Drew Brees Comments

[SocialCircle 570]

3 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

see to me your statements tell me you do not care about their plight you just care about yourself.blacks have tried everything to get people to listen peacefully. the difference is you get your feelings hurt because you do not except the correct interpretation of kneeling by experts that know  because it hurts your feelings while folks are dying on their side. it is a very bad look. i am a five point vet and i get it.

Thanks for your service!
 

You and others have bought into a false narrative. People are listening. In fact, 99.9% of the US is absolutely against what the bad cops did by murdering Mr. Floyd. The current administration immediately got the DOJ and FBI involved in the case. All of the officers have been charged and arrested. 
 

Also, people were listening and taking significant action before this tragedy. Criminal justice reform was finally accomplished in recent years. Opportunity zones have been put in place in major cities and they are working. Unemployment for blacks was at or near an all time low prior to Covid-19. Wages for blacks were increasing significantly also prior to Covid-19. Studies even by left leaning sources showed police brutality and police killings in decline. 
 

No doubt we can always do better, but to say people were not listening prior to this terrible and emotional event is not supported at all by the facts. 
 

As it relates to the kneeling I am not even necessarily talking about myself. I have spoken to several black veterans personally and none of them supported the kneeling. We have a fantastic Veterans Day celebration that I am heavily involved in each year at our school system. So I get to talk to many vets every year and it is always an honor to celebrate them. Millions of Americans simply don’t accept your world view and are offended by the kneeling. I’ll put it this way to help you understand. Let’s say someone here wanted to fly a confederate flag to honor their relatives birthday who died in the Civil War.  Many people would be offended by that action no matter the real underlying reason. The same thing applies with kneeling during our national anthem. It offends millions and millions of Americans no matter the underlying reason. Why take an action that is so offensive to so many even if you have the right to do it? Isn’t it better to try to bring people together and to your side instead of dividing people? Maybe honor your relative by placing flowers at his gravesite as opposed to flying the confederate flag in your yard in his honor. You see there are ways you can accomplish the same thing without offending so many people. 

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

14 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

that man caught way more hate than he deserved. the same way with ali. ali went to prison for his beliefs. and all he had to do was tout and spar for the soldiers but he did not want one kid dying because of him. they called him a coward even tho he was told he would never fight. and now of course we know nam was one lie after another. i will always have a special place in my heart for nam vets. i spent three and a half years at the pentagon and let me tell you soldiers were despised by most of the citizens. this is not here say as i saw it. many times. i was a seventeen year old sailor stationed at the pentagon right out of a school and i caught the looks. i thought i did something great for my country but i never felt so hated in my life. it got better before i got out but i have never forgotten it.

crap anyway back to cap. i am not sure he was wanted on any drive alongs. he got more death threats and hate than most folks. hell i did not like him because he made fun of cam in the superbowl taunting him with the superman thing.

Had lots of friends dads that were Nam vets. With you on that 100%.

I respect Ali, like you said dude went to prison for his beliefs. I don't think Kap would do time for his belief. He is no Ali.

Kap had made this comment:

Quote

“You can become a cop in six months and don’t have to have the same amount of training as a cosmetologist. That’s insane,” Kaepernick went on to say.

Then Alameda invited him over

Quote

To: Colin Kaepernick

From: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office

Open Invitation to Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Center.

During a post-game interview on August 28, 2016, you stated the following: “You can become a cop in six months, and don’t have to have the same amount of training as a cosmetologist, that’s insane. “

We would like to cordially invite you to the Alameda County Regional Training Center (RTC) in Dublin, CA. The RTC is currently in session hosting our 156th and 157th basic police academies. In addition to the academy, we train thousands of law enforcement officers from throughout the state and country in all aspects of our profession, including use of force. We have a specially designed Use of Force simulator that puts officers in situations where they must make split second decisions on what actions to take. In addition, we invite you to meet with our current academies and veteran officers to talk to them about their experiences and yours.

