@SeaGreenEyez I am going to have to disagree with you on this one. It IS about ALL of us.

These outrages are committed on people of ALL shades, not just blacks. Disproportionately on blacks, but not exclusively.

[abcnews.go.com]

We do need police reform for EVERYONE!!

And the economic injustice .... that is even more so about EVERYONE vs the 0.1% BLM would have you believe ONLY black people are suffering economic injustices.

In fact, BLM would have you believe that ALL white people participated in slavery. This is not true at all. The only ones that could afford to own slaves were the plantation owners. Today, I think we call them the 0.1%. That's right, that's what it is STILL all really about, class warfare. And again the 0.1% delight in dividing us up and fanning the flames of any conflict they can drum up.

Those people promoting the idea of WHITE PRIVILEGE will have you believe all whites have a part in the oppression of black people. This is simply not true.

Black people did not gain freedom in this country all by themselves. Over 1,000,000 white folks fought and died in a horrible war to help gain freedom for Black people.

There were white faces in the Selma March and in Greensborough, but any acknowledgement for these contributions seems hard to find these days.

However unequally distributed the issues of police corruption and economic injustice is about ALL of us.

I think this lady among others had the right idea:

[facebook.com]

@SeaGreenEyez As long as people continue to separate people into separate groups based on skin color, like you are doing now, there will always be racial discrimination because that is what you are doing by definition.

@SeaGreenEyez That's the funny thing people on the Left and on the Right think I am an extremist from the other side because I do think for myself and that leads me to disagree with both sides from time to time. You really should give it a try. But you know, I understand, thinking is so hard for some people.

@Normanbites Gonna have to agree with @SeaGreenEyez on this one. Granted, you can never reach perfect equality when there's any division of people into any sort of category, but that's a final step so far into our future it's literally impossible to attain without correcting some wrongs. If a group have suffered systemic racism for hundreds of years, you can't just make stuff equal going forward and think it'll change anything. That's like starting a new game of Monopoly by returning all deeds, houses, and hotels to the bank but everyone starts with the money they ended the last game with.

@JeffMurray Your model works fine if all black families stay black and all white families stay white. And then only if all white people have benefited from your idea of "white privilege" .... we can ignore that for now and I'll just point out America is a melting pot. Each generation is more homogeneous than the last. So, which part of the future homogeneous society faction "owes" reparations to which other homogeneous society faction?? That doesn't even make sense as a question. It's stupid because what you are proposing is stupid.

What is worthy of our attention now is the unequal wealth distribution in this nation. It is obscene. But oh, no, you have to turn it in to yet another useless racial sensitivity exercise rather than doing anything about economic injustice or police brutality.

It concerns us all, or nothing will happen, because it's just the blacks getting all butt hurt again.

@JeffMurray, @SeaGreenEyez So, your answer is for you to be "right" and me to be "wrong" and then you can sleep well at night while nothing gets accomplished, again!. OK, fine!! Good luck with that. Be "right", enjoy!!

Ya hear that folks!! SeaGreenEyez says the BLM movement is only about black folks!! It need not concern the rest of us, we have no stake or claim of concern on any of it. Ya All can go back to ignoring it now!!

@Normanbites : "It concerns us all, or nothing will happen, because it's just the blacks getting all butt hurt again."

Yup, that's my cue to leave. I didn't know I was talking to THAT guy.

@JeffMurray I just got that way, talking to you and your friends. So hey, it's a black thing, only black lives matter ... it doesn't concern me any more. You wanted it to be an exclusively black thing. OK, you got it!!

Christians were not always made up of many races; once established Christianity became pretty much an all white religion. Since conversion however there is now representation from various races. While organized religion is the bane of society so is the recent naive notion of multiculturalism that assumes because we are all humans we will get along. Nothing could be further from the truth - racism is escalating as never before.

@Earthling50 Thats true and once they learned how the control works, it is "off to the races" so to speak...

I agree. Certainly vote at national and state level, but don’t neglect the local seats of power. School boards, making decisions on what is or isn’t taught is where to begin lasting change.

@Tinocca Hard to vote when one is deliberately denied the right to vote and kept from voting. Of course apathy is a major problem in voting.

@SeaGreenEyez Yes. Well said. Protest!

@Freespirit64 Incorrect. Change has always been made by those in power. Here, and everywhere else.

Absolutely...it looks like they are trying to fix the race...just eliminated over 90% of polling sites in Kentucky, will probably try that in other states too. We need to make sure everyone gets a vote. Challenge their stance on mail-in votes, volunteer to drive voters to their polling places, do whatever we can to get them the fuck out.

