The Black Lives Matters thread.

[Osmia]

....
"The backlash to BLM, in some ways, reflects a broad sense of unease among white people who worry about the cultural changes in the country and feel they are falling behind in a country that is rapidly growing more diverse in a globalizing world. We consistently see this phenomenon in surveys showing that large numbers of white people believe racial discrimination against them is as pervasive, or more so, than it is against African Americans.
....

This is also the explanation for the Donald Trump phenomenon, and the "tea party" movement before that.

 

[Mila_]

This is also the explanation for the Donald Trump phenomenon, and the "tea party" movement before that.

Contrary to popular belief the Tea Party movement was mainly about taxes and the excesses of Washington. Thats the reason there were all kinds of anarchy-leaning people in it, from left wing anarcho-collectivists to objectivist libertarians, to an-cap folk. Sure, the majority was on the libertarian side of the spectrum, but there were all kinds of independents and even democrats in the mix. It was a diverse movement too, there were all races and ethnicities in it, but you just didn't see that advertised in the media. Like with police killings they covered the Tea Party selectively to give the illusion that it was a far right group.

There is no doubt that the Donald Trump phenomenon is, in part, a reaction to the fractures and the identity movements that the far left has been pushing in the country. I will try my best to explain this, but keep in mind that the Donald Trump movement is wider than this and this is by no means the entire picture, I am only talking about small fragments of the movement mainly the alt-right.

For the past 50 years or so the left has been pushing a narrative of identity politics. According to this narrative people can only associate in terms of their sex/race/class. They first fractured society in big chunks through feminism (men vs women) the civil rights movement (whites vs blacks) and later the gay rights movement (lgbt vs straight). Keep in mind I am not saying these movements didn't have a reason to be, we all agree there were issues there that needed to be addressed. But then, once the first objectives were reached and the blocks were very well drawn, instead of dismantling the movements and fighting for social unity once again, the left decided to further fracture these blocks into even smaller divides. So they fractured feminism into white women feminism vs intersectional feminism. They fractured the black movements into other groups such as BML and the gay rights movement into trans/cis movement. These new groups not only fight society as a whole, they also fight the groups they splitted from creating a lot of additional friction. If most people were left leaning identity tumblrinas society would break down from the tension.

These narratives call for people to pick a side based on their race/sex/class, all material realities that are difficult to change, so people are divided with irreconcilable differences, instead of a narrative in which you can choose a side based on your ideas/beliefs/faith, things that you can actually choose and that can unify people of very different backgrounds and circumstances.

And the main problem is by creating this mindset of division in which it is okay to shut others out because "nobody understands my unique experience" and simultaneously denying men, or white people, or straight people, etc to have their own identity group with the excuse that it is misogyny, homophobic, racist, etc, you are effectively creating a group of disenfranchised people that have nothing to do and nowhere to go to express their own particular identity. The left created the alt-right by pushing this narrative while denying majority groups to express themselves in it.

So now men, whites, straight people, and other groups who have been systematically pushed aside by the left and silenced have found each other and are supporting each other and fighting just like the other groups have been fighting for the past 10 years. The alt-right is divided in three main groups. The group that is actively fighting the identity narrative altogether, trying to unmask the different lies within these movements and trying to unify the country such as Ben Shapiro are usually not excited about Trump. The main part of the alt-right doesn't consider the 1st group part of their movement. The main part of the group is fighting political correctness through humor, mocking identity politics while at the same time adopting many of their strategies for themselves, this group is 100% backing Trump (Milo Yiannopoulos, /pol etc). And then you have crazy extremists who do believe in a white supremacy and that these divisions are perfect because they can fight others easily such as Stormfront and the 1488ers, this last group is also against Trump because they don't want to build a wall, they think building a wall is a cowardly thing to do, if anything whites should be conquering Mexico. The rest of the alt-right hates them, calls them "stormfags". So this is what the landscape of the alt-right looks like now.

But this is not the majority of Trump supporters. It is a tiny yet very vocal minority, at least vocal on the corners of the internet that are anonymous and free from thought policing such as 4chan. The vast majority of Trump supporters are normal people of every ethnicity that are tired of the divisiveness of the left, of the lies and the bullshit of Washington and see in Trump an alternative. Someone who speaks his mind and who will fight for their interests even when it goes against what is politically correct. People like Diamond and Silk:

 

[JickyJuly]

It seems pretty obvious, to me, that if a group of people feels the need to remind everyone else that their lives matter, something is very wrong. If you don't understand it or agree with it, there should be questions not arguments because having to say your life matters is fucked up. Arguing against it just proves the point.

