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[Elfforkusu]

But here's the top-list, with some excerpts:

2. City officials solicit more police citations to boost revenue
9. If you’re a mayor or employee of the court, no tickets for you!

These are SOP for many St Louis municipalities (probably elsewhere around the country as well...), and not just heavy african american population ones. City officials gotta eat!

But the rest of that list is about as repugnant as I've come to expect from this town!

 

[Lime]

Ferguson police arrested protesters after release of Justice Department report

http://www.vox.com/2015/3/5/8152737/ferguson-protesters-arrests

 

[timetokill]

These are SOP for many St Louis municipalities (probably elsewhere around the country as well...), and not just heavy african american population ones. City officials gotta eat!

But the rest of that list is about as repugnant as I've come to expect from this town!

Everyone keeps saying this like it's supposed to make everything better.

Guess what else is SOP for police around the country? Institutionalized racism!

But since everyone's doing it, I guess we shouldn't be bothered by that either, huh?

 

[RiZ III]

The last two times I've been pulled over, I've been given three tickets(!). The first time he actually brought 6 but decided to just give three. Both times I had to get a lawyer and had all three tossed out. It's funny, in my area, most people are white. However whenever I've gone to traffic court, the majority of the people are minorities. Fucking cops.

 

[Elfforkusu]

Everyone keeps saying this like it's supposed to make everything better.

Guess what else is SOP for police around the country? Institutionalized racism!

But since everyone's doing it, I guess we shouldn't be bothered by that either, huh?

It doesn't make anything better. In fact, being common makes it worse.

However, if it's alarming for Ferguson, why isn't it alarming for Bella Villa?

Really, what I'm getting at isn't that those are OK, it's that they're not racially motivated. They're purely financial. The rest... not so much.

 

[Piecake]

Ferguson police arrested protesters after release of Justice Department report

http://www.vox.com/2015/3/5/8152737/ferguson-protesters-arrests

That department is done. I can't imagine how it is not getting taken over by the DoJ now.

 

[J10]

That department is done. I can't imagine how it is not getting taken over by the DoJ now.

I can imagine easily.

 

[Piecake]

I can imagine easily.

Well, you're just a cynic. The DoJ has taken over police departments before. It is hard to imagine that they won't do it for this one as well. You can't put out that report and expect the people there to implement those changes when they are obviously part of the problem.

 

[Patrol]

Shouldn't that make us more concerned about it, not less?

If there was/is reasonable cause for said citations, why is there a need to be concerned? Municipalities routinely want more revenue, and because civilians routinely violate common vehicle laws (for example), it's kind of fair.

We should be concerned about said stops under the color of law though.

 

[watershed]

Ferguson PD is just the tip of the iceberg. Every PD in the country should be systematically investigated for civil rights violations without having to wait for a tragic event to trigger it.

 

[Lime]

Considering how long ago Rodney king was, I'm not even sure that this will change dramatically. Maybe when some White woman gets shot by police, there'll be systemic change.

And this only makes it even more frustrating to deal with people wanting to be complancent and deny there's any issue of race.

 

[Blackstarhat]

America's history when it comes to black people is terrorism.

There.

I fucking said it.

Thats a fact

 

[Lime]

You'd think decades of black people complaining about these issues would clue most of society in. But yet here we are, still shocked in 2015, meanwhile black people are reading this going

I await Fox News to say "bu-bu-but what about black on black violence?!" or even better "Mike Brown was a thug and deserved to be put down, it was a clean kill" or "They riot and destroy their own community. White people don't do that!" (as video of an utterly pointless pumpkin riot plays in the background....but hey don't speak on that because it doesn't fit the narrative) . But don't worry the septic tank drivel of America will totes post those poorly written "As a geriatric racist, I know what's best for black people and don't worry what I'm writing isn't racist because there's this one guy who agrees and he's black" articles all over facebook that they get from equally putrid websites.

End result....nothing will be done to change the fundamental issues. They'll slap Ferguson PD on the wrist and say "bad Ferguson PD" some douche from said department will issue some shit press conference and say they're sorry for decades of rampant racism and will promise to do better. They'll get a random black person to stand next to them (extra points if she/he is in uniform), a bunch of dolts in the audience will clap. Blogs and news outlets will mark this as a turning point in racial relations in America. Majority of America will eat it up and wave their "progress!" flag, meanwhile African Americans are rolling their eyes at this shit because it's been the exact same snake-oil formula that's been peddled since the fucking 60s. They'll look around as everyone else is cheering and ask "So...what exactly are you son of a bitches cheerin for? Ain't shit change except the day of the week. The laws that got us here are still in place and are still as strong as ever!" And the majority will be like "Yea but this is a start!!" We've been on the starting lap of this race since forever jumping over hurdles while dragging a big ass ball and chain. Rest of you mofos are on lap 82 and shit.