A lot of truisms but I would ask what is privilege? We, in the developed world are certainly more materially privileged than many. If one were in another country the prevailing tribe in that country would be more privileged than the minority tribes. There has always been the haves and have-nots in the world (and even here in our archipelago which is almost totally white) and I suspect, as long as humans are around there will be. Unfortunately, the ultra haves have taken an out-share of the resources and this is upsetting the whole system.

@JackPedigo

Even though the First World has more material privilege than a lot of the Second and Third world. But most minorities in this country do not enjoy all the benefits of this providence due to obstacles put before them. See articles below

3534 jensen-white privilege (1).pdf

[books.google.com]

@t1nick The link, to me was just a list of books. And the other, pdf, is another's person views. I don't disagree but strongly feel all these comments and finger-pointing's don't go far enough. We in the US are not 'special' or different from people all over the world. There are natural forces at work in most everything we do and believe. To me it's time to stop feeling guilty and blaming and looking for real, natural causes. Having lived and traveled over the world I have seen this kind of behavior wherever I went. It is universal and, even in the non-human world one can see examples of a pecking order.

@ZenMasterD how about asking George Floyd about that? Or MLK? Or Breonna? Oh, wait.........

@ZenMasterD

You are either naive, in denial, or not very bright. And please change your moniker, your attitudes and behaviors dishonor the premise.

@JackPedigo

Before you can cure something you must admit that exists and is a problem. Like alcoholism or drug addiction, until you admit you have a problem, you can't hope to get cured.

@ZenMasterD There has been evidence even our homeless have a higher standard of living as some people in impoverished countries. My sister was homeless for a while but she also had a car and money. Just no home.

@ZenMasterD, @t1nick So, true before anything can be done one needs information about their situation. That's step one. The next one can be a big one. My 2nd partner was an alcoholic and it ran in her family. She was well aware of her situation but claimed she was a maintenance drinker and had it under control. Unfortunately, it took over and she lost control.

@JackPedigo

Is she black, hispanic, or Nativ American? I would be willing to bet, that even homeless she had less social challenges than many minority families.i was homeless when I worked in the oil field in the gulf coast and I had social hoops I had to jump through than my black co-workers who had a home and who grew up down there.

What Is White Privilege, Really?
Recognizing white privilege begins with truly understanding the term itself.
CORY COLLINS
ISSUE 60, FALL 2018
[tolerance.org]

@JackPedigo

My dad was an alcoholic, but his last twenty years he was sober. It was either that or die.

@t1nick The comment was in inference to my original statement that many homeless in the country have it better than others in poor countries. It was not a value statement. That said, even the homeless are not equal, some have it worse than others. I recently made a comment about our first home in Seattle and how we were new to the country, having left some 15 years ago. We only had temp jobs and yet were able to get financing for a home that was priced outside of our limit. I always felt if we were black or some other minority it would not have been so easy so I do understand some of what white privilege means. But I also understand that in most countries privilege is extended to the prevailing majority. I refuse to play the guilt card and seek to understand the natural forces that make things as they are.
My partner went through a detox program and was a great person sober. Unfortunately an underlying condition was depression. When she stopped taking Prozac her drinking started again and she reverted back to Ms. Hyde. She was still able to get her law degree and started practicing in the Phoenix area. For years I received calls from collection agencies looking for her so I assume she is still drinking.

@JackPedigo

It's not so much guilt as a desire to rectify disparities. I have taught in the Native American communities for 32 years. I have seen what the disparities and discrimination can do. I do not so much fe guilty as I see no logical reason for the unequal treatment and seek to end it.

@t1nick I agree and feel we need to do more to rectify the problem. But, at the same time, the problem(s) are many and not so easy to rectify. When one adds addictions, mental issues, learned behavior and lots of other issues this takes on a whole new perspective. My 2nd partner tried to work with poor or homeless girls. One woman had 2 children and was on welfare. Unfortunately, she became addicted to welfare and wanted not to hear any talk of finding work. I personally knew of a guy in the same position. He just wanted to be left alone to do whatever he felt. I hadn't seen him for a year and asked his friend what happened to him and was told he took a tramp steamer to Belize. Went to a bar and got drunk and killed in a knife fight. One additional problem, I see as a major one, is how can we deal with our minority issues when we actively import millions more often low wage, low education and non English speakers into this country who often are forced to work at substandard jobs? We cannot!!

@JackPedigo

It is a problem for sure. No easy answers, not reason not to try.

@t1nick Correct, but we must remember to try in ways that do not make the problems worse. I guess we need to almost be a fortune teller and try to envision how our actions might have consequences down the road (I learned that the hard way). The road to hell "is" paved with good intentions.

@ZenMasterD

D your not intellectually up to this group. Dont try, you just embarrass yourself.