Are race relations in America very different than other places? For reference, things like this are happening here. This was in Florida 3 days ago.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-he-tries-to-help-autistic-patient/?tid=sm_fb
(If it's too long or you can't click, a black behavioral therapist had an autistic patient wander into traffic. He followed him. Someone called 911 stating that the autistic man had a gun. The therapist was forced by police to lay on the ground next to the patient. He did so with his hands up yelling that there was no gun. The patient had a toy car. The therapist was shot in the leg and, when he asked why he was shot, the police reply was "I don't know".)

 

[Osmia]

Contrary to popular belief the Tea Party movement was mainly about taxes and the excesses of Washington. Thats the reason there were all kinds of anarchy-leaning people in it, from left wing anarcho-collectivists to objectivist libertarians, to an-cap folk. Sure, the majority was on the libertarian side of the spectrum, but there were all kinds of independents and even democrats in the mix. It was a diverse movement too, there were all races and ethnicities in it, but you just didn't see that advertised in the media. Like with police killings they covered the Tea Party selectively to give the illusion that it was a far right group.

There is no doubt that the Donald Trump phenomenon is, in part, a reaction to the fractures and the identity movements that the far left has been pushing in the country. I will try my best to explain this, but keep in mind that the Donald Trump movement is wider than this and this is by no means the entire picture, I am only talking about small fragments of the movement mainly the alt-right.

For the past 50 years or so the left has been pushing a narrative of identity politics. According to this narrative people can only associate in terms of their sex/race/class. They first fractured society in big chunks through feminism (men vs women) the civil rights movement (whites vs blacks) and later the gay rights movement (lgbt vs straight). Keep in mind I am not saying these movements didn't have a reason to be, we all agree there were issues there that needed to be addressed. But then, once the first objectives were reached and the blocks were very well drawn, instead of dismantling the movements and fighting for social unity once again, the left decided to further fracture these blocks into even smaller divides. So they fractured feminism into white women feminism vs intersectional feminism. They fractured the black movements into other groups such as BML and the gay rights movement into trans/cis movement. These new groups not only fight society as a whole, they also fight the groups they splitted from creating a lot of additional friction. If most people were left leaning identity tumblrinas society would break down from the tension.

These narratives call for people to pick a side based on their race/sex/class, all material realities that are difficult to change, so people are divided with irreconcilable differences, instead of a narrative in which you can choose a side based on your ideas/beliefs/faith, things that you can actually choose and that can unify people of very different backgrounds and circumstances.

And the main problem is by creating this mindset of division in which it is okay to shut others out because "nobody understands my unique experience" and simultaneously denying men, or white people, or straight people, etc to have their own identity group with the excuse that it is misogyny, homophobic, racist, etc, you are effectively creating a group of disenfranchised people that have nothing to do and nowhere to go to express their own particular identity. The left created the alt-right by pushing this narrative while denying majority groups to express themselves in it.

So now men, whites, straight people, and other groups who have been systematically pushed aside by the left and silenced have found each other and are supporting each other and fighting just like the other groups have been fighting for the past 10 years. The alt-right is divided in three main groups. The group that is actively fighting the identity narrative altogether, trying to unmask the different lies within these movements and trying to unify the country such as Ben Shapiro are usually not excited about Trump. The main part of the alt-right doesn't consider the 1st group part of their movement. The main part of the group is fighting political correctness through humor, mocking identity politics while at the same time adopting many of their strategies for themselves, this group is 100% backing Trump (Milo Yiannopoulos, /pol etc). And then you have crazy extremists who do believe in a white supremacy and that these divisions are perfect because they can fight others easily such as Stormfront and the 1488ers, this last group is also against Trump because they don't want to build a wall, they think building a wall is a cowardly thing to do, if anything whites should be conquering Mexico. The rest of the alt-right hates them, calls them "stormfags". So this is what the landscape of the alt-right looks like now.

But this is not the majority of Trump supporters. It is a tiny yet very vocal minority, at least vocal on the corners of the internet that are anonymous and free from thought policing such as 4chan. The vast majority of Trump supporters are normal people of every ethnicity that are tired of the divisiveness of the left, of the lies and the bullshit of Washington and see in Trump an alternative. Someone who speaks his mind and who will fight for their interests even when it goes against what is politically correct. People like Diamond and Silk:

That's a lot to digest, but I will. I liked your post not necessarily because I agree with it (I have to "digest " it first) but because it's a reasoned response that lays out an intellectual framework that helps me understand the Right better.

