[News] Black Lives Matter

[The Middle Ground]

I find it quite shocking how people want insult and abuse each other when they all mean well, but maybe think they can achieve progress in different ways. There are those that call out so called ‘virtue signalling’, others that accuse them of doing the same, and then the abusive call of ‘gammon’ which is almost racist in its own way.

Very sad all round.

 

[zefarelly]

And people laud figures like Churchill who was a vile racist. .

A racist and a vehement europhile . . .somewhat at odds with a majority of his fans.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

The situation in Zimbabwe is terrible, and has been for a couple of decades. But it doesn't excuse violence and brutality elsewhere.

Where did I say it did? Brutality towards black people is brutality wherever it happens and it all needs to be addressed. I last visited Zimbabwe five years ago and it was relatively calm then, but its been on a vicious downward spiral ever since. The lives of these gentle people, also victims, matter too.If BLM is an international sentiment it needs to apply everywhere.

 

[Bakero]

Simply not enough solemn yet vague white-on-black text image things on social media today...

View attachment 124418

Good piece by Jonathan Liew today on corporate insincerity https://www.theguardian.com/sport/b...uch-for-corporate-sports-on-brand-insincerity

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Where did I say it did? Brutality towards black people is brutality wherever it happens and it all needs to be addressed. I last visited Zimbabwe five years ago and it was relatively calm then, but its been on a vicious downward spiral ever since. The lives of these gentle people, also victims, matter too.If BLM is an international sentiment it needs to apply everywhere.

Common sense

 

[Triggaaar]

People who say 'All lives matter'. What is it with you? Are you so dense that you can't work out what 'Black lives matter' means? Or are you a racist trying to diminish the BLM protests? I can't really think of many other options. It's not difficult to understand.

Like you say, it's not difficult to understand. The only reasonable explanation I can think of is an initial response when not yet knowing what the BLM movement means. Without understanding the movement, it could be reasonable to think 'well surely all lives matter', because of course they do. But anyone who has had a chance to see the point of the movement, can't be against it without being monumentally thick or racist. Often both.

 

[A1X]

Where did I say it did? Brutality towards black people is brutality wherever it happens and it all needs to be addressed. I last visited Zimbabwe five years ago and it was relatively calm then, but its been on a vicious downward spiral ever since. The lives of these gentle people, also victims, matter too.If BLM is an international sentiment it needs to apply everywhere.

I'm not aware that BLM have ever said that they don't care about the people of Zimbabwe, however as an organisation founded in America off the back of racisl discrimination and violence in America surely it shouldn't come as a massive shock to you that the initial source of their outrage is the USA?

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

I'm not aware that BLM have ever said that they don't care about the people of Zimbabwe, however as an organisation founded in America off the back of racisl discrimination and violence in America surely it shouldn't come as a massive shock to you that the initial source of their outrage is the USA?

I'm fully aware of how and why this movement originated. I simply made a comment that it would be good if it's sentiments, as an International movement, should be extended to black people, who are being brutalised, everywhere. If you want to continue misinterpreting the simple point I am making, that is entirely up to you.

 

[sydney]

