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How in this world a man........ANY man that has a rap sheet a mile long for domestic violence (beating up women) can be viewed as some kind of hero worth a piece of consideration is beyond me. Nearly ALL those that have caused this national uprising had criminal records, yet how convenient it's been to raise them up to hero status is nuts. And so it is these days that law and order are viewed as some restriction not a method by which we are to live more orderly and safe lives. Sad indeed.
How in this world a man........ANY man that has a rap sheet a mile long for domestic violence (beating up women) can be viewed as some kind of hero worth a piece of consideration is beyond me. Nearly ALL those that have caused this national uprising had criminal records, yet how convenient it's been to raise them up to hero status is nuts. And so it is these days that law and order are viewed as some restriction not a method by which we are to live more orderly and safe lives. Sad indeed.
I don't see these people as being exalted as heroes, in the way that you're suggesting.
If anything, they are being celebrated as everyday people (in many cases, everyday Black men) who, in spite of their many imperfections, are average folks trying to get by in the world.
From that perspective, people aren't less human because they have a "record."
When an incident like this happens, not everyone is jumping online to look at the person's record and history first before deciding if that person "deserved" to be shot, or before deciding that the person was "expendable."
People wonder if there may have been a less violent way of settling the matter. In retrospect, there seem to have been other options besides shooting the person 7 times. If a gun needed to be used, perhaps just one shot would have sufficed? Why 7?
Blake resisted arrest. Why didn't he simply surrender himself when asked to do so? Or: Why didn't he, possessed by the heat of the moment and by his own emotions swirling around and controlling him, have the ability to step away from his angry self and surrender?
We may not like it, but people become possessed by their emotions. This is a human trait. I've seen it on the streets at times, when folks go into "road rage" mode. There's usually shouting, sometimes a guy gets out and hits the car or tries to hit the other driver. Some people grow up in households like this. That's "normal" for some people. And they carry along the tradition when they get older. Sad but true.
Many of these people, under ordinary circumstances, are probably fine enough. They may be parents, siblings, sons and daughters, friends, and colleagues to people. Maybe someone you chat with in line at the supermarket. Blake apparently is.
Many people forget that the police officer is human, too. Did he feel threatened? Was he thinking that this would be his final day on Earth? That he didn't do enough for his family before his own possible death? Did this feeling not go away after the fourth or fifth or sixth shot? Was he thinking racist thoughts at the time? Did he go into automatic pilot mode, or war combat mode, and just let 'er rip? What was he trained to do, anyhow? Was he trained for this type of confrontation? Is it standard procedure to react the way he did? Would he have treated a white guy resisting arrest in exactly the same way?
We don't know the answers to most of these questions, and probably never will.
I know it's easy for people on the sidelines to say "That guy is scum!" and dehumanize him (Blake as well as the officer).
Maybe so, but they're really just average people, pretty much. This sort of confrontation seems to happen a lot with Blacks on the receiving side of shots fired. Some Blacks even find this sort of thing on a regular basis in their own homes or in their own neighborhoods. Unfortunately, in some places, violence and aggression are just a way of life.
This is one of the reasons some people are memorializing people such as Blake. For a lot of folks, he's "just another criminal Black man." For others, he's more complicated--someone who's trapped in a weird social and personal web of circumstances, and who--for all his faults--has, or may have had, some redeeming features. This doesn't fit the "law and order" narrative.
And many people in the Black community have seen this dance play out generation after generation.
Many others have seen or perceived unjust social treatment before--Native Americans continue to get the shaft, many Hispanic people encounter it, and a few Asian groups, too. There has been a white underclass on these shores since colonial times. But that doesn't (or shouldn't) detract from the strange and unique Black experience in America.
Not everything is racist and race-related in the U.S. these days, but some things are. If Kyle Rittenhouse had been a Black teen walking around Kenosha waving his rifle that night, would the police merely have waved at him and moved along? I really doubt it.
A lot of people think that Blacks just "need to get over it" and become "productive citizens." Many do. In fact, most do. But not all are convinced. Many know that "separate but (not fully) equal" is still the rule of thumb.
These are some of the reasons some people are making a big deal of Blake and people like him. A lot of people have empathy. They see themselves embodied in him, problems and all.
Last edited by Empidonax; 08-28-2020 at 01:33 PM..
Allow me to greatly simplify the realities of life:
If you grow up lacking respect for others, the law, women or men in general plan on strife in your life. There are very few exceptions to this rule. Virtually ALL those people who have been highlighted by the issues with police around the country are individuals that firstly did NOT do as they were told by law enforcement. Re: lack of respect for the law in general.
Virtually ALL of those who were accosted either had criminal records going back years, histories of spousal abuse or significant drug issues not corrected. Argue all day if you like but these issues are recipes for disaster no matter WHAT color you may be. It's been all too convenient for the Demogogues (and that's a nice word) who have utilized these issues to try to divide this country big time. We're all racists, we need to give reparations to those oppressed over these last 150 years. Even if we had nothing to do with it in the first place. We're so guilty of holding the African Americans down and not allowing them to rise above adversity......NOT!. Thank the Democratic party for pigeonholing them along the way convincing them to accept their Section 8 and Welfare ways of life as the only way out.
As for these arse wipes who are doing these destructive demonstrations and looting and worse, they are right in with those as mentioned above. They ALL need to get their butts whooped. But once again these hopeless Demo's ain't got it in them to clean up their act. This will either come to an END or it's going to get worse. Nothing in between that's for sure. And come November 3rd the answer to that one will be known.
