Racism: glorified hyperbole in America

[Diemen]

To sum that link up:

- Members of the Dothan Police Department crimes unit, over the course of several years (potentially more than a decade), planted drugs and weapons on black men they arrested, in order to charge them with crimes they didn't commit.
- Several of these innocent men are still imprisoned.
- When concerned police officers learned of this, they filed complaints asking for an internal investigation
- During the course of the investigation, it was made clear that at least one officer was illegally holding drugs and weapons in his patrol unit, and when confronted by other officers, made statements hinting that they were for planting evidence
- During the course of the investigation, it was made clear that the police department's top management was aware of this and directly attempted to provide cover for it
- The internal investigation was halted and covered up by the department's management and the district attorney.
- The practice of planting evidence continued for several years after the internal investigation was halted. (ie - the district attorney knowingly prosecuted innocent black men for crimes they did not commit, and the internal investigation documenting improper use of evidence/planted evidence was never shared with defense attorneys)
- The police officers responsible for planting evidence, and those in management responsible for the cover up were/are all members of a Neo-Confederacy group that the Southern Poverty Law Center calls "racial extremists."
- Those in management responsible for the cover up were all promoted and now hold prominent positions in law enforcement in Alabama.

 

[trojanchick99]

Unfuckingbelievable. Wow. Yeah, all the things African Americans have been saying for decades are being proven as true. And people wonder why Americans don't trust law enforcement.


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[PhilsFan]

Can't wait for Iron Horse to ignore that and post some RWNJ blog post saying that actually the real problem is reverse racism.

 

[BVS]

http://reverbpress.com/politics/vil...ews-to-close-comments-on-malia-obama-article/

Even Fox News got sick of their own audiences' racism.

Trump's Merika 2016!!!


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[the iron horse]

I still stand by what I originally posted when I started this thread.

From what I said post 32 ...

-I did not say racism does not exists in America. Please name a country free of racism. This thread is about how racism is exaggerated and used so often when an event like the shooting of a young lack man in Ferguson, Missouri occurs.

-It is a terrible that Michael Brown was killed. I can't even imagine how sad his family must be. His death is something that could have been avoided.

-If the deadly force used by the officer was uncalled for, he or she (white or black) should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

-I don't know what happened. I don't know the details.

-This rush to judgment without knowing the facts is wrong.

-I realize there are "bad cops' out there. There are some rouge people everywhere.


This thread was about this mindless, who cares about the facts mob mentality
that rushes to blame every event on racism.


Do you know how it is going with the officers charged in Baltimore
in the death if Freddy Gray? It's the same as what happened in Ferguson.

http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/32...-defamation-suit-against-baltimore-prosecutor

Concerning the injustices posted by Dieman: Charge and convict them all if they are guilty.
Those crimes are unacceptable and should be punished.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Probably should have, ya know, titled tour thread "The Rush To Judgement in America" if that's the point you were going for... and you'd have an argument there.

But to say that racism in America is simply glorified hyperbole? You kinda sorta got the reaction you deserved.

 

[BVS]

I still stand by what I originally posted when I started this thread.

From what I said post 32 ...

-I did not say racism does not exists in America. Please name a country free of racism. This thread is about how racism is exaggerated and used so often when an event like the shooting of a young lack man in Ferguson, Missouri occurs.

Well I'm glad to see you've opened your eyes a little. Hopefully you'll come around to see how awful your title was and that turning blame on the "black community" and "race baiters" is part of the problem.

"Name me a country free of racism" is not an excuse, it's just turning yet another blind eye to the issue.

I'm sure you read this article earlier this week. I happened to scan the comments section, most have already been erased, but some were missed.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/05/2...ilty-on-all-charges-in-freddie-gray-case.html

Here's just a small taste:



Still just hyperbole?

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[Galeongirl]

Racism doesn't exist in North Korea. All hail our glorious leader.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Racism doesn't exist in North Korea. All hail our glorious leader.

I'm really not sure what's the relevance of this post other than a generic NK reference?

 

[Galeongirl]

I'm really not sure what's the relevance of this post other than a generic NK reference?

Simply a retort as ridiculous as the original statement..

-I did not say racism does not exists in America. Please name a country free of racism.

What does naming a country have to do with the current issue? Absolutely nothing. It's simply trying to make the issue less significant with a useless statement.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Understood.

 

[dazzledbylight]

Probably should have, ya know, titled tour thread "The Rush To Judgement in America" if that's the point you were going for... and you'd have an argument there.

But to say that racism in America is simply glorified hyperbole? You kinda sorta got the reaction you deserved.

This.

And IH too many white people still put particularly (but not just) young black, and dark latino men in the "here is trouble" category automatically.

 

[the iron horse]

I still stand by what I originally posted when I started this thread.

From what I said post 32 ...

-I did not say racism does not exists in America. Please name a country free of racism. This thread is about how racism is exaggerated and used so often when an event like the shooting of a young lack man in Ferguson, Missouri occurs.

-It is a terrible that Michael Brown was killed. I can't even imagine how sad his family must be. His death is something that could have been avoided.

-If the deadly force used by the officer was uncalled for, he or she (white or black) should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

-I don't know what happened. I don't know the details.

-This rush to judgment without knowing the facts is wrong.

-I realize there are "bad cops' out there. There are some rouge people everywhere.


This thread was about this mindless, who cares about the facts mob mentality
that rushes to blame every event on racism.


Do you know how it is going with the officers charged in Baltimore
in the death if Freddy Gray? It's the same as what happened in Ferguson.

Two officers file defamation suit against Baltimore prosecutor - FOX Carolina 21

Concerning the injustices posted by Dieman: Charge and convict them all if they are guilty.
Those crimes are unacceptable and should be punished.

