Never has a huge voting turnout ever been more important than this years election. You can't assume peaceful reactions from everyone during protests and riots, but when I look at what's happening it strikes me that many of the protests have been peaceful. I think it's important for all police departments to take a good hard look at what's going on within and then to take some very necessary steps to change their policing models. I'm impressed that the Minneapolis city council has voted to disband the police department and to work towards creating a new and safer model. I'm going to march in a protest this weekend. We have our own set of problems in Canada with indigenous people being targeted by police and the Mounties. I think it's past time that people remember to respect each others' differences. I'm white and I am marching with my friends who are racially-diverse.
I share this pessimism. The ire of the people is real. The target isn't. Seeing protesters, both peaceful and asshole bark at cops in military style riot gear/weapons isn't changing shit. What really would, is if politicians at the local, county, state, and federal levels feel the heat to the point where the fear of god is put into them to the point where they have to say no to the corporate tit that is their re-election and retirement money under the table. Instead, these weasels are out with the protesters for photo ops and re-election bids. The DC mayor even painted a street to say "black lives matter" in big letters in yellow paint. Well, that certainly solves the fucking problem... Notice how their job is to write, argue, craft, and pass laws. They still aren't doing that. Instead, they're getting their catchy headlines and "woke" moments. Its not one party either. Both suck unequivocally. The right/republicans are the bank robber who doesn't give a shit about those they take advantage of (us, the have nots). The democrats/left are worse, because they're greedy too. They're the security guard who lets the bank robber rob the bank and get away--and its easy to understand their complicity and the disdain that comes for them by "red states." They are just as complicit and it shows. Look at who they ran 4 years ago and are about to run in Novembe-- fucking garbage. DNC donors still will make bank win or lose. The wider the gap between haves and have nots gets, historically speaking--conflict follows shortly after. Its blatant in America, still being clung onto by the left and the right and strategic use of media, analysts, pundits, and talking heads is still why nothing's getting changed. Because while the problem is staring us in the face, these cunts would have you believe that a General who plead guilty to being a corrupt motherfucker twice was actually a target of a "deep state." Most of these fools don't talk about the real issues, and get super granular to the point where arguing for ratings/clicks matters more than the fucking solution. Its about "owning" the other person, moment, or having the loudest, last word no matter how full of shit the person talking is. People are pissed, but the targets of their ire are wrong because sometimes instead of focusing on the insignificant granular stuff, we don't take a step back and look at the broader picture. Turn on any "news" entertainment channel and you'll see the talking heads keeping your attention away from the broad. Its not about "right versus wrong." The wrong person is being attacked unfairly. The right person did something stupid years ago that doesn't pertain to a situation at hand, and said stupid act unrelated to changing the law is cause enough to dismiss the person (you see this alot when the black person who gets shot has something they did 5 years ago come up as a reason to justify execution by police). We forget about the broad picture/right and wrong because these people give everything a caveat or * when in a perfect world, doing the wrong thing means you did the wrong thing and doing the right thing means......you did the right fucking thing. We try then chuck Martha Stewart in jail pretty quick for insider trading. But the democrats and republicans in congress and the senate who did it in February? Notice how we've forgotten about them. Until elected officials fear the people, this shit will continue. I still patiently await American Bastille Day... So this isn't meant to be a callout or a "gotcha" moment. But we say this after every fucking police brutality/murder, and nothing gets done. Kind of like "thoughts and prayers" when children get shot up in school. Its not focusing on the issue, which is unwavering loyalty to an institution driven by fear which IMO is the root cause here. The "thin blue line." Let's take the three clowns that stood by while Chauvin put his knee on FLoyd's neck. They were the "good cops." They had relatively clean records sans a civilian complaint here and there--which most every cop has. I guarantee if you asked the three who stood by if they could do it again, they would do it differently. I guarantee they'd want to do the right thing given the staunch backlash as we're now discussing. But why didn't they? Fear of retribution is a thing. Overt, unquestionable loyalty to an institution is another and together makes a dangerous mix--and notice how seldom this gets talked about, because that's how authoritarians rise to power. They are fucked if the do/dont. If they stop Chauvin, the police Union would gut them to ribbons and ruin their careers because you don't fucking cross the thin blue line. They didn't, so watch them get off with a slap on the wrist or minimal jail time because of the lawyers the Union will provide to their obedient subjects. We see it beyond law enforcement. I guarantee you if you asked Michigan State/Penn State people who knew about Sandusky and Nassar, they would be the first to tell you that they abhor child sexual abuse. They don't wish it on anyone, don't advocate for it and consider it the highest of crimes. But why let Jerry and Larry be roaming predators? Fear of an institution, retribution which would have come from the board of directors/upper management firing you because the Senior VP/CEO class has gotten bigger, exterminating the middle class because the jobs working people had are gone, middle managers are gone--and high level decision makers have the money. Unquestioned loyalty to the institution is dangerous, and we see it more and more. We cant change laws and update our standards. We have to run the government like a business, but not change/adapt/transform like a business. Amendments are called amendments for a reason, because they can (and have) been changed. Notice how when the conversation of updating one comes up, how quick we are to revert back to 1776--when its 2020 and problems we have now are entirely different than back then. "Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government when it deserves it." Mark Twain.
