Usa

[AP69]

I’m not denying officers were injured in the summer. However I don’t recall protestors having the luxury or even entitlement of literally taking swings at officers and tackling them to the ground.

2 wrongs don’t make a right or the point being made any less valid. Aye black on black crime statistically kills more black people than police do. It does not mean people should keep quiet about the injustice of what we are witnessing.

People are policed differently based on the colour of their skin. It is there for the whole world to see clear as day now after yesterday’s events.

They are policed differently because of the crime in those areas.
BLM have had the chance to do so much but have chosen not to do anything in their own communities.
They are promoting black only areas, they are actually going back to segregation ffs.

[Zippity]

With regards the confederate flag, I have a St Andrews flag. What’s the difference?

This isn't having another go at Mids...we've had that discussion but that's a fair question so I'll expand on what I said earlier. The Confederate flag was always the symbol of an oppressive regime and will forever be a symbol of the worst aspects of those times. Whatever other values the 'South represented', they are not the ones being celebrated by those who fly it now. No, not every person who rallies behind the confederate flag is racist....but I suspect the vast majority of them are. Far right American groups all use it as an important symbol precisely because of what it represents. The flag of St Andrew is a positive symbol of pride in a nation who don't have that appalling background and hasn't been appropriated by racists.

To address Geordie's point, the flag of St George should be exactly the same as the Scottish saltire and a lot of positive work has gone into reclaiming it from the morons in the national front, etc because there's nothing wrong with being patriotic (the national front and their ilk have a very different interpretation of what patriotism means)

[BenArfa10]

They are policed differently because of the crime in those areas.
BLM have had the chance to do so much but have chosen not to do anything in their own communities.
They are promoting black only areas, they are actually going back to segregation ffs.

They should not be treated as a threat because of the colour of their skin, no matter what area they live in. There is such a rush to use physical and even lethal force as we have seen in numerous infamous cases. I honestly find it hard to imagine an officer kneeling on someone’s windpipe for 8mins that is not a person of colour. That has nowt to do with crime in the area and everything to do with him not valuing a mans life because of the colour of their skin imho.

Agree with you that BLM matter are awfully quiet about the gun crime in places like Chicago. However their organisation is one whose stated aim is Anti-Police brutality and highlighting how it affects people of colour. The contrast in responses was on full display in the Capitol yesterday and epitomises the point they are trying to make. It’s not asking a lot to be treated equally.

Black only areas? I haven’t heard about this and it sounds extreme. Is that really one of their stated goals/solutions to the problem of police brutality? On their website? Or is it a handful extremists in the organisation saying it? Or the vast majority saying it?

[AP69]

They should not be treated as a threat because of the colour of their skin, no matter what area they live in. There is such a rush to use physical and even lethal force as we have seen in numerous infamous cases. I honestly find it hard to imagine an officer kneeling on someone’s windpipe for 8mins that is not a person of colour. That has nowt to do with crime in the area and everything to do with him not valuing a mans life because of the colour of their skin imho.

Agree with you that BLM matter are awfully quiet about the gun crime in places like Chicago. However their organisation is one whose stated aim is Anti-Police brutality and highlighting how it affects people of colour. The contrast in responses was on full display in the Capitol yesterday and epitomises the point they are trying to make. It’s not asking a lot to be treated equally.

Black only areas? I haven’t heard about this and it sounds extreme. Is that really one of their stated goals/solutions to the problem of police brutality? On their website? Or is it a handful extremists in the organisation saying it? Or the vast majority saying it?

Look on YouTube for the white lad dying from the same thing.

We are going around in circles here but if you were a police officer I guarantee your policing methods would be different. Its human nature.

I believe its from the top echelons of the movement.

Been a good discussion but probably better signing it off now.

Ill try and think of a positive newcastle thread....

[toptoon]

This isn't having another go at Mids...we've had that discussion but that's a fair question so I'll expand on what I said earlier. The Confederate flag was always the symbol of an oppressive regime and will forever be a symbol of the worst aspects of those times. Whatever other values the 'South represented', they are not the ones being celebrated by those who fly it now. No, not every person who rallies behind the confederate flag is racist....but I suspect the vast majority of them are. Far right American groups all use it as an important symbol precisely because of what it represents. The flag of St Andrew is a positive symbol of pride in a nation who don't have that appalling background and hasn't been appropriated by racists.

To address Geordie's point, the flag of St George should be exactly the same as the Scottish saltire and a lot of positive work has gone into reclaiming it from the morons in the national front, etc because there's nothing wrong with being patriotic (the national front and their ilk have a very different interpretation of what patriotism means)

I can see what you’re saying Zip but I’ll agree to disagree on this. You, personally look at the saltire and think of it in one way and then look at the confederate flag and think of it in another way. That is your view. Personally I look at the latter and think of it as a flag which represented the south of USA - nothing more than that.
If you take a flag like the swastika (which, ironically was originally a symbol of peace) used by the nazis then that is different as it clearly represented a way of thinking and not a geographical state, as the saltire and confederate flag do.

We have to be careful not to look at objects and events and immediately label them as discriminatory or racist. If a white man is chosen for a job ahead of a black man, many today immediately shout racism. In this case the only racist may be the person making the accusation (ie. noone was thinking about race before he mentioned it).

[toptoon]

They are policed differently because of the crime in those areas.
BLM have had the chance to do so much but have chosen not to do anything in their own communities.
They are promoting black only areas, they are actually going back to segregation ffs.

I would invite the BLM leaders to accompany the police when they go on drug raids in any community in the states. Once they’d experienced the adrenaline and fear that these officers suffer they may hold a more balanced view.

[Ragatino]

the funny thing is that the Trump Hysteria is precisely the same as the Tories and Farage did exactly the same thing with Brexit.

But that's fun

[toptoon]

the funny thing is that the Trump Hysteria is precisely the same as the Tories and Farage did exactly the same thing with Brexit.

But that's fun

Hmmm, not really. The Trump supporters don’t respect an election result whereas Brexit was voted for in a referendum.

[Cannylad]

the funny thing is that the Trump Hysteria is precisely the same as the Tories and Farage did exactly the same thing with Brexit.

But that's fun

Total 'kin rubbish mate.