George Floyd

[cecil]

I had to post this. I think she would Love my Fighting Tops.
https://youtu.be/Fuw1VkXss2o

[ta0]

Floyd was arrested for just writing a bad check. He was unarmed. He was murdered while in custody. The commentator on the video doesn't deny that.
Too many black people have died that way in the hands of police. That's what's really important, not Floyd's background. That's why the Black Lives Matter message is so important.

[Mermouy]

Floyd was arrested for just writing a bad check. He was unarmed. He was murdered while in custody. The commentator on the video doesn't deny that.
Too many black people have died that way in the hands of police. That's what's really important, not Floyd's background. That's why the Black Lives Matter message is so important.
#Black Lives Matter

+1

[Jeremy McCreary]

Maybe Floyd wasn't a saint. And maybe coworker reports that Floyd and Chauvin had butted heads when bouncing at the same club are true.

The fact remains that Floyd was brazenly murdered in cold blood by 4 cops in public in broad daylight. Over a $20 infraction. Without resisting arrest. And they clearly thought they'd get away with it. And they might well still.

Even as an isolated incident, that deserved peaceful public protest. As the last straw in a long series of black lives taken unnecessarily -- and largely without consequence -- by police and vigilantes across the US just in the last few years, it deserves loud condemnation by every American in a way that our officials can no longer ignore. Now it's clearly racial in many cases. Next, it could well be political.

Most cops are brave human beings with good intentions and a laudable call to serve. My nephew's a cop, and I admire him for it. Remember, cops are forced into dangerous and ambiguous situations everyday. Some are shot in traffic stops. Little wonder that tragic mistakes are sometimes made in the fog of confrontation.

But many departments and police unions have clearly evolved very dysfunctional "corporate cultures", legal protections, and power structures that effectively lower the psychological barriers to honest mistakes while giving the few sociopaths in their ranks a perceived green light to carry out their own commonly racist agendas.

Sadly, it will take decades to end systemic racism in the US. It's just too baked in now to vanish overnight, no matter what we do. But we have an opportunity to make some real progress in this moment. And the most pressing need by far is to break those dangerous law enforcement patterns and practices. For everyone's sake.

Black lives matter.

[cecil]

Thank you for your response. But To me it's all about a good family - good friends, and a good Education. Also I have worked my whole life - I've worked with one Endian and maybe six Blacks. So where are they at? And if you're looking for a good fight - I will show up with the BEST trick fighters in the World. I was taught by the Best.😇

[jim in paris]

thanx Cecil for opening the subject , even if you did it from a narrow window..
to me the problem of racism and  violence goes far beyond "a good family , friends and a decent job"

at least the minimum is to go to the polls to vote for restricting the access to firearms and ammunition
and to establish a zero tolerance for any racial discrimination
the issue of police violence will be hard to eradicate


JUSTICE !



jim

[cecil]

Thanks Jim. Why I put this video up is that Candise, was able to get me out of the fear I was in - about saying anything for fear of my family. Hope some day this will be a free world - out of fear and hunger. And playing with my tops which are the a Best in the World. I don't want to split a top I just want to smack it out of the park.

[the Earl of Whirl]

It is not easy being a police officer.  The problem with videos like this is that they don't show what happened before the encounter.  Still, the officer was wrong in his nearly nine minute neck hold.

It also seems that it is also not easy being a black man.  I walk a lot at night and I now know that I could not do that if my skin were any darker.  The stories that are coming out about this are eye opening. 

We had a very peaceful and well organized protest march last week in downtown Miamisburg.  Afterwards, I heard from someone that there were like a hundred white men in the downtown area with concealed pistols ready in case of emergency.  That kind of shocked me.  It made me wonder if we were that close to a shootout.  I can't help but think of the words to a song I do at open mic night....."Come on people now.  Smile on your brother.  Everybody get together and love one another right now."

[jmadrigal]

Condemning everyone in a group for the actions of a few individuals is wrong. Isn't this what minorities are fighting to break?  I believe we need to start looking at the good this country does instead of focusing on the bad. We need to stop pointing fingers and look at changing ourselves. More government and regulation will not improve our lives. You don't have to think very hard to see who benefits from what is happening and it's not black communities.

[the Earl of Whirl]

Happy Juneteenth!!!

[the Earl of Whirl]

My Juneteenth went fairly well.  I got a box of red candy from Grandpa Joe's candy store in Miamisburg and gave them out wherever I went saying "happy Juneteenth."  There were a number of people who talked to me about the day and I had the opening to chat with them about it.  Red is the color of the day to represent the blood shed during slavery.  Next year I want to take this one more step and give out red candy along with red tops!!!

[the Earl of Whirl]

In reaction to all of the recent events, some young Miamisburg people worked with the mayor to put together a great event in our top spinning area at Riverfront Park.  It was called a "Bridges Event - for racial equality."  It was well organized and well attended.....including many from the police force!  One of the speakers referred to Ruby Bridges.  Does anyone know that name?  She is the young six year old student who was the first black student in an all-white school back in 1960.  The poor little gal was met with a LOT of protestors on her way to school in New Orleans.  Norman Rockwell painted a famous piece about the incident.  At our Miamisburg event, it was brought up that she visited Miamisburg and gave a speech at a local elementary school!!!  I had no idea.

[the Earl of Whirl]

https://www.thoughtco.com/the-problem-we-all-live-with-rockwell-183005

[the Earl of Whirl]

It is 2024 and it is Juneteenth.  I have my red shirt on.  I am giving out red candy.  I am also spinning red tops.  I invite you to join me with your red tops as we remember those more than 250,000 people who were free for 2 1/2 years but did not know it until the first Juneteenth.

[Shootist]

 If your interested in the George Floyd case, look up this video. "The Fall of Minneapolis"