#___ingwhileblack

[B-Fly]

Did anybody see the video of the woman wearing a Puerto Rico shirt in a park? Racist scumbag approaches and harasses, points in her face and intimidates... all 20 ft away from a police officer. The woman pleads with the officer "Please, can you do something about this man harassing me? I've got a permit for this space and this man is harassing me..." over and over she politely asks for the officer's help from this racist escalation, but the officer doesn't even acknowledge her. Just watches the whole incident go down, until another citizen has to step in and shout down the drunken POS, "Dude, Puerto Rico is a part of America! Leave her alone!"

Enforcing white supremacy is an objective of police, but some folks on here want to pretend it's a made-up narrative of the media. Disgusting rhetoric from the right on here, regarding a disbelief in the "media narrative" of racial injustice. If you don't believe in racial inequality, stay out of this thread, jackals. Thanks Bernie for recognizing the vile rhetoric about ethnicities and working to self-correct.

Is "enforcing white supremacy" is a conscious objective of (many/most) police departments today? Or do you think it was a conscious objective at one time, and that is now so embedded in the origins and institutionalization and culture of policing that it might as well be a conscious objective today even if the leaders and rank-and-file are not consciously pursuing it? Or is it about wealth and property rather than (or in addition to) race? And/or are most police department leaders and rank-and-file officers doing their best to protect everyone in their community, including people of color, but undermined in that pursuit by a smallish subset of bad apples and other socio-economic factors?

[Teenwolf]

Is "enforcing white supremacy" is a conscious objective of (many/most) police departments today? Or do you think it was a conscious objective at one time, and that is now so embedded in the origins and institutionalization and culture of policing that it might as well be a conscious objective today even if the leaders and rank-and-file are not consciously pursuing it? Or is it about wealth and property rather than (or in addition to) race? And/or are most police department leaders and rank-and-file officers doing their best to protect everyone in their community, including people of color, but undermined in that pursuit by a smallish subset of bad apples and other socio-economic factors?

All of these videos that include the involvement of police show the application of white supremacy. In all of these dozens of videos of blatant racism, there hasn't been even ONE example of a police officer that even slightly inconveniences the harasser in the situation. They're all let go, they're all given pats on the shoulder and hugs and sympathy, and the minorities in question are often viewed skeptically, or as having to jump through the hoops that the racist set up to prove they belong. Like the cop called on the woman for ID at the pool... after it becomes clear that the call was a waste, the officers STILL tell the minority woman to simply "swipe your card to show him it works"... that's what white supremacy looks like in action. "Prove to me that you belong here." That's what police enforce.

do you think it was a conscious objective at one time, and that is now so embedded in the origins and institutionalization and culture of policing that it might as well be a conscious objective today even if the leaders and rank-and-file are not consciously pursuing it? Or is it about wealth and property rather than (or in addition to) race?


Yes and yes. Well spoken.

I'm always blown away by the argument about bad apples. So if a bad apple spoils the bunch, why the hell are police officers untouchable? Even in my town, they get caught doing 150 MPH with 12 beers in them... oh, whoopsie, looks like 6 months paid leave... Protect your own? Protect the scummiest of the bunch so they infect the rest?

[B-Fly]

All of these videos that include the involvement of police show the application of white supremacy. In all of these dozens of videos of blatant racism, there hasn't been even ONE example of a police officer that even slightly inconveniences the harasser in the situation. They're all let go, they're all given pats on the shoulder and hugs and sympathy, and the minorities in question are often viewed skeptically, or as having to jump through the hoops that the racist set up to prove they belong. Like the cop called on the woman for ID at the pool... after it becomes clear that the call was a waste, the officers STILL tell the minority woman to simply "swipe your card to show him it works"... that's what white supremacy looks like in action. "Prove to me that you belong here." That's what police enforce.

do you think it was a conscious objective at one time, and that is now so embedded in the origins and institutionalization and culture of policing that it might as well be a conscious objective today even if the leaders and rank-and-file are not consciously pursuing it? Or is it about wealth and property rather than (or in addition to) race?