We hope that you will take this opportunity to meet with a new generation of law enforcement officers and have an open dialogue.

Sincerely,

The Deputies of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/08/30/colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-police-brutality-alameda-sheriff/

He never responded. Not even a facepalm.

[cole256 17,074]

3 hours ago, AUFAN78 said:

I think if the media would post facts, you know statistics, this wouldn't be an issue. We know they won't, but you can. Great opportunity brother. Go for it.

So CK is protesting due to these statistics: (stats/opportunity stated here)

BTW, if you don't feel compelled, others can chime in and contribute. We're AUFamily right? Let's do this!

I'm the wrong person for that, I've had enough of the Wolf in sheep's clothing thing

[Gowebb11 9,321]

I’ve changed my stance on this whole issue. I was a CK critic when the kneeling first took place. How dare he? I’m a veteran, and it makes me sick to disrespect our precious flag. But events since then have turned me into a supporter. We’ve heard it from conservatives a thousand times since the Floyd protests. “We support the protests, just keep it peaceful.” Hard to get more peaceful than kneeling quietly for a couple of minutes. And here is a question no one seems to ponder. Should a Sioux Indian, or a Cherokee, or an Apache revere our flag and all it stands for? A lot of us need to learn to look at issues from the lenses of others, and not just our own. 

[aubiefifty 16,791]

10 hours ago, SocialCircle said:

Who has equated those two things? I certainly haven’t. Also,  in your world view that is what CK was protesting. There are millions of Americans who do not share your world view and who are offended by it. 

this is why there is blood in the streets right now.  you do understand it looks like you are saying you are more worried about your feelings than you are about the murder of citizens in this country. i am not sure you are thinking this through.

[aubiefifty 16,791]

6 hours ago, Texan4Auburn said:

Had lots of friends dads that were Nam vets. With you on that 100%.

I respect Ali, like you said dude went to prison for his beliefs. I don't think Kap would do time for his belief. He is no Ali.

Kap had made this comment:

Then Alameda invited him over

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/08/30/colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-police-brutality-alameda-sheriff/

He never responded. Not even a facepalm.

we will disagree then. you think those cops in training would except kap with open arms? most hate him because he gave the police a black eye and i believe a whole lot of regular cops had some choice stuff to say about kap. i just keep seeing excuses from people over kap who just wants justice and the murders of folks of color to stop.

[aubiefifty 16,791]

9 hours ago, SocialCircle said:

Thanks for your service!
 

You and others have bought into a false narrative. People are listening. In fact, 99.9% of the US is absolutely against what the bad cops did by murdering Mr. Floyd. The current administration immediately got the DOJ and FBI involved in the case. All of the officers have been charged and arrested. 
 

Also, people were listening and taking significant action before this tragedy. Criminal justice reform was finally accomplished in recent years. Opportunity zones have been put in place in major cities and they are working. Unemployment for blacks was at or near an all time low prior to Covid-19. Wages for blacks were increasing significantly also prior to Covid-19. Studies even by left leaning sources showed police brutality and police killings in decline. 
 

No doubt we can always do better, but to say people were not listening prior to this terrible and emotional event is not supported at all by the facts. 
 

As it relates to the kneeling I am not even necessarily talking about myself. I have spoken to several black veterans personally and none of them supported the kneeling. We have a fantastic Veterans Day celebration that I am heavily involved in each year at our school system. So I get to talk to many vets every year and it is always an honor to celebrate them. Millions of Americans simply don’t accept your world view and are offended by the kneeling. I’ll put it this way to help you understand. Let’s say someone here wanted to fly a confederate flag to honor their relatives birthday who died in the Civil War.  Many people would be offended by that action no matter the real underlying reason. The same thing applies with kneeling during our national anthem. It offends millions and millions of Americans no matter the underlying reason. Why take an action that is so offensive to so many even if you have the right to do it? Isn’t it better to try to bring people together and to your side instead of dividing people? Maybe honor your relative by placing flowers at his gravesite as opposed to flying the confederate flag in your yard in his honor. You see there are ways you can accomplish the same thing without offending so many people. 

