The US policing crisis thread

[foxcommander]

So are you claiming that blacks are NOT disproportionately targeted by cops? That a black mother should be no more worried about her son getting stopped by cops than you or me? Policies like stop and frisk DON'T target blacks? That people are not, consciously or otherwise,  more nervous and suspicious of black men?

If you run from police then they will believe you are suspicious and they will chase you.
If you don't do anything wrong you won't be arrested in the first place. There would be no issue being stopped by the cops then.
You have to wonder then why certain groups get a bad reputation...it's not for nothing...

The fact the riots are starting over the deaths of drug dealers and thieves is beyond me.

and as for being nervous and suspicious - you say you aren't? hmmmm....right.

[foxcommander]

More whites were killed by cops in 2014 than Blacks or hispanics!

Do whites not make up 77% of the population? (wiki) If true it is hardly surprising, nor does it prove much.

I never said it proved anything, I will say that when whites get killed by the cops no one is seen rioting, same goes for the hispanics.

Why do African Americans tend toward rioting in these cases when the other minorities and indeed white people do not? What makes them so special???

Still clinging on to the whole slavery thing and using it as a tool to blame everything and everyone else for their circumstances.
and who doesn't like some five fingered discounts at your local CVS?

[Muck Savage]

So are you claiming that blacks are NOT disproportionately targeted by cops? That a black mother should be no more worried about her son getting stopped by cops than you or me? Policies like stop and frisk DON'T target blacks? That people are not, consciously or otherwise,  more nervous and suspicious of black men?

When your talking about disproportionately, you will also know that there is a Disproportionately larger amount of young black men in organized crime gangs. Yes there are also Hispanic, Asian and other gangs and in this area (Bay Area) Hispanics are definitely targeted more by cops whether it be for Gang activity or legal status. Cops shouldn't kill people in their custody but likewise they need to be able to do their jobs without the fear that they could killed over a traffic violation.

One thing for sure there is much more tension in the air everywhere over here. Everyone has to be much more careful about what they say, the way things are worded, even down to the recruitment policies in companies. Looters are thugs whatever color and the Al Sharpens of the world need to cop on and stop defending this sort of stuff.

[Eamonnca1]

If you run from police then they will believe you are suspicious and they will chase you.
If you don't do anything wrong you won't be arrested in the first place. There would be no issue being stopped by the cops then.

Tell that to my black friend who got a traffic ticket for failing to yield to some invisible pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Tell that to my black friends who get pulled over by the cops nearly every single day for no f***ing reason.

Tell that to my ex's BF who gets pulled over every day while driving his Lexus and is often asked "did you steal this?" (He's a former pro footballer. But as far as the local cops are concerned he's a suspect.)

Tell that to the black dude who keeps getting prosecuted for "trespassing" at the store where he works.

Tell that to the black professor who was arrested while walking up to the front door of his own house in a nice neighbourhood.

You have to wonder then why certain groups get a bad reputation...it's not for nothing...

Yes, quite. Don't tell me. You're "not racist...?"

The fact the riots are starting over the deaths of drug dealers and thieves is beyond me.

Oh, so now your man in Baltimore was a drug dealer and a thief? Well you can't libel the dead so I suppose this post doesn't have to be taken down. Although I think I'm starting to understand where your name comes from.

[lfdown2]

So are you claiming that blacks are NOT disproportionately targeted by cops? That a black mother should be no more worried about her son getting stopped by cops than you or me? Policies like stop and frisk DON'T target blacks? That people are not, consciously or otherwise,  more nervous and suspicious of black men?

If you run from police then they will believe you are suspicious and they will chase you.
If you don't do anything wrong you won't be arrested in the first place. There would be no issue being stopped by the cops then.
You have to wonder then why certain groups get a bad reputation...it's not for nothing...

The fact the riots are starting over the deaths of drug dealers and thieves is beyond me.

and as for being nervous and suspicious - you say you aren't? hmmmm....right.

If only that were true...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Demetrius

How is it so difficult to see the parallels with our own community not so long ago?

Should we kill all drug dealers and thieves?

[gallsman]

I was on a work course in Europe last week and one of the other attendees was an Irish guy who's based in our office in Seattle. We got to chatting about politics/race/religion etc (he loves getting to vent when working outside the States as all the topics taboo in the office). He's a very liberal, openly gay guy but when it came to talking about race relations and incidents like Freddie Gray and Michael Brown, I couldn't believe his position. Whether it's due to poor quality reporting or some other reason, his understanding of the Brown shooting was that Brown had committed an armed robbery and subsequently pointed a gun at the cop Darren Wilson, as a result of which "there wasn't anything dodgy about it at all." I was gobsmacked.

[foxcommander]

Should we kill all drug dealers and thieves?

