8 Dead / 45 Wounded in Chicago last weekend - WHO CARES?!!!!
- Thread starter Herkmeister
- Start date
I assume that this is all your opinion and not factual either - unless you are closely tied in with the BLM groups?
In talks with colleagues and friends (black,white, asian, hispanic) - they all seem to have the same opinion of "why does a life matter only when a LEO takes it?" In fact a few of them even say "they don't represent my race, they represent a culture that needs to change from the inside."
Seems that there are some misconceptions. I also like how they want more money spent on them and less on policing. How about obeying the laws and not looting your own backyard...
"But looking at the Black Lives Matter campaign in detail raises some worrying queries. For example, on its website, the group claims that “every 28 hours a black man, woman, or child is murdered by police or vigilante law enforcement.” That is a deeply questionable claim. According to theWashington Post, which is running a tally, 155 black people have been killed by police so far this year—out of 607 total. That is not quite one every 28 hours—but no matter. What is important, however, is that less than a tenth of this total was unarmed, 24 of whom were black. So to state that every black person killed by a police officer in a country as violent as America is “murdered” is inaccurate. Sure, 155 people killed by police is too many, and 607 is a problem, but of those who were black 85% were armed.
The view that police officers are mostly murderers, however, runs through the site. On the“National Demands” page, for example, the campaign calls for the "immediate arrest" of Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last year. This despite the fact that a grand jury decided not to prosecute him. There are reasonable arguments to be made about biases within the grand-jury system, but jurors have decided there is not enough evidence to prosecute Mr Wilson. Throwing out the rule of law over frustration with a particular decision is a dangerous way to win reform.
Another Black Lives Matter demand is for a “decrease in law-enforcement spending at the local, state and federal level” and “a reinvestment of that budgeted money into the black communities most devastated by poverty.” There are legitimate complaints to be squared at the culture of certain police departments, which are often more confrontational than necessary with certain demographics, particularly those who are poor and black. But it bears mentioning that many of these same poor, black people desperately need the police, too. It should not be considered a right-wing talking point to note that far more black people are killed by other black people than by police officers. Baltimore alone has had over 200 murders so far this year—almost all of young black men. What black people in cities such as Baltimore and St Louis need isn’t less policing. It is better, less institutionally-racist, less thuggish policing that actually solves crimes. If so many murders didn’t go unsolved, then perhaps there would be fewer of them."
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2015/08/race-and-criminal-justice
"But looking at the Black Lives Matter campaign in detail raises some worrying queries. For example, on its website, the group claims that “every 28 hours a black man, woman, or child is murdered by police or vigilante law enforcement.” That is a deeply questionable claim. According to theWashington Post, which is running a tally, 155 black people have been killed by police so far this year—out of 607 total. That is not quite one every 28 hours—but no matter. What is important, however, is that less than a tenth of this total was unarmed, 24 of whom were black. So to state that every black person killed by a police officer in a country as violent as America is “murdered” is inaccurate. Sure, 155 people killed by police is too many, and 607 is a problem, but of those who were black 85% were armed.
The view that police officers are mostly murderers, however, runs through the site. On the“National Demands” page, for example, the campaign calls for the "immediate arrest" of Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last year. This despite the fact that a grand jury decided not to prosecute him. There are reasonable arguments to be made about biases within the grand-jury system, but jurors have decided there is not enough evidence to prosecute Mr Wilson. Throwing out the rule of law over frustration with a particular decision is a dangerous way to win reform.
Another Black Lives Matter demand is for a “decrease in law-enforcement spending at the local, state and federal level” and “a reinvestment of that budgeted money into the black communities most devastated by poverty.” There are legitimate complaints to be squared at the culture of certain police departments, which are often more confrontational than necessary with certain demographics, particularly those who are poor and black. But it bears mentioning that many of these same poor, black people desperately need the police, too. It should not be considered a right-wing talking point to note that far more black people are killed by other black people than by police officers. Baltimore alone has had over 200 murders so far this year—almost all of young black men. What black people in cities such as Baltimore and St Louis need isn’t less policing. It is better, less institutionally-racist, less thuggish policing that actually solves crimes. If so many murders didn’t go unsolved, then perhaps there would be fewer of them."
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2015/08/race-and-criminal-justice
Because that is the straw man:
Lives don't ONLY matter when taken by a LEO. These are just the ones that they are strongly protesting.
And that should, actually, make sense, because that is who we control, who we can change.
Scenario 1: Black "thug" shoots beautiful, innocent, inspiring little girl.
Scenario 2: LEO shoots not-so-good, criminal-history black guy.
First, will there be an investigation? Of course to #1, maybe to #2. Will there be a serious investigation? Yes to #1, probably not to #2. Will there be an arrest? Yes #1, Unlikely #2.
Which one will protesting have an impact on? Who do you protest in #1? Gangbangers? Just march down the street staring "thugs" down? Also, there is likely an arrest, a trial, and a conviction with #1, not with #2.
I, personally, think it is FAR MORE IMPORTANT to decry government killings (when wrong) than private ones.
Lives don't ONLY matter when taken by a LEO. These are just the ones that they are strongly protesting.
And that should, actually, make sense, because that is who we control, who we can change.
Scenario 1: Black "thug" shoots beautiful, innocent, inspiring little girl.
Scenario 2: LEO shoots not-so-good, criminal-history black guy.
First, will there be an investigation? Of course to #1, maybe to #2. Will there be a serious investigation? Yes to #1, probably not to #2. Will there be an arrest? Yes #1, Unlikely #2.
Which one will protesting have an impact on? Who do you protest in #1? Gangbangers? Just march down the street staring "thugs" down? Also, there is likely an arrest, a trial, and a conviction with #1, not with #2.
I, personally, think it is FAR MORE IMPORTANT to decry government killings (when wrong) than private ones.
Really the only thing I hope for in all of this publicity in the last two years is more transparency and better record keeping. Like, you know, actually keeping statistical records of Officer Involved Shootings, and killings of members of the public. That would be a hell of a good start.
Who would be against this, I wonder? Corrupt police departments? If so, let's make it happen! I'm certainly ok with it.
While we're being reasonable about what we'd like to see, in the spirit of making things better, I'd suggest we also have people show photo IDs when they vote. Then we could have an I/T system that ensures that person can only vote once. And if caught voting twice, let's penalize that person?
Apparently it has been police departments/governmental agencies, they keep statistics about a bazillion other things, but seemingly not this.
Edit to add: I haven't gone looking for this, so I have no link, but I know I read about 6 months ago about a guy in Nevada (?) who had been attempting to compile these types of statistics, but when he actively called departments/agencies after he read about the shootings they would refuse to give him any information at all. None. They stonewalled. Iirc, of course.
That is pathetic.
Edit to add: I haven't gone looking for this, so I have no link, but I know I read about 6 months ago about a guy in Nevada (?) who had been attempting to compile these types of statistics, but when he actively called departments/agencies after he read about the shootings they would refuse to give him any information at all. None. They stonewalled. Iirc, of course.
That is pathetic.