Class and identity are frequent themes for you. Were you a Marxist at one time? That's a sincere question. With your talk of narratives, class, movements and identity, your thought and writing remind me of what I used to read many years ago in Dissent, the democratic socialist journal, but with the polarities flipped. I eventually stopped reading it because the theoretical constructs that the far-left employed seemed artificial, outdated and detached from reality.

I question whether "the left" has been an identifiable political force in the US since the 1970s. There are plenty of people with liberal/left-wing views in the US today, but I just can't see any evidence of them being members of a movement, a cabal, and certainly not a political party. Today's democratic party is farther to the right than it was in the 60s through 80s. With some recent exceptions (Obamacare, LGBT rights), it's governed as center-right. I think you're attributing to "the left" much more unity, coordination and influence than in fact exists, or has existed since the 70s. For example, you say "...the left decided to further fracture these blocks into even smaller divides..." as if they decided to do this at one of their Central Committee meetings where the rubber-stamp vote was unanimous.

On Trump, your description of the groups that support him was interesting. If Trump wins, those people will soon be be very disappointed because he will turn out not to be the savior they have latched onto. And they will be even more alienated and angry. I fervently wish the right-wing could become a healthy political movement/party again. The country needs that. (BTW, I voted for Reagan in his first term, and still would.)

Since most of this is sort of tangential to the BLM topic, I would be amenable to carrying it on in private message. Or not. I just don't want to hijack the thread.

 

[JoleneBrody]

Proud of the Phoenix Police department

 

[LioraVox]

Proud of the Phoenix Police department

What did they do?

 

[JoleneBrody]

What did they do?

Oh I guess a link might have helped, hahah sorry!
http://wtvr.com/2016/07/19/phoenix-police-sees-black-lives-matter-as-a-partner/

 

[justjoinedtopost]

But this is not the majority of Trump supporters. It is a tiny yet very vocal minority, at least vocal on the corners of the internet that are anonymous and free from thought policing such as 4chan

Sounds very similar to the sentiments expressed by some defenders of BLM.

....
"The backlash to BLM, in some ways, reflects a broad sense of unease among white people who worry about the cultural changes in the country and feel they are falling behind in a country that is rapidly growing more diverse in a globalizing world. We consistently see this phenomenon in surveys showing that large numbers of white people believe racial discrimination against them is as pervasive, or more so, than it is against African Americans.
....

This is also the explanation for the Donald Trump phenomenon, and the "tea party" movement before that.

On an economic level, I have felt the way the SPLC assessed this. I was working for a company that was sued for racial discrimination. They immediately replaced a white employee (employed 5+ years) who was training for a promotion with a black employee (employed less than a year). Over the next couple of years, there were numerous promotions, all black, with the exception of one out'n'proud gay white man. As a white person, it felt like racial discrimination. But was it? Incidentally, there was also a very conservative Christian who felt like the gay man's promotion was a sign of homosexuality's war on his faith.

 

[Mila_]

Sounds very similar to the sentiments expressed by some defenders of BLM.

Here is the thing. If a Trump supporter said he doesn't like the idea of the Wall and he still supports Trump that would be okay. If someone says not all of Trump supporters are for the wall, he would also be right. But if anyone claims Trump doesn't stand for building a wall just because some of his supporters aren't I would call that BS. Trump stands for building a wall regardless of what his supporters think. Whomever is supporting him must also support the wall or at least be comfortable enough with the idea that he hasn't stopped supporting him in spite of it.

So with BLM it is the same. Are some BLM supporters pacifists who don't hate cops? Of course there are many who don't. Is it true that not all of BLM is calling for violence against cops? Surely. Is it true that BLM itself isn't supporting these things just because some supporters aren't? No. It is evident that BLM lies, manipulates, and creates resentment against cops and against America with lies. Lies about genocide. Lies about white supremacism. Lies about cops targeting and killing blacks on purpose. Lies all around. Lies on their official website, lies by leaders of their chapters, lies by their founders. So if anyone continues to support BLM in spite of the evidence it must be because they are at least comfortable enough with that to continue to support them.

 

[LuckySmiles]

It seems pretty obvious, to me, that if a group of people feels the need to remind everyone else that their lives matter, something is very wrong. If you don't understand it or agree with it, there should be questions not arguments because having to say your life matters is fucked up. Arguing against it just proves the point.