This will either come to an END or it's going to get worse. Nothing in between that's for sure. And come November 3rd the answer to that one will be known.
November 3rd won't fix it, no matter who wins the election. It's too much work, and it requires the participation of every single person. That won't happen. Also, the problems are too deeply ingrained in U.S. culture. In fact, U.S. culture thrives on the problems. Or so it seems to me.
I agree with some of my esteemed contributors here. There needs to be more empathy and respect taught and reinforced in the homes. Parents need to be present as well as be present as responsible and positive role models.
As a person of Mexican descent, I was pulled over in the suburbs many times. And clearly they were done based on prejudicial actions. And nothing was ever on me or in my car to warrant an arrest.
I am NOT saying I was an angel, neither! I certainly WAS a part of the negative force on the streets.
But I turned it around. I finished 6 years of college after high school. And no one could stop me. I began Tae Kwon Do lessons and earned a black belt. And no one could stop me. So assuming we are under a White Power regime, there certainly was no one to stop me form my achievements.
You know why? Because our actions, positive or negative, only have to do with OURSELVES! No one MADE me do bad things, and no one made me do good things. Bottom line, EVERYONE needs to be responsible for their own life, stop blaming others, and show exactly what they CAN do. It's all a choice.
As a Social Worker, Tae Kwon Do Instructor, father, or that guy that just talks to people periodically on the streets of Milwaukee, Chicago, etc. THAT is exactly the message I deliver... Peace!
I agree with some of my esteemed contributors here. There needs to be more empathy and respect taught and reinforced in the homes. Parents need to be present as well as be present as responsible and positive role models.
As a person of Mexican descent, I was pulled over in the suburbs many times. And clearly they were done based on prejudicial actions. And nothing was ever on me or in my car to warrant an arrest.
I am NOT saying I was an angel, neither! I certainly WAS a part of the negative force on the streets.
But I turned it around. I finished 6 years of college after high school. And no one could stop me. I began Tae Kwon Do lessons and earned a black belt. And no one could stop me. So assuming we are under a White Power regime, there certainly was no one to stop me form my achievements.
You know why? Because our actions, positive or negative, only have to do with OURSELVES! No one MADE me do bad things, and no one made me do good things. Bottom line, EVERYONE needs to be responsible for their own life, stop blaming others, and show exactly what they CAN do. It's all a choice.
As a Social Worker, Tae Kwon Do Instructor, father, or that guy that just talks to people periodically on the streets of Milwaukee, Chicago, etc. THAT is exactly the message I deliver... Peace!
This is an excellent message, MJ. It's true that, at the end of the day, each individual has to do the heavy lifting and take ownership over their own life and path. Some people do have more means than others to take such actions, but that's what it ultimately comes down to.
I grew up in very comfortable circumstances and, after a small crisis, was able to carve out a good life for myself. Some other people who were equally or more comfortable wound up squandering their advantages.
Back when I taught, I had students who worked hard to make their dreams come as true as possible, even if the means were scarce. Some kids didn't, though--it can be really hard to take ownership of your life when you're merely trying to survive.
If I had grown up in a violent or negligent household in an unsupportive community, what would have become of me? Would I have met my current notion of "success"? Any notion of success? Or would I have succumbed to the forces keeping me down?
Ultimately, I think everyone has a choice to break a cycle of negativity. This includes one's perspectives, belief system, values, behaviors of what they grew up with.
My grandfather was emotionally and physically abusive to my father. My father was the same way with me.
I, however, speak with a calm voice with my children and always tell them I love them, I'm proud of them, and talk about their lives.
I GUESS I could have taken the notion: Well, MY dad didn't teach me any better!
The truth is we DO learn from our experiences. Because if they were not PLEASANT, then we can choose to do things the opposite of what we were surrounded with.
How in this world a man........ANY man that has a rap sheet a mile long for domestic violence (beating up women) can be viewed as some kind of hero worth a piece of consideration is beyond me. Nearly ALL those that have caused this national uprising had criminal records, yet how convenient it's been to raise them up to hero status is nuts. And so it is these days that law and order are viewed as some restriction not a method by which we are to live more orderly and safe lives. Sad indeed.
you're clearly misguided. no one is calling him a hero. EVERYONE is calling for police accountability as they shoot yet another black man. and this time in the back. I don't wanna hear any bull**** about black on black crime as this is about police being accountable as they use their badge and gun to terrorize black people, which is totally unacceptable as they are civil servants being paid by the taxpayers.
Police, like everyone, need to be accountable for their actions. You are 100% correct on this.
Mr. Blake had the opportunity to allow the police to do their job and ask him whatever questions were related to them being called to the scene. But he choose to resist, and walk away.
Also, the police did not fire at him as their first method of detaining him, nor did they shoot him when he was 10 steps away running into an open field. The officer followed Mr. Blake all the way up to his car, and when he opened the door there was now a chance that a weapon could be within reach.
The truth is, it would have been prevented had he stopped and answered any questions asked of him from the instant he was asked something from an investigating officer.
I have worked 25 years in social work and the last 10 in the jail/court system. My heart goes to everyone in this situation. In particular, I want to share my sentiment for Mr. Blake's children, whom I understand were present in this situation. Prayers and positive energy to all involved.
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