All lives actually do matter. A sports announcer last week lost his job for using the phrase “all lives matter” instead of “black lives matter.” Our cultural superiors insist on certain phraseology these days or else. It is just another effort in the culture war to make you care and think in particular ways.
I can't imagine a more complete articulation of the situation. You've said exactly what so manty of us feel but can't find the words to express in these emotionally wrought times. Thank you, Erick!
In a 'nutshell':
"Concurrently, politicians from both sides feed off grievances for power. Neither side has any incentive to find a solution when both profit by keeping the discord going."
Erick, I saw your video on the Arbery pre-trial on video and I totally agree with your view. In the case of both Arbery and Floyd, their killing was unjustified. However, I think you misunderstand why conservatives like Ted Cruz (and many others) support what happened before/after Trump's June 1 Press Conference. It isn't the photo-op that conservatives are supporting. It is the concept that protests have to be lawfully conducted. Everybody at that protest had a legal obligation to be sheltered for the night or out of DC by 7 pm (25 minutes after the Park Police started moving forward). But numerous videos show protesters making no effort to honor the curfew with mobs being out on the streets well after dark.
The Park Police made three loudspeaker announcements that the crowd was supposed to evacuate the area. The Washington Post reported that protesters heard the announcements, but that they were garbled (presumably because of background noise). Numerous media sources were on site and yet none of them sought to find out what the loudspeaker announcements were saying so that they could inform the public. The violence that is going on after curfew hours benefits nobody. Trump's walk to Saint John Church wasn't about the photo-op. Rather it was a symbol to indicate that violence that set the DC church on fire the previous night had to stop. It was a visible symbol of the speech Trump just finished.
It is a shame that many of the protesters choose to battle the Park Police instead of heading to their place of shelter. Perhaps the Park Police acted too aggressively to evacuate the area, although that depends on how willing the protesters were to honor the evacuation. Perhaps the evacuation could have waiting until after curfew. But the DC curfew stated that "no person shall walk, bike, run, loiter, stand, or motor by car or other mode of transport upon any street, alley, park, or other public place within the District" after 7 pm. Consequently, the protesters should have been in transit to their place of shelter when the Park Police started to evacuate the area.
Excellent Erick. As an aside, I had a conversation this morning with a white neighbor. She told me that after having voted for Trump in 2016, the family as a group have decided they will vote for Biden. We then had a conversation on the racial situation. It's a conversation I would never feel comfortable having with a black neighbor and for the reasons you cite. In fact, I was a bit uncomfortable having this conversation with my white neighbor, and for the same reasons. Virtue signaling and shaming are probably the primary inhibitors of race conversations.
So, I will do my best to practice The Golden Rule to all my neighbors and take your advice regarding local charities and efforts to improve life. And just pray no one wants to discuss race.
I just watched a woman video three young women cleaning up graffiti on a federal building. The videographer asks "what are you doing?" The three girls reply "cleaning up graffiti. We couldn't remove any over there, so we came here to get it off the federal buidling." Videographer replies "what? Don't Black Lives Matter to you?" Girls: "oh yes, they do!" Videographer: "then why are you trying to take that off." The girls try to reply. The videographer has just shamed three girls who are trying to make "right" the graffiti on the buildings in their town/city. So what have these young ladies learned? It's better to keep your mouth shut and to stay home instead of volunteer for any effort. Believe me, they will think twice before trying to help another person or cause. So how do you expect people, who would otherwise help, but are being shamed into not lifting a finger?
Can you only imagine what the end times will be like? Romans 1:32 ..........they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Actually the best argument I've heard against federalizing everything was: What happens when it's not your party in charge? It makes the presidency a life-or-death election, our vulnerable people riding on the outcome.
As I read, I started picking apart your history -- the divorce rate was rising fast before the Great Society, for starters -- and then got to the last three paragraphs and stopped. "You, not politicians and political parties, will fix this." This. Yes. By standing aside and trusting politics and the courts to fix the problem, we're not trusting ourselves to have any kind of power.
Unfortunately, the decades of standing-aside mean that some situations may have risen beyond local control. (I'm thinking skyrocketing costs in healthcare). How do we reassert power in those areas?