The problem I have, is people assuming people who don't agree with it don't understand where it's coming from.

Part of the reason I felt a need to join in the discussion was because I have participated in similar discussions in the past and made it pretty clear that I have concern about the issue, and also now have more to add to the discussion.

But what happens is(not just here), you point out an additional underlying problem you have with the group and people are telling you racism is the main problem. One of my main problems and why I believe it might not turn out the way everyone hopes is its incessant focus on the racism aspect by participators.

In similar discussions I have tried to beat the concept of racism in America being a thing, over @supermila 's head for example. Explaining the ideas behind concepts like white privilege, even to the point of belligerence (ahh alcohol & internets) and even saying basically the same exact thing in different words as @JoleneBrody and her last post in the last Kat/WN thread,myself a long time ago.

So I would think people, including @LioraVox might have an understanding that I'm kind of aware of that part of it.

My problem with the movement, is a low-key underhanded acceptance of anti-cop sentiments that seems to go on enough to cause concern, even if it's not shared by the majority. I don't see the group doing enough to push this out, and it's part of of why I can't support it.

The other part is an uneasy feeling of participators seeking out vengeance moreso than justice and solutions. Though the group is nonviolent in nature, it almost seems like there's a sentiment like -if one more cop goes free over this people are going to riot. And that everyone should know why and accept it.

When there IS a possibility that when this has happened before, or if it happens again, while no less tragic, no laws were broken. If officers and the parties being approached by the officers make mistakes to escalate the situation and let it get out of control to the point where the officer thinks he's acting in self defense, a law may not have been broken. That's why there's potential for people to go free sometimes in these cases and while it doesn't feel fair, it has little to do with racism. It's not that no one cares, or that these lives are any less valued. When that happens we need to look at the issue of the whole problem to learn from it and keep it from continuing, what we can work on is keeping these things from escalating, and reducing racial tensions. But sometimes, I get more of the impression that people just want cops heads on a stick if the court system doesn't rule against them. And that's a dangerous way to proceed.

And when I point out something like the Assata Shakur thing being dangerous or unnecessary since it sends a message easily open to misinterpretation, it gets defended rather than discussed. As if I must just not know what the group is really about if I felt the need to point that out.

So you understand my frustration on topics like this. It's like... hey I think there's other problems leading to this not being talked about enough besides racism, and say someone else wants to teach people what white privilege is and it's like.. ok I know about all that part.. BUT ALSO.. and no one talks about the other problems you're trying to bring up. It feels like you're in the twilight zone sometimes, and it's part of the identity politics things @supermila gets into.

I hope this helps clear some things up.

 

[Mila_]

That's a lot to digest, but I will. I liked your post not necessarily because I agree with it (I have to "digest " it first) but because it's a reasoned response that lays out an intellectual framework that helps me understand the Right better.

Class and identity are frequent themes for you. Were you a Marxist at one time? That's a sincere question. With your talk of narratives, class, movements and identity, your thought and writing remind me of what I used to read many years ago in Dissent, the democratic socialist journal, but with the polarities flipped. I eventually stopped reading it because the theoretical constructs that the far-left employed seemed artificial, outdated and detached from reality.

I have never been a marxist. I was raised in Venezuela and lived 14 years under Chavez regime. I saw a country that I loved disintegrate because of Chavez and his leftist politics. A population that was unified in spite of the differences, in which poor people and wealthy people identified with each other because they all felt Venezuelans in spite of the differences, a country with incredible abundance of resources and good spirit broke down and became literally hell. All thanks to the discourse of divisiveness of Chavez.

Chavez explained that Venezuela was divided in 2. On one side was "the People", his supporters. Poor, mixed people who lived in the favelas. On the other side was anyone that seemed white, or who didnt live in a favela. He called them oligarchs. Escualids. Yankee lovers. According to him "The People" were poor and miserable because of the Escualids. The Escualids were robbing them of their wealth. Chavez would defeat the Escualids and save "The People".

The definition of who was considered "The People" changed with time from the poor to Chavez supporters. It was no longer useful to identify them with the poor because Chavez supporters became incredibly rich overnight. So now "The People" were only the ones who were with him, the ones who supported him.