he did it to bring light to the situation because he got tired of all the false promises made every single time someone else was murdered. he has the right to protest under the constitution and our laws and people want to rob him of that. the same p-eople put words in his mouth claiming he is protesting the dead of this country when he has told everyone over and over what he is protesting. and what about the other cats kneeling with him? what about the white cats kneeling with him. not one peep about them. not one. again, he was taught how to protest the natty anthem by a green beret to do it properly with grace and respect. and no one cares because it does not fit theit oen world view while murder is being committed on the streets.

[aubiefifty 16,791]

14 hours ago, jj3jordan said:

He started out saying that he was indeed protesting the flag. Changed it later. No problem he has the right. Just as we have the right not to watch or attend games or hire him as a quarterback. But the left sees evil in our right to allow Kap to remain unemployed.   Not fair they say. You just don’t want him to play because he protested the flag.  Good enough for me.  

you understand goodall just came out and said he and the nfl folks handled it wrong right?

 

12 hours ago, I_M4_AU said:

You have lost your mind.  

and you always have some excuse ready. always. the thing is if one of your kids was murdered by choking and calling for his mother you would be all over it. you know you would. i mean hell you still claim trump is not racist.........lol

[aubiefifty 16,791]

many of you have forgotten this. they killed women and children to gert at the guilty parties. children. why? because people thought they were animals. all of them.

May 13, 1985

The bombing of MOVE

When the police dropped a bomb on a quiet Philly neighborhood

by Alex Q. Arbuckle

1978

MOVE members in front of their original headquarters in the Powelton Village area of Philadelphia.

Image: Leif Skoogfors/CORBIS

Drop a bomb on a residential area? I never in my life heard of that. It's like Vietnam.

Steve Harmon, neighborhood resident

The black liberation group MOVE was founded in 1972 by John Africa (born Vincent Leaphart). Living communally in a house in West Philadelphia, members of MOVE all changed their surnames to Africa, shunned modern technology and materialism, and preached support of animal rights, revolution and a return to nature.

Their first conflict with law enforcement occurred in 1978, when police tried to evict them from their house. A firefight erupted, killing one police officer and injuring several more on both sides.

Nine members of the group were sentenced to 100 years in prison for the officer’s killing. In 1981, the group moved to a row house on Osage Avenue. 

May 14, 1985

The three blocks destroyed by the fire.

Image: Bettmann/CORBIS

The city administration discounted negotiation as a method of resolving the problem. Any attempted negotiations were haphazard and uncoordinated.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

At their new headquarters, MOVE members boarded up the windows, built a fortified rooftop bunker and broadcasted profanity-laced political lectures with bullhorns at all hours, drawing complaints from neighbors. Members continued to rack up violations from contempt of court to illegal possession of firearms, to the point where they were considered a terrorist organization by the mayor and police commissioner.

On the morning of May 13, 1985, the police moved on the house.

Arriving with arrest warrants for four residents of the house, the police ordered them to come out peacefully. Before long, shooting began.

In response to gunfire from inside the house, more than 500 police officers discharged over 10,000 rounds of ammunition in 90 minutes. The house was hit with high-pressure firehoses and tear gas, but MOVE did not surrender.

Despite pleas for deescalation to the mayor from City Council President Joseph Coleman and State Senator Hardy Williams, Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor gave the order to bomb the house.

May 13, 1985

The fortified MOVE headquarters is hit with a deluge of water by firefighters.

Image: Amy Sancetta/AP

The Mayor's failure to call a halt to the operation on May 12, when he knew that children were in the house, was grossly negligent and clearly risked the lives of those children.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

May 13, 1985

A man flees for safety with a child while police assault the MOVE headquarters.

Image: Peter Morgan/AP

The Mayor abdicated his responsibilities as a leader when, after midday, he permitted a clearly failed operation to continue which posed great risk to life and property.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

At 5:28 p.m., a satchel bomb composed of FBI-supplied C4 and Tovex TR2, a dynamite substitute, on a 45-second timer was dropped from a state police helicopter, detonating near the fortified pillbox on the roof of the house.

