USA Politics

There are two unique, separate problems relating to Ferguson. The first is why does the majority of people think they have a legitimate grievance. The second is why did Michael Brown get killed so easily. No doubt in my mind that there are major economic and social inequalities. Racism isn't over, and it's a hell of a lot harder to be black in the USA than it is to be white. But at the same time, that doesn't make every dead black teen a martyr.

This should be about when it is acceptable for a police officer to fire. This should be about the social inequalities that allow a system to have almost-entirely-white policemen patrolling a mostly-black town. This should be about making sure police are accountable at all times. It's not.
 
Yeah ... tell the police unions to get bent and put cameras on cops. It is really that simple.

But, in this case I still go with the 12 grand jurors who have no stake in this (beyond being residents of the county) and if they wanted to take the easy way out, would have voted to indict.

The actions of these looters just made life much harder for everyone in this town. Some of these businesses will not re-open, jobs will be lost, and when the media and scum like Sharpton move onto their next story, these people will be forgotten and poorer than they were before these animals decided to torch their town
 
It's just horrible what is going on! And they say it's going to spread to more cities. Too bad Al Sharpton has to encourage this. How immature can you get?!

Oh, here is an interesting thought. If this had been the opposite and it was a white victim and a black cop, I can guarantee you that white people would not be out in the streets. Why is it that black people feel the need to protest like this?
 
I have no problem with people protesting ... people can and should be able to protest or support anything they want. Burning and looting a community is a different story.
 
Travis The Dragon said:
If this had been the opposite and it was a white victim and a black cop, I can guarantee you that white people would not be out in the streets. Why is it that black people feel the need to protest like this?
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That's because white people in the USA aren't subject to generations of systemic oppression. Oppression that's only started to lift in the last 50 years or so.
 
Well, black people now have more freedom they they've ever had and they have NO reasons what so ever to act in this horribly violent manner. They should just chill out now and be thankful things have changed in such good ways for them. You don't see the Jews acting out against the Germans over the holocaust.
 
Nobody has a reason to act with violence, I agree. I'll never support violence in a democratic system, even if the violence supports a cause I believe in.

But "more freedom" isn't what I'm talking about. Nor was it what you mentioned. You mentioned protesting, and bearfan was quite right to say that protest is an essential right.
 
Travis The Dragon said:
Well, black people now have more freedom they they've ever had and they have NO reasons what so ever to act in this horribly violent manner. They should just chill out now and be thankful things have changed in such good ways for them.
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I could totally see this type of thing being said by racist in the civil rights era. "Be thankful we don't keep you as slaves anymore".
There's always room for social progress. Racism still exists and until black people are treated as equal as anybody else, they have every right to not be content.
 
Actually, racism exists with both black people and white people. There are things that are exclusively black only, but if white people tried them, they'd be called racists. Black people can call white people cracker and honkey, but if white people use the N word, they're called racists. Black people are racist against white people all the time and actually get away with it. Racism is and should be how one race treats another regardless of majority or minority.
 
Travis, when did anyone suggest that black people can't be racist? When did anyone here say that anti-white racial slurs are less vile than anti-black racial slurs? Nobody did. So explain to me why you mentioned this whole bit on black vs white racism.

Because you've been taught that this somehow makes it equal.

Blacks in the USA were murdered. En masse. They were enslaved. They were raped. They were sold as property. And then, after a violent, vicious civil war that ended with their supposed freedom, they were subjected to legal forms of segregation. It was only 50 years ago that blacks won the right to marry people who weren't black (and vice-versa, it should be noted). The most famous black leader was shot dead for no reason.

Statistically, blacks are underrepresented in every field except incarcerated people. Police officers are more likely to pull over blacks. Blacks are more likely to be arrested for the same crimes as whites, and more likely to be given longer sentences. Coke users get a couple years, crack users get a couple decades - despite it being almost the exact same drug. 13% of Americans are black. But 13% of Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, CEOs, police, fire fighters, lawyers, and more aren't. Blacks are underrepresented in almost every single field.

This is what I'm talking about. This is our year of racism. The KKK is done, but we need to be conscious, constantly, that we have to make the playing field level.

