Interesting news coming out about about Freddy Gray

[Pepperman]

Nothing to do with genetics then?

I don't see that argument, if in fact that's your goal. It is strictly a BEHAVIORAL CHOICE. Goddamn that pisses Slieb off though. He wants to justifiably keep those blacks down and voting D. Fault of the white man and those cops. Paraphrasing Jules from Pulp Fiction, What's a _____ to do?

 

[slieb85]

Poverty, religion, lack of education, no pride....

Mass incarceration.

 

[slieb85]

Nothing to do with genetics then?

Christ you're more racist than I remembered.

 

[slieb85]

I don't see that argument, if in fact that's your goal. It is strictly a BEHAVIORAL CHOICE. Goddamn that pisses Slieb off though. He wants to justifiably keep those blacks down and voting D. Fault of the white man and those cops. Paraphrasing Jules from Pulp Fiction, What's a _____ to do?

I don't vote Democrat.

You're losing this one, too. Try another angle. I'm sure eventually you'll say something that is at least plausible.

 

[HallofFame]

Christ you're more racist than I remembered.

You leave Christ out of this. I just simply asked a question and wasn't implying.

 

[ClarindaA's]

Mass incarceration.

Mass incarceration in addition, not in place of the aformentioned.

 

[slieb85]

Mass incarceration in addition, not in place of the aformentioned.

Oh, absolutely agree. But I do think that's pretty much the #1 factor. Others may disagree but to me, it's pretty damn clear cut.

 

[HallofFame]

Oh, absolutely agree. But I do think that's pretty much the #1 factor. Others may disagree but to me, it's pretty damn clear cut.

How do we fix the black community? Clearly giving them free everything isn't working. I'm all for free birth control but that isn't really fixing anything it's just sweeping an issue under a rug. Is there something we can actually do that isn't related to white guilt or us white folks telling them how to behave? I would think it needs to begin at home then at the education level and hope it begins to fix itself in a generation or two but man I don't know. I just don't get the feeling they want real change unless it is us doing the changing.

 

[slieb85]

How do we fix the black community? Clearly giving them free everything isn't working. I'm all for free birth control but that isn't really fixing anything it's just sweeping an issue under a rug. Is there something we can actually do that isn't related to white guilt or us white folks telling them how to behave? I would think it needs to begin at home then at the education level and hope it begins to fix itself in a generation or two but man I don't know. I just don't get the feeling they want real change unless it is us doing the changing.

Increased (like way more than you're thinking) spending on education would be my first step.

Decriminalizing marijuana the second. (I'd go past this but I know that's not possible in today's political climate)

A step toward rehabilitation and away from retribution punishment for our criminal justice system the next.

Hopefully those things happen, and then with time, perceptions wear off and people stop assuming the worst about someone because of where they come from or their skin color.

I tutor some 3rd graders from the west side here. They're close enough to the city to not be in the really really sketchy parts, but certainly the majority of our class is black or hispanic, and poor. It's amazing how much these kids care, and how they're not any different than the kids I went to elementary school with. As they get older, the schools fail them, the gangs entice them, and a good number will make choices that you or I wouldn't make. It's sad and I don't know how to fix it, it's going to take a lot of people who are a lot smarter than I am, working together to have any shot at actually "fixing" this.

I also hope that with the rise of the internet, perhaps people's beliefs on things can be challenged. I used to think so differently before the internet and before I left Iowa. And when I lived in Iowa, I lived in the most diverse city (Waterloo) for most of my time, and then the most liberal city (Iowa City) for the rest of the time, and I still didn't understand the extent of how sheltered I was. I can't imagine how much worse it would be if you were from Sigourney, Manchester, Hampton, or Audubon and had never spent any significant time away.

 

[ClarindaA's]

Oh, absolutely agree. But I do think that's pretty much the #1 factor. Others may disagree but to me, it's pretty damn clear cut.