*ZzzzzZ*

Great post.

 

[ryutaro's mama]

Right. But let's be honest, how many of us get something and think "gee, I sure don't deserve this". Or how many of us get things that we think we "earned", when perhaps at times they were going to be ours anyway, how can you even tell? It's a ridiculous mental stressor for one, and secondly, nobody has the time to think about other peoples plights. That's why horrible atrocities continue happening around the world. That's why the things that impact us closely, personally matter more than 200 people getting killed in some tribal conflict. I don't consciously think about the fact that I'm a male, or my height, size, knowledge or anything that I would consider a "positive". Most of us don't think of ourselves that way. But as a minority, you are constantly reminded of your difference, with good intent or not. Mentally, black people and white people are on opposite sides of the spectrum regarding this. White people don't consciosuly think of themselves as white, just like you and I don't consciously think of ourselves as male. Sometimes we may think of ourselves as female when it comes to issues of sex and gender discussions, to try and get the other persons perspective, but we can never really understand it. And it is a mental exercise that we do in a discussion, and then move on from. It doesn't persist. You can't even get some white people to think of blacks as human, intelligent or most white people, of being innocent when they're asked to think of it on something such as a jury even. Yet we expect that to happen in their homes?

And the problem is, and I speak broadly here. But white people as a majority don't consciously think about this stuff, because it doesn't persist on their minds. That's not an attack, but a realization of how the human mind works. That's why people always bring out the argument of "It's a free country. We gave you your rights, nobody is stopping you from doing what you want". All while speaking from very segregated areas. This "race" problem is something that is going to be around forever, doesn't matter how much time passes, because it's a mental problem. And race, racism for most people is something of the past, something that if it happens in the present, is an "isolated incident" or "doubtful". People are more focused on the issues of gays and feminism and middle class(Of which the majority is white). It's not a coincidence that these things are more in the spotlight and even acknowledged as being serious problems.

Most Americans think racism is ancient history. That is the problem. That's why minorities are told to "work harder", "Stop whining", "stop asking for handouts", "dress right", "speak right", "smile right", "wear your hair professionally", bla bla. Then the very same people saying that, turn around and tell their children to "be themselves". It is the curse of the minority to conform to the majority. It has and always will be.

Yep.

 

[davepoobond]

Right. But let's be honest, how many of us get something and think "gee, I sure don't deserve this". Or how many of us get things that we think we "earned", when perhaps at times they were going to be ours anyway, how can you even tell? It's a ridiculous mental stressor for one, and secondly, nobody has the time to think about other peoples plights. That's why horrible atrocities continue happening around the world. That's why the things that impact us closely, personally matter more than 200 people getting killed in some tribal conflict. I don't consciously think about the fact that I'm a male, or my height, size, knowledge or anything that I would consider a "positive". Most of us don't think of ourselves that way. But as a minority, you are constantly reminded of your difference, with good intent or not. Mentally, black people and white people are on opposite sides of the spectrum regarding this. White people don't consciosuly think of themselves as white, just like you and I don't consciously think of ourselves as male. Sometimes we may think of ourselves as female when it comes to issues of sex and gender discussions, to try and get the other persons perspective, but we can never really understand it. And it is a mental exercise that we do in a discussion, and then move on from. It doesn't persist. You can't even get some white people to think of blacks as human, intelligent or most white people, of being innocent when they're asked to think of it on something such as a jury even. Yet we expect that to happen in their homes?

And the problem is, and I speak broadly here. But white people as a majority don't consciously think about this stuff, because it doesn't persist on their minds. That's not an attack, but a realization of how the human mind works. That's why people always bring out the argument of "It's a free country. We gave you your rights, nobody is stopping you from doing what you want". All while speaking from very segregated areas. This "race" problem is something that is going to be around forever, doesn't matter how much time passes, because it's a mental problem. And race, racism for most people is something of the past, something that if it happens in the present, is an "isolated incident" or "doubtful". People are more focused on the issues of gays and feminism and middle class(Of which the majority is white). It's not a coincidence that these things are more in the spotlight and even acknowledged as being serious problems.

