Running racism in America thread

And the insane thing is that public sentiment -- nationwide -- seems to be entirely on the side of, "Yes, these cops abused their power and murdered a guy." No one that I've heard is defending the cops. The cops have been arrested and charged.
What is there left to protest, as it pertains to this particular case?

 

The protests now are "this happens all the time" which it does. Also, AFAIK, only one cop has been arrested, while four have been fired.

 

Is this guy a member here? Thanks to you, he has more posts than more than a few people here.

 

One of my favorite stories is about how a James Brown concert in 1968 at the Boston Garden quelled any riots in that city the (edit: night that) MLK was assassinated because WGBH broadcast it live, and then again on repeat, and people stayed home. There was a brief storming of the stage toward the end, but Brown calmed the crowd.

The Night that James Brown Saved Boston

The entire concert was posted on WGBH's website, I think, a few years ago, and may still be there now. What's interesting is that WGBH's microphones were more geared toward orchestral concerts, so while Fred Wesley and the JB's sounded fine, Brown's voice was pretty distorted.

Second edit to give you the video link:

Perhaps this might be some good watching tonight with all the crap going on in this country right now.

 

Maybe because the guy was killed because he was black? And the President called the protesters thugs? Just spitballing tho.

 

Don't forget that there were riots in the South End in 1972 the night the Stones were supposed to play the Garden and the band got arrested for punching a photographer at the airport in Rhode Island. Mayor Kevin White went onstage and told the crowd he'd gotten the band out of jail and that they'd be there, and to please just go home when the concert was over. Crowd did.

 

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms just showed more leadership in the last four minutes than any other elected official has all week.

 

No calm tonight in Minneapolis. The protesters have retaken the precinct station that they had overrun last night. More tear gas.

 

Hat Man seems to think black people falsey say they can't breathe when police try to arrest them.

The next time it happens will be the first.

 

An observation on urban vs. rural type people:
I've never protested. I've never picketed. In fact, I hate people standing in the road with signs so much I have been known to yell at the kid working for Little Caesar's and the homeless dude getting $20 for oxy to hold a sign for the mattress outlet going out of business.
The one time I was actually asked to join a courthouse protest, I literally laughed and said, "I'm going fishing. Tell me when it's over."
Anyway, if I was ever moved to the point that I felt compelled to take to the street, I'd be armed with more than a cell phone and water bottle.
This comment has nothing to do with race as much as people playing radical as opposed to people putting it on the line for their convictions.

 

The scene on CNN now is surreal. Line of officers in the lobby in front of the Atlanta studios and reporter doing PxP from the stairwell.