Ferguson unrest

[cybercoma]

I feel like leftist rhetoric on race has really diverged far from reality in recent years. Everything is always about race to them. Sigh.

And I feel like the rightist rhetoric is right at home with white nationalist dirtbags. We wouldn't want you to have to face up to the fact that people of colour actually experience racism. Why don't you keep telling them that they're wrong about their own experiences because you know better than them.

[cybercoma]

And the thing is none of us claim that racism

Is dead. Racism exists in many forms in too many places. That said, white on minority racism is probably at its lowest level in history, yet in leftist ideology, it's becoming a bigger and bigger issue.

Why don't you make up some more bullshit? You don't speak for leftists and you sure as hell don't seem equipped to understand their arguments well enough to summarize them.

[cybercoma]

Yep. Frankly I think the far left who seem to care so much about racism are doing a major disservice to their own cause. It's like the boy who cried wolf. You yell racism over and over in every situation whether it's there or not, eventually people will stop paying attention and just ignore you. And real racism might then happen unnoticed cause everyone is ignoring those who constantly "bleat" (to borrow a favorite word from "the left") about it.

"Wahh. Stop talking anout racism so i can pretend it doesn't exist."

Some people don't have that luxury.

[Bonam]

Dude cybercoma you are having like a Mr.Canada meltdown or something? Step away from the computer, take a few deep breaths, relax. Maybe go get some sleep. No, there is no scary racism hiding in your closet or under your bed, so have no fear.

[sharkman]

Yep. Frankly I think the far left who seem to care so much about racism are doing a major disservice to their own cause. It's like the boy who cried wolf. You yell racism over and over in every situation whether it's there or not, eventually people will stop paying attention and just ignore you. And real racism might then happen unnoticed cause everyone is ignoring those who constantly "bleat" (to borrow a favorite word from "the left") about it.

That's about the size of it. Sure there are instances of racism, but this one is a clear cut case where racism was not involved. I'm not 100% sure if Brown was being racist towards the convenience store clerk, but other than that, what you've got is a thug who was too stupid to handle a simple order to get out of the road. He steps up to the car and slams the door shut as the cop tries to get out. He punches the cop and then grabs his gun as Wilson is trying to get the drop on him. You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.

Now Wilson has to bring him in. Assaulting a cop is pretty stupid, but doing so before he even gets out of his car, that's a special kind of dumb. He's put himself in prison right there. No cop in the world could let him go at that point. But Brown keeps resisting, whatever the form. He runs away. He charges the cop. At any point in this whole sad escapade, he could have saved his own life. Get out of the road. Not assaulted a cop. Not grabbed his gun. Not fleeing. Not charging. He had chance after chance, but since he's black it's a racism issue. What nonsense.

Edited November 27, 2014 by sharkman

[Black Dog]

What you need is to check your guilt. Building an inclusive egalitarian society involves not shouting racist at every one every 5 seconds. Hearing that we're all racist and we just can't help it makes me want to vomit.

Building an inclusive egalitarian society would involve recognizing racism and how some people benefit from it, not sticking your head in the sand or crying about how you're not prejudiced. But again, that would require some basic understanding of racism as a social force which you obviously lack.

And the thing is none of us claim that racism

Is dead. Racism exists in many forms in too many places. That said, white on minority racism is probably at its lowest level in history, yet in leftist ideology, it's becoming a bigger and bigger issue.

Case in point. Also, for someone who is all about the facts, you sure pulled that one straight out of your ass.

Indeed. The liberal stance on race is frankly insulting to everyone. To blacks because it views them as somehow incapable of standing up for themselves or acting on the same level as other members of society, to whites because it assumes they are all inherent racists or beneficiaries of racism, and to Asians because it tries to sweep their existence under the rug as an inconvenient reality that fails to fit into their narrative.

Seriously, pick up a book on this or something. You clearly don't understand what people talk about when they talk about racism. You still seem to think it's about individuals being mean to each other ion the basis of skin colour.