Within minutes, a fire had consumed the roof and begun to spread.

Firefighters, already fearful of being shot at by MOVE members, were told to let the fire burn.

The blaze raged out of control, spreading down the block of row houses and hopping the narrow streets. 

May 13, 1985

Smoke billows from the spreading fire after the bombing.

Image: Bettmann/CORBIS

May 13, 1985

A police officer looks on as the blaze spreads.

Image: George Widman/AP

We tried to get our children, our animals, ourselves out of that blazing inferno. And as the cops saw us coming out, they opened fire.

Ramona Africa, bombing survivor

May 13, 1985

 

Image: AP

May 13, 1985

A Philadelphia police officer watches a block of houses burn.

Image: George Widman/AP

The plan to bomb the MOVE house was reckless, ill-conceived and hastily approved. Dropping a bomb on an occupied row house was unconscionable and should have been rejected out-of-hand.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

May 14, 1985

Police officers walk through the destroyed neighborhood the day after the bombing.

Image: Bettmann/CORBIS

May 14, 1985

Dozens of houses continue to smolder the day after the bombing.

Image: Bettmann/CORBIS

The hasty, reckless and irresponsible decision by the Police Commissioner and the Fire Commissioner to use the fire as a tactical weapon was unconscionable.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

May 14, 1985

Workers remove the remains of a body from the rubble.

Image: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Police gunfire in the rear alley prevented the escape from the fire of some occupants of the MOVE house.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

May 15, 1985

A worker transports the remains of a body found in the rubble.

Image: George Widman/AP

May 15, 1985

 

Image: AP

May 15, 1985

Investigators search the rubble for bodies.

Image: George Widman/AP

May 16, 1985

Investigators use a screen to sift through debris.

Image: George Widman/AP

May 15, 1985

A woman mourns after returning to her destroyed neighborhood.

Image: Jack Kanthal/AP

By the time it was extinguished four hours later, 61 houses had been razed. Apart from a woman and 13-year-old boy who escaped when the fire started, everyone in the MOVE house was dead.

The 11 deaths included MOVE founder John Africa, five adults and five children between the ages of seven and 13.

Despite investigations and formal apologies, neither the mayor, nor the police commissioner, nor anyone else from the city was criminally charged.

Dec. 5, 1985

Mourners stand in front of the former MOVE headquarters as the funeral procession of John Africa passes.

The woman who defied Italian tradition by refusing to marry her rapist

 

[jj3jordan 2,053]

29 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

you understand goodall just came out and said he and the nfl folks handled it wrong right?

 

and you always have some excuse ready. always. the thing is if one of your kids was murdered by choking and calling for his mother you would be all over it. you know you would. i mean hell you still claim trump is not racist.........lol

What’s Goodell have to do with it? My comment was directly from Kap himself about his protest.  

[SocialCircle 570]

52 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

this is why there is blood in the streets right now.  you do understand it looks like you are saying you are more worried about your feelings than you are about the murder of citizens in this country. i am not sure you are thinking this through.

There is blood in the streets because there is good and evil in this world. I’m not saying that at all. I’m saying kneeling during the national anthem factually divides this country. I’m saying flying a confederate flag divides people in this country. I’m saying destroying businesses and stealing divides people in this country. Evil people like the bad cop who killed Mr. Floyd divides people in this country. The murderers who killed the innocent retired officer protecting a pawn shop in St. Louis and filmed him dying divides people in this country. People who think they are better than or who hate another person simply because the color of a person’s skin color divide people in this country.  No doubt the murder of innocent life is by far more evil, but there is indeed evil in the other things too. I hope this clears it up for you. 

[Grumps 3,704]

14 hours ago, homersapien said:

Grumps, do you think someone should be fired or be forced to leave the country because they protested injustice by kneeling during the anthem?