I'll disagree, but only because we were discussing why they seem to have a ton of kids...mass incarceration wouldn't cause that, but rather be a symptom of having too many kids that they can't afford. I would also say, I refuse to feel bad for people who are too dumb to quit reproducing and expect a government check to feed them, house them, and medicate them. How much better off would our nation be if the people who do that were sterilized or never born? I know, I know, wall street and corporate greed, and I don't disagree, they should be punished too.

 

[Funky Bunch]

Not sure if this was discussed in this thread, but that 2nd prisoner wasn't put in until #6 on this timeline.

 

[Pinehawk]

Freddie's Gray's death rules a homicide. Cops to face charges.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way...ign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150501

 

[fredjr82]

The guy who filmed it was arrested at gun point last night. Doesn't really explain why he was arrested and certainly not why they pulled guns. I guess he runs something called "Cop Watch" and tries to film these type of interactions with police

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...o-has-been-arrested-at-gunpoint-10217973.html

 

[slieb85]

Freddie's Gray's death rules a homicide. Cops to face charges.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way...ign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150501

Cue the people calling Gray names and/or bringing up Mike Brown while excusing the police behavior.

 

[ClarindaA's]

Freddie's Gray's death rules a homicide. Cops to face charges.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way...ign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150501

I'm cool with that as long as the charges aren't just to calm things down..at least there will be a trial.

 

[Pinehawk]

"Mosby said she has assured Gray's family that "no one is above the law," also cited her oath of office, in which she promised "uphold justice."

She said that her review of the case found there had been no reason to detain Gray, and that his arrest was illegal."

 

[LifelongHawk]

And going back to the OP.....(big shock leaked report from unnamed police source misleading, also imagine cop who interviewed this guy and gleefully wrote a report that 2nd prisoner says FG committed suicide)

Local news WJZ-TV reports that Donta Allen, 22, was that second man — and that he came forward Thursday out of concern over how his comments were being portrayed by both the police and the media.

"When I was in the back of that van it did not stop or nothing. All it did was go straight to the station, but I heard a little banging, like he was banging his head," Allen said. " I didn't even know he was in the van until we got to the station."

Saying his words have been distorted by recent reports and that he doesn't think Gray hurt himself intentionally, Allen also told a WJZ reporter, "The only reason I'm doing this is because they put my name in a bad state."

Allen, who was reportedly taken into custody for a minor offense and was not charged with a crime, also spoke to WBAL TV. He told the station that when he got into the van, he didn't know Gray was already there. He said he heard "a little banging for like four seconds."

WBAL aired surveillance camera footage that shows officers looking into Gray's side of the van during the stop that also picked up Allen.

When the van arrived at the police station, Allen said he heard the officers say that Gray didn't have a pulse and was unresponsive — and that another officer later said, "He's got vitals now, he must've come back."

 

[HallofFame]

Increased (like way more than you're thinking) spending on education would be my first step.

Decriminalizing marijuana the second. (I'd go past this but I know that's not possible in today's political climate)

A step toward rehabilitation and away from retribution punishment for our criminal justice system the next.

Hopefully those things happen, and then with time, perceptions wear off and people stop assuming the worst about someone because of where they come from or their skin color.

I tutor some 3rd graders from the west side here. They're close enough to the city to not be in the really really sketchy parts, but certainly the majority of our class is black or hispanic, and poor. It's amazing how much these kids care, and how they're not any different than the kids I went to elementary school with. As they get older, the schools fail them, the gangs entice them, and a good number will make choices that you or I wouldn't make. It's sad and I don't know how to fix it, it's going to take a lot of people who are a lot smarter than I am, working together to have any shot at actually "fixing" this.

I also hope that with the rise of the internet, perhaps people's beliefs on things can be challenged. I used to think so differently before the internet and before I left Iowa. And when I lived in Iowa, I lived in the most diverse city (Waterloo) for most of my time, and then the most liberal city (Iowa City) for the rest of the time, and I still didn't understand the extent of how sheltered I was. I can't imagine how much worse it would be if you were from Sigourney, Manchester, Hampton, or Audubon and had never spent any significant time away.

The only thing I can add to this is my wife teaches second grade in a poor district and the kids she teaches don't give a rats ass. There parents basically teach them my wife is rich because she is white and to never listen to her.