Yes and yes. Well spoken.

I'm always blown away by the argument about bad apples. So if a bad apple spoils the bunch, why the hell are police officers untouchable? Even in my town, they get caught doing 150 MPH with 12 beers in them... oh, whoopsie, looks like 6 months paid leave... Protect your own? Protect the scummiest of the bunch so they infect the rest?

I keep up with many of these incidents on TheRoot, so I'm reviewing these incidents from a strong Black reporting perspective, and I think there have been many cases where police officers responding to these scenes do behave well, de-escalating the situation while defending the Black person's right to be where he/she is doing what he/she is doing. I don't necessarily want or expect them to angrily/aggressively confront the racist accuser/police time-waster at the scene, because I want and expect police officers to maintain a professional demeanor and to de-escalate rather than escalate a confrontation. The woman with the Puerto Rico flag shirt was definitely a counter-example of a police officer exhibiting conscious or subconscious bias, allowing the scene to escalate (or stay in an escalated place) while the racist was racisting, and then only intervening to de-escalate when the woman's brother verbally confronted the racist. That was pretty awful. And I wholly agree with you that too much bad is happening across too many officers in too many police departments on questions of racism and equity to merely dismiss it as an immaterial problem isolated to a small number of bad apples.

[B-Fly]

Looks like the officer in the Puerto Rico t-shirt triggered racist case was forced/shamed into a resignation.

https://www.theroot.com/officer-who-stood-by-as-man-harassed-woman-in-puerto-ri-1827538199

[Bernie Brewer]

I keep up with many of these incidents on TheRoot, so I'm reviewing these incidents from a strong Black reporting perspective, and I think there have been many cases where police officers responding to these scenes do behave well, de-escalating the situation while defending the Black person's right to be where he/she is doing what he/she is doing. I don't necessarily want or expect them to angrily/aggressively confront the racist accuser/police time-waster at the scene, because I want and expect police officers to maintain a professional demeanor and to de-escalate rather than escalate a confrontation. The woman with the Puerto Rico flag shirt was definitely a counter-example of a police officer exhibiting conscious or subconscious bias, allowing the scene to escalate (or stay in an escalated place) while the racist was racisting, and then only intervening to de-escalate when the woman's brother verbally confronted the racist. That was pretty awful. And I wholly agree with you that too much bad is happening across too many officers in too many police departments on questions of racism and equity to merely dismiss it as an immaterial problem isolated to a small number of bad apples.

The outrage is thick with this one!! This occurred about 3 miles from where I live. It’s a drunken white guy, (hardly the first drunken white guy, or guy of any color, to do or say something stupid when intoxicated) yelling spew at someone else. The “Police Officer” in question is a Cook County Forest Preserve Officer who has little if any authority other than over who is permitted to use the Picnic spaces and the preserve recreational spaces. Just so you know, the dude was, in fact, arrested by the Local police department and is probably facing a hate crime charge. Facts are funny things.

Oh never mind, I now see B-Fly has already covered this by a posting from a most objective source. Carry on with the outrage!

[ironfist]

The outrage is thick with this one!! This occurred about 3 miles from where I live. It’s a drunken white guy, (hardly the first drunken white guy, or guy of any color, to do or say something stupid when intoxicated) yelling spew at someone else. The “Police Officer” in question is a Cook County Forest Preserve Officer who has little if any authority other than over who is permitted to use the Picnic spaces and the preserve recreational spaces. Just so you know, the dude was, in fact, arrested by the Local police department and is probably facing a hate crime charge. Facts are funny things.

Oh never mind, I now see B-Fly has already covered this by a posting from a most objective source. Carry on with the outrage!