Far right, far left or in the middle makes no difference. Did it stop large elements of the Labour Party from indulging in overt anti-semitism? Did it stop Paki bashing in the 70's by white British? Did it stop communist witch hunts in America in the 50's, aimed totally at the white middle class. Does your political persuasion influence Islamaphobia? The Pride movement largely arose out of persecution by all sectors of society.
The problem in the States stems from their history of ' racial segregation '...white v non-white...white implying purity...people of colour being racially sub-divided into a category of low importance. This ethos still exists. It is not racial prejudice, in its many forms, its colour prejudice. Black v White. Its the product of an under-developed society. Mentally and socially immature. In the 2000 census in the USA, two of the five self-designated races were labelled by colour. White referring to European/Middle Eastern or North African descent. Black ( African/American ) referring to African origin. The other three races have no colour definition. The UK and USA are both multi racial societies but thats where the similarity ends. We have a 1000+ year history of outward looking expansionism and integration, which eventually leads to more social tolerance. The USA has about 250 years of history, predominantly insular and a marked inability to integrate. Even a black president didn't change attitudes. The divide is burned deep into their souls and it could take a very, very long time for fundamental change.
Thats not to say that change of attitude can't be achieved. Rosa Parks, Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X, Martin L King etc set the ball rolling. The evangelical driving force that was needed at that time to shake the country up. They did the groundwork. Others did their part later. But here we are now with a mixed up/f--ked up society. Acceptable that Black artists ( listened to by millions ) can use the ' N ' word regularly and write fairly inciteful lyrics, whilst use of that language in white society is strictly taboo. Acceptable that white supremacist organisations can flourish and meet, with no police intervention, spouting their vile infective at all who are stupid enough to listen. Its a complete and utter multi racial/ black and white mess.
This situation has invoked anger but it doesn't excuse individuals taking to the streets, doing millions of pounds worth of damage, looting and burning other people's hard earned livelihoods ( many of them black owned businesses ) reducing black policeman to tears and despair and losing sympathy in many quarters. We had it in this country in 2011. It didn't achieve anything apart from those who looted and gained extra goods for themselves. Keep educating the young. Make sure they integrate with all and gradually, the succeeding generations will turn this around.

they had a man in JFK who was nurturing a more inclusive ,tolerant society......look what happened to him , America is a sick place , it's police force is largely out of control , gun toting megalomaniacs.......drunk on their own power but the sickness goes a lot deeper than that , this is why we are seeing this outrageous reaction to the death of Mr Floyd.......a truly disturbing execution by a pig who was clearly on the border sanity , i mean what the frig was he thinking , i hope they electrocute the ****er.......there are a lot of alternative forces at work in the U.S now , i would not want to be living there.

 

[A1X]

I'm fully aware of how and why this movement originated. I simply made a comment that it would be good if it's sentiments, as an International movement, should be extended to black people, who are being brutalised, everywhere. If you want to continue misinterpreting the simple point I am making, that is entirely up to you.

And likewise if you want to keep bringing up irrelevant points which appear to have no purpose other than to try a bit of "whataboutism" then be my guest. Just don't be surprised if you get pulled up on it.

 

[sydney]

Not at all, it's just that Zimbabweans have no voice. This sort of stuff happens every day out there, yet hardly makes the news.

i have visited Zim six times but not been back since 2012.......what has happened there is criminal , there is no other word , however look at atrocities carried out in Syria , West Papua , East Timor , Somalia and DRC to name a few ,thousands of civilians murdered , pure , wholesale genocide , it's ignored ........strange then that there is such a meltdown over the murder of a single black male in the States.......i'm not trying to start an argument in any way ,i support BLM and i have quite a few black mates of African and West indian origin but this explosion of anger in the States is OTT and i fear that really bad things are going to happen in the coming days .......rioters are not abating and the national guard are mobilised , every ****er has guns....wtf...??

 

[Razzoo]

You don't think that the UK Mirrors the US ?


The British people just voted in at a landslide. A Prime Minister who referred to Muslim Women as ''Letter Boxes''

A Government who on the whole got their ticket to Downing Street backed by people who want to turn their back on the Humanitarian Issues of Migrants fleeing War Zones.

I don't want to go on because I could be here for hours. This Government rode to Power on the backs of many people with the same views as Donald Trump's Supporters in the US. If you don't think that we are mirroring the US then I would suggest that the US are probably mirroring the UK.

I obviously don't include all Trump or Johnson Supporters in my above Synopsis. That would be foolish of me to suggest that; however, those views exist in many of their supporters and to dismiss it - It is no wonder there is a need for the ''Black Lives Matter Movement''

If the Migrant Camps around the World were full of white people then there would be more of an Urgency for Governments to put together Aid packages to solve it.

That Police killing is just the tip of the iceberg. Watching a White Man slowly extinguish the life of a Black Man on film over a 10 minute period is a tough watch for anyone. All police officers attending that should have been charged with murder. Perhaps some of them would have been judged to be innocent by virtue of the fact that their part in the killing was non existent or minimal but they should all be charged for a Jury to decide and it should have happened instantly.