 

Oh fun! This looks like a trap! As to "should be fired" my answer is "it depends on their employer and their relationship with their employer and perhaps their contract or any agreement the person has with their employer." As to "or be forced to leave the country" my answer is an emphatic "no!"

[SocialCircle 570]

52 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

he did it to bring light to the situation because he got tired of all the false promises made every single time someone else was murdered. he has the right to protest under the constitution and our laws and people want to rob him of that. the same p-eople put words in his mouth claiming he is protesting the dead of this country when he has told everyone over and over what he is protesting. and what about the other cats kneeling with him? what about the white cats kneeling with him. not one peep about them. not one. again, he was taught how to protest the natty anthem by a green beret to do it properly with grace and respect. and no one cares because it does not fit theit oen world view while murder is being committed on the streets.

I have mentioned kneeling during our national anthem divides this country. Anyone who does this offends millions of their fellow citizens. So yes, I have repeatedly said more than one peep about all who do this. I also have never said people don’t have a right to do it. I have in fact mentioned that it is perfectly legal....just like flying a confederate flag on your own property is legal. I have simply said I wish more people would have more respect for people who don’t share their world view. Kneeling factually offends millions. Flying the confederate flag factually offends millions too. We would be much less divided if these things never occurred. 

[SocialCircle 570]

58 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

he did it to bring light to the situation because he got tired of all the false promises made every single time someone else was murdered. he has the right to protest under the constitution and our laws and people want to rob him of that. the same p-eople put words in his mouth claiming he is protesting the dead of this country when he has told everyone over and over what he is protesting. and what about the other cats kneeling with him? what about the white cats kneeling with him. not one peep about them. not one. again, he was taught how to protest the natty anthem by a green beret to do it properly with grace and respect. and no one cares because it does not fit theit oen world view while murder is being committed on the streets.

You’re first sentence is again factually false. There weren’t false promises. There has indeed been much progress. 

[SocialCircle 570]

44 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

many of you have forgotten this. they killed women and children to gert at the guilty parties. children. why? because people thought they were animals. all of them.

May 13, 1985

The bombing of MOVE

When the police dropped a bomb on a quiet Philly neighborhood

by Alex Q. Arbuckle

1978

MOVE members in front of their original headquarters in the Powelton Village area of Philadelphia.

Image: Leif Skoogfors/CORBIS

Drop a bomb on a residential area? I never in my life heard of that. It's like Vietnam.

Steve Harmon, neighborhood resident

The black liberation group MOVE was founded in 1972 by John Africa (born Vincent Leaphart). Living communally in a house in West Philadelphia, members of MOVE all changed their surnames to Africa, shunned modern technology and materialism, and preached support of animal rights, revolution and a return to nature.

Their first conflict with law enforcement occurred in 1978, when police tried to evict them from their house. A firefight erupted, killing one police officer and injuring several more on both sides.

Nine members of the group were sentenced to 100 years in prison for the officer’s killing. In 1981, the group moved to a row house on Osage Avenue. 

May 14, 1985

The three blocks destroyed by the fire.

Image: Bettmann/CORBIS

The city administration discounted negotiation as a method of resolving the problem. Any attempted negotiations were haphazard and uncoordinated.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

At their new headquarters, MOVE members boarded up the windows, built a fortified rooftop bunker and broadcasted profanity-laced political lectures with bullhorns at all hours, drawing complaints from neighbors. Members continued to rack up violations from contempt of court to illegal possession of firearms, to the point where they were considered a terrorist organization by the mayor and police commissioner.

On the morning of May 13, 1985, the police moved on the house.

Arriving with arrest warrants for four residents of the house, the police ordered them to come out peacefully. Before long, shooting began.

In response to gunfire from inside the house, more than 500 police officers discharged over 10,000 rounds of ammunition in 90 minutes. The house was hit with high-pressure firehoses and tear gas, but MOVE did not surrender.

