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Why do legitimate protests so often become violent riots, where looting and destroying your OWN COMMUNITY is becoming commonplace?
Why do so many protesters seem to mobilize immediately when a shooting involves police, yet the almost daily killings of young black men, and sometimes children, due to gang violence never seems to elicit anywhere near the same response?
Why, at this point, are parents, churches, and community groups not educating all black youths that you must COMPLY with the police completely if you are stopped. I know there are instances where compliance has still been met with excessive police force, and I want those cops held accountable, and prosecuted if evidence warrants it. But too many of these cases still show people not obeying the cops instructions. This incident in N Carolina involves a man being shot after getting out of his car WITH A GUN! How can you expect sympathy for your cause when you defend someone this STUPID?
Why, after so many years, do blacks still vote over 90% democratic, yet what have all these democrat politicians done to improve the lives of those in black communities? You accuse the GOP of not caring about the black vote, but why should they? If any particular candidate or official knows that there is no chance of black support no matter what they say or do, why should they waste their time?
Why do so many of you shout 'racism' at even the slightest instance of a white person disagreeing with you? For 8 yrs now, whenever someone who is white criticizes Obama, that person is called racist. It seems like you can't disagree with our president if you are white. I'm sure someone will call this post racist. Why, because I am being critical of blacks? The more you throw the word around, the less it means.
Why are some communities calling for more police protection, yet protest when those same police try to inforce the law?
Finally, how can you ignore the simple, statistical fact that the number of incarcerated blacks is way out of proportion to the overall black population? Do most of you really believe that the only reason for this is simply discrimination by police and the courts all across the country? Are the majority of these incarcerated individuals innocent?
Reasonable black person here
1 - I have never been involved in a riot or looting. A majority of black Americans have not so I could not answer this for those who choose to loot and riot.
2 - There are many more protests and marches and mobilizations regarding street violence in every major urban area where there is a substantial black population. There are more organizations and activities regarding street/neighborhood violence versus the riots and looting you see on TV and on the internet. Those rallies and marches are usually peaceful and so are not "sexy" enough to be broadcast to you just like there are daily marches and rallies as well over police reform that never turn violent and you don't know about it because the news doesn't show them. I actually have been involved in many rallies to "stop the violence" in my life in black neighborhoods in every city I have lived in. Black people have worked a lot to decrease street violence, in conjunction with police mind you, and this is one of the man reasons why crime is now at an all time low amongst the black demographic nationally and in many urban areas across the country.
3 - Black people already do this. I have a black son. I have told him to always comply with officers and even if they beat him up to not hit them back and take the beating. We will sue them later. This is common stuff for black parents and churches and school teachers/administrators and community leaders to share with black youth.
4 - You can search the many threads about why black people vote the way they do on this forum. I will point out that I am an independent and subscribe to no party due to the fact that both parties aren't all that great. However, I will note that in presidential elections I usually vote for the Dem candidate and I will this year because the GOP always seems to put some poor candidate on the ticket and this year was the worse yet. If you would have nominated Kasich, I would have voted for him over Clinton due to me being from Ohio and liking him for the most part. I voted for him in the last governor's election as did nearly 30% of black voters in Ohio. I also vote for many different candidates on the local level and I feel local politics is more important than national politics. I voted for an independent in our last mayoral election but he didn't win. Also, I don't think politics has all that much to do with our personal lives and fact of the matter is that a majority of black people in our personal lives are doing well especially compared to the pre-Civil Rights era. I'll also add that black people can vote for whoever they feel best represents their interests.
5 - Seems like that is a personal question. I only call someone a racist who exhibits that they view a group of people based on ethnicity as being inferior or superior to another group. However, I will note that I do feel that many of the issues people have with Obama are built on internal racism. I also do feel that in some instances black people are victims of "soft" racism and that racism is still an issue for the black demographic. I'll also note that this fact - that racism is an issue for black Americans, and the ignoring of racism by the conservative right is a reason why black people vote for the Democratic party in large numbers in regards to #4.
