Awesome Protest Signs

[Ultimate Paragon]

uh.... what?

Basically, it's a fairly accurate portrayal of the "white genocide" assholes.

[Barbarella]

uh.... what?

Basically, it's a fairly accurate portrayal of the "white genocide" assholes.

On that same token, I made this.....

....a rebuttal to that royally annoying meme cranked-out by that bigot, Bob Whittaker.
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Anti-racist_is_a_code_word_for_anti-white

Waddaya think,guys?

[Ultimate Paragon]

[Ultimate Paragon]

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate BSL?

[Nemo]

I realize this might be controversial, but I'm putting this here anyways:



I realize that there are legitimate racial grievances at play here, but at the same time, there are millions of well meaning but ultimately clueless Americans who will see the rioting going on and will turn against the protesters. Pretty much everyone on Facebook from my family is one example, as well as several high school and college friends who are actually somewhat moderate politically.

[Cloud3514]

I'm seeing that fucking rhetoric all over Twitter tonight. I'm so fucking sick of it. It really shows how completely out of touch white America is with the issues of race in this country.

[Ultimate Paragon]

I'm seeing that fucking rhetoric all over Twitter tonight. I'm so fucking sick of it. It really shows how completely out of touch white America is with the issues of race in this country.

Well, to be honest, they have a point.  When you get right down to it, riots rarely help when it comes to race relations.  They also usually harm the cities they occur in.  Look at Watts.  Look at Detroit.  Look at Newark.  If MLK had lived to see the long-term effects, I think he would have changed his tune.  There can be an explanation for these riots, but there can be no justification.

[Cloud3514]

And way to show that you're just as out of touch.

Here's the thing: NO ONE IS EXCUSING THE RIOTS. There is no justification. There is no one trying to offer a justification. You say "there can be an explanation for these riots, but there can be no justification." GOOD THING NO ONE SAID THERE WAS.

The people that repeat the "MLK didn't need to riot" rhetoric are out of touch because they don't care about the cause of the violence. Baltimore's mayor tried to give the protestors a "safe space to destroy property." The people don't want that. They want the police to STOP KILLING THEM.

The media is going on about "how will the community recover" and about the collateral damage and how horrible the violence is. You know what they're NOT talking about? The cause. WHY the people have taken to violence.

Don't sit there and lecture me about there being no excuse for the riots because I ALREADY FUCKING KNOW THAT.

[Ultimate Paragon]

And way to show that you're just as out of touch.

Here's the thing: NO ONE IS EXCUSING THE RIOTS. There is no justification. There is no one trying to offer a justification. You say "there can be an explanation for these riots, but there can be no justification." GOOD THING NO ONE SAID THERE WAS.

The people that repeat the "MLK didn't need to riot" rhetoric are out of touch because they don't care about the cause of the violence. Baltimore's mayor tried to give the protestors a "safe space to destroy property." The people don't want that. They want the police to STOP KILLING THEM.

The media is going on about "how will the community recover" and about the collateral damage and how horrible the violence is. You know what they're NOT talking about? The cause. WHY the people have taken to violence.

Don't sit there and lecture me about there being no excuse for the riots because I ALREADY FUCKING KNOW THAT.

Okay, maybe I jumped the gun a little.  You're right, the media was negligent bordering on criminal when it came to covering the case.  However, I'd say it's completely valid to be worried about Baltimore's future.  The human brain is better at multitasking than people give it credit for.  I can sympathize with Baltimore's black community while, at the same time, being concerned about the riots.

Which is why we need to focus on the root causes of civil unrest.  Inequality, poverty, and other social ills are the real evil.  Furthermore, preventing riots is far less expensive and difficult than recovering from them.  As Benjamin Franklin said, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

[mellenORL]

Okay, so how many ounces will it take to prevent BPD from giving fatal or crippling "rough rides" in the paddy wagons ever again? That tradition with that PD goes back for decades. It's just one part of the toxic culture of BPD. Grey is just the latest victim they've murdered, and the first one to really get a lot of media attention - only because of residents with phone cameras initiating the focus. It's sure as shit not hard to understand why rage riots happen. Maybe whittle away and fire the entire PD over time and start over from scratch. Recruit vets from within the community to train at police academy. Just like Ferguson, BPD is a preponderantly white force policing a predominantly black city.

[Ultimate Paragon]

Okay, so how many ounces will it take to prevent BPD from giving fatal or crippling "rough rides" in the paddy wagons ever again? That tradition with that PD goes back for decades. It's just one part of the toxic culture of BPD. Grey is just the latest victim they've murdered, and the first one to really get a lot of media attention - only because of residents with phone cameras initiating the focus. It's sure as shit not hard to understand why rage riots happen. Maybe whittle away and fire the entire PD over time and start over from scratch. Recruit vets from within the community to train at police academy. Just like Ferguson, BPD is a preponderantly white force policing a predominantly black city.

There's still hope for the BPD, however.  If the LAPD could change for the better, so can they.

[mellenORL]

I'm of the opinion that a toxic PD is just the most obvious symptom of a corrupt/toxic local government - the good ol' boy system devolved into it's penultimate form. Wealthy business people with ruthless contempt of the underclasses get elected, run the place into the ground via good old fashioned graft, and mold the police department into their praetorian guard.

[rookie]

Do other cities not recruit from their communities? Because that's where Baltimore gets its police officers from. There's a lot of talk about what the police are doing wrong. Ok. There's a lot that they could be doing differently, doing better. But the rioters aren't burning the police stations down. It's pharmacies and convenience stores. It's a nursing home. It's, well, it's their community. In this case it's my community as well. And, for whatever is worth, any guesses as to skin colors of the pieces of the businesses and other property being destroyed?

The answer isn't as simple as the police need to stop being racist. That's so simplistic as to be wrong. Want to see for real concrete change for the better? Get the police and communities working together.

I'd like to go on a little bit more here, but my kids have been seeing this happening in their home town since Saturday and are worried. They're not seeing the police burn buildings. It's scaring my small children and right now they want Daddy to make everything alright.

As of right this second as I'm typing this there is a group of people walking up the road towards my house with baseball bats. They're about 1.5 miles away heading this direction. Right now we aren't worried about toxic police departments. But please, go back to the discussion about how is the police I should be worried about.

[mellenORL]

Stay safe, rookie. Liberty City in Miami rioted while my dad was hospitalized two blocks away. I visited him anyway. It was terrifying.

[rookie]

Thanks Mellen. Kids are playing in the basement. The house is locked up and I'm in an easy chair right by the front door with a kind of anxious dog at my feet. I have a sandwich and a pot of coffee. Not much to do right now except wait to see what happens. I've been here before once or twice. You're right. Terrifying is a good word for it.