Politics And Current Events

[Trip McNeely]

Floyd had a raft of non-violent drug arrests, plus one plea to a B&E charge 15 years ago.

Hands up, who ITT could reasonably find themselves on the wrong side of the cops wrt to the non-violent drug charges.

He literally held a loaded gun to a pregnant woman's stomach. I don't care if it was 15 years ago or not. And there is no compelling evidence that he had "turned his life around", which is why the continued canonization and idolization of him in words and images comes off as ludicrous given the dozens of other innocent black victims that are murdered every year.

I know you understand why he’s “canonized”. It’s because it was video recorded and everyone on the planet saw exactly what transpired. All those other cases were not so obviously cut and dry and recorded on film.

[tifosi77]

An amusing series of posts.

[count2infinity]

Who cares? No sane person watches that video and says "Yeah... but is he a role model???"

Seems that's what is needed for most to wrap their heads around what happened. I've said this before either irl or here, can't recall, but the only reason Floyd's death got the attention it did is because of the video. If that video doesn't exist. If they did that where no one saw it, if they did it at night, if they did it in an alley somewhere, people will look at his history and says "meh... criminal, who cares. cops said he was fighting back, and that's what happens when you fight cops." Look at Michael Brown. There's no video of what happened. I don't know what happened. But people looked at his past and said "criminal, he probably did something to cause it." Look at Trayvon Martin. With hindsight we know Zimmerman is a complete lunatic and probably murdered Martin. But at the time, the number of people lining up to weigh in on the situation and how Trayvon was a criminal, Zimmerman was the good guy just defending himself. The video is what's necessary. No video for Taylor, no poster child. That's just how it works.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

yeah, video changes everything. case in point: Ray Rice

[Troy Loney]

Wash, rinse, repeat. Police brutality is state sanctioned extrajudicial violence. I don't understand how these peripheral factors and context adds anything to how people should feel about this issue.

[Trip McNeely]

Who cares? No sane person watches that video and says "Yeah... but is he a role model???"

Seems that's what is needed for most to wrap their heads around what happened. I've said this before either irl or here, can't recall, but the only reason Floyd's death got the attention it did is because of the video. If that video doesn't exist. If they did that where no one saw it, if they did it at night, if they did it in an alley somewhere, people will look at his history and says "meh... criminal, who cares. cops said he was fighting back, and that's what happens when you fight cops." Look at Michael Brown. There's no video of what happened. I don't know what happened. But people looked at his past and said "criminal, he probably did something to cause it." Look at Trayvon Martin. With hindsight we know Zimmerman is a complete lunatic and probably murdered Martin. But at the time, the number of people lining up to weigh in on the situation and how Trayvon was a criminal, Zimmerman was the good guy just defending himself. The video is what's necessary. No video for Taylor, no poster child. That's just how it works.

Exactly. The criminal defense doesn’t work in this situation. His past is completely irrelevant in this discussion.

[King Colby]

For me, c2i, thats not it at all. I watched as much of the video as I could and was sick to my stomach. He deserves justice no matter what happened in his past.

Being senselessly killed doesn't automatically qualify you for sainthood, thats all.

I dont particularly care that much either way, just trying to help interpret the message from shad for some of yinz

[count2infinity]

For me, c2i, thats not it at all. I watched as much of the video as I could and was sick to my stomach. He deserves justice no matter what happened in his past.

Being senselessly killed doesn't automatically qualify you for sainthood, thats all.

I dont particularly care that much either way, just trying to help interpret the message from shad for some of yinz

Most of us are familiar with shad's message....

[MWB]

I don't necessarily disagree wrt Breonna Taylor, but her shooting wasn't in the middle of a public street with multiple bystanders pleading with the cops for nearly 10 minutes while the other officers sort of stand around literally with their hands in their pockets casually extinguishing a man's life over a fake $20 bill. (Speaking of which, has it ever been confirmed whether or not the bill was fake?) As awful as the Taylor shooting is, there are extenuating circumstances that make it less visceral. Not less awful or less criminal, mind you. But I get why Floyd has been the animating event.

What got me with the Floyd thing is that he was murdered on like a Friday, and before they could even have his memorial service there were like three other black people killed by cops around the country.

There was also video. Video makes all the difference. Same thing with ray rice.

[mikey]

Umm... I’m not sure what you guys have been following, but Breonna Taylor’s image and her case have been everywhere.

Yeah, I'm confused by that message as well. She was a prominent feature of the protest I went to and has been prominent on the social media in my friend group...

