[News] The Trayvon Martin Discussion Thread

figmentPez

figmentPez

Staff member
Charlie Don't Surf said:
the police = an institution, not every single individual police officer
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So what you're saying is "blacks = a race, not every single individual black person". Yeah, I still think it's pretty damn racist to rail against blacks in general even if you think there are exceptions who are okay people. Similarly, it's pretty damn prejudiced to rail against the police in general, even if you think there are exceptions.
 
Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

Canada isn't half of the police state as the USA, so I guess I don't think of them in that same light.

but look, this isn't the place, I had been thinking of starting a "fuck the police megathread" where I post a lot of news stories and stuff people smarter than I have written on the subject. I just haven't had the time since well, it's a really busy time at work until the first week of april or so
 
Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

Dave said:
Here's my question and it's dead serious.

Is America more of a police state than it used to be in the "good old days" or have we just become more aware of the actions of SOME policemen due to the rise of cell phone cameras?
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My main argument / thrust is more along the lines of the War On Drugs, which I can't recall exactly when that became "a thing" and ramped up. Again, I don't have much time to put together much of a coherent response
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
Charlie Don't Surf said:
My main argument / thrust is more along the lines of the War On Drugs, which I can't recall exactly when that became "a thing" and ramped up. Again, I don't have much time to put together much of a coherent response
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The war on drugs I agree is a failed experiment that does exactly what you say to the poor and especially minorities. But I think that overzealous enforcement of the drug war does not equate to a de facto police state.
 
Null

Null

I think the awareness is beyond comparison to even ten years ago. I don't think that police agencies have more general authority than before. For every video of one cop crossing the line, and all the attention it gets, you have to think about how much we simply used to not be aware of.
 
fade

fade

Staff member
My problem with where this is going is that it's the wrong target to attack. I would go so far as to say the vast majority of cops are good human beings. They make mistakes, but they also do their jobs. There are a lot of minority arrests and minority overpopulation in prisons. Here's the thing though: is it the police who are being unfair by arresting people committing crimes? Or is the problem that we live in a self-perpetuating society where a criminal lifestyle is the only choice a lot of minorities feel they have? That isn't the arresting police officer's fault. That is everyone's fault. Including charlie's.
 
ElJuski

ElJuski

Staff member
I go with Charlie to plenty of places, and agree with him on countless occassions, but I think his stance on cops--and the hyper-liberal ideology beyond that--is a place I cannot follow. But as always I wish the man well in his pursuits.
 
fade

fade

Staff member
Wait. So Zimmerman is America now? Assuming that everyone in America thinks that all young black men are suspicious is incorrect, rude, and as much of an "ist" as assuming that a young black man is suspicious. Don't we teach our children that two wrongs don't make a right?
 
M

makare

yeah the skittles thing is a little weird. and he may not look suspicious but the dude at around :50 reminds me of a black Bert.
 
Chippy

Chippy

fade said:
Wait. So Zimmerman is America now? Assuming that everyone in America thinks that all young black men are suspicious is incorrect, rude, and as much of an "ist" as assuming that a young black man is suspicious. Don't we teach our children that two wrongs don't make a right?
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Probably more in response to Geraldo's "Don't wear your hood up" line.
 
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