As a Society we all need to take a long hard look at ourselves.

Watching people die around the World when they could be saved. I feel Guilty and I have no power to prevent it. Collectively we have the Power to help prevent some of it. But to bury our head in the sands and claim this is an issue in the US and not on our own Doorsteps ? - That just doesn't wash with me.

I am not going to enter into a lengthy debate about the evils of racism either. Maybe you can take some comfort that over 200 years ago a white Yorkshireman was instrumental in the abolition of the slave trade.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

i have visited Zim six times but not been back since 2012.......what has happened there is criminal , there is no other word , however look at atrocities carried out in Syria , West Papua , East Timor , Somalia and DRC to name a few ,thousands of civilians murdered , pure , wholesale genocide , it's ignored ........strange then that there is such a meltdown over the murder of a single black male in the States.......i'm not trying to start an argument in any way ,i support BLM and i have quite a few black mates of African and West indian origin but this explosion of anger in the States is OTT and i fear that really bad things are going to happen in the coming days .......rioters are not abating and the national guard are mobilised , every ****er has guns....wtf...??

This article is from 2015, it highlights your point about the anger.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...hard-for-me-to-get-behind-black-lives-matter/

 

[The Albion Roar]

I am treating all people I meet as I find them. I think that's enough. I teach my child to do the same. I think that America has the massive problem of the hangover of slavery also they are generally more likely to own and use guns.. I don't think their race problems mirror ours in the UK. Theirs is a way more divisive society and that is sad.

Funny, far-right wing racists and certain American police do that too.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

And likewise if you want to keep bringing up irrelevant points which appear to have no purpose other than to try a bit of "whataboutism" then be my guest. Just don't be surprised if you get pulled up on it.

"Pulled up" by you? I dont think so, please dont flatter yourself

 

[NooBHA]

The history of the empire should be taught in schools, without it so many people in this country will think those problems on exist ‘over there’. There’s a reason the evil character in cartoons and movies often has a British voice, it’s relatable for a large part of the world.

It actually was taught in my school in the 1960s an 70s

The Problem is - It was taught from a '' The White British are Dominant Great Nation '' - People of my age group will remember all those maps on the Classroom walls where every country coloured in pink their teachers proudly claimed was British.

How sad is that - It took me about 25 years and my own research to realise that what I was taught bore no resemblance to the reality of the situation.

I am in my 50s and went out of my way to question what I was taught and educate myself on the subject - So many others of my age group never revisited the subject and the lies and deception which they were fed has passed down the Generations.

Should we re-visit this in schools now ? - YES ABSOLUTELY and teach it from a factual perspective.

Will it do any good ? - Yes of course it will but I don't think the effects of that will have any lasting effect for about 30 years but that doesn't mean that we don't try.

 

[NooBHA]

I am not going to enter into a lengthy debate about the evils of racism either. Maybe you can take some comfort that over 200 years ago a white Yorkshireman was instrumental in the abolition of the slave trade.

You might want to called it ''Abolition'' but every slave owner in the UK who owned a slave had to be paid, and paid handsomely they were by the British Government for those slaves to be set free.

And what did many of them do with their money ?

They bought sugar Plantations in the US and the West Indies where they owned even more slaves and made even more money Exporting Sugar back to the UK.

I applaud that Yorkshireman for what he did - But he failed to change hearts and minds and that is what is needed if you are to eradicate Racism.

 

[Razzoo]

Funny, far-right wing racists and certain American police do that too.

I worded that badly, I will judge people on their actions and the content of their character. Nothing else.

 

[symyjym]

Minneapolis is a Democrat led city and has been since 1976.

Please fact check the following: The Chief of Police is a Democrat, the Mayor, Governor and Attorney General are Democrats too. George Floyd's death happened under the Democratic authority and at the hands of their police.

It is ironic that the Democrats are now fanning the flames for rioting in the US and globally, when this awful event happened under their own jurisdiction. and that George Floyd is now being used as a mascot for their own political gain in the next election.

Make of this what you will.

 

[carlzeiss]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwzQT2sa8rU