Most Americans think racism is ancient history. That is the problem. That's why minorities are told to "work harder", "Stop whining", "stop asking for handouts", "dress right", "speak right", "smile right", "wear your hair professionally", bla bla. Then the very same people saying that, turn around and tell their children to "be themselves". It is the curse of the minority to conform to the majority. It has and always will be.

I'm not exactly sure where we're disagreeing here (if we even are), as I see most of what you're saying as supplemental, if a little tangential, since im talking about the idea of a white person not wanting to move to America because he will be treated in such a way that any of the things you said about the difficulty of being a minority person in America won't apply to him. For some reason that makes him not want to move here.

what you're saying is more of a reality of people who grew up in society and think racism is in the past, or at least think of it as a norm, and others who very much use it to their political advantage.

 

[CrushDance]

I'm not exactly sure where we're disagreeing here (if we even are), as I see most of what you're saying as supplemental, if a little tangential, since im talking about the idea of a white person not wanting to move to America because he will be treated in such a way that any of the things you said about the difficulty of being a minority person in America won't apply to him. For some reason that makes him not want to move here.

what you're saying is more of a reality of people who grew up in society and think racism is in the past, or at least think of it as a norm, and others who very much use it to their political advantage.

In regards to him? Simply that he shouldn't feel bad about it. The same thing as what you're getting at in a way. These are things out of the control of any individual, and despite what romanticism may say, a single person can't make a difference full stop. Unless they matter. And since there is so little empathy for blacks, no amount of deaths or suffering will make up for that. It requires a top down approach of someone, some group, *caring* enough. And all I was getting at, is that the mental hurdles are what's stopping this problem from ever being addressed on a grand scale.

It's 2015 now and you have big companies promoting "diversity", but only loudly on the the cases of LGBTQ issues and Feminist issues. You're not going to see any "blackouts" or any websites speaking up the plights of minorities anytime soon. The amount of content being produced by individuals and bigger groups on these issues, has generated a ton of discussion, interviews and public statements from prominent peoples and companies. The same ones that are perfectly happy to be mute on issues concerning minorities.

It wasn't until a white man wanted to marry a black woman, that marriage laws were challenged and overturned in America. Anytime some sweeping and changes that require persistent addressing are required, it takes a white person being curbed before it becomes an issue worthy of note. I don't know why it has to be that way, but I've given up thinking that talking about race with white people will change anything.

 

[Lime]

Someone made me wonder if this is one of the consequences of the report:

Somewhere in America police departments are wiping their hard drives clean and dumping their emails.You can be sure of that.

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

Someone made me wonder if this is one of the consequences of the report:

The consequences of running afoul of sunshine and foia laws are probably not going to be nearly as severe as the recovery of racist/questionable email correspondence. you will probably get a free bite (meaning administrative penalties only) to reform your it policy unless your deletions are blatant.

 

[Beerman462]

Holy shit. They need to clean house.

 

[Patryn]

What I mean is, are they TRYING to do anything? Was this investigation just for their own curiosity or did it have a point?

I'm sure some people are hoping that something will be done.

However, there are more people who like the way things are, or don't want to go to the trouble of trying to change things. For them, they're putting out this report to look like they're doing something. Then, when the nation's attention finally turns elsewhere they can sweep it all under the rug and go back to the way things are.

Basically, it's a token effort at best, and one only occurring because they're forced to look like they're doing something.

 

[TatteredHat]

That's great and all, but most people already realized that this was the case. Unless they're actually planning on doing something significant nation-wide, this whole report is pointless.

 

[Partial Gamification]

That's great and all, but most people already realized that this was the case. Unless they're actually planning on doing something significant nation-wide, this whole report is pointless.

Several other cities have been the subject of a DOJ investigation, including Seattle, Cincinnati and Portland. McCormick said most cities choose to comply with federal officials.

"It's become much more common in the last five years," she said. "And the vast majority of them — the departments — enter into agreements with the DOJ. In a few of them, I think three or four, the departments have resisted doing that and the DOJ has filed lawsuits."

Either option will be lengthy and costly, said former St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch.

"If you decide to comply, and agree with the Department of Justice, it's going to cost you millions. If you decide to fight it and say, 'We're not going to do these things,' it's probably going to cost you millions. So there's really no quick fix or easy solution," he said.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...next-steps-in-the-ferguson-doj-case/24354333/

There is no magic gavel to make such sweeping changes instantly; and, if its not planned properly then its going to be ridiculously expensive or ineffective.