He made people turn against one another as a means of control. The story is way too long for me to tell it here but in the end took away everything valuable from everyone, chavista or not. Families are divided and don't speak to one another just because some of them are chavistas and the others are not. He expropriated people's businesses and factories and shut them down. There is no food in Venezuela, once the most rich country in South America. There is no food. Or electricity. Or water. This is what socialism brings. And it was all a scam for Chavez and his close ones to rob the country blind and use it as a platform for drug trafficking. All backed by Castro.

Meanwhile, the left and the rest of the world kept applauding him and lauding him as a hero, including CNN, The Guardian, swedish media, socialist-chic celebrities like Naomi Campbell, Danny Glover and Sean Penn, and pretty much every socialist out there. Chavez was a hero who suppressed poverty, turned the country around, and brought justice to the people. The cynicism was at an all time high, but the media doesn't care about the truth. They care about ratings and their own political agenda. So pushing the image that Chavez was a savior was convenient to them at the time. I am guessing Chavez was paying top money for the PR campaign.

My life is completely different thanks to Chavez. My entire family is divided, not because some are chavistas and some aren't. None of us are. But we all had to flee to different countries. I haven't seen my parents in 6 years. I escaped Venezuela with $900 in my pocket, dollars that my uncle managed to smuggle into the country after the ban on currency exchanges was put in place. It was all my savings, 2 years saving every penny of my salary working at a TV station went into those $900 that I used to get out. And here I am.

Someone like me, someone who has been deeply affected by the Left, who has lived in their hellholes for 14 years, knows their tricks, their mindset, and how they work. I could spot them from 1000 miles. There is another model on this forum from Romania, she too suffered communism and she and I see eye to eye on these subjects. She knows them as well as I do.

Since I am a journalist I read a lot about this. I have read everything under the moon from Marx and Engels to Gramsci to the Frankfurt School to everything that came after. I have read about Fidel Castro and his political project, all the damage he has done to South America and how he operates. I keep seeing trends and patterns and I know why they do the things they do. I have lived through it.

I think you're attributing to "the left" much more unity, coordination and influence than in fact exists, or has existed since the 70s. For example, you say "...the left decided to further fracture these blocks into even smaller divides..." as if they decided to do this at one of their Central Committee meetings where the rubber-stamp vote was unanimous.

When I speak about "the left" I am talking about its ideological leaders, not the supporters. I am talking about the Frankfurt School and their Critical Theory which has taken over universities in Europe and in the US. If you read their texts, it isn't a secret. They had a project and they carried it out brilliantly. It is what the left calls "the long march through the Institutions" to subvert them ideologically and win from within. They did this. They took over faculties, started teaching their ideas to new generations of students, and these students became professors themselves, and continue to teach this worldview. They no longer have control over the direction this ideological subversion is taking, but those who raise to the top, those who know very well what the Left is seeking like Assata Shakur, for example, can continue to carry out the plan. The supporters, the students, the tumblrinas don't even realize what they are doing it or why, they are useful idiots. But there was someone behind the project all along. There was a lot of money poured into this from the URSS back in the day. I am sure I have posted this before on these forums but I will post it again because it is useful to understand where this is coming from.



There are many videos of Yuri Bezmenov and if you are interested you can look them up on Youtube. I would post the full interview but it is 1 hour long and I was already told nobody cares about this so much to spend 1 hour of their time watching a video so you will have to look it up yourself.

 

[Mila_]

Sorry for the double post, but this video by Yuri Bezmenov about Sleepers is a great explanation for BLM and all these groups.



It isn't a coincidence that the BLM founders cite Assata Shakur, a communist, as an inspiration because even when the activists and supporters have no clue, this is a communist group.

 

[LuckySmiles]

you have to wonder why race relations are so much worse right now than 10-15 years ago. If it's because of police issues, and police practices have been changed due to policy down from the government in the last 10-15 years, and you have politicians unwilling to accept responsibility in that, and even going as far to blame it on racism in America, it gets to the point where it seems like Americans are being played on purpose.

The media, is not non-partisan, even though it was supposed to be the 4th unnofficial part of the checks and balances of the government in this country. And nothing that gets coverage in mainstream outlets is done by accident.

So do you fall for the race baiting everyone has been in the last 5 years or so, or do you work together to get passed it. It's not dismissing the goals of these groups to talk about this stuff, it's directly related to problems everyone's facing.

 

[JickyJuly]

I don't think race relations are worse. What's changed is deniability. Everyone has phones with cameras built in and internet/social media. We hear and see what happens to others in nearly real time. These things have to be faced because they are no longer he said/she said stories.

