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LarsMac
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Post by LarsMac »

So, to really understand what happened in Ferguson, Missouri, and is happening around the US, I believe that an historical perspective is needed.

These articlea are about another thread in the history of America.

One Lawyer's Fight For Young Blacks And 'Just Mercy' : NPR

http://ideas.ted.com/how-americas-justi ... -children/

We have come a long way from the days of Selma and Meridian, and Birmingham. Bull Connor no longer rules the roost.

But...

We still have a long way to go.

And if we don't want to see more events like Ferguson, we need get on down that road.
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flopstock
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Post by flopstock »

LarsMac;1476016 wrote: So, to really understand what happened in Ferguson, Missouri, and is happening around the US, I believe that an historical perspective is needed.

These articlea are about another thread in the history of America.

One Lawyer's Fight For Young Blacks And 'Just Mercy' : NPR

Just a little boy: How our justice system failed our children | ideas.ted.com

We have come a long way from the days of Selma and Meridian, and Birmingham. Bull Connor no longer rules the roost.

But...

We still have a long way to go.

And if we don't want to see more events like Ferguson, we need get on down that road.


We need to start with the basics, IMO.

One of my friends here at work, gets our Saturday edition out the door here after midnight on Friday nights. She has NEVER been pulled over on her own, but has been pulled over 4 times in the last 6 months when her husband is riding along with her. He happens to be African American. She is outraged every time they ask to see his ID. He just stays polite and complies.

It's just wrong, IMO.
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Post by Bruv »

The charge is always laid that it's all their own fault because they have 'attitude' or 'chips on their shoulders', it is obvious to anyone with a half a brain why that is.

As a teenager traveling to early morning fishing trips with my two elder brothers in a car, the joke was always when we would be stopped by the police. We were seen as suspicious young men driving far too early in the day, we all grew older so the police no longer bothered us too much, blacks don't have the luxury of 'growing out' of being suspicious.
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Post by LarsMac »

Too true.

A while back, I was working a project with IBM in Raleigh, NC area, and two of the guys I was working with were black. We were traveling to a customer location one day. I was following them. The cops pulled them over. He had to muscle in between us to stop them, and was rather rude about it. When I stopped as well, he told me that this was none of my concern and that I should just move along. Shortly two other cop cars pulled up.

The first cop told his buddies that these two had "been seen lurking around a convenience store, like they were fixing to rob it."

I told them that was not possible, since we had left the office only a few moments ago. They ignored me as they searched their car made them stand and watch. Coming recently from Colorado, I outraged at this treatment. Mike, who was a native of North Carolina told me not to worry about it. It happened all the time. When they found nothing, they started questioning the two, and I stepped in. I was told to either go sit in my car, or they would put me in the cruiser. I heard one of the cops say something to the effect of, "We're always suspicious of 'n******s' dressed up like white people, and driving nice cars.'

Finally, the cops left and we went on to our destination. Mike and George seemed to take it in stride. They said they get pulled over at least once a week.

After that, I drove to most of the meetings, and we never again got pulled over.

I was never happier to leave a city that when I left Raleigh.
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Post by Bruv »

LarsMac;1476044 wrote: Mike and George seemed to take it in stride. They said they get pulled over at least once a week.


They 'seemed' to take it in their stride, kind of makes the occasional explosions......almost......understandable, if not inevitable.
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Post by LarsMac »

Bruv;1476046 wrote: They 'seemed' to take it in their stride, kind of makes the occasional explosions......almost......understandable, if not inevitable.


Exactly.
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Post by LarsMac »

Bruv;1476046 wrote: They 'seemed' to take it in their stride, kind of makes the occasional explosions......almost......understandable, if not inevitable.


You, know, when I was a boy, I was pretty mild-mannered, and other kids used to pick on me a bit. Well, a lot.

I took it for years. Finally, there was one day that this kid found that last straw, and I popped.

I beat him silly, and started on one of the other boys, before the teacher could pull me off.

I know exactly how that works.

Somebody just had ENOUGH!
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