Bernie, you're usually more level-headed than this. While you say things like "facts are funny things", the facts in this case are:
1) The guy was arrested so he was in fact doing something wrong
2) the officer who was doing nothing was reprimanded and apparently forced to resign, so he was indeed wrong to not do anything
3) the officer clearly did nothing while the white guy was harassing the woman but when the brother intervened he decide that was the time to say something. Don't you think that shows a double standard? He has the authority to enforce the permit and the drunken white guy had not permission to be there.

Anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that these sorts of incidents are on the rise. What exactly are you castigating B-Fly for?

[DMT]

I think his point is that the guy was arrested so justice is served. (while conveniently ignoring the fact that these incidents are on the rise across the county)

[Sour Masher]

I think his point is that the guy was arrested so justice is served. (while conveniently ignoring the fact that these incidents are on the rise across the county)

The house is on fire, but no worries, the fire department is coming, so pay no attention to the orange fellow in the corner who keeps lighting matches!

[B-Fly]

I thought he was just castigating me for reading and linking The Root. But I think all white people should read The Root, even if it makes them uncomfortable, defensive and/or angry. Most of us aren't exposed to enough Black voices and Black perspectives, instead mostly reading exchanges about race and racism between white conservatives and white liberals (like this thread, lol).

[ironfist]

I thought he was just castigating me for reading and linking The Root. But I think all white people should read The Root, even if it makes them uncomfortable, defensive and/or angry. Most of us aren't exposed to enough Black voices and Black perspectives, instead mostly reading exchanges about race and racism between white conservatives and white liberals (like this thread, lol).

I think this is true. I used to be in that camp a while ago that racism is being overblown and it's not really a problem, before I started to actually talk to minorities and read more from their view. Most of us really do live in a bubble of sorts.

[heyelander]

I think his point is that the guy was arrested so justice is served. (while conveniently ignoring the fact that these incidents are on the rise across the county)

is this data driven or anecdotal?

[DMT]

is this data driven or anecdotal?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/05/11/hate-crime-rates-are-still-on-the-rise/

[Bernie Brewer]

I thought he was just castigating me for reading and linking The Root. But I think all white people should read The Root, even if it makes them uncomfortable, defensive and/or angry. Most of us aren't exposed to enough Black voices and Black perspectives, instead mostly reading exchanges about race and racism between white conservatives and white liberals (like this thread, lol).

Wasn't intending to castigate as much as point out the hyperbolic nature of this thread, the implied context to all things Trump, and that these incidents which are NOT new. Dumb white racists have always existed. And, while the internet is fast and often vicious in condemnation, information until now wasn't shared as widely or as quickly. As it is now, everyone gets to opine on stuff they have no real facts to support, well before they should.

I could post any number of events in Chicago wherein a "minority youth" breaks into an elderly white's apartment or home and steals stuff or beats them senseless. What purpose does that serve. Should we have a thread called "____ing while old"?

[Bernie Brewer]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...l-on-the-rise/

Here's the headline: "Hate crimes jump for fourth straight year in largest U.S. cities, study shows" Sort of like Teenwolf suggesting that a SC Justices son was giving loans to Trump in 2009 to buy his father's ability to replace a SC judge, IF, big if, Trump ever became President. Given four straight years of increases, are you suggesting this is Obama's fault? Probably not, and it probably has very little to do with trump either.

[B-Fly]

Wasn't intending to castigate as much as point out the hyperbolic nature of this thread, the implied context to all things Trump, and that these incidents which are NOT new. Dumb white racists have always existed. And, while the internet is fast and often vicious in condemnation, information until now wasn't shared as widely or as quickly. As it is now, everyone gets to opine on stuff they have no real facts to support, well before they should.

I could post any number of events in Chicago wherein a "minority youth" breaks into an elderly white's apartment or home and steals stuff or beats them senseless. What purpose does that serve. Should we have a thread called "____ing while old"?

I'd recommend you (re-)read my initial post on page one.