 

[xDollPartsx]

Somewhat off what you guys are talking about but on topic of the thread...this is one of the best ways I have seen a lot of this explained and why it's not shitting on others or condoning violence or not acknowledging that other problems are in play here but states very plainly one of the main problems that needs to be corrected.



Imagine that you're sitting down to dinner with your family, and while everyone else gets a serving of the meal, you don't get any. So you say "I should get my fair share." And as a direct response to this, your dad corrects you, saying, "everyone should get their fair share." Now, that's a wonderful sentiment -- indeed, everyone should, and that was kinda your point in the first place: that you should be a part of everyone, and you should get your fair share also. However, dad's smart-ass comment just dismissed you and didn't solve the problem that you still haven't gotten any!

The problem is that the statement "I should get my fair share" had an implicit "too" at the end: "I should get my fair share, too, just like everyone else." But your dad's response treated your statement as though you meant "only I should get my fair share", which clearly was not your intention. As a result, his statement that "everyone should get their fair share," while true, only served to ignore the problem you were trying to point out.

That's the situation of the "black lives matter" movement. Culture, laws, the arts, religion, and everyone else repeatedly suggest that all lives should matter. Clearly, that message already abounds in our society.

The problem is that, in practice, the world doesn't work the way. You see the film Nightcrawler? You know the part where Renee Russo tells Jake Gyllenhal that she doesn't want footage of a black or latino person dying, she wants news stories about affluent white people being killed? That's not made up out of whole cloth -- there is a news bias toward stories that the majority of the audience (who are white) can identify with. So when a young black man gets killed (prior to the recent police shootings), it's generally not considered "news", while a middle-aged white woman being killed is treated as news. And to a large degree, that is accurate -- young black men are killed in significantly disproportionate numbers, which is why we don't treat it as anything new. But the result is that, societally, we don't pay as much attention to certain people's deaths as we do to others. So, currently, we don't treat all lives as though they matter equally.

Just like asking dad for your fair share, the phrase "black lives matter" also has an implicit "too" at the end: it's saying that black lives should also matter. But responding to this by saying "all lives matter" is willfully going back to ignoring the problem. It's a way of dismissing the statement by falsely suggesting that it means "only black lives matter," when that is obviously not the case. And so saying "all lives matter" as a direct response to "black lives matter" is essentially saying that we should just go back to ignoring the problem.

TL;DR: The phrase "Black lives matter" carries an implicit "too" at the end; it's saying that black lives should also matter. Saying "all lives matter" is dismissing the very problems that the phrase is trying to draw attention to.

 

[LenaSexton]

I'm not sure if any of you have ever heard of Tim Wise, but he really breaks down racism in a way that is relatable to everyone.

First off, I would like to say that BLM does not represent all African-Americans or their sentiments. There are other groups that have been around for decades that also have brought awareness to our struggle as a people. While BLM is also bringing about awareness, many within the Black community believe that they are also a puppets.

As an African-American, and I can only speak for myself, but within the last three years the America I thought I knew has really let me down. I always knew racism existed, but I always thought that most people are above being racist. As I have shared in other posts what brought me to camming was financial desperation.

I had graduated from college last December only a month after being the company I worked for for seven years went belly up a month prior. Eventhough I have a college degree, bilingual, and highly experienced it took me almost eight months to find a job.

I would sit at my computer for hours filling out applications and faxing resumes and not get a single callback or interview. This went on for months. Then it dawned on me..."What if my name is working against me"? My real name is very ethnic like many Black women (it's Sanskrit actually), so I decided to shorten my name on my resume and applications to something more racially ambiguous. I got callbacks and interviews like crazy!
I am highly articulate and professional, so everything would go great by email and phone UNTIL they saw me in person. It would be so obvious. It became very depressing. I worked a full-time job and went to school full time for two years to finish my bachelors only to not be able to find a better job when I graduated.
If it wasn't for camming I would be either in a homeless shelter or living with my parents, degree and all. I have only been working at my current day job for roughly two months, but the hiring manager was also Black so I think that played a part in it.
I could name other personal experiences with racism in my lifetime. I am a law-abiding citizen, educated, no criminal record, none of the usual stereotypes but I even I have had negative experiences with racism and being criminalized for no other reason than being Black.
However, what really grinds my gears as that when Black men, women and children are shot and killed that the first thing the media does is dig up any dirt they can to criminalize and dehumanize them.

Also as far as BLM is concerned, the shooters specifically stated that they were not associated with BLM, even though the media keeps saying they were connected... Don't get me started on the media lol.

