When They See Us on Netflix

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People have so many opinions on how they think rape survivors should act, should behave, what they should do. In Alabama, male non-rape victims think they know survivors should not have abortions, because the women should care about the baby more and it’s her job to become a mom. The CP5 were horribly treated — but that doesnt mean people who care about police misconduct get to tell the rape victim that she’s recovering from her rape “wrong” and that it’s her job to uplift the men wrongfully accused. Get it? Rape victims recover how they need to recover, whether other people like their path or not.

Who said she was recovering from her rape wrong?! Ppl are calling her out for her belief that the police did nothing wrong even with tapes and dna evidence. Ppl are letting her know it’s not ok to just assume that bc she went through something those 5 kids did not. It’s not ok for her to act as though those kids are guilty just bc they were in the park and the police said they did it. Get it?

She’s allowed to feel however she wants to feel. I feel great sympathy for her AND the kids charged unfairly. Sometimes, victim’s families disagree with a not guilty verdict from a jury. You cannot tell them how to feel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can understand how this might be traumatizing to watch for Black/POC but it should be mandatory viewing for white people. I am a teacher and this plays out on a smaller scale in schools all the time- Black students are disciplined more often and more severely than their white peers. There is data backing this up. As teachers, it is so important we buck systems that criminalize black youth, address our own biases, and know how to help keep these kids safe. They face down a system designed to do this to them. It’s real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautifully told and rendered. If you refuse to watch because it’s hard/not your problem/boring, you are part of the problem. Choosing to be ignorant harms people.

Young white men have been coerced into false confessions. No one should speak to LE without an attorney. One is available for free.

Yeah young white men have it so hard

Don’t be absurd. It’s wrong for anyone to be forced to confess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What lives do people have who watch stuff like this in their free time? Mine is so precious, def wouldn’t watch anything like this.

Ones where we are curious about the lived experiences of other people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can understand how this might be traumatizing to watch for Black/POC but it should be mandatory viewing for white people. I am a teacher and this plays out on a smaller scale in schools all the time- Black students are disciplined more often and more severely than their white peers. There is data backing this up. As teachers, it is so important we buck systems that criminalize black youth, address our own biases, and know how to help keep these kids safe. They face down a system designed to do this to them. It’s real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautifully told and rendered. If you refuse to watch because it’s hard/not your problem/boring, you are part of the problem. Choosing to be ignorant harms people.

Young white men have been coerced into false confessions. No one should speak to LE without an attorney. One is available for free.

Yeah young white men have it so hard

Don’t be absurd. It’s wrong for anyone to be forced to confess.

Don’t be absurd. Young white men aren’t filling up the prison with false confessions or false allegations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People have so many opinions on how they think rape survivors should act, should behave, what they should do. In Alabama, male non-rape victims think they know survivors should not have abortions, because the women should care about the baby more and it’s her job to become a mom. The CP5 were horribly treated — but that doesnt mean people who care about police misconduct get to tell the rape victim that she’s recovering from her rape “wrong” and that it’s her job to uplift the men wrongfully accused. Get it? Rape victims recover how they need to recover, whether other people like their path or not.

Who said she was recovering from her rape wrong?! Ppl are calling her out for her belief that the police did nothing wrong even with tapes and dna evidence. Ppl are letting her know it’s not ok to just assume that bc she went through something those 5 kids did not. It’s not ok for her to act as though those kids are guilty just bc they were in the park and the police said they did it. Get it?

She’s allowed to feel however she wants to feel. I feel great sympathy for her AND the kids charged unfairly. Sometimes, victim’s families disagree with a not guilty verdict from a jury. You cannot tell them how to feel.

Did someone say she wasn’t allowed to feel however she wants? Or are ppl calling her out for siding with the horrible detectives, DA and police. You can have all the sympathy for her in the world. Doesn’t change her true nature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People have so many opinions on how they think rape survivors should act, should behave, what they should do. In Alabama, male non-rape victims think they know survivors should not have abortions, because the women should care about the baby more and it’s her job to become a mom. The CP5 were horribly treated — but that doesnt mean people who care about police misconduct get to tell the rape victim that she’s recovering from her rape “wrong” and that it’s her job to uplift the men wrongfully accused. Get it? Rape victims recover how they need to recover, whether other people like their path or not.

Who said she was recovering from her rape wrong?! Ppl are calling her out for her belief that the police did nothing wrong even with tapes and dna evidence. Ppl are letting her know it’s not ok to just assume that bc she went through something those 5 kids did not. It’s not ok for her to act as though those kids are guilty just bc they were in the park and the police said they did it. Get it?

She’s allowed to feel however she wants to feel. I feel great sympathy for her AND the kids charged unfairly. Sometimes, victim’s families disagree with a not guilty verdict from a jury. You cannot tell them how to feel.

Did someone say she wasn’t allowed to feel however she wants? Or are ppl calling her out for siding with the horrible detectives, DA and police. You can have all the sympathy for her in the world. Doesn’t change her true nature.

Actually the rape victim is the scariest example of just how deep and illogical racial bias goes.

She doesn't remember anything at all about the rape. However, when evidence and THE ACTUAL RAPIST are revealed she insists they're still guilty. Why? Because they police and DA said those black boys did it. Evidence means nothing and neither does common sense (all of Reyes' other rapes were committed alone but on this night he decided he needed help???). If a person wants to be a white racist (but delude themselves into believing they're not), they and and will do so despite the evidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just got through the second episode and hav a question about the assaults committed against the two other people in the park that night. Clearly the 5 teens were coerced into false confession about the rape but wasn't the trial also about two other assaults. I believe they were pretty serious and folks were beaten into unconsciousness. Were those also vacated? Or is this clarified in later episodes. I believe these guys were framed but I also believe they did participate in the other assaults that went down that night in central park. Is that ever addressed? The prosecutor was nuts but we need to talk about more than just the rape that happened.

Why? Bc they were there? There is no proof they assaulted anyone. There were 30 kids in the park. No one know who assaulted the other victims. You’re doing exactly what the NY police department wanted the world to do. Believe these 5 boys