That's about the size of it. Sure there are instances of racism, but this one is a clear cut case where racism was not involved.

O RLY.

I'm not 100% sure if Brown was being racist towards the convenience store clerk, but other than that, what you've got is a thug who was too stupid to handle a simple order to get out of the road. He steps up to the car and slams the door shut as the cop tries to get out. He punches the cop and then grabs his gun as Wilson is trying to get the drop on him. You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.

Perfect example right here. You simply can't fathom that some people might have a different relationship to cops than you do. You've probably been told your whole life that the policeman is your friend and that they are here to help and of course you don't understand that other people might not trust the police or might even be outright hostile towards a force they see in a very different light than you due to the experiences of that community.

Now Wilson has to bring him in. Assaulting a cop is pretty stupid, but doing so before he even gets out of his car, that's a special kind of dumb. He's put himself in prison right there. No cop in the world could let him go at that point. But Brown keeps resisting, whatever the form. He runs away. He charges the cop.

Charges the cop with his hands up...

At any point in this whole sad escapade, he could have saved his own life. Get out of the road. Not assaulted a cop. Not grabbed his gun. Not fleeing. Not charging. He had chance after chance, but since he's black it's a racism issue. What nonsense

Yup, easy to process the whole thing from afar and assume someone is going to make rational decisions. No mention of the decisions Wilson made that contributed to things (like why, if Brown was indeed the superhuman monster Wilson contends in his testimony, did he decide to pursue Brown alone without back up?)

[Smallc]

It's pretty clear, unless you're an imbecile, that cops shouldn't shoot unarmed people.

No that's not so clear actually. It's clear you don't understand that type of situation.

[Smallc]

This conversation is becoming more rediculous by the minute. The idea that racism is in fact worse today is, well, like I said, rediculous.

[Black Dog]

This conversation is becoming more rediculous by the minute. The idea that racism is in fact worse today is, well, like I said, rediculous.

Who said it was worse?

[Smallc]

So you're trying to tell me then that racism is exactly the same as it was in say...the 60s? I said it was at its lowest level in recorded history, and you challenged that. Now you're backing off from it, and I'm not surprised.

[Black Dog]

So you're trying to tell me then that racism is exactly the same as it was in say...the 60s? I said it was at its lowest level in recorded history, and you challenged that. Now you're backing off from it, and I'm not surprised.

Apologies for your terrible reading comprehension: I simply asked for a fact to support your claim since I know how much you love facts.

My views are it's pretty much impossible to quantify such a thing so it's a stupid statement to begin with.

[Smallc]

You know reflecting on a lot of this, I find it very offensive. My dad grew up dirt poor in a home where his father couldn't work. He didn't resort to crime. He built a life for his family and because of that I've had things relatively easy. There is no excuse for behaviour such as that exhibited by Brown. Not poverty, not racism, not anything.

Individuals should be judged not by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character. We live in a time where we're trying so hard to make up for the evils of that past that we actually do judge people by the colour of the skin in order to afford them extra opportunity to make up for past transgressions.

I'm really tired of being told I'm racist by default. I do my best every single day to treat people as individuals. I don't care what colour they are and I never have. I find the whole idea that I have some white privilege (you don't know me or my life other than what I've disclosed) to be, again, offensive. I live in a place where most jobs are filled by non whites and most of the people are non white. I know that doesn't matter when you're talking about 'institutional racism' but to me it does. I think too many of the people here talking about white privilege don't understand just how racist they're being. Black people can do better than this. All of the tools are there in most cases.

[Smallc]

Apologies for your terrible reading comprehension: I simply asked for a fact to support your claim since I know how much you love facts.

There's no easy way to quantify it. It is pretty evident though when you look at society today. It would be nice though if you could get through a post without some kind of insult. I'm guilty of it myself some times, but it shouldn't be your default position, I wouldn't think.

[poochy]

It's pretty clear, unless you're an imbecile, that cops shouldn't shoot unarmed people.