Let's qualify this - thief in this instance means store robber (referring to Ferguson incident)

hmmmmm...you think is it that tough to choose?

[foxcommander]

If you run from police then they will believe you are suspicious and they will chase you.
If you don't do anything wrong you won't be arrested in the first place. There would be no issue being stopped by the cops then.

Tell that to my black friend who got a traffic ticket for failing to yield to some invisible pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Tell that to my black friends who get pulled over by the cops nearly every single day for no f***ing reason.

Tell that to my ex's GF who gets pulled over every day while driving his Lexus and is often asked "did you steal this?" (He's a former pro footballer. But as far as the local cops are concerned he's a suspect.)

Tell that to the black dude who keeps getting prosecuted for "trespassing" at the store where he works.

Tell that to the black professor who was arrested while walking up to the front door of his own house in a nice neighbourhood.

You have to wonder then why certain groups get a bad reputation...it's not for nothing...

Yes, quite. Don't tell me. You're "not racist...?"

The fact the riots are starting over the deaths of drug dealers and thieves is beyond me.

Oh, so now your man in Baltimore was a drug dealer and a thief? Well you can't libel the dead so I suppose this post doesn't have to be taken down. Although I think I'm starting to understand where your name comes from.

Oh yawn bloody yawn!
I suppose in your mind Freddie Gray was studying Greek Literature at Harvard and volunteered at the Animal Rescue shelter in his spare time.

As for the scenarios you might want to cut and paste a little better. One glaring error in there.
and don't forget to label

[Eamonnca1]

Typo fixed.

All of those scenarios in there are true. I can put you on touch with the ones I know if you want, and I can give you citations for the others.

But of you prefer to just deny that blacks have a hard time in America, and if you prefer the "lalala I can't hear you!" approach then knock yourself out. Plenty of people stateside are in denial about racism so you're hardly alone.

[macdanger2]

If you run from police then they will believe you are suspicious and they will chase you.
If you don't do anything wrong you won't be arrested in the first place. There would be no issue being stopped by the cops then.
You have to wonder then why certain groups get a bad reputation...it's not for nothing...

You can just imagine a Thatcherite sitting in their living room in the 1970s drinking tea saying the exact same thing

[muppet]

Typo fixed.

All of those scenarios in there are true. I can put you on touch with the ones I know if you want, and I can give you citations for the others.

But of you prefer to just deny that blacks have a hard time in America, and if you prefer the "lalala I can't hear you!" approach then knock yourself out. Plenty of people stateside are in denial about racism so you're hardly alone.

It is amazing to see some Irish people take the Trevelyan view. Particularly regarding a people who were brought there against their will, in slavery. Just like the Irish were sent in slavery to the Caribbean. And just like the aristocratic British viewed the Irish in Ireland as lazy, useless vermin, these Irish react in horror when the rodents have the nerve to challenge the foot on their throats. And of course it is 'their fault' for forcing us to put a foot on their throats.

[Keyser soze]

It always amazes me that so many Irish people, with the history of occupation, enslavement, starvation, persecution, transportation, dispossession etc inflicted on this country over so many years, can be so intolerant of other races and nationalities and exhibit such rabid right wing views.

Some of the comments on here are truly shocking and the accompanying vitriol towards posters who have a contrasting view is completely uncalled for.

[east down gael]

+1

I'm shocked at some of the ignorant views posted on here. I must be naive but I always had the idea that as a people we would identify with the underdog or downtrodden due to our history, I was obviously wrong.

[johnneycool]

Should we kill all drug dealers and thieves?

Let's qualify this - thief in this instance means store robber (referring to Ferguson incident)

hmmmmm...you think is it that tough to choose?

f**k it, sure run a red light, shoot the ****.

And those thieving Bankers, f**k it shoot them all as well...

That's the ticket foxcommander, its back to to good ole days of the wild west.

[Hardy]

It always amazes me that so many Irish people, with the history of occupation, enslavement, starvation, persecution, transportation, dispossession etc inflicted on this country over so many years, can be so intolerant of other races and nationalities and exhibit such rabid right wing views.

Some of the comments on here are truly shocking and the accompanying vitriol towards posters who have a contrasting view is completely uncalled for.

+1

I'm shocked at some of the ignorant views posted on here. I must be naive but I always had the idea that as a people we would identify with the underdog or downtrodden due to our history, I was obviously wrong.

The amount of mindless, vicious and mostly casual racism at large in this country is not widely understood, I think. And it's not just among the uneducated. I play tennis with group of middle-aged fellas, from many walks of life. Most of them would consider themselves educated. The amount of racist attitude revealed in casual conversation is surprising. The latest example was one of them saying he has specified that when he dies, his death must be certified by two doctors, one of whom must be white.

The good news is that these attitudes appear to be non-existent in the younger generation (at least the educated ones).