Despite pleas for deescalation to the mayor from City Council President Joseph Coleman and State Senator Hardy Williams, Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor gave the order to bomb the house.

May 13, 1985

The fortified MOVE headquarters is hit with a deluge of water by firefighters.

Image: Amy Sancetta/AP

The Mayor's failure to call a halt to the operation on May 12, when he knew that children were in the house, was grossly negligent and clearly risked the lives of those children.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

May 13, 1985

A man flees for safety with a child while police assault the MOVE headquarters.

Image: Peter Morgan/AP

The Mayor abdicated his responsibilities as a leader when, after midday, he permitted a clearly failed operation to continue which posed great risk to life and property.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

At 5:28 p.m., a satchel bomb composed of FBI-supplied C4 and Tovex TR2, a dynamite substitute, on a 45-second timer was dropped from a state police helicopter, detonating near the fortified pillbox on the roof of the house.

Within minutes, a fire had consumed the roof and begun to spread.

Firefighters, already fearful of being shot at by MOVE members, were told to let the fire burn.

The blaze raged out of control, spreading down the block of row houses and hopping the narrow streets. 

May 13, 1985

Smoke billows from the spreading fire after the bombing.

Image: Bettmann/CORBIS

May 13, 1985

A police officer looks on as the blaze spreads.

Image: George Widman/AP

We tried to get our children, our animals, ourselves out of that blazing inferno. And as the cops saw us coming out, they opened fire.

Ramona Africa, bombing survivor

May 13, 1985

 

Image: AP

May 13, 1985

A Philadelphia police officer watches a block of houses burn.

Image: George Widman/AP

The plan to bomb the MOVE house was reckless, ill-conceived and hastily approved. Dropping a bomb on an occupied row house was unconscionable and should have been rejected out-of-hand.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

May 14, 1985

Police officers walk through the destroyed neighborhood the day after the bombing.

Image: Bettmann/CORBIS

May 14, 1985

Dozens of houses continue to smolder the day after the bombing.

Image: Bettmann/CORBIS

The hasty, reckless and irresponsible decision by the Police Commissioner and the Fire Commissioner to use the fire as a tactical weapon was unconscionable.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

May 14, 1985

Workers remove the remains of a body from the rubble.

Image: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Police gunfire in the rear alley prevented the escape from the fire of some occupants of the MOVE house.

Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, March 6, 1986

May 15, 1985

A worker transports the remains of a body found in the rubble.

Image: George Widman/AP

May 15, 1985

 

Image: AP

May 15, 1985

Investigators search the rubble for bodies.

Image: George Widman/AP

May 16, 1985

Investigators use a screen to sift through debris.

Image: George Widman/AP

May 15, 1985

A woman mourns after returning to her destroyed neighborhood.

Image: Jack Kanthal/AP

By the time it was extinguished four hours later, 61 houses had been razed. Apart from a woman and 13-year-old boy who escaped when the fire started, everyone in the MOVE house was dead.

The 11 deaths included MOVE founder John Africa, five adults and five children between the ages of seven and 13.

Despite investigations and formal apologies, neither the mayor, nor the police commissioner, nor anyone else from the city was criminally charged.

Dec. 5, 1985

Mourners stand in front of the former MOVE headquarters as the funeral procession of John Africa passes.

The woman who defied Italian tradition by refusing to marry her rapist

 

That is indeed sad and tragic. It shows there is evil in this world..... then and now. 

[Grumps 3,704]

14 hours ago, McLoofus said:

You're right. Kneeling when everyone else was but not when there was actually something on the line wasn't meaningless. It just didn't mean much. That was made extra clear recently.

What does mean something is what he does going forward. So far it seems he's made an about face but I'll let his teammates decide what they think.

Oh, and many of them made it abundantly clear that they thought his kneeling in 2016 meant very little.

So are you saying that if Brees takes a knee during the National Anthem at his next game then he is making a meaningful protest against police brutality and if he doesn't then he is not making a meaningful protest? Are you saying that CK is the definer of "meaningful" protest? If CK had defined "meaningful" as kneeling before the National Anthem them Brees would be in "compliance" but since CK defined "meaningful as during the National Anthem that Brees in not in "compliance?"