That's a really interesting and thoughtful post Pat. You hit it right on the nail with the quote from Mark Twain!
I don't know about 75% but without a doubt, it will be the greatest turnout ever. Thanks Tuna..........I stopped watching the News because of what is going on in the USA right now. It is really sad to see your country struggle with an issue that has been going on for 100's of years. I hope you get a HUGE voter turnout on Nov.3rd and it will make a difference because change has to happen. Every Country in the World suffers from Racism........but it is how you deal with it that can bring change.
Until elected officials fear the people, this shit will continue. Very well said Pat.........and I think it is happening right now......Trump is getting nervous with what is going on. Covid - 19 is not his Fault.......The Protests about Floyd are not his Fault. BUT he has handled BOTH with terrible Leadership.......he has NOT United the People of USA. And IMO that will show up on Voting Day on Nov 3rd.
This is all bull crap. The guy refused to get into the police car, if you watch the video from the time he was taken out of his car till the time they had him on the ground. The police struggled trying to get Floyd in the back of their car for about 5-10 minutes finally backup arrived and that’s when everything went south. I don’t think they should have killed him and the police should be charged with murder, but Floyd would still be alive today if he didn’t fight to keep them from putting him in the back of the car. They would have figured out that the 20 dollar bill was an old style note and he would have been released with no bodily harm. People if the police tell you to do something just freaking do it and let your lawyer figure it out. Police get their adrenaline flowing and become roid raged idiots when challenged. If Floyd had just followed the original officers command this wouldn’t have happened. Also why the hell didn’t the police go check the dam banknote before they tried arresting him for counterfeits. Old time banknotes don’t pass the modern banknote in store counterfeit test. The police weren’t wrong to have him on the ground but they were wrong to do bodily injury to him. He was resisting arrest. I have been with a black friend before in Georgia when the police pulled him over and said that he matched the description of someone who stole a car and it was the model he was driving. He followed their directions got hand cuffed and put in the back of their car. 10 minutes later he was back in his car drinking his Heineken with me and one other friend of ours when the police realized he wasn’t who they were looking for. And I’m pretty sure that they weren’t racially profiling him because they probably could have taken him in for DUI if they were.
I, among many Americans don't need any convincing that Donald Trump is the wrong man for the job. That being said...I think he's necessary evil to really draw back the curtains and expose/amplify America's flaws that we've let rot and go unaddressed for centuries because of complacency and comfort and bring them to the table as we see why things really suck here. We are beginning to see just how greedy and shallow we are and its being reflected by the ass clowns in elected/appointed positions making headlines instead of doing the old, boring "serving the public" that we tell ourselves we elect them to do. However; that Trump is an embarrassing ass clown does not somehow mean Joe Biden is the 'de-facto' man for the job nor deserve the job. This is where you lose me. Joe Biden is part of the fucking problem, and the consistency of his career helping the elite and shafting the rest of us speaks for itself. Arguably his best accomplishment was that he was Barack's VP. He cant form coherent thoughts and cant speak. The DNC is hiding him and not letting him talk. He's basically running a Republican classic ticket, and that isn't going to fix shit. He'll be a perfect puppet to make more headlines when he butts heads with Republicans over bills that never will pass or kiss babies. The two party system here is an entirely different can of worms that also needs to be fixed.
I couldn't agree with you more Pat. There has to be change but getting Trump out of office needs to happen in order to see some change begin. Biden isn't the answer but he would work as a bandaid in the meanwhile.
Your premise is utterly ridiculous and a perfect example of closing the blinders and focusing on the granular, taking focus away from the simplified big picture. First you say "he should have complied and he would have been released with no bodily harm" but then you say the cops should have done their jobs and "check the dam banknote before they tried arresting him for counterfeits." How about: The situation didn't fucking require lethal force from law enforcement officers. This may be a shock to you, but two things can be true at the same time. There are times and justifications for police to use deadly force. That does not mean unarmed individuals being detained by police over a potential 20$ note being a fraud/old print deserve to die.