6 - Most urban areas want "better" police protection. Better means that you have officers who are trained well and who do not kill unarmed, non-criminal individuals. Wanting better police and wanting reform of policing is not the same thing as not wanting police. I have worked (via the many organizations I have been involved in regarding black neighborhoods) with scores of police officers and I do believe that police organizations understand that this is what black people want - better policing and not to treat those of use who are law abiding as criminals.
7 - Black people do not deny crime rates/statistics. However, I personally view them from the whole perspective. Over 97% of black people are not criminals. Over 98% of black people are not in prison. However, I will go back to #5 and #4 in that I do believe that racism is an issue that affects black Americans and racism and racial bias are indeed an issue in our criminal justice system and it does affect black people being stopped/questioned more often by police, which in turn means that black people are more apt to be charged with a crime, whereas due to a more positive bias of whites, they are not stopped as often in cars or on foot in particular so are not charged as much as they should be. That is evidence of racism and racial bias in our criminal justice system. Ironically it is interesting that you feel black people ignore statistics when in actuality black people are the main ones who want to keep the separate demographics in crime statistics to both track crime trends and if they are decreasing/increasing in black neighborhoods and to track how law enforcement is treating minorities versus the white population.
Thank you for the sentiment. As for the topic at hand, the reactions of blacks regarding police killings may seem knee jerk from the outside looking in. But these cases are centered around the fact that it was the police who escalate these situations as well as provide the narrative. These narratives oftentimes aren't clearly proven nor disproven. Since dead men tell no tales, sides are chosen. So when we experience unjust cops regularly, it is not far fetched to believe the cops create a false narratives to protect their own. All it takes is one instance where the given narrative is proven wrong to bring doubt to all other situations. Threatening behavior is such a subjective concept not purely based on an individual's behavior but rather the way it is perceived. There are people who feel threatened by me because of my appearance rather than my actions. I feel that all the time. Therefore we oftentimes don't feel the shootings are justified. If a black or white person dies in a shootout with officers it's not national news. The escalation in force by the responding officers against blacks makes national headlines because it validates our fears that it could happen to us anytime we are profiled.
Most of the perceived black leaders are disingenuous media whores i.e. Sharpton and Benjamin Crump. We don't blindly follow them and their opinions have little effect on us.
Wish I could give you another rep point. Your other post was EXCELLENT, too, I thought.
Have you considered running for office? You should.
P.S. I'm a 63-year-old white political moderate Unaffiliated voter, btw.
Wanted to also add, I agree with the commenter below especially the bold:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Professor Griff
But he's not addressing the people who could best answer the questions. He had questions for "reasonable thinking" black Americans. What makes him think that reasonable black Americans have been out there rioting or at home supporting it? When the riots were taking place here in Baltimore, I was at home with my family as were most white people. Why does he think that reasonable black Americans aren't teaching their kids to respect the police, and all authority figures, for that matter? I teach my kids to respect all of those figures. I won't bother with the rest of your questions. Many "reasonable thinking" black people are getting tired of others thinking they should provide answers on behalf of the rest of our race.
I chose to be nice and answer the questions but the above stuck out to me OP.
Why would you think "reasonable" black people would riot, don't take care of our children in educating them about interacting with law enforcment, or that we are involved in crime in any way.
IMO it is "unreasonable" to even assume that that would be the case. Also that anything you see on TV or read on the internet or watch on youtube is a reflection of the majority of the 40 million black people in this country. IMO it is "unreasonable" for you to even think that a majority of us in any way fit the media depictions and distortions that were included in the questions of the OP.
What about the police that are overwhelmingly assaulted and killed by blacks? You NEVER hear about that in the news. They are people who have families too. You don't think that makes them more jumpy when one has a gun in their hand or refuses to cooperate?
There are 2 sides to every story.
