Author Topic: Have the protests affected you?  (Read 2452 times)

Mammasan

Have the protests affected you?
« on: June 03, 2020, 06:13:42 PM »
I went to a Walmart Supercenter (southeastern US) and it was closed with seven police cars in front of it. I waited a few hours then went to a different one. Closed with one police car in front of it.

I haven't heard of any looting in my area, but the looters I've seen on TV were definitely targeting businesses and I imagine Walmart would be a juicy one. So I guess maybe Walmart is being proactive.

Still. I really wanted that pistachio ice cream.  :icon_sad:
 
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TimothyEllis

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Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2020, 07:23:23 PM »
What's the whole story?

I don't pay any attention to tv.
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Mammasan

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2020, 07:33:12 PM »
A cop killed a black man in the US, video of it posted, riots and looting. Trump has threatened to send in military. Protests throughout the world.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html
 

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Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2020, 07:35:15 PM »
Ah. That explains FB and Instagram.
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notthatamanda

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2020, 12:01:58 AM »
I'd like us to differentiate between the looters and the protesters. Protestors have been peaceful. Here in Massachusetts police got wind on social media of a mall being targeted for looting. They got there first then 50 cars showed up. The police handled it and the would be looters left. They also closed a Wegmans for the same reason. So it is possible that the police in your area heard about the Walmarts being targeted. Or Walmart is just being proactive and protecting their property and employees.

I have to go shopping in a little bit and I am prepared to turn around if anything seems off to me. I'm flipping back and forth on whether to get on the highway for two exits or take the back roads. Protestors have been laying down on the highways.

Yes it has affected me. Extra things to stress about.
 
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LilyBLily

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2020, 12:48:21 AM »
We're scheduled to make a grocery pickup today and the route takes us past a Walmart but otherwise is not near the crossroads at the center of town where most local protests occur. I'll report back.

This whole situation is just sickening and I'm so ashamed of how white people still behave toward black people in this country. There have been moments in my lifetime when it seemed we were making progress toward true social equity, but over and over these horrible things keep happening to prove otherwise. 

As for the rich stamping their feet on all of us, nothing good can come of it.
 

LilyBLily

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2020, 07:48:35 AM »
I saw no police in the Walmart parking lot as we drove by, nor any stepped-up police presence. However, as I'd mentioned, this shopping area is a couple of miles from the center of town where the courts and city hall are, and so on. That's where people usually do their protests.
 

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Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2020, 12:16:25 PM »
The protests have not adversely affected me, or anyone for that matter. The actual protests are morally just demonstrations over an 8min45sec murder of George Floyd by a cop, a cop that I believe had every intent of murdering him.  The entire country was rightly appalled and outraged over it.

On the other hand, the looters (disaffected, mostly young people seizing the chance to steal and play the Purge in real life) and **** types (terrorists serving political & social agendas -- officially designated as such in the US) who have used the opportunity have adversely affected thousands, perhaps millions, of lives.

There is a widespread problem with police abuse and brutality. However, I don't think it's driven by race (at least not primarily) but by elements of police culture.

It'd be awesome if police and their department chiefs were actually like those in the show Blue Bloods. Imo the show ought to be required viewing for all police academy recruits.
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Mammasan

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2020, 12:54:38 PM »
I don't believe the cop intended for the guy to die. The reason I say this is that I don't believe a cop would intentionally commit murder in broad daylight in front of a crowd, several of which were filming him, not to mention being surrounded by other police.

I think the cop had used that neck move many times before, and afterwards the person just got up. I suspect the cop was flabbergasted when told the guy was dead. It's dumb, but it's human nature. We do a dicey thing (e.g. running a yellow street light), get away with it, so we then keep doing it until it just becomes routine. Then, suddenly, it goes ker-plooey and we're shocked.

So legally I have my doubts they're going to be able to make a murder charge stick (murder charges require intent). If the cop's just convicted for manslaughter or reckless endangerment though, I suspect we can expect more riots.
 

