Pittsburgh Police threatened and will make some changes

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by gg

This is a valid point by the way. There are a lot of book smart idiots that feel the need to "get involved" and bash the cops in any way they can. These school educated folks that have completely lost tough with real life are a problem for the black community. They think they can help. HA! They don't have the tools to help. The black communities in our region do have the tools, but it will take a lot of work to have a safe area to live. Of course some folks may feel very safe in areas I wouldn't ride my bike through anymore. There was a time I would ride my bike and stop for a drink in any area period. Well maybe not Northview Heights. I have been there for educational purposes, but was in a car, not on a bike and that was years ago when that place was really not good at all. Anyway, I think some of these self proclaimed book educated white people need to live in Homewood or Wilkinsburg's downtown for a while and get a better feel for things instead of protesting something they haven't a clue about other than a few videos across our country of over 300 million people and think. LOOK ALL COPS ARE LIKE THIS! Um, they aren't, but some are. Cops become what they become over the years because of life experiences. That is what people can't discuss because I just don't think people grasp it. Todays life experiences seem to be more virtual reality mixed in, which is NEW! Back when I was a kid you would experience things on your own, but now people have smartphones and video and can experience the worst of the worst nonstop and that becomes THEIR life experiences. Not sure if people on here will get that? Probably not considering no one seems to discuss things I post. Maybe I post too much logic to be understood.

I'm a young well-educated white person who would love to attend a BLM rally and hold a sign.

Here's the thing.

-It IS constructive to protest/rally with a message of idealism, optimism, and encouragement.
-It is NOT constructive to protest/rally with a message of defeatism, pessimism, and hatred.

Nothing turns me off faster from the cause than when I see a BLM-sanctioned or BLM-inspired protest become violent because the message at that event was vitriolic instead of productive.

I literally sobbed when I watched that Facebook video from suburban St. Paul. It made me empathetic towards the plight of African-Americans in this country. It did NOT make me angry towards the police at-large.

If I was black and was killed by a cop as I reached into my pocket during a traffic stop I'd want people to HONOR my life by capitalizing upon my death to bring about CONSTRUCTIVE change. Flipping over cars, looting, throwing bricks at officers, circulating memes of cops with their throats slit on social media, etc. would be a disastrous way to DISHONOR my life and would do nothing but further HINDER relations between the general public and law enforcement personnel.

[UKyank]

Both sides of this debate suffer from an unwillingness to see any points from any other side.
On the police side there are indeed bad officers, from ones that flex their authority unlawfully in day to day business to ones that execute people. The police organizations & their unions will automatically defend near anything an officer does before & after facts come out. It also appears that the police have a difficult time distinguishing criminals from normal
African Americans, this is a big problem. Failure to acknowledge police failings internally is a big issue.

On the BLM side, they wrongly equate all deaths at the hands of the police as being unlawful & perpetuate such myths as 'hands up don't shoot' & allow supporters to chant such divisive slogans as 'what do we want, dead cops!' without any leaders condemning such sentiments. Likewise is a failure to acknowledge that the demographic they fight for also is a demographic that is the most apt (per capita) to illegally discharge a firearm toward another human being which is certainly a contributing factor towards police being more on edge when dealing with said demographic. Poor choices of protest venues & protest activities do not give the movement many supporters. Failure to acknowledge these such failings is a big issue.

Both sides of the issue have legit points to be made but both are too pigheaded to look themselves in the mirror & acknowledge problems with themselves while casting stones at their opponents.