Yes, there are indeed two sides to every story. When one side is silenced and the evidence presented is disputable then we are left with a potentially false narrative. Cops being killed make headlines all the time. Perpetrators are typically caught and justice prevails. I respect the fact that cops lay their lives on the line everyday as public servants. With that being said I can't control how an officer may be affected by past experiences, but when we are punished because of it then the relationship between us further deteriorates.
Have you ever been falsely accused of something? If so how did it make you feel? Did it come from someone in a position of authority? Does it happen to you and your peers systematically based on biological and environmental factors? Nothing is as simple as you make it, sir.
Blacks are stopped more because research shows they violate traffic laws more often. The exact same thing applies to poor whites. The only difference is whites don't advocate for and defend their criminals and lower class. Whites don't even advocate for any whites really. They're not even allowed to. Well they could but they would have to be in solidarity and take a stand.
No. I don't believe blacks and poor whites don't violate traffic laws more commonly. The concentration of police in low income areas as well as their increased strictness in the way they enforce traffic laws in hope to find more serious violations of laws skews any number presented. We don't advocate because we think criminals shouldn't be punished. We advocate because they should be punished fairly in accordance with other races. No one is stopping white people from rallying for anyone. We rally because we are systematically treated unfairly.
Here's my thing. Why don't they protest and loot Fords HQ's when they announced all car production would shift to Mexico? Look at what black Americans have done for Ford over the years and they stab them in the heart over a few bucks.
Here's my thing. Why don't they protest and loot Fords HQ's when they announced all car production would shift to Mexico? Look at what black Americans have done for Ford over the years and they stab them in the heart over a few bucks.
Because job outsourcing happens to everyone in a seemingly equal capacity. We want to be treated as true equals. That's all
Why do legitimate protests so often become violent riots, where looting and destroying your OWN COMMUNITY is becoming commonplace?
They're not destroying their own community. Maybe you should read reports about the estimated damage during these "riots". Half of the time its one 7/11. I haven't heard of black people burning down entire neighborhoods. It is a little suspicious that most cities won't release the reports of the cost of the damage. Most of the time it's minor.
Quote:
Why do so many protesters seem to mobilize immediately when a shooting involves police, yet the almost daily killings of young black men, and sometimes children, due to gang violence never seems to elicit anywhere near the same response?
Because you aren't robbed by the government to pay gang members, but you are robbed by the government to pay for police.
Quote:
Why, at this point, are parents, churches, and community groups not educating all black youths that you must COMPLY with the police completely if you are stopped.
Because it's the nature of this country to question government, and not blindly comply with government.
Quote:
I know there are instances where compliance has still been met with excessive police force, and I want those cops held accountable, and prosecuted if evidence warrants it. But too many of these cases still show people not obeying the cops instructions. This incident in N Carolina involves a man being shot after getting out of his car WITH A GUN! How can you expect sympathy for your cause when you defend someone this STUPID?
Quote:
Why do so many of you shout 'racism' at even the slightest instance of a white person disagreeing with you? For 8 yrs now, whenever someone who is white criticizes Obama, that person is called racist. It seems like you can't disagree with our president if you are white. I'm sure someone will call this post racist. Why, because I am being critical of blacks? The more you throw the word around, the less it means.
Some people don't like to be criticized, and don't like you to criticize their heroes. Not really a black problem, just a problem for weak minded people who put all of their faith in a person or particular system. That's a flaw in human psychology, not just black people.
Quote:
Why are some communities calling for more police protection, yet protest when those same police try to inforce the law?
Police don't protect people, they enforce laws. Laws are arbitrary and convoluted.
Quote:
Finally, how can you ignore the simple, statistical fact that the number of incarcerated blacks is way out of proportion to the overall black population? Do most of you really believe that the only reason for this is simply discrimination by police and the courts all across the country? Are the majority of these incarcerated individuals innocent?
Why do legitimate protests so often become violent riots, where looting and destroying your OWN COMMUNITY is becoming commonplace?