There are limited resources and auditing the behaviors of every police department in the Country could really only be done effectively crowdsourcing the task through public schools and universities, at least that is my suggestion. It would encourage civic engagement. edit: DOJ provides rubric for assessment.

 

[NimbusD]

So unfortunately we can't prove that Darren Wilson profiled Mike Brown, leading to his death. But we sure as hell can prove that the actions of the police department contributed to this case and countless more like it. Hopefully some good comes of this and it doesn't just continue on.

 

[Lime]

Police choked a Black man standing on a street corner to death in broad daylight which resulted in a bunch of classes and workshops that police officers were either bored by or slept through. Did the system even do anything after rolling up and straight up gunning down a 12-year old child? Did anyone do anything after a guy got murdered for standing around with a toy gun? Has anything been done after all the hundreds of cases in the decades of anti-Blackness by the police? Do the Right Thing was 25 years ago with a whole list of Black victims of lethal racism. And still the system remains unchanged with little to no measures taken to fix the problem.

A much, much more radical change needs to be done to fix the systemic and structural oppression and murder of Black people by law enforcement. And that's not even addressing the racist judicial system. Or the prison industry complex. Or the racist media. Or housing policies & urban planning. Etc.

 

[Condom]

Insane, calling in the dogs? WTF. Major reform is needed.

 

[andycapps]

I wonder if this was a known thing by the locals before Ferguson got the spotlight shone on them. Can't imagine this shit going unnoticed by the community.

Pretty sure they lived it every day. Those riots didn't happen solely because of Michael Brown being shot, though that was the final straw.

This stuff is disgusting, and you know it's rampant throughout the country.

 

[Partial Gamification]

Police choked a Black man standing on a street corner to death in broad daylight which resulted in a bunch of classes and workshops that police officers were either bored by or slept through. Did the system even do anything after rolling up and straight up gunning down a 12-year old child? Did anyone do anything after a guy got murdered for standing around with a toy gun? Has anything been done after all the hundreds of cases in the decades of anti-Blackness by the police? Do the Right Thing was 25 years ago with a whole list of Black victims of lethal racism. And still the system remains unchanged with little to no measures taken to fix the problem.

A much, much more radical change needs to be done to fix the systemic and structural oppression and murder of Black people by law enforcement. And that's not even addressing the racist judicial system. Or the prison industry complex. Or the racist media. Or housing policies & urban planning. Etc.

Any ideas for a solution? People bitching about this is not a solution. The systemic issues continue because its framed so adversarial. Police under heavy scrutiny will likely become less proactive (certianly good in many cases but not all) as they fear "they can do nothing right."

 

[CrushDance]

Any ideas for a solution? People bitching about this is not a solution. The systemic issues continue because its framed so adversarial. Police under heavy scrutiny will likely become less proactive (certianly good in many cases but not all) as they fear "they can do nothing right."

How about the same compassion and tremendous support by billion dollar companies? Every time these discussions of race comes up, it somehow always turns into a "It's their problem" from people. The problem isn't in laws saying people are equal, the problem is in people not giving a shit. I would love to see Google, Facebook or all the other companies and brands that black people support too with their money, do the same things. Have the same persistent efforts, not one and done moments.

When was the last time anyone did this for minorities? I find it pretty humorous because it all revolves around white people. Nobody takes a step back and thinks, "Wait, we're doing this for a good cause right? Why is everyone in our ads and statements white?" I'll tell you why. Because it's easier to imagine two white people being gay, a white person fucking an alien, then it is to imagine a white person with a minority. That's why Obama's heritage is a running joke of his mom being a dog, that's why his patriotism was and is STILL questioned. there are "people", then there are minorities. And mentally, nobody thinks twice about the latter.

Edit: It's not even worth it arguing this.

 

[Lime]

Any ideas for a solution? People bitching about this is not a solution. The systemic issues continue because its framed so adversarial. Police under heavy scrutiny will likely become less proactive (certianly good in many cases but not all) as they fear "they can do nothing right."

I'm sure people and experts with much more knowledge and expertise about how best to combat white supremacy and systemic racism.

 

[Partial Gamification]

How about the same compassion and tremendous support by billion dollar companies? Every time these discussions of race comes up, it somehow always turns into a "It's their problem" from people. The problem isn't in laws saying people are equal, the problem is in people not giving a shit. I would love to see Google, Facebook or all the other companies and brands that black people support too with their money, do the same things. Have the same persistent efforts, not one and done moments.