I can't imagine a more complete articulation of the situation. You've said exactly what so manty of us feel but can't find the words to express in these emotionally wrought times. Thank you, Erick!
In a 'nutshell':
"Concurrently, politicians from both sides feed off grievances for power. Neither side has any incentive to find a solution when both profit by keeping the discord going."
Erick, I saw your video on the Arbery pre-trial on video and I totally agree with your view. In the case of both Arbery and Floyd, their killing was unjustified. However, I think you misunderstand why conservatives like Ted Cruz (and many others) support what happened before/after Trump's June 1 Press Conference. It isn't the photo-op that conservatives are supporting. It is the concept that protests have to be lawfully conducted. Everybody at that protest had a legal obligation to be sheltered for the night or out of DC by 7 pm (25 minutes after the Park Police started moving forward). But numerous videos show protesters making no effort to honor the curfew with mobs being out on the streets well after dark.
The Park Police made three loudspeaker announcements that the crowd was supposed to evacuate the area. The Washington Post reported that protesters heard the announcements, but that they were garbled (presumably because of background noise). Numerous media sources were on site and yet none of them sought to find out what the loudspeaker announcements were saying so that they could inform the public. The violence that is going on after curfew hours benefits nobody. Trump's walk to Saint John Church wasn't about the photo-op. Rather it was a symbol to indicate that violence that set the DC church on fire the previous night had to stop. It was a visible symbol of the speech Trump just finished.
It is a shame that many of the protesters choose to battle the Park Police instead of heading to their place of shelter. Perhaps the Park Police acted too aggressively to evacuate the area, although that depends on how willing the protesters were to honor the evacuation. Perhaps the evacuation could have waiting until after curfew. But the DC curfew stated that "no person shall walk, bike, run, loiter, stand, or motor by car or other mode of transport upon any street, alley, park, or other public place within the District" after 7 pm. Consequently, the protesters should have been in transit to their place of shelter when the Park Police started to evacuate the area.
Excellent Erick. As an aside, I had a conversation this morning with a white neighbor. She told me that after having voted for Trump in 2016, the family as a group have decided they will vote for Biden. We then had a conversation on the racial situation. It's a conversation I would never feel comfortable having with a black neighbor and for the reasons you cite. In fact, I was a bit uncomfortable having this conversation with my white neighbor, and for the same reasons. Virtue signaling and shaming are probably the primary inhibitors of race conversations.
So, I will do my best to practice The Golden Rule to all my neighbors and take your advice regarding local charities and efforts to improve life. And just pray no one wants to discuss race.
I just watched a woman video three young women cleaning up graffiti on a federal building. The videographer asks "what are you doing?" The three girls reply "cleaning up graffiti. We couldn't remove any over there, so we came here to get it off the federal buidling." Videographer replies "what? Don't Black Lives Matter to you?" Girls: "oh yes, they do!" Videographer: "then why are you trying to take that off." The girls try to reply. The videographer has just shamed three girls who are trying to make "right" the graffiti on the buildings in their town/city. So what have these young ladies learned? It's better to keep your mouth shut and to stay home instead of volunteer for any effort. Believe me, they will think twice before trying to help another person or cause. So how do you expect people, who would otherwise help, but are being shamed into not lifting a finger?
Can you only imagine what the end times will be like? Romans 1:32 ..........they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Yes.
Actually the best argument I've heard against federalizing everything was: What happens when it's not your party in charge? It makes the presidency a life-or-death election, our vulnerable people riding on the outcome.
As I read, I started picking apart your history -- the divorce rate was rising fast before the Great Society, for starters -- and then got to the last three paragraphs and stopped. "You, not politicians and political parties, will fix this." This. Yes. By standing aside and trusting politics and the courts to fix the problem, we're not trusting ourselves to have any kind of power.
Unfortunately, the decades of standing-aside mean that some situations may have risen beyond local control. (I'm thinking skyrocketing costs in healthcare). How do we reassert power in those areas?
Do you for a fact that the President doesn’t the Bible?
Work locally...be the light. D.C. is big part of the problem...
absolutely
We are the solution, we the people. Totally agree.
Yes!
Right on!
Thank you!
Erick: nice CTA in the last paragraph.