Why do so many protesters seem to mobilize immediately when a shooting involves police, yet the almost daily killings of young black men, and sometimes children, due to gang violence never seems to elicit anywhere near the same response?
Why, at this point, are parents, churches, and community groups not educating all black youths that you must COMPLY with the police completely if you are stopped. I know there are instances where compliance has still been met with excessive police force, and I want those cops held accountable, and prosecuted if evidence warrants it. But too many of these cases still show people not obeying the cops instructions. This incident in N Carolina involves a man being shot after getting out of his car WITH A GUN! How can you expect sympathy for your cause when you defend someone this STUPID?
Why, after so many years, do blacks still vote over 90% democratic, yet what have all these democrat politicians done to improve the lives of those in black communities? You accuse the GOP of not caring about the black vote, but why should they? If any particular candidate or official knows that there is no chance of black support no matter what they say or do, why should they waste their time?
Why do so many of you shout 'racism' at even the slightest instance of a white person disagreeing with you? For 8 yrs now, whenever someone who is white criticizes Obama, that person is called racist. It seems like you can't disagree with our president if you are white. I'm sure someone will call this post racist. Why, because I am being critical of blacks? The more you throw the word around, the less it means.
Why are some communities calling for more police protection, yet protest when those same police try to inforce the law?
Finally, how can you ignore the simple, statistical fact that the number of incarcerated blacks is way out of proportion to the overall black population? Do most of you really believe that the only reason for this is simply discrimination by police and the courts all across the country? Are the majority of these incarcerated individuals innocent?
I can't answer those questions because I have no idea what is going on. I can only answer for what goes on in MY family. I can only answer for me and what I go through. Truth is, you don't know that there aren't any groups educating Black people on how to deal with the police. If you have never known what goes on inside of Black churches, then you can't say that there aren't people in predominantly Black churches who aren't teaching Black children good skills.
The only explanation about those who "scream racism" is that there are those who don't trust non-Blacks to talk about Blacks. Other than that, I don't know. I don't concern myself with stuff like that. And yes, there are times I feel like I'm being subjected to racism, but I don't talk about it publicly. Why? Because it might be brushed off.
Why is it that I ignore the statistics regarding Blacks in prison? Simple. I'm not in prison. As long as I'm not there, I don't care. I care about my family and my friends, some who are White, some who are Black, some who are Hispanic,Asian,etc. I don't concern myselfs with hood rats, unless I have to deal with them every day. If someone wants to be stupid and they go to prison for it, not my problem. If someone is hurting me or victimizing others and I can do something about it, I will.
Truth is, I can't answer all of your questions. Ask those who are actually doing the rioting. I'm not among the rioters. I can't answer everything because I don't live in the ghetto, I would never live in the ghetto unless I had no other choice.
Now, what do you want from me? You can't ask any more of me that obey the law, don't be a criminal, and work hard. What more do you want?
But he's not addressing the people who could best answer the questions. He had questions for "reasonable thinking" black Americans. What makes him think that reasonable black Americans have been out there rioting or at home supporting it? When the riots were taking place here in Baltimore, I was at home with my family as were most white people. Why does he think that reasonable black Americans aren't teaching their kids to respect the police, and all authority figures, for that matter? I teach my kids to respect all of those figures. I won't bother with the rest of your questions. Many "reasonable thinking" black people are getting tired of others thinking they should provide answers on behalf of the rest of our race.
The "reasonable thinking" Black people like you and me would not be in the streets rioting. We would not be out killing people and teaching our children to hate the police. If anything, we stay as far from hood rats as we can. We understand those individuals are beyond any help.
Now, I don't deny that there are crime issues. We aren't part of it. If the OP wants answers, then it is the criminals and rioters that should be questioned, not people like you and me. I agree that people like you and me are tired of having to answer for the hood rats/crooks within our race.
We don't have all of the answers.
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