Luke Everhart

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Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2020, 01:07:05 PM »
I don't believe the cop intended for the guy to die. The reason I say this is that I don't believe a cop would intentionally commit murder in broad daylight in front of a crowd, several of which were filming him, not to mention being surrounded by other police.

I think the cop had used that neck move many times before, and afterwards the person just got up. I suspect the cop was flabbergasted when told the guy was dead. It's dumb, but it's human nature. We do a dicey thing (e.g. running a yellow street light), get away with it, so we then keep doing it until it just becomes routine. Then, suddenly, it goes ker-plooey and we're shocked.

So legally I have my doubts they're going to be able to make a murder charge stick (murder charges require intent). If the cop's just convicted for manslaughter or reckless endangerment though, I suspect we can expect more riots.

Well, multiple news sources have confirmed that George Floyd was unconscious the last 3 mins that he was being kneed on. And he was in handcuffs from the beginning, which is why the death is officially "in-custody".
Kneeing on a handcuffed suspect's neck is against department policy, according to the chief of police.
More damning, George Floyd had worked in the recent past at the same place that the cop had been moonlighting as security at for the last 17 years. Probability is very high they knew each other in some capacity.
Lastly, the cop has a string of abuse allegations in his past that several newspapers have documented in detail.

I'm convinced, barring a stone writ from Mount Sinai, that George Floyd was murdered in cold blood under color of authority.
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Mammasan

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #10 on: June 04, 2020, 01:21:03 PM »
I'm not saying the cop wasn't a very bad person, but unless they can show some prior personal dispute between the two, I just can't swallow a cop intentionally murdering in front of a large audience.

On the brighter side, I went back to Walmart today and got my ice cream. No police. I did notice however that very few people were wearing masks, unlike two weeks ago when most were.

I think people are maybe getting bored attention-span wise with the whole pandemic thing.

Myself, I sat down and had lunch at the Subway in the store, haven't done anything like that since early March.
 

Lorri Moulton

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2020, 05:06:19 AM »
Yes.  We are in Washington state and just recently got moved to Phase 2.  Western Washington is still in Phase 1.  No large gatherings, most businesses closed on the west side...just starting to get the okay to reopen (often at partial capacity) on this side.  Our state is convinced the virus is so dangerous, we must be careful and keep things closed.

Then, the protests and riots started.  Suddenly, thousands of people are gathering (much less than six feet apart) and crying, hugging, many without masks, etc.  I'm not saying it's wrong to protest...I'm saying it breaks the quarantine rules our state has insisted we follow. 

So, in a few weeks the quarantine will probably be over...or a lot of people will be sick.  We're just waiting to see what happens next.  If people don't get sick, I'm guessing businesses will demand they reopen at full capacity.  If people do get sick, the hospitals will be overwhelmed.

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Luke Everhart

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Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2020, 05:11:43 AM »
Yes.  We are in Washington state and just recently got moved to Phase 2.  Western Washington is still in Phase 1.  No large gatherings, most businesses closed on the west side...just starting to get the okay to reopen (often at partial capacity) on this side.  Our state is convinced the virus is so dangerous, we must be careful and keep things closed.

Then, the protests and riots started.  Suddenly, thousands of people are gathering (much less than six feet apart) and crying, hugging, many without masks, etc.  I'm not saying it's wrong to protest...I'm saying it breaks the quarantine rules our state has insisted we follow. 

So, in a few weeks the quarantine will probably be over...or a lot of people will be sick.  We're just waiting to see what happens next.  If people don't get sick, I'm guessing businesses will demand they reopen at full capacity.  If people do get sick, the hospitals will be overwhelmed.

Yeah, it's a big test of the covid19 situation. There are protests and riots in all 50 states now and in roughly 200 cities last I saw. The number of people involved has to be in the 6 figures.
They've also gone international, though I'm not sure of the extent.
So, in 2 weeks or so we have a major covid19 situation; or, we don't and we can all rest easy and go back to life and stop with the "new normal" nonsense.
I'm rather expecting the latter.
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LilyBLily

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #13 on: June 05, 2020, 07:15:58 AM »
Yes.  We are in Washington state and just recently got moved to Phase 2.  Western Washington is still in Phase 1.  No large gatherings, most businesses closed on the west side...just starting to get the okay to reopen (often at partial capacity) on this side.  Our state is convinced the virus is so dangerous, we must be careful and keep things closed.