Fewer people are murdered each year in the usa with rifles and shotguns combined than are beaten to death, but sure, unarmed people who have already proven a willingness to assault a police officer, to fight for his weapon, surely they wouldn't be capable of seriously harming someone. So the officer should not have done his job, and after he did, he should have taken some type of beating, perhaps have his weapon taken and been shot himself, just to satisfy a very special class of progressive lunatics that see racism around every corner? Perhaps the satisfactory level of assault a police officer must receive for doing his job should be determined by a panel of left thinking academics and social justice experts. Under no circumstances though shall the officer attempt to use his weapon, at least not until he is unconscious.

[Black Dog]

You know reflecting on a lot of this, I find it very offensive. My dad grew up dirt poor in a home where his father couldn't work. He didn't resort to crime. He built a life for his family and because of that I've had things relatively easy. There is no excuse for behaviour such as that exhibited by Brown. Not poverty, not racism, not anything.

Individuals should be judged not by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character. We live in a time where we're trying so hard to make up for the evils of that past that we actually do judge people by the colour of the skin in order to afford them extra opportunity to make up for past transgressions.

I'm really tired of being told I'm racist by default. I do my best every single day to treat people as individuals. I don't care what colour they are and I never have. I find the whole idea that I have some white privilege (you don't know me or my life other than what I've disclosed) to be, again, offensive. I live in a place where most jobs are filled by non whites and most of the people are non white. I know that doesn't matter when you're talking about 'institutional racism' but to me it does. I think too many of the people here talking about white privilege don't understand just how racist they're being. Black people can do better than this. All of the tools are there in most cases.

So you don't know what the term means, then? OK.

[Smallc]

So you don't know what the term means, then? OK.

Actually, there are different definitions. I believe in the first and third. You believe in the second.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/racism

Edited November 27, 2014 by Smallc

[Smallc]

So you don't know what the term means, then? OK.

Go ahead though. Keep being condescending. It only makes you look like what you're trying to make me into.

[Black Dog]

There's no easy way to quantify it. It is pretty evident though when you look at society today. It would be nice though if you could get through a post without some kind of insult. I'm guilty of it myself some times, but it shouldn't be your default position, I wouldn't think.

It's not necessarily evident. Are there fewer overt racist policies in place today than there were in the past? Sure. But that doesn't mean racism is less of a force than it was when those policies were in place. It's something that's woven pretty deeply into the fabric of society which is precisely why it's so insidious.

[Shady]

Attention all white police officers: feel free to shoot blacks with a handful of cigars they may have taken from the local gas station. The Grand Jury will set you free.

That's not why he was shot. Why are you being so obtuse?

[Black Dog]

Go ahead though. Keep being condescending. It only makes you look like what you're trying to make me into.

Look if you're going to making pontificating posts about things you clearly know zilch about, i'm going to treat such posts with the contempt they so richly deserve. Be better.

[Smallc]

It's not necessarily evident. Are there fewer overt racist policies in place today than there were in the past? Sure. But that doesn't mean racism is less of a force than it was when those policies were in place. It's something that's woven pretty deeply into the fabric of society which is precisely why it's so insidious.

In other words, nothing ever changes it.

[Smallc]

Look if you're going to making pontificating posts about things you clearly know zilch about, i'm going to treat such posts with the contempt they so richly deserve. Be better.

Again, just because I don't buy into your chosen social construct, it doesn't mean that I know nothing.

[Black Dog]

In other words, nothing ever changes it.

And you wonder why I keep mocking your comprehension/logic skills. You just keep serving these up over the plate.

[Black Dog]

Again, just because I don't buy into your chosen social construct, it doesn't mean that I know nothing.

Ah, see that's worse, because ignorance is at least an excuse. Denial is something altogether different.

[Smallc]

And you wonder why I keep mocking your comprehension/logic skills. You just keep serving these up over the plate.

I'm just taking your words and carrying them to their logical conclusion. You can't do something as simple as admitting that there is less racism, using all 3 definitions of the word in fact, than at any point in history.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Smallc