TFRazor

I’m not sure the “if you don’t like it, you can leave line” is really a good tack to take. Because then people can just flip it around and point at the protesters and say the same thing. Would you want someone on here dropping” well if the protesters dont like how policing is done in the country they can move somewhere else”? Just my two pennies

Seriously. What you’re asserting is that the entire law enforcement establishment is systemically racist. You don’t fix that by firing a couple of people. You tear it down and start over. IF that is the case, I’ll be right there with you doing it. All I’m asking for is that you provide the evidence that would show that’s what is required. Now please do me a favor, take a step back. If you were a neutral observer reading this, and saw someone ask for evidence that law enforcement is systemically racist, and the response they received was that the request for proof/evidence was “silly”, and that response doesn’t SCARE the hell out of you then we might as well abandon this line right now because we aren’t going to reach a point where either one of us is satisfied with the outcome.

So me asking you for evidence of your assertion that police are systemically racist is now silly? If you can’t prove the positive, why exactly are you asking me to prove the negative? If I asserted to you that I thought the Twins coaching and recruiting system produced the best ball players in the history of baseball, would you just take my word for it? No. You’d ask me to provide the statistical evidence that led me to that conclusion. If we do that for something as trivial as baseball, you’d better believe I’m going to ask you to provide some cold, hard facts to back up your claim that the entire profession of law enforcement is systemically racist. Also, no one has argued that there are no cops who are racist. Both of these things can be true. There can be cops who are racists in a system that isn’t. Saying, as you point out, that if there’s a few lowlifes in the system, the entire system is now corrupt, is the same as saying since some residents of Minneapolis are twins fans, all residents are twins fans. You are painting the many with a brush that is justified for only the few.

Can you prove statistically that what we have is the latter causing the former? Because if not then no, it isn’t a good working description.

I don't think anyone on here is refusing to acknowledge that there's a problem. It seems as if everyone agrees that police brutality, indeed brutality of any kind, is wrong. The disconnect seems to be on the cause of the brutality. There are those that believe it stems from a racist system that targets a particular minority because of their skin color. Others believe the problem stems from that fact that some people (and please forgive my swearing even though I know it's going to come up as an asterisk) are *******s and huge pieces of human excrement who work their way into positions of authority where their evil deeds can affect people. Again, there is no disconnect on the problem. It's on the cause. I'm just afraid that sometimes we can forget that.

Excellent thank you.

Serious question, are you guys planning on donating the money you're getting from the ads I'm seeing on this article to an organization that's trying to affect change? Seems like it would be appropriate. Also is there a list anywhere of such organizations so people could donate?

Ok so just running down the list: "First, the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. Pretty much everything you listed in the first sentence was illegal 55 years ago and some of it was disappearing 65+ years ago." Yes. We are making progress. After all, if what I listed was disappearing 65 years ago, then by definition we are making progress from where we were before. Also the Civil Rights Act. Again. Progress. "Nowhere did I mention intent; in fact, I very intentionally avoided that word because I don't believe most people are intentionally racist. I'm not assuming people are working from any bad motive other than "comfort". It's awful to feel like individual inaction has led to larger consequence and that discomfort leads to... well, what we see in this thread. And it should feel awful to realize we're all part of a system that perpetuates this violence. That doesn't mean everyone here is a white supremacist in the making, which is why I specifically used the King quotes I selected." If we are a part of a system that perpetuates violence, then logically, the only way for that system to continue is for it to create more people willing to do said violence. Now by context, I assume that you are saying that you believe race is the determining factor on why that violence is being done. If I'm wrong then you have my apology. Now, if the system of violence based on race is perpetuating itself by creating new members who are willing to partake in the system, then yes, You are saying that everyone who joins the organization in question (ie. Cops) is a white supremacist in the making. You believe that the system is creating racists. Hence it could happen to anyone who joins. Why else would they be doing what they are doing? The only logical assumption left is that people are joining said system (ie. Cops) because they either already are racist or because they want to join a system of perpetual violence. That equals intent. You can't have a system without intent. "The point of the article, and my King quotes, are that a person doesn't have to run around screaming the N word to help prop up a system that literally puts its knee on the neck of a black man whenever it feels like it and almost never faces repercussions for doing so." As far as I'm aware, the man responsible for this act is in jail. Where he belongs. He's going to go to trial and I'd be willing to put money on the fact that he'll be found guilty and go to prison for quite some time. As are the men involved in the shooting in Georgia several weeks ago. As is the cop who shot the unarmed black man in South Carolina a couple of years ago. That's how the system is supposed to work. Your premise that there's a system of police targeting people with the intent to do them harm just isn't true. "So, instead of ignoring the problem, let's find our own individual ways to be better. Consider prioritizing politicians who try to enact real change instead of lip service, donate time and money when you can, speak out both publicly and privately to friends and family about how things need to change, be whatever change you can be. There is no right (or perfect) way to do this but if we all help in our own ways and stay pointed in the same general direction on this issue, change can finally come to America." I agree wholeheartedly with the spirit of this. The issue we come across is that not all agree with your premise that there is a system that is causing these ills. Some believe that what this shows is that there was an ******* who got a power trip from having a gun and a badge. He did something evil and he's going to pay for it. Some find the act of apportioning one man's blame onto a population at large just isn't right.