When was the last time anyone did this for minorities? I find it pretty humorous because it all revolves around white people. Nobody takes a step back and thinks, "Wait, we're doing this for a good cause right? Why is everyone in our ads and statements white?" I'll tell you why. Because it's easier to imagine two white people being gay, a white person fucking an alien, then it is to imagine a white person with a minority. That's why Obama's heritage is a running joke of his mom being a dog, that's why his patriotism was and is STILL questioned. there are "people", then there are minorities. And mentally, nobody thinks twice about the latter.

These are positive efforts but one should remain critical of these efforts as a image campaign rather than a substantial contribution that adresses the problem. Business is business, and at the end of the day making money is the goal. Investing in scholarships and creating jobs in low socioeconomic areas would be more benefitcial -if those new jobs didn't raise rent through the roof. A Pride Parade in San Francisco comes off as pandering to me. The gay community has money, at least this is a simplified way of understanding why gays rights were fast-tracked through legislative processes; as typically income was not widely spent on children. If you disagree with that statement you can pm me and I'll direct you to the individual that was denied a position in the State Department due to his sexuality (in the 80s) that shared this antedotal point with me.

I'm serious about a DOJ-DOE angle here. Design a program where there are degrees of scrutiny; starting with primary education in history and current events, secondary schools looking for corruption and abuse of power within government agencies and institutions, a more rigorous approach at the undergraduate level, and finally using the graduate programs like Public Policy Management to formalize complaints and reccomended changes. Unburden DOJ to an extent so that they can go after the even bigger fish. Not necessarily turning all students into watchdogs but using these settings for civic empowerment and clearly marking a pipeline for those that watch the watchers. Trust me, I'm crazy enough to pass this on for consideration and further development. I know its not a magic bullet (and this is not really ironed out) but I think there is an array of approaches that needs to materialize for substantial changes.

The business angle is good but I think it generalizes into corporate social responsibility, something that needs to improve across global business culture. If the people increasingly espouse socially responsible beliefs than it trickles into the process of decision making at all levels.

 

[CrushDance]

These are positive efforts but one should remain critical of these efforts as a image campaign rather than a substantial contribution that adresses the problem. Business is business, and at the end of the day making money is the goal. Investing in scholarships and creating jobs in low socioeconomic areas would be more benefitcial -if those new jobs didn't raise rent through the roof. A Pride Parade in San Francisco comes off as pandering to me. The gay community has money, at least this is a simplified way of understanding why gays rights were fast-tracked through legislative processes; as typically income was not widely spent on children. If you disagree with that statement you can pm me and I'll direct you to the individual that was denied a position in the State Department due to his sexuality (in the 80s) that shared this antedotal point with me.

I'm serious about a DOJ-DOE angle here. Design a program where there are degrees of scrutiny; starting with primary education in history and current events, secondary schools looking for corruption and abuse of power within government agencies and institutions, a more rigorous approach at the undergraduate level, and finally using the graduate programs like Public Policy Management to formalize complaints and reccomended changes. Unburden DOJ to an extent so that they can go after the even bigger fish. Not necessarily turning all students into watchdogs but using these settings for civic empowerment and clearly marking a pipeline for those that watch the watchers. Trust me, I'm crazy enough to pass this on for consideration and further development. I know its not a magic bullet (and this is not really ironed out) but I think there is an array of approaches that needs to materialize for substantial changes.

The business angle is good but I think it generalizes into corporate social responsibility, something that needs to improve across global business culture. If the people increasingly espouse socially responsible beliefs than it trickles into the process of decision making at all levels.

How is it supposed to be something worthy of concern or addressing, if it isn't given the same attention and importance? How are you going to get the government to load up more programs(AA alone is a huge insult to many Americans apparently) to aid minorities, when the majority believes that there already is equality? I completely disagree that all of these things are pandering, and I only posted a snippet of such behaviour. My point is that this is an ongoing practice, backed up by serious money and best of all, empathy. You have none of that when it comes to minorities. Your state department dude isn't something that would surprise me. I'm not saying that simply because the causes involving white people matter more, that they're perfect. The difference however is in nobody saying "Faggot" anymore, so quickly, while wondering why they can't say "nigga".

 

[Partial Gamification]

How is it supposed to be something worthy of concern or addressing, if it isn't given the same attention and importance? How are you going to get the government to load up more programs(AA alone is a huge insult to many Americans apparently) to aid minorities, when the majority believes that there already is equality? I completely disagree that all of these things are pandering, and I only posted a snippet of such behaviour. My point is that this is an ongoing practice, backed up by serious money and best of all, empathy. You have none of that when it comes to minorities. Your state department dude isn't something that would surprise me. I'm not saying that simply because the causes involving white people matter more, that they're perfect. The difference however is in nobody saying "Faggot" anymore, so quickly, while wondering why they can't say "nigga".