 

[Influenced]

These things have to be faced because they are no longer he said/she said stories.

Yeah people get caught much easier now you can't do much of anything without a cell phone on you at the drop of a hat etc, so the issue of it being more widespread maybe sure, but technology like Jicky said is bringing everything that happens with this right to our doorstep, our choice comes in whether we choose to ignore it or stand up for our individual beliefs.

 

[LenaSexton]

I'm not sure how many of you are Wendy Williams fans, but she had a guest on her show recently that really broke it down.

 

[LuckySmiles]

Just to be more clear I appreciate @supermila's perspectives on these issues and I would have dismissed her in the past because I was buying into the same kind of thing that, maybe she just didn't know about racism. It took me a second to realize I was the one being ignorant by not listening to anything she had to say, and trying to “school her” on what had been repeated to me.

When what she brings to the table on communism is very valuable to these discussions. I highly recommend the Yuri vids.

Maybe race relations is the wrong term... but I know myself, and lots of people I talk to in the same age range have kind of the same perspective that for awhile, say... 1998-2008 everyone seemed to be a lot more relaxed and got along better than before that, and better than now, across cultures in America. It could just be the “good old days” phenomenon but I'm not so sure.

When I try to find anything on it polls agree... I'm not just picking ones that agree with me, but these are the only two I've found so far!! and I don't have much time to dedicate to this at the moment. But they do coincide with what my friends and I say when recalling stories.

Figure that 2008 was the economy tank/bank bailout thing, and times got weird again, until the last few years it's back to being a bigger issue.

 

[LioraVox]

I hate how the media portrays black victims as criminals etc by using past mugshots but can show a white killers graduation photos or like Instagram photos. Like that type of stuff is what I mean when I say feeds into racism. Because then people see the mugshot and are like "Well, obviously the black guy did something wrong because LOOK he has criminal history. #fact"

Its one form of fear mongering. Just like the media did with middle eastern people and associating them with terrorist. And currently its exactly what Trump is doing towards Latin/Hispanic people.

 

[Lexi Emerson]

Here is the thing. If a Trump supporter said he doesn't like the idea of the Wall and he still supports Trump that would be okay. If someone says not all of Trump supporters are for the wall, he would also be right. But if anyone claims Trump doesn't stand for building a wall just because some of his supporters aren't I would call that BS. Trump stands for building a wall regardless of what his supporters think. Whomever is supporting him must also support the wall or at least be comfortable enough with the idea that he hasn't stopped supporting him in spite of it.

So with BLM it is the same. Are some BLM supporters pacifists who don't hate cops? Of course there are many who don't. Is it true that not all of BLM is calling for violence against cops? Surely. Is it true that BLM itself isn't supporting these things just because some supporters aren't? No. It is evident that BLM lies, manipulates, and creates resentment against cops and against America with lies. Lies about genocide. Lies about white supremacism. Lies about cops targeting and killing blacks on purpose. Lies all around. Lies on their official website, lies by leaders of their chapters, lies by their founders. So if anyone continues to support BLM in spite of the evidence it must be because they are at least comfortable enough with that to continue to support them.

In the same vein... You could turn this around and say that if you support police, you support the police who blatantly murder black people in the streets.

Disclaimer: I don't actually feel that way at all. I just think it's kind of silly to say that generally supporting a HUGE movement means you are suporting all that other bullshit. Because it simply doesn't.

 

[Mila_]

In the same vein... You could turn this around and say that if you support police, you support the police who blatantly murder black people in the streets.

Disclaimer: I don't actually feel that way at all. I just think it's kind of silly to say that generally supporting a HUGE movement means you are suporting all that other bullshit. Because it simply doesn't.

Shitty bait but I will still engage this shitpost for whomever is reading and actually taking this thread seriously:

Here is the difference: if the police said all blacks are thugs and deserve to be punished every chance they get, I would not support them. If the police stated that all blacks are thugs on their official website at least 30 times, I would not support them. If several chiefs of police stated the same opinion and called police officers to kill blacks publicly, I wouldnt support them. If the highest ranking sheriff said his biggest inspiration was the founder of the KKK I wouldn't support them.

But none of this is happening. Police isn't even targetting blacks for murder like you seem to suggest in your post. BLM however is doing every single one of these things against the police. So that is why I dont support them and neither should you if you care about human lives.