My question goes back to "Who gets to define what is meaningful?" Brees was very short-sighted when he answered the question asked to him by the reporter. All I saw him do was say that he could not agree with disrespecting the flag. The implication was that he feels like taking a knee during the National Anthem is disrespecting the flag. Who are we to say that he is wrong? I don't feel like I am in a position to say that CK's feelings are wrong or that Brees' feelings are wrong.

It just seems hypocritical to say that CK should not have been treated horribly because of his views over how he chooses to act during the National Anthem and that Brees should be treated horribly because of his views over how he chooses to act during the National Anthem.

As I intended to state initially, I fear that how this is handled will affect the views of many people who might finally be open to consider how we all contribute to systemic racism.

[TexasTiger 12,866]

13 minutes ago, Grumps said:

 

As I intended to state initially, I fear that how this is handled will affect the views of many people who might finally be open to consider how we all contribute to systemic racism.

If you think good people who are concerned about  systemic racism can disagree on this point, then being disagreed with shouldn’t prevent anyone from being concerned about systemic racism. I don’t have to believe in defunding police to believe there is serious need for police reform.

[aubiefifty 16,791]

15 minutes ago, TexasTiger said:

If you think good people who are concerned about  systemic racism can disagree on this point, then being disagreed with shouldn’t prevent anyone from being concerned about systemic racism. I don’t have to believe in defunding police to believe there is serious need for police reform.

i do not think defunding the police is a very good move either.

[SocialCircle 570]

9 hours ago, cole256 said:

I'm the wrong person for that, I've had enough of the Wolf in sheep's clothing thing

You don’t want to look at the facts because they prove there is a false narrative making some people feel like things are getting worse as it relates to police brutality in this country. This is not the case. 
 

There is still progress to be made though. For example, if a white person is charged with the same drug charge today in America the data shows the black person will serve a longer sentence. The good news is the current administration is tackling this inequality head on as they finally got some criminal justice reforms. This administration has also put into place programs that help those getting out of prison to get better opportunities and training so they can have a much better chance of success with life after prison. 
 

If it was racism causing police brutality then black women would be arrested and/or killed at a higher rate per capita than white males. However, this is not the case. The fact is people of all colors and genders are arrested and killed by police directly proportional to the % of the violent crime they commit. A higher % of black makes commit violent crime than do white males, so a higher percent are killed and arrested. However, a higher % of white males commit violent crime than do black females. And so a higher percent of the white male population is arrested and killed by police annually than the percent of black females killed and arrested by police. 
 

We agree poverty is the biggest issue leading to crime. The good news here is in recent years up until Covid-19 the black unemployment rate was at or near an all time low. Also, in recent years black wages have increased at a higher percentage (finally). 
 

Today my daughter who is in the 10th grade here is Georgia and her black classmates have exactly the same opportunity to succeed or fail in this country. It is up to each of them to either take advantage of opportunities or not. This was not the case 50 years ago, but it is today. 

[I_M4_AU 7,832]

1 hour ago, Grumps said:

My question goes back to "Who gets to define what is meaningful?"

The left, of course.  If a back up QB can say he has sacrificed his career and Nike is his PR company, then that is meaningful sacrifice.  Now, lets look at real sacrifice, yesterday was the anniversary of D-Day where many young people gave their lives to save the America and the world against a tyrannical racist government.  That is real sacrifice, but now it is racist to be proud of those that gave their all for freedom.  Interesting world we live in now.

If, in today’s world, the NFL wants to sacrifice something for the cause, why not strike until real police reform is achieved. I mean, lets get real, if they want to sacrifice, it must be meaningful, right?

[I_M4_AU 7,832]

13 hours ago, cole256 said:

For two minutes? Absolutely

So, you think if your company had a huge press conference scheduled with media present and you, right before the presentation, got up and protested anything for two minutes, you wouldn’t be fired?