When you compare, the word cracker, as offensive as it can be? It really isn't enough to level things out.
 
Gee it's hard being white. I never have to deal with racial profiling or stereotyping. When I walk into a store nobody suspects that I'm going to steal something. I never feel like police are paying extra attention to me. My life is so bland. It sucks!
 
Travis, those numbers are 22 years old. They're older than Mosh. What's that got to do with the price of tea in China.

Travis The Dragon said:
What happened in the past is horrible, but it's no excuse for all of that nor all the violent protesting that is currently happening.
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When has anyone not named Forostar suggested otherwise?
 
Mosh said:
Gee it's hard being white. I never have to deal with racial profiling or stereotyping. When I walk into a store nobody suspects that I'm going to steal something. I never feel like police are paying extra attention to me. My life is so bland. It sucks!
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The way I'd like to reply to this might come across as racist so I better keep my mouth shut here.

LooseCannon said:
Travis, those numbers are 22 years old. They're older than Mosh. What's that got to do with the price of tea in China.
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And you think things are much different now? Show me current statistics that have the exact same things and let's see how they compare.
 
LooseCannon said:
Travis, those numbers are 22 years old. They're older than Mosh. What's that got to do with the price of tea in China.
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LooseCannon said:
Travis, when did anyone suggest that black people can't be racist? When did anyone here say that anti-white racial slurs are less vile than anti-black racial slurs? Nobody did. So explain to me why you mentioned this whole bit on black vs white racism.

Because you've been taught that this somehow makes it equal.

Blacks in the USA were murdered. En masse. They were enslaved. They were raped. They were sold as property. And then, after a violent, vicious civil war that ended with their supposed freedom, they were subjected to legal forms of segregation. It was only 50 years ago that blacks won the right to marry people who weren't black (and vice-versa, it should be noted). The most famous black leader was shot dead for no reason.

Statistically, blacks are underrepresented in every field except incarcerated people. Police officers are more likely to pull over blacks. Blacks are more likely to be arrested for the same crimes as whites, and more likely to be given longer sentences. Coke users get a couple years, crack users get a couple decades - despite it being almost the exact same drug. 13% of Americans are black. But 13% of Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, CEOs, police, fire fighters, lawyers, and more aren't. Blacks are underrepresented in almost every single field.

This is what I'm talking about. This is our year of racism. The KKK is done, but we need to be conscious, constantly, that we have to make the playing field level.

When you compare, the word cracker, as offensive as it can be? It really isn't enough to level things out.
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I am not a real fan of saying certain populations should have x percent of some position because that starts leading to quotas.

But in the 114yh Congress Blacks will be 5% of the Senate, but about 13% of the House and you see increasingly more black CEOs, the CEO of McDonalds for example is black.

Also a bill was passed in 2010 to even Federal sentences for crack and coke.

Blacks should do better in this country, the under perform not only whites, but about every other ethnicity out there. The same stale ideas of throwing money at the problem and enacting quotas will not solve this ... but that is about all you will see proposed in the near future.
 
Travis The Dragon said:
And you think things are much different now? Show me current statistics that have the exact same things and let's see how they compare.
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1) the site you posted is not exactly credible.
2) notice how they don't remind you how many people are actually KILLED each year.
http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf

Here is a report from the US Department of Justice. Please note the figure on page 13.
"84% of white victims were killed by whites."

This makes perfect sense. Why? because 16% of Americans AREN'T white. 16% of them are black or Asian or Native American.

Sure, 1600 whites are killed by blacks in a year. But what does that mean? It's irrelevant because it's not a percentage, it doesn't tell us if this is statistically relevant or not. Travis, the numbers suggest that the 1600 is about correct, sadly. You're told that to scare you. 1600 sounds like a lot, but it's really not.
 
bearfan said:
I am not a real fan of saying certain populations should have x percent of some position because that starts leading to quotas.
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Quotas are bad for a lot of things, but there's really nothing wrong with strong recruitment methodology for blacks into schools, and there's nothing wrong with spending money on education reform.
 
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