O/T:- Mr George Floyd RIP

[maddogslater]

Turn the rock over over in which they have crawled back under.

[maddogslater]

Looks like the whole thing has now turned into a "look how much of an 'educated' non-racist I now am" competition. If this incident had been framed as those in power kneeling on the necks of the rest of us (rather than it being all about skin colour again), we might actually begin to make some progress. Change the drug laws, change the gun laws, put an end to homelessness etc. but all we're going to get is British comedians apologizing for taking the pee out of black celebrities on some *** tv show made over 20 years ago and footballers displaying slogans on t-shirts after they score, so they can feel they are making a difference whilst in reality, nothing changes. It's pathetic.

Very thoughtful post, entirely agree

[queenslandpie]

Very thoughtful post, entirely agree

Yes this is where I am at but someone has already seen fit to label me a racist. In fact judging me without knowing me whilst the same time probably telling everyone that black lives matter. Oh the ironing.

[maddogslater]

Yes this is where I am at but someone has already seen fit to label me a racist. In fact judging me without knowing me whilst the same time probably telling everyone that black lives matter. Oh the ironing.

There's more political sheep in this country than the woolly ones you have over there, it's like people can't think for themselves anymore or distinguish right from wrong.

[countygump]

Just when you think Trump can't go any lower, he manages to prove you wrong. His claim that George Floyd will "hopefully be looking down and thinking what a great day it is because unemployment has fallen" just beggars belief and makes you wonder about Trump's mental state.
On the plus side, at last Joe Biden has said something worthwhile by replying "George Floyd's last words, 'I can't breathe, I can't breathe,' have echoed all across this nation...For the president to try to put any other words in the mouth of George Floyd I frankly think is despicable."

Trump's speech was cringeworthy beyond belief.

[BigFatPie]

This from Paul Lewis, the journalist who exposed the video of Ian Tomlinson being pushed over;

‘There have been 1741 deaths in police custody or following contact with officers, documented by the UK monitoring group Inquest, since 1990. Not a single police officer during that period has been convicted of manslaughter or murder.’

[DaveSmithRules]

I think it's entirely understandable as well, it seems you have completely misinterpreted what I have said. I can tell you now that I absolutely have not lead a life of privilege as you put it. I was (am) from working class parents who had little and everything I have now I have earnt and not been given. There were no hand outs for me and no purchased University place etc. If you want to judge me on the basis of the post that's your call and I hope you have a great day.

QLP. Thanks for your genuine and disarming post. It is appreciated.

The thing I admire about the #BlackLivesMatter movement is it's a focused campaign with the genuine and ambitious campaign to end institutional racism against black people. That might never be possible in our lifetimes as it's undoing hundreds of years of racism, but it's a motive to be applauded first and foremost (except by racists). In a week where it seems more obvious than ever this is still a problem i'm prepared to call people out if I suspect they're concentrating on those minor faults - because that's what racists also do to keep racism going. However, I may have also misinterpreted some of what you were saying in doing that. Thanks for coming back to me.

In terms of 'white privilege' it's a very different thing to 'class privilege' (which is also an issue in society but an unrelated one). There's a good article that explains some of that here > https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/f...ivilege-really

This is a good week for white people to listen and learn things and grow as both people and a species. Like other people have pointed out with Trump, £millions, Covid, social media/ media pandering etc there are various other nuances right now that you can see around this. But to concentrate on those nuances is a problem in itself if you begin to ignore the root cause again as a result.

“I'd rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever.” -Adam 'Ad-Rock' Horovitz

[sidders]

When this unfortunate individual was allegedly suffocated by the police he was apparently high on meth, apparently used stolen money and had definitely had several previous stints in prison. As a direct result of this several hundred million (billion?) dollars worth of damage has been caused by rioters, looters, protestors and so on. Cops at fault or U.S. society? Perhaps a cunning way for Trump to hide the Corona headline? However the way the police reacted was wrong and they are nasty racist and so on according to opinion. In the meantime everyone jumps on the social media bandwagon and posts about how black lives matter and so on and so forth, most of it being a load of of token horse manure because if they don't they might lose business / popularity and so on. I'm at a loss. Still 70AU cents to the dollar again. Glad I live in nowheresville.

*******s to the USA.

Reread this post, Queenie. I accept you're no racist and that you've had to plough your own furrow. However, I can see why DSR jumped to the conclusions he did (but now seems to have stepped back from).
For example, the way you have worded it makes it look like you blame the criminality of George Floyd for the rioting and looting that has followed, ('as a direct result of this').
For example, in another post, you look forward to the return of Tarquin Beech. If you cannot see the inherent racism in the bulk of his posts then you don't recognise racism when it stands up and shouts at you.
Most Brits and over 95% of those on this board think racism is something imagined by the BAME communities. In this regard, the current review into why so many more BAME folk have suffered from Covid-19 than 'whites' should prove interesting reading.
You, like me, are English born and bred. Are we in a good position to see the injustices suffered by BAME communities? The best we can do is to listen hard and make the best judgements we can.

[Riverleeno]

Reread this post, Queenie. I accept you're no racist and that you've had to plough your own furrow. However, I can see why DSR jumped to the conclusions he did (but now seems to have stepped back from).
For example, the way you have worded it makes it look like you blame the criminality of George Floyd for the rioting and looting that has followed, ('as a direct result of this').
For example, in another post, you look forward to the return of Tarquin Beech. If you cannot see the inherent racism in the bulk of his posts then you don't recognise racism when it stands up and shouts at you.
Most Brits and over 95% of those on this board think racism is something imagined by the BAME communities. In this regard, the current review into why so many more BAME folk have suffered from Covid-19 than 'whites' should prove interesting reading.
You, like me, are English born and bred. Are we in a good position to see the injustices suffered by BAME communities? The best we can do is to listen hard and make the best judgements we can.

Where do you get the 95% figure from? Are you one of the 5%? I ask because you say 'the best we can do is to listen hard and make the best judgements we can'. So if you accept those 5% still need to learn maybe it's a bit more nuanced than labelling people as racist (and damning them) or not, and not for you to be the arbiter of who is racist.
Could I ask why someone 'English born and bred' can't see injustice? Would a black Englishman not see injustices to the BAME community?

[magpie_mania]

15,000 people gathered in Manchester, completely ignoring the Govts appeal not to.

But it is OK - the 'organisers' have told them to socially distance.

Totally irresponsible.