Then, the protests and riots started.  Suddenly, thousands of people are gathering (much less than six feet apart) and crying, hugging, many without masks, etc.  I'm not saying it's wrong to protest...I'm saying it breaks the quarantine rules our state has insisted we follow. 

So, in a few weeks the quarantine will probably be over...or a lot of people will be sick.  We're just waiting to see what happens next.  If people don't get sick, I'm guessing businesses will demand they reopen at full capacity.  If people do get sick, the hospitals will be overwhelmed.

Those are good guesses, which is why we're not running out to public places anytime soon. This is a moment for "wait and see."
 

JRTomlin

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #14 on: June 05, 2020, 11:59:39 AM »
I don't believe the cop intended for the guy to die. The reason I say this is that I don't believe a cop would intentionally commit murder in broad daylight in front of a crowd, several of which were filming him, not to mention being surrounded by other police.

I think the cop had used that neck move many times before, and afterwards the person just got up. I suspect the cop was flabbergasted when told the guy was dead. It's dumb, but it's human nature. We do a dicey thing (e.g. running a yellow street light), get away with it, so we then keep doing it until it just becomes routine. Then, suddenly, it goes ker-plooey and we're shocked.

So legally I have my doubts they're going to be able to make a murder charge stick (murder charges require intent). If the cop's just convicted for manslaughter or reckless endangerment though, I suspect we can expect more riots.
Of course, he intended for the man (not 'guy' show a little respect) to die. He continued kneeling on the poor man's neck after he was unconscious and unresponsive after listening to him beg and pleaded for nine minutes that he could not breathe. He was not flabbergasted. It was EXACTLY what he intended.

And if he usually knelt on a handcuffed suspect's neck he should have already been fired. Such restraint (totally forbidden by better police departments) is only to be used when someone is resisting arrest by Minneapolis police policy. Mr Floyd was not. I repeat: He was handcuffed and not resisting. Kneeling on his neck was being used at best as a form of torture, at worst, as I believe, with the intent to kill him.
« Last Edit: June 05, 2020, 12:07:31 PM by JRTomlin »
 

Hopscotch

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #15 on: June 05, 2020, 12:46:05 PM »
And if he usually knelt on a handcuffed suspect's neck he should have already been fired. Such restraint (totally forbidden by better police departments) is only to be used when someone is resisting arrest by Minneapolis police policy. Mr Floyd was not. I repeat: He was handcuffed and not resisting.

Ours is a small city of 50,000 a bit off the beaten path - the George Floyd video brought to light a video of one of our own policemen using the same knee-on-neck restraint that killed Floyd.  Which suggests that the character of policing in too many cities small and large needs to be reformed and quick. 
. .
 

JRTomlin

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #16 on: June 05, 2020, 12:55:01 PM »
Policing needs to be reformed all over the nation. That 'restraint' is extremely dangerous at best. Even police departments who allow it say that it should only be used by officers trained to use it which almost none are from what I have read.

I cannot see how anyone can watch that video, listen to Mr. Floyd's pleas not to be killed... and not be horrified beyond words or think it was only an attempt to 'restrain' him.
 
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PJ Post

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #17 on: June 06, 2020, 03:16:35 AM »
The protests are going to profoundly affect us all. The end result will either initiate a wave of sweeping change that will fundamentally transform America and everything we stand for, allowing us, as one people, to truly flourish, or it will embrace the systemic inequality we've always suffered under, including the deep-seated racism that permeates our history, once and for all ending the democratic experiment our Founding Fathers began.

This one's for all the marbles.
 
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Marti Talbott

Re: Have the protests affected you?
« Reply #18 on: June 06, 2020, 09:40:41 AM »
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