It should be given sincere concern and attention. I just feel that hosting a gay pride parade in San Francisco, in this century, is more of an image thing -reaching out to potential customers- done by business. This is not to say its inherently bad, but that its motivated by future profit. Maybe that is too cynical but the reason why these large companies focus their awareness campaigns where they do is largely to put forward a positive image targeted at a certain demographic. I'd argue the wealth gap would need to be narrowed before a great number of companies got serious about addressing social problems; again, maybe this is too cynical. If a critical mass of business are doing this then it becomes norm. How is that critical mass to be reached?

You can think what you will of my empathy, it changes nothing. If I touched a nerve, then I think that it wasn't expressed well or you are projecting something onto me.

I'm open to ideas and criticism but not personal attacks.

 

[Princess Carl]

It should be given sincere concern and attention. I just feel that hosting a gay pride parade in San Francisco, in this century, is more of an image thing -reaching out to potential customers- done by business. This is not to say its inherently bad, but that its motivated by future profit. Maybe that is too cynical but the reason why these large companies focus their awareness campaigns where they do is largely to put forward a positive image targeted at a certain demographic. I'd argue the wealth gap would need to be narrowed before a great number of companies got serious about addressing social problems; again, maybe this is too cynical. If a critical mass of business are doing this then it becomes norm. How is that critical mass to be reached?

You can think what you will of my empathy, it changes nothing. If I touched a nerve, then I think that it wasn't expressed well or you are projecting something onto me.

I'm open to ideas and criticism but not personal attacks.

Seemed like he was only describing the obvious imo.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

I find it fascinating that we can find reams of data on institutional racism, publish dissertation-quality reports titled "This is racism: 2015", but still manage to not find anyone at fault in any instances that happen to look racist.

"This is a nice looking forest. Too bad I don't see any trees."

 

[CrushDance]

It should be given sincere concern and attention. I just feel that hosting a gay pride parade in San Francisco, in this century, is more of an image thing -reaching out to potential customers- done by business. This is not to say its inherently bad, but that its motivated by future profit. Maybe that is too cynical but the reason why these large companies focus their awareness campaigns where they do is largely to put forward a positive image targeted at a certain demographic. I'd argue the wealth gap would need to be narrowed before a great number of companies got serious about addressing social problems; again, maybe this is too cynical. If a critical mass of business are doing this then it becomes norm. How is that critical mass to be reached?

You can think what you will of my empathy, it changes nothing. If I touched a nerve, then I think that it wasn't expressed well or you are projecting something onto me.

I'm open to ideas and criticism but not personal attacks.

Image is at the heart of the plight of minorities. Police profiling and other social phenomena are all rooted in the image of a certain people, the centuries of neglect and indifference is rooted in image. People judge others all the time by simply looking at them, why would they then not judge harsher when it comes to race and all the baggage that comes with it?

And lastly, nobody insulted you. We're talking about race and my argument is that less of these things would happen, if white people gave a collective persistent shit and if it affected them. That the only way to see change in that arena, is for poor white people to start being abused by police en masse, but that the thought of that is troubling for me from an empathy viewpoint. That it shouldn't necessitate having yourself being beaten up, to stand up for others. So if you're white and you took it personally, that wasn't my intent. I was pointing out the dynamic that I have come to observe in my own life. That nothing truly matters unless it involves the majority, and in this case of racial abuse, white people get that role.

Earlier I stated how it's a mentality thing, and why I believed that movements such as those by silicon valley companies and well, pretty much every other company has only helped the plight of LGBTQ people. That I would like to see the same done for minorities. Silicon valley especially is notorious for it's lack of minorities and muteness when it comes to issues of race. And that's not even a symptom of big companies, but of big America and the mindset. So whenever even something much smaller happens, it's always about "celebrating unity" as if white people are treated the same way as a whole. It's never about focus on minorities alone, and that dilutes the problems minorities face, and makes the masses think that it happens o everyone, when it doesn't. Or that people are marching because of an isolated incident, and not the day to day struggles they have to overcome.