Officer Caesar Goodson, one of the six officers involved, was cleared of all charges in the Freddie Gray case. He was facing the most severe charges.

Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby played the lynch mob and had her fifteen minutes of fame. The mob now disbanded have not been given any help from the city. Their neighborhoods are still the same and now with even a higher crime rate.

Whether she will continue in prosecuting the other three and still go forward with a new trial for the first officer’s mistrial, is yet to be known.

Baltimore police officer Lt. Gene Ryan said, “"We are more than certain that they too will be found to be without guilt. To continue this travesty is an insult to the tax-paying citizens of Baltimore who, at the end of the day, bear the full burden of the enormous costs of these trials that have no merit and continue to divide our city."

 

[Diemen]

Meanwhile Freddie Gray still died of severe blunt force trauma to the spine while handcuffed and unbuckled in the back of a police van.

 

[Irvine511]

Meanwhile Freddie Gray still died of severe blunt force trauma to the spine while handcuffed and unbuckled in the back of a police van.

I'm much more concerned that police officers were called racist when maybe they weren't.

That's what's really upsetting here.

 

[nbelcik]

I'm much more concerned that police officers were called racist when maybe they weren't.

That's what's really upsetting here.

It's not just a matter of the individual officers being racist. It's also a matter of the BPD as a whole being racist and carrying out racist policies, which it most certainly is. Racism is not just individual, it's institutional and structural.


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[nbelcik]

I have a question for this thread. Is anyone here a person of color? Shouldn't their voices be heard in a thread about racism? A bunch of white people talking about racism leads nowhere, we have to have the voices of people of color heard.


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[Diemen]

I miss Sean.

 

[Irvine511]

It's not just a matter of the individual officers being racist. It's also a matter of the BPD as a whole being racist and carrying out racist policies, which it most certainly is. Racism is not just individual, it's institutional and structural.

and it's upsetting to be called racist as such when a jury just acquitted someone. that proves there was no racism!

upsetting!

much worse than dead people.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I miss Sean.

So do I.

 

[deep]

I have a question for this thread. Is anyone here a person of color? Shouldn't their voices be heard in a thread about racism? A bunch of white people talking about racism leads nowhere, we have to have the voices of people of color heard.


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White people should only be allowed to admit guilt and apologize.

I miss Sean.

 

[nbelcik]

White people should only be allowed to admit guilt and apologize.

Or you know we should have input from people who are actually affected by racism.


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[anitram]

I think it would be better if we had more diverse views.

But then again, the majority of posters here seem to be men and they commonly tell us what women think, how they will vote, etc. Or straight people piping in with their thoughts about gay marriage (which does not affect them either).

 

[corianderstem]

There's not much we can do to diversify the discussion here. The site's demographics are the site's demographics. Then narrow it down to this forum.

Unless someone wants to drag U2BROTHR kicking and screaming into FYM.

 

[the iron horse]

It's not just a matter of the individual officers being racist. It's also a matter of the BPD as a whole being racist and carrying out racist policies, which it most certainly is. Racism is not just individual, it's institutional and structural.


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These six officers have had their careers destroyed and lives turn upside down. The fact that they were unjustly charged matters a lot. Thinking lawyers knew from the start Mosby did not have any evidence. Allowing mob rule is scary.

Where is the evidence that the BPD as a whole are carrying out racists policies?
I keep hearing the words "institutional and structural" racism and I just don't see it.

I'm not saying racism does not happen. Like the title of this thread, I'm just saying it is highly exaggerated to explain the real causes of actions and event. This keeps us from discussing the real problems and seeking solutions for them.

 

[Diemen]

These six officers have had their careers destroyed and lives turn upside down.

A young black man DIED of severe blunt force trauma to the spine while in their custody. But yes, won't somebody think about the officers, right?

The fact that they were unjustly charged matters a lot.

The fact that they were not convicted and/or there was not enough evidence to convict does not mean that they didn't do anything wrong.

I keep hearing the words "institutional and structural" racism and I just don't see it.

I'm not surprised you don't see it. But when a young black man is left handcuffed and unsecured on the back of a police van and dies as a result of injuries sustained during that ride, and no one on the police force is held accountable, many people see that as an example of institutional and structural racism. A system so rigged against minorities that you can die while handcuffed and being tossed around the back of a police van and people will still say it was your fault.

Like the title of this thread, I'm just saying it is highly exaggerated to explain the real causes of actions and event. This keeps us from discussing the real problems and seeking solutions for them.

The real problem is racism.

 

[BVS]

The fact that they were unjustly charged matters a lot. Thinking lawyers knew from the start Mosby did not have any evidence. Allowing mob rule is scary.

Well I guess since 7 Republican lead investigations found that Clinton had no wrongdoing in Benghazi; she's innocent and you will accuse your fellow conservatives of mob rule?

Oh wait...

 

[nbelcik]

Where is the evidence that the BPD as a whole are carrying out racists policies?
I keep hearing the words "institutional and structural" racism and I just don't see it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Jim_Crow

You don't see it because you're not looking.


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[Irvine511]

Like climate change, acknowledging institutional racism is uncomfortable and challenging and might cause us to question our choices and assumptions.

 

[nbelcik]

Like climate change, acknowledging institutional racism is uncomfortable and challenging and might cause us to question our choices and assumptions.

Yup, acknowledging institutional racism and the way racism permeates all aspects of American life caused me to reexamine my own past views on race in America and how my whiteness has affected my life and who I am. The Trayvon Martin case is what caused me to become more aware of the racial issues in this country, I was the same age as he was when he was murdered. That case really made me question my beliefs and values.


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