 

[Lexi Emerson]

Shitty bait but I will still engage this shitpost for whomever is reading and actually taking this thread seriously:

Here is the difference: if the police said all blacks are thugs and deserve to be punished every chance they get, I would not support them. If the police stated that all blacks are thugs on their official website at least 30 times, I would not support them. If several chiefs of police stated the same opinion and called police officers to kill blacks publicly, I wouldnt support them. If the highest ranking sheriff said his biggest inspiration was the founder of the KKK I wouldn't support them.

But none of this is happening. Police isn't even targetting blacks for murder like you seem to suggest in your post.

Not bait at all. If you want to fling poo now over how I genuinely feel about your comment, that's cool. I can start flinging poo back because damn I think a lot of what you say is straight up BULLSHIT.

SOME police are targetting blacks. To deny that is fucking ludicrous. You are saying SOME BLM leaders are calling for blood so if you support BLM you are by proxy supporting all this other shit. So I say by supporting police, you are supporting law enforcement who slaughter innocent people (not even just blacks) because they feel like it. You think that sounds absurd right? BECAUSE IT IS.

 

[Mila_]

Not bait at all. If you want to fling poo now over how I genuinely feel about your comment, that's cool. I can start flinging poo back because damn I think a lot of what you say is straight up BULLSHIT.

SOME police are targetting blacks. To deny that is fucking ludicrous. You are saying SOME BLM leaders are calling for blood so if you support BLM you are by proxy supporting all this other shit. So I say by supporting police, you are supporting law enforcement who slaughter innocent people (not even just blacks) because they feel like it. You think that sounds absurd right? BECAUSE IT IS.

I didnt think it was possible for anyone to write that level of cancer seriously. For a brief second I even thought you might be australian. But after your little tantrum I now believe that you weren't baiting me and actually meant that post. Holy shit.

 

[Lexi Emerson]

I didnt think it was possible for anyone to write that level of cancer seriously. For a brief second I even thought you might be australian. But after your little tantrum I now believe that you weren't baiting me and actually meant that post. Holy shit.

Have fun with the rest of this discussion guys! You'll have fun with this champion of a human being. Far more intelligent than all of us and super pleasant all the time.

 

[Mila_]

Have fun with the rest of this discussion guys! You'll have fun with this champion of a human being. Far more intelligent than all of us and super pleasant all the time.

Bye, Felicia.

 

[justjoinedtopost]

I'm not sure how many of you are Wendy Williams fans, but she had a guest on her show recently that really broke it down.

Interesting show. Talking about the roots of America especially, where he made mention of the American Revolution being fought to preserve slavery. I grew up with a slightly paler version of history. Of course, I don't really believe that slavery was the entire reason, but it did factor into the picture.

His mention of when black people became technically American. 1970. Oh the irony.

He said something very important. BLM is doing something about what supporters in this thread have complained about. Complaints I believe.

Spoiler: relevant?

 

[LioraVox]

@supermila What makes BLM seem like a hive mind, that doesn't apply to other groups of people?

B/c how you're describing it, since BLM creators find inspiration from Assata Shakur, I as a supporter of BLM also without a doubt find inspiration from Assata Shakur. Why can't people have their own influences, their own heroes, and their own life gurus but also just happen to have a desire to fix a common issue? Why does it have to be "they look up to a police killer so BLM as a whole supports the killing of police", especially when you can acknowledge that there are people in this thread who have said I don't support the killing of police. Are we like the token black people or ????

Also, why do you get to define what aspect of Assata Shakur activism they find inspiring? Maybe they find her inspiring for her activism with the Black Panther Party. Maybe they do find her inspiring because of her activism with the Black Liberation Army. But who are you to decide that, why is your assumption & perception the truth?

I've looked on the website recently & they do link to her demand but the link doesn't go through. So how do you come to the conclusion that they are calling or advocating for the death of cops.. aside from assuming they are because of who Assata Shakur is?

 

[LioraVox]

Thank you JustJoined for the video. This is Jessi Williams speech from the BET Awards



ETA: My personal favorite line of this speech is "If you have a critique for resistance, our resistance, then you better have an established record of critique of our oppression. If you have no interest in the equal rights of black people then do not make suggestions to those who do. Sit down."

 

[xDollPartsx]

Like it or hate it...or just get mad cause your bubble is so much easier and safer and more convenient to digest...and convenience in its essence is born of privilege... Again going to post a very straight forward and DUH rendering of what's gone on and is still going on because of the majority's inability or unwillingness to part with their convenience...