CK enjoyed privilege that few other people have and still does.

What is the end game here, Cole?  Who is in charge of this protest?  I have heard in Minneapolis and L.A.that they want to defund the police.  Do you think that is a good thing?  Do you think separating this country into patriots and protesters is a good strategy?

Whether you believe CK was and is sincere or is a devise personality the country is torn.  What happens after the trial?  I think Chauvin will be convicted, but the two rookies could get off.  What then?

The trial is the culmination of our justice system.  Do think the verdict will be accepted if two get off?  If the verdict is not acceptable, how would you change the system?

 

[TexasTiger 12,866]

22 minutes ago, SocialCircle said:

You don’t want to look at the facts because they prove there is a false narrative making some people feel like things are getting worse as it relates to police brutality in this country. This is not the case. 
 

There is still progress to be made though. For example, if a white person is charged with the same drug charge today in America the data shows the black person will serve a longer sentence. The good news is the current administration is tackling this inequality head on as they finally got some criminal justice reforms. This administration has also put into place programs that help those getting out of prison to get better opportunities and training so they can have a much better chance of success with life after prison. 
 

If it was racism causing police brutality then black women would be arrested and/or killed at a higher rate per capita than white males. However, this is not the case. The fact is people of all colors and genders are arrested and killed by police directly proportional to the % of the violent crime they commit. A higher % of black makes commit violent crime than do white males, so a higher percent are killed and arrested. However, a higher % of white males commit violent crime than do black females. And so a higher percent of the white male population is arrested and killed by police annually than the percent of black females killed and arrested by police. 
 

We agree poverty is the biggest issue leading to crime. The good news here is in recent years up until Covid-19 the black unemployment rate was at or near an all time low. Also, in recent years black wages have increased at a higher percentage (finally). 
 

Today my daughter who is in the 10th grade here is Georgia and her black classmates have exactly the same opportunity to succeed or fail in this country. It is up to each of them to either take advantage of opportunities or not. This was not the case 50 years ago, but it is today. 

So much cluelessness in this post. 

[Gowebb11 9,321]

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

i do not think defunding the police is a very good move either.

I respect that opinion and shared it but heard a podcast yesterday that helped change my mind. (FWIW, Dr. MLKs daughter was part of of the panel and is a powerful communicator like her dad). 30% of LAs total city budget goes to the police. 41% in Oakland. The discussion is not to gut them but put less into armaments, military style vehicles, etc....I think the question is how long do we have a disproportionate amount of our city and state governments go to law enforcement and the penal systems. The thinking is shift some of those funds to more productive areas to strengthen communities and increase opportunities. If done right, it could lessen the need law enforcement in the long run. It’s a huge aspiration but the panel made a lot more sense than our current politicians do. How much of it will come to fruition is another story. 

[I_M4_AU 7,832]

32 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

If done right, it could lessen the need law enforcement in the long run. It’s a huge aspiration but the panel made a lot more sense than our current politicians do. How much of it will come to fruition is another story. 

We are talking about California here.  Pie in the sky and everything is rainbows and unicorns.  Worst homeless problem in the U.S. and so far behind on their pension plans (police, firefighters/EMTs and teachers) they will never dig out of their fiscal issues. The U.S. would have to define what exactly *defund the police* means and then standby to see if the police officers agree with the *new normal*.  I really don’t see why anyone would want to become a police officer with the way they are treated the last week or so.

[Gowebb11 9,321]

44 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

We are talking about California here.

The defunding is by no means limited to California. I need to learn more about it but I believe it will happen in many areas.

 

44 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

I really don’t see why anyone would want to become a police officer with the way they are treated the last week or so.

What they’ve endured the last few weeks has been terrible. But everyone of them needs to remember it is actions of their own that put them there. Events in Buffalo indicate they haven’t learned that yet. If the rank and file want to be treated with respect they need to pressure their leadership to change the police culture. Their situation and ours would become better very quickly.