How much of a hand do the unions have in all of this? In many cases, these cops have a history that led them to that point. They often talk about vetting but how effective has that process been? Even if a cop slipped through the cracks in that process the union will be there as a parachute to keep him employed. I've been a lifelong Teamster and see how unions continually lose traction in this country as "Right to Work" laws become more commonplace. I also know I would have been fucked when my company eliminated my job without my union, and they gave us an offer we would be stupid to refuse. Now the talk of defunding the police just seems like another attempt to eliminate the union, and while it could possibly help in eliminating those so-called bad apples, those good cops in place will be denied that voice.
I’m just saying that if he got in the car we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Of course there was no reason for that kind of force. Floyd was 6’5” and I’m sure the dumbass that worked with him as a bouncer felt it was a challenge to overpower Floyd. He might have even had some resentment against Floyd from their job together as bouncers. He was the officer on Floyd’s neck and I’m sure that some personal issues were at hand when he was on Floyd. He was backup and wasn’t there for the original issue when Floyd wouldn’t get into the car. Do really want me to believe Floyd would be dead if he just took a dam seat in the car? If people just listen to the police it removes any ability for them to justify using force, which means that they will just make a routine arrest and the person will live to see another day. They could have had Floyd sit in his own vehicle until they checked the banknote out, which would have been a better option too. A lot of police are like animals waiting to get loose and when you resist they feel justified in using brute force, so why give them the opportunity?
One other thing I want to know is, why isn’t the virus getting more out of control with all of these people in large groups protesting?
Why? I voted for Trump. Not because of what he is, because of what he isn't - a politician. I fully realize he's a crude egomaniac. He's gruff and rubs a lot of people the wrong way. But, unlike every other fucking politician (either party), he's not in it for the money. He doesn't even take his own presidential salary. It pisses people off when he refuses to share his income tax returns from 5 to 10 years ago (when he was a private citizen). Me? I would rather see the tax returns from elected officials who become millionaires in four years on a $150,000 salary.
You bet we will. Hope im wrong but I suspect we are almost nailed on for a second wave given how everything has gone(not all protest related, but more than enough). What happened to Floyd was terrible. Racism is terrible. But this virus is more terrible and its not actually close. It doesn't care how we treat each other, it will indiscriminately infect and kill all the same. And that will keep happening until either we stop it or our way of life collapses. It seems impossible that so many people crowding around each other hasn't led to more infections, its just a question of how many. More infections means more deaths, its unavoidable. The emotional reaction is understandable, but everyone who made the decision to got out and protest has now played a role in this, however individually small. #uncomfortabletruths
Lyman, if you want to feign ignorance kindly go do it somewhere else. Im in lockdown and there still isn't enough time in the day to list all the stupid in that post. New guy no ones ever heard of drops feather hammer.
I actually considered voting for trump for those very reasons, but after listening to him and him uncovering the character of whom he really is I changed my mind. He's not a uniting force unless of course, you're caucasian. You're wrong he is in it for the money and the power, and why he shadows the truth by not taking a salary that is because he makes millions every time he visits one of his properties. He didn't fool me, but you know who he did fool? All those people at his scam university, and the contractors he stiffed along the way. He has NO redeeming qualities in his character, none, and if you can find one please list them inside the o in asshole. He's a charlatan plain and simple. Those third world countries he calls shitholes will likely be our end game with relaxed EPA policies. He continues to widen the gap of wealth inequality in this country with that tax plan where 90% went to the people that need it the least. Coddling our adversaries and turning his back on our allies. Hell, he talks of many things but where is this "beautiful" healthcare plan he claims he had? He talks of moving factories back to the US, but those stupid red hats are still being made offshore. Why is that? He can't not lie even his own weight is only 236 fucking pounds. Are you fucking kidding me? Maybe on some planet somewhere but not this one. Perhaps the biggest reason he's a lowlife scumbag is that he doesn't even a dog, probably because even a dog knows a shady motherfucker when they see one.
I don't want to spend much time or effort commenting on Trump here because we already have/had an entire thread/board dedicated to him. I will reassert what I said earlier, that the U.S. needs to clean up after and get rid of Trump. It is your opinion, Lyman, that Trump isn't in it for the money (I'm not sure how popular an opinion that is) but in my opinion, he certainly is in it for the power. And that scares the hell out of me. The fact that he's not a politician doesn't afford him any grace in my opinion because his fumbling postures haven't given the U.S. any forward movement with any of the world's leaders. Quite the opposite, in fact. I still find it completely bewildering how a racist misogynist ever got to be POTUS in the first place. I've answered your question to the best of my ability but that's it for me. I would like to continue reading about other people's experiences and observations about the protests and riots going forward. Thanks Lyman