If I sound angry, that's because I am. It's frustrating and it's always so tempting to just give in and swing in the model minority direction, or expected perception direction. You can't legislate your way out of the day to day treatment of other human beings. And even if that were the case, then why hasn't it happened? What group represents the largest part of the population? Here in Canada, people literally give zero fucks about Aboriginal peoples and Meti. I swear, it's probably worst than the treatment of blacks in America. And I'm black. People walk up to me and say the most dehumanizing things about them, and more often than not, I am too much of a coward to say anything. I'm not blaming any individual, we're all fucking guilty of not giving a fuck. Because it's hard to care all the time when you have your own life.

 

[Partial Gamification]

Image is at the heart of the plight of minorities. Police profiling and other social phenomena are all rooted in the image of a certain people, the centuries of neglect and indifference is rooted in image. People judge others all the time by simply looking at them, why would they then not judge harsher when it comes to race and all the baggage that comes with it?

And lastly, nobody insulted you. We're talking about race and my argument is that less of these things would happen, if white people gave a collective persistent shit and if it affected them. That the only way to see change in that arena, is for poor white people to start being abused by police en masse, but that the thought of that is troubling for me from an empathy viewpoint. That it shouldn't necessitate having yourself being beaten up, to stand up for others. So if you're white and you took it personally, that wasn't my intent. I was pointing out the dynamic that I have come to observe in my own life. That nothing truly matters unless it involves the majority, and in this case of racial abuse, white people get that role.

Sure, but positive image promotion can come off as "why don't you cut your hair and pull up your pants," from the conformist angle; or, "this is what the model minority is" from advertising acceptance (it can be done but I see it as very tricky).

I must have misunderstood:

My point is that this is an ongoing practice, backed up by serious money and best of all, empathy. You have none of that when it comes to minorities.

Read like a personal attack, claim in I have no empathy for minorities.

I'm looking for long-lasting solutions. If you know how to get Hollywood to change the potrayal of minorities (as an example) then do it.

The companies might be able to offer tens or maybe hundreds of thousands of jobs through an affirmative action plan (that I'd take no issue with if proactive industry rennovations were well-executed [How to predict this or qualify it{?}]) but there are tens of millions in need.

 

[CrushDance]

Sure, but positive image promotion can come off as "why don't you cut your hair and pull up your pants," from the conformist angle; or, "this is what the model minority is" from advertising acceptance (it can be done but I see it as very tricky).

I must have misunderstood:

Read like a personal attack, claim in I have no empathy for minorities.

I'm looking for long-lasting solutions. If you know how to get Hollywood to change the potrayal of minorities (as an example) then do it.

The companies might be able to offer tens or maybe hundreds of thousands of jobs through an affirmative action plan (that I'd take no issue with if proactive industry rennovations were well-executed [How to predict this or qualify it{?}]) but there are tens of millions in need.

Ah, I see what you mean. When I said "You", I was referring to the public and not you personally. "You have *people* doing x and Y, but not Z". My bad. I just believe that the best course of action is to actually embody the ideals we speak of, try to live up to them, and not just lay down when miscarriages of justice happen. People need to understand that it's not about specific things or people, but that when someone is choke slammed to death by a police officer and the officer goes free, that it is wrong. that it's not a "lol black people rioting" thing, but something that affects us all. But we're not even there yet. So I don't see how any amount of government spending alone will change things, if we're unwilling to admit that our society has serious problems. In the end though, it's no different than how the news cycle latches onto something for a while and then moves on. Maybe we just don't want to remember things. *shrug*

 

[Partial Gamification]

No worries, I misunderstood.

edit: I'm not claiming to have the answer, or even a good solution, at this point.

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

Now launch a major investigation into police racism/corruption across the nation.

It's time to clean up the police that we pay to uphold the laws, not act above them.

 

[Amir0x]

Well, you're just a cynic. The DoJ has taken over police departments before. It is hard to imagine that they won't do it for this one as well. You can't put out that report and expect the people there to implement those changes when they are obviously part of the problem.

How does one avoid cynicism when discussing this subject anyway? I mean the mere fact that the DoJ even went ahead and issued such a scathing report was surprising on political terms. I thought the investigation was just going to be the type of typical lipservice that always happens around cases like this. People in this country are used to police being racist and harming/killing/profiling without any repercussions.

Given the near endless evidence that suggests how unfair the system is toward minorities, is it possible to avoid cynicism about them doing the right thing now that they have the Ferguson PD cornered with this report? I mean, we all hope for the best, but after decades of the worst people just assume the worst.