[MWB]

"You learn this from trials and tribulations"

Except when they cancel you for something you posted on your Twitter page when you were 15

I don’t get making some sort of attack on that message. Also, how prevalent is the scenario you give?

[MWB]

For me, c2i, thats not it at all. I watched as much of the video as I could and was sick to my stomach. He deserves justice no matter what happened in his past.

Being senselessly killed doesn't automatically qualify you for sainthood, thats all.

I dont particularly care that much either way, just trying to help interpret the message from shad for some of yinz

It’s symbolism, not sainthood.

[Morkle]

Wash, rinse, repeat. Police brutality is state sanctioned extrajudicial violence. I don't understand how these peripheral factors and context adds anything to how people should feel about this issue.

A lot of people are justifying his execution because he committed crimes in the past. Which is bonkers to me, and Chapelle put it nicely. Floyd wasn't chosen to be a hero, the cop that murdered him made him that hero of the time, and it had nothing to do with his past offenses.

[King Colby]

"You learn this from trials and tribulations"

Except when they cancel you for something you posted on your Twitter page when you were 15

I don’t get making some sort of attack on that message. Also, how prevalent is the scenario you give?

Not that prevalent. I was just thinking about the josh hader and other baseball players thing from a couple yrs ago and purposely being an A hole with regard to bubbas post

[MWB]

That’s the thing... it’s in the media for a couple days, then goes away. Hader took heat for it, then it was over and he was an all star. Just seems like those things get overblown and it becomes a rallying cry. Not talking about you specifically, but just a way of amplifying cancel culture.

[Lemon Berry Lobster]

For me, c2i, thats not it at all. I watched as much of the video as I could and was sick to my stomach. He deserves justice no matter what happened in his past.

Being senselessly killed doesn't automatically qualify you for sainthood, thats all.

I dont particularly care that much either way, just trying to help interpret the message from shad for some of yinz

It’s symbolism, not sainthood.

I thought it was symbology

[Lemon Berry Lobster]

I don't necessarily disagree wrt Breonna Taylor, but her shooting wasn't in the middle of a public street with multiple bystanders pleading with the cops for nearly 10 minutes while the other officers sort of stand around literally with their hands in their pockets casually extinguishing a man's life over a fake $20 bill. (Speaking of which, has it ever been confirmed whether or not the bill was fake?) As awful as the Taylor shooting is, there are extenuating circumstances that make it less visceral. Not less awful or less criminal, mind you. But I get why Floyd has been the animating event.

What got me with the Floyd thing is that he was murdered on like a Friday, and before they could even have his memorial service there were like three other black people killed by cops around the country.

I'd argue that breaking into a house that you already have the suspect in custody and opening fire on who knows what is worse than restraining someone that wasn't complying once put into the back of the squad car.

[nocera]

I would argue that it’s not a competition and both murders were 100% avoidable.

[NAN]

A lot of people are justifying his execution because he committed crimes in the past. Which is bonkers to me, and Chapelle put it nicely. Floyd wasn't chosen to be a hero, the cop that murdered him made him that hero of the time, and it had nothing to do with his past offenses.

I don't think that is happening on this board at all, maybe other places?

Again, my thing is, some of the same people willing to look past GF's past and symbolize him are the first people that will want to rip down a Grant, or a Jefferson, or a Washington statue because their life wasn't pristine despite all the good they have done.

[MR25]

Why does who George Floyd was before he was killed due to police brutality matter to anyone other than to try and shift blame away from the police that murdered him and the system that lets bad cops get away with these kind of things (had punishments been applied correctly previously the officer kneeling on him wouldn't have been in that position)?

[Freddy Rumsen]

This is the kind of thing that has been worrying me quite a bit through this whole thing.

[nocera]

A lot of people are justifying his execution because he committed crimes in the past. Which is bonkers to me, and Chapelle put it nicely. Floyd wasn't chosen to be a hero, the cop that murdered him made him that hero of the time, and it had nothing to do with his past offenses.

I don't think that is happening on this board at all, maybe other places?

Again, my thing is, some of the same people willing to look past GF's past and symbolize him are the first people that will want to rip down a Grant, or a Jefferson, or a Washington statue because their life wasn't pristine despite all the good they have done.

This is such a bad take that it’s hard to know even where to start.

[MR25]

This is kinda **** up. Students on academic visas who attend schools that choose to go online only in the fall must leave the US or transfer schools.

[willeyeam]

Well if you're here for school and you can't go to school..

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

define "go"