Amen


Amen

I have been thinking about Justice Roberts today and how he lead in the gutting of the Voting Rights Act because "it's no longer needed."

I admit that I thought we were much further ahead in gaining a more equal society before the last 5 years happened.

Quote of the Day

Just think, that this race of Black men, today our slave and the object of our scorn, is the very race to which we owe our arts, sciences, and even the use of speech!" ~ French historian Count Constantine de Volney after traveling to Egypt in the late 1780's

Mobs of Angry White People Are Apparently Just Fine

odinsblog:

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Mobs of angry white people, protesting for their right to [checks notes] get a haircut—in the middle of a pandemic—yelled at cops, shoved them, threw things at them, and were nowhere near being respectful or peaceful, but for some reason, police officers didn't mace them, didn't shoot rubber bullets at them, didn't tear gas them, and didn't kneel on their necks and choke them to death. Qwhite interesting how differently white people are treated even when they disrespect the police and even when they riot over things like [checks notes again] their sports team losing or hell, evenwinning a game.

#BlackLivesMatter

Good!

Atlanta Police Officer Who Shot Rayshard Brooks Charged With Felony Murder:

Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe was charged Wednesday with 11 counts, including felony murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, in the killing of Rayshard Brooks, the latest in a string of Black people dying after altercations with police.

If convicted, Rolfe is facing the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison. Either way, he's dead because they don't like cops in prison…

Things That Matter

From mrpeenee, because he so eloquently sums up my own feelings at the moment:

I have been reluctant to post lately because I didn't have anything original to add to the discussion about racism in America, but ignoring it was impossible.  But whenever I considered trying, I was held back by all the white guy attempts on the topic that were so embarrassingly bad and I wanted to avoid those traps.

There's the "All Lives Matter" fatheads who just enrage me.  Let me point out, once again, BLM is a reminder that, well, black lives matter, which is apparently still news to many policemen, the FOX news dolts, and at least one president.  I take comfort in knowing I have no urge to fall for that idiocy.

Then there's the "I'm Not a Racist." guys who then proceed to prove both that they are, indeed, racist and also completely tone deaf to their own natterings.  I can actually see me falling into this trap, so I'm trying extra hard to avoid it.

At the other end of the spectrum of delusion, there's the "I am TOTALLY a Racist" queen who revels in his guilt, trying to ensure everyone knows how he now understands and recants.  No saint like a reformed sinner, emphasis on saint.  But at the end of the day, that does nothing to alleviate the problem of entrenched racism.  Or alleviate anything else, really.

So, I'm not stepping in any of that poo, thank you.

But staying silent is as bad as being wrong in this case, so here are my two personal points:

1. Black Lives Matter.
2. If they can kneel on George Floyd's neck, they can kneel on yours.

Quote of the Day

White privilege doesn't mean that you haven't had a difficult life. It means that you haven't had extra difficulties because of your skin color.

Black Lives Matter doesn't mean that other lives don't matter. It means that the conversation right now is about this message as it is an important and overdue topic. When someone is talking about Breast Cancer Awareness, you don't yell at them, "All Cancer Awareness."

Defund the Police doesn't mean that there will be no police or laws. It doesn't mean that communities are self-policed or that crime will run rampant. It means reallocating some funds for services that are better responded to by departments more in touch with a community. Actual crimes requiring a police presence or investigation would still be handles by law enforcement." ~ JD Scott (the other Scott brother)

What Have the Protests Accomplished?

eowyntheavenger:

5/26 4 officers fired for murdering George Floyd
5/27 Charges dropped for Kenneth Walker (Breonna Taylor's boyfriend, who police accused of killing her)
5/28 University of Minnesota cancels contract with police
5/28 3rd precinct police station neutralized by protesters
5/28 Minneapolis transit union refuses to bring police officers to protests or transport arrested protesters
5/29 Activists commandeer Minneapolis hotel to provide shelter to homeless
5/29 Former officer Chauvin arrested and charged with murder
5/29 Louisville Mayor suspends "no-knock" warrants
5/30 US Embassies across Africa condemn police murder of George Floyd
5/30 Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison takes over prosecution of the murdering officer
5/30 Transport Workers Union refuses to help NYPD transport arrests protesters
5/30 Maryland lawmakers forming work group on police reform, accountability
5/31 2 abusive officers fired for pulling a couple out of their car and tasing them – Atlanta, GA
6/1 Minneapolis public schools end contract with police
6/1 Confederate monument removed after being toppled by protesters – Birmingham, AL
6/1 CA prosecutors launch campaign to stop DAs from accepting police union money
6/1 Tulsa Mayor agrees to not renew Live PD contract
6/1 Louisville police chief fired after shooting of David Mcatee
6/1 Congress begins bipartisan push to cut off police access to military gear
6/1 Atlanta announces plans to create a task force and public database to track police brutality in metro Atlanta area
6/2 Minneapolis AFL-CIO calls for resignation of police union president Bob Kroll, a vocal white supremest
6/2 Pittsburgh transit union announces refusal to transport police officers or arrest protesters
6/2 Racist ex-mayor Frank Rizzo statue removed in Philadelphia
6/2 6 abusive officers charged for violence against residents and protesters – Atlanta, GA
6/2 Civil rights investigation of Minneapolis Police Dept launched
6/2 San Francisco resolution to prevent law enforcement from hiring officers with history of misconduct
6/2 Survey indicates that 64% of those polled are sympathetic to protesters, 47% disapprove of police handling of the protests, and 54% think the burning down of the Minneapolis police precinct was fully or partially justified
6/2 Trenton NJ announces policing reforms
6/2 Minneapolis City Council members consider disbanding the police
6/2 Confederate statue removed from Alexandria, VA
6/3 Officer fired for tweets promoting violence against protesters – Denver, CO
6/3 Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Art cut ties with the MPD
6/3 Chauvin charges upgraded to second degree murder, remaining 3 officers also charged and taken into custody
6/3 Richmond VA Mayor Stoney announces RPD reform measures: establish "Marcus" alert for folks experiencing mental health crises, establish independent Citizen Review Board, an ordinance to remove Confederate monuments, and implement racial equity study
6/3 County commissioners deny proposal for $23 million expansion of Fulton County jail
6/3 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board unanimously votes to sever ties with MPD
6/3 Seattle withdraws request to end federal oversight/consent decree of police department
6/3 Breonna Taylor's case reopened
6/3 Louisville police department (Breonna Taylor's murderers) will now be under review from an outside agency, which will include review on training, bias-free policing and accountability
6/3 Colorado lawmakers introduce a police reform bill that includes body cam laws, repealing the "fleeing felon" statute, and banning chokeholds
6/3 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announces plans to reduce funding to police department by $150M and instead invest in minority communities
6/4 Virginia governor announces plans to remove Robert E. Lee statue from Richmond
6/4 Portland schools superintendent discontinues presence of armed police officers in schools
6/4 MBTA (Metro Boston) board orders that buses wont transport police to protests, or protesters to police
6/4 King County Labor Federation issues ultimatum to police unions: admit to and address racism in Seattle PD, or be removed
6/5 City of Minneapolis bans all chokeholds by police
6/5 Racist ex-mayor Hubbard statue removed – Dearborn, MI
6/5 NFL condemns racism and admits it should have listened to players' protests
6/5 California Governor Gavin Newsom calls for statewide use-of-force standard made along with community leaders and ban on carotid holds
6/5 2 Buffalo officers suspended within a day of pushing 75 year old protester to the ground, and lying about it
6/5 2 NYPD officers suspended after videos of violence to protesters
6/5 The US Marines bans display of the Confederate flag
6/5 Dallas adopts a "duty to intervene" rule that requires officers to stop other cops who are engaging in excessive use of force
6/5 Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax releases an 11-point action plan for immediate police reforms
6/6 Statue of Confederate general Williams Carter Wickham torn down – Richmond, VA
6/6 2 Buffalo officers charged with second-degree assault for shoving elderly man
6/6 San Francisco Mayor London Breed announces effort to defund police and redirect funds to Black community
6/7 Frank Rizzo mural removed, to be replaced with new artwork – Philadelphia, PA
6/7 Minneapolis City Council members announce intent to disband the police department, invest in proven community-led public safety
6/7 Protesters in Bristol topple statue of slave trader Edward Colston, throw it in the river
6/7 NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio vows for the first time to cut funding for NYPD, redirect to social services
6/7 A Virginia police officer faces charges after using a stun gun on a black man
6/8 NY State Assembly passes the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act
6/8 Democrats in Congress unveil a bill to rein in bias and excessive force in policing
6/8 Black lawmakers block a legislative session in Pennsylvania to demand action on police reform
6/8 France bans police use of chokeholds
6/8 Seattle council members join calls to defund police department
6/8 Boston reevaluates how it funds police department
6/8 Honolulu Police Commission nominees voice support for more transparency, reforms
6/8 Rights groups and Floyd's family call for a UN inquiry into American policing and help with systemic police reform

No, it's not enough, but this is only the beginning. Keep fighting!!!