What have I been doing the past week?

[nickylanena]

I haven't been on the forums for about a week or so. With nationwide protests going on I decided it would be best to educate myself on why they are happening. I have easily seen over a hundred videos these past few days about protesters explaining why they are marching. They are literally all over social media (FB, IG, Twitter).
https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1268228408007409665
https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/05/31/protester-calls-out-looting-follow-death-of-george-floyd-sot-vpx.cnn (protesters voicing frustrations over looting)
https://www.foxla.com/news/good-samaritans-detained-on-live-tv-while-protecting-la-business-from-alleged-looters (racial profiling on live TV)
https://twitter.com/ChooseYourself2/status/1266797227130982402 (one story)
https://twitter.com/YASMINAREBEL/status/1267880994155245568 (Paris)
https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/1268164347752300547 (England)
https://twitter.com/CHERRYSWlFTS/status/1267390169239269376 (Australia)

There were cases of opportunists and looters taking advantage of the protests, but I've already provided links on a previous thread. I have also seen clear evidence that many police have, in fact, been antagonizing protesters, censoring media, and defacing property themselves. I've seen a few videos of children being pepper sprayed. It wouldn't be true to say cops are guilt free and just "doing their jobs."
https://twitter.com/kho_bradford/status/1267196299763257345 (cops instructing graffiti)
https://twitter.com/greg_doucette/status/1268189755143053323 (cops defacing property)
https://twitter.com/greg_doucette/status/1268205679292055552 (mistreating reporters)
https://twitter.com/greg_doucette/status/1268225612478590977 (tear gassing protesters)
https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/1268716877355810818 (shoving an elderly man)
https://twitter.com/subrawoman/status/1268768132052574208 (many "bad apples")

I have also seen peaceful protesters being antagonized by people in general.
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2020/06/03/videos-woman-drove-through-crowd-nearly-hit-protesters-lansing/3133408001/ (car trying to hit protesters)
https://www.foxla.com/news/car-careens-through-crowd-of-peaceful-protesters-in-newport-beach-driver-in-custody  (car trying to hit protesters - you can actually search the many cases yourself)
https://twitter.com/JimMFelton/status/1268169436118294528

I have seen the peace and unity. Don't believe targeted, one-sided reporters/bloggers that only show the negative.
https://twitter.com/antigoneflower/status/1267930561873616897 (kneeling w/ cops)
https://flintbeat.com/police-and-protesters-walk-side-by-side-during-peaceful-protest-of-george-floyd-death-flint-news/ (walking together)

But one of the main things I've learned is that this has happened many times before. Not just with the officers who killed George Floyd, but nationwide.
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/05/9846650/minneapolis-police-derek-chauvin-history-force

And even other "protesters" recently didn't get the treatment these people did.
https://twitter.com/glowinasia/status/1265846348005486592 (storming of Michigan courthouse)

Lastly, this post pretty much sums up the events of this week.
https://twitter.com/rauhling_bizzle/status/1268267887384387584

There were protests in ALL 50 states. It's time to start opening our eyes to inequality in this country. People are tired of being treated unfairly and it's not hard to see why. People can explain it to you over and over and OVER, but they can't understand it for you. 

[Tresbn00]

Well researched and appears that you made good use of your time. There have been many instances of inequality through out the years and I would think that the majority of the people in this world could say that they had been discriminated against at some point in their lives. Polish and Italian people were persecuted when they immigrated to America and were the blunt of demeaning jokes for a long time. Jewish people have been looked down upon for their beliefs. People of Muslim faith were persecuted after 911 happened and the subsequent administration propaganda campaign. White men were subject to affirmative action laws. People of color have been categorized by the current administration. Women do not get as much pay as their male counterparts. Black Americans are two point five times more likely than White Americans to be shot by the police. This latest statistic is more prevalent due to senseless murders and recency that keeps rearing its ugly head over and over. I am not sure that everyone can avoid discrimination but reducing deaths would seem to be priority number one.

[nickylanena]

Well researched and appears that you made good use of your time. There have been many instances of inequality through out the years and I would think that the majority of the people in this world could say that they had been discriminated against at some point in their lives. Polish and Italian people were persecuted when they immigrated to America and were the blunt of demeaning jokes for a long time. Jewish people have been looked down upon for their beliefs. People of Muslim faith were persecuted after 911 happened and the subsequent administration propaganda campaign. White men were subject to affirmative action laws. People of color have been categorized by the current administration. Women do not get as much pay as their male counterparts. Black Americans are two point five times more likely than White Americans to be shot by the police. This latest statistic is more prevalent due to senseless murders and recency that keeps rearing its ugly head over and over. I am not sure that everyone can avoid discrimination but reducing deaths would seem to be priority number one.

Thank you! I took an Urban Geography course in college and learned about how race as we know it came to be. Just as you said, Polish, Italians, etc. weren't categorized as white until white society needed them as numbers.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/white-u-s-immigration-policy
https://theundefeated.com/features/white-immigrants-werent-always-considered-white-and-acceptable/

And, yes, it's unfortunate that many minorities (both racial and religious) are still facing the various forms of discrimination that you've mentioned. Many people choose to ignore that and thus are ignoring the true reasons why the country is at unrest today. These issues were merely suppressed and never resolved.

[bremer51]

I've been working in the garden this week.

[nickylanena]

I've been working in the garden this week.

Not the same but ok.