rhetoric in order to disseminate their soft-serve anti-Blackness and racism. You know, the ol' they're no angels anyway so what brand of bullshit.

aaaaanyway. Let's not end this night (or day where you are) on a downer.

Keep showing your daughter truth and light. Be good and well in these strange days.