 

[Lime]

The Onion is at it again:

Justice Department Calls On Ferguson To Align Level Of Institutional Racism With Rest Of Country

WASHINGTON—Describing its policing practices as totally out of step with the nation as a whole, the U.S. Department of Justice called on Ferguson, MO to take immediate action to align its level of institutional racism with the rest of the country, sources said Thursday. “Our findings suggest that Ferguson requires profound changes to its criminal justice system to bring its routine violations of African-American civil rights in line with acceptable amounts present in police precincts across America,” said Attorney General Eric Holder, adding that a top-to-bottom overhaul could be required to square the Ferguson Police Department’s use of illegal searches and unlawful arrests with the remainder of the U.S. “Ferguson simply cannot continue living in a past in which its reliance on intimidation and excessive force flies in the face of reasonable levels of brutality elsewhere in the country.” Holder went on to say that without reform, residents of Ferguson could never hope to treat their police with the same level of mistrust as everyone else.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/justice-department-calls-on-ferguson-to-align-leve,38155/

 

[aquavelva]

You'd think decades of black people complaining about these issues would clue most of society in. But yet here we are, still shocked in 2015, meanwhile black people are reading this going

I await Fox News to say "bu-bu-but what about black on black violence?!" or even better "Mike Brown was a thug and deserved to be put down, it was a clean kill" or "They riot and destroy their own community. White people don't do that!" (as video of an utterly pointless pumpkin riot plays in the background....but hey don't speak on that because it doesn't fit the narrative) . But don't worry the septic tank drivel of America will totes post those poorly written "As a geriatric racist, I know what's best for black people and don't worry what I'm writing isn't racist because there's this one guy who agrees and he's black" articles all over facebook that they get from equally putrid websites.

End result....nothing will be done to change the fundamental issues. They'll slap Ferguson PD on the wrist and say "bad Ferguson PD" some douche from said department will issue some shit press conference and say they're sorry for decades of rampant racism and will promise to do better. They'll get a random black person to stand next to them (extra points if she/he is in uniform), a bunch of dolts in the audience will clap. Blogs and news outlets will mark this as a turning point in racial relations in America. Majority of America will eat it up and wave their "progress!" flag, meanwhile African Americans are rolling their eyes at this shit because it's been the exact same snake-oil formula that's been peddled since the fucking 60s. They'll look around as everyone else is cheering and ask "So...what exactly are you son of a bitches cheerin for? Ain't shit change except the day of the week. The laws that got us here are still in place and are still as strong as ever!" And the majority will be like "Yea but this is a start!!" We've been on the starting lap of this race since forever jumping over hurdles while dragging a big ass ball and chain. Rest of you mofos are on lap 82 and shit.

*ZzzzzZ*

The problem is that America is a country built on white supremacy, and black people don't want to take the necessary steps to fight it. Until we deal with white supremacy and understand who our enemy is, then shit will never change for us. It's really that simple.

 

[Princess Carl]

The problem is that America is a country built on white supremacy, and black people don't want to take the necessary steps to fight it. Until we deal with white supremacy and understand who our enemy is, then shit will never change for us. It's really that simple.

Excuse me?

 

[Funky Papa]

I really cannot understand how a police department can go so bad for so long without nobody trying to launch an inquiry. It's unbelievable.

 

[aquavelva]

Excuse me?

What's difficult to understand? Black people don't want to take the necessary steps to fight white supremacy. We're still trying to be included in a system and society that has made it abundantly clear that we are the enemy.

Black people have been going through this for centuries. We've been oppressed since before this country was a country. But too many of us still want to be accepted.

 

[Lime]

aquavelva, I think the responsibility and action lie with the power holders, i.e. White people and the system.

I really cannot understand how a police department can go so bad for so long without nobody trying to launch an inquiry. It's unbelievable.

I can't understand how a society can continue to be so bad for so long (decades if not centuries) without doing anything to fix it.

Ferguson PD is a symptom of a general atrocity which has been persistent for so many decades.

 

[Cohsae]

Wow absolutely awful stuff. The fact that this stuff is still going on is definitely not surprising, but it is pretty surprising to see that the statistics are so so incredibly stacked.

 

[TatteredHat]

What's difficult to understand? Black people don't want to take the necessary steps to fight white supremacy. We're still trying to be included in a system and society that has made it abundantly clear that we are the enemy.

Black people have been going through this for centuries. We've been oppressed since before this country was a country. But too many of us still want to be accepted.

If being included into society isn't the goal, then what is? Would you have the black population declare independence from the rest of the US?

 

[Baraka in the White House]

Did the investigation specifically of the Brown shooting corroborate Wilson's side of the story or have I been listening to too much AM talk radio?

 

[Log4Girlz]

They are a terrorist organization.