55 years ago black and white people had separate schools, water fountains, places to sit on the bus and the list goes on and on.... We had a man of African descent elected by the majority of the American people as President for two terms. He left office just 3 years ago. Did we forget that already? Is that "little" progress? Suggesting that people have racist intent, even if it's subconscious, is insulting. It's insulting because the person being accused of subconscious racism has no way of proving they aren't. You can deny until you're blue in the face but the other person will just go, "Well that's what you say, but deep down you are." No wonder these types of convos usually hit a wall. Assuming that the people you're working on a problem with have bad motives because they disagree with your starting premise does nothing to help find a solution. It's soft bigotry. It's ugly. And it should stop.

I personally think he's in. Won't be first ballot but he'll get there.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

Thank you. You've put my thoughts into words much better than I could.

It’s almost like people don’t like being blamed for something they had no part in. Weird.

Well on the bright side, at least this means Covid-19 isn’t a thing anymore. Haven’t heard a single complaint that these riots could lead to a second wave outbreak. That a relief.

Also Adding this as it was my initial response before I edited it. Transparency if nothing else: (So you're going with "black cops don't think their own lives matter"... Yeah, that makes sense.) You stated: 1. The blue lives matter gets trotted out whenever police are acting like black lives matter less in the course of them doing their work. 2. That using the blue lives matter motif is a trope used to deflect from another issue. 3. You asserted that it's "hard to find a black cop wearing that flag insignia". And following that up with a mention about how maybe you could with an exhaustive google search. (Just an aside I found one on the first page of a google search so it wasn't that difficult.) 4. You then say that it is an "exclusively white cop thing" Sorry, but I'm connecting the dots as you laid them down.

Are you claiming that cops behave like black lives aren't especially valuable in the course of doing their work? You're gonna need to provide some evidence of that assertion. And I'm not talking anecdotal, I mean hard statistics that show this is the case. Does that include black american cops? Do you become an honorary white guy when you put on a badge?

"To not speak up is to be complicit." That is a sword that cuts both ways. Not once in this article was mentioned the fact that these protests have almost immediately degenerated into riots. I also certainly didn't read a condemnation of said destruction of innocent peoples' personal property and livelihoods. You're remaining silent. By your own logic, you are complicit.

Why should he have to apologize for wearing a blue lives matter mask?

This is easy. Turtle power. He might not win, but he'll be entertaining for however long he lasts.

I will say this for Dozier, isn't really a "big" dude and he seemed to prefer getting pitches in tight that he could then pull over the wall, but every now and then he'd get a handle on one out over the plate and he would demolish it. Guys got legit power.

Scholar and a gentleman

Why hate on Bauer? As long as Max is at the plate I think he should be our favorite opposing pitcher. My pick: I. Can't. Stand. Puig.

I mean it's either give it away for charity or throw it in the trash can...

I don't know for certain but I'd be willing to bet Rickey Henderson is the one who did it. He stole 37 at the age of 40 and 36 at 41. And he probably would've been higher if he'd have played more games. He had 66 when he was 39.

I personally don't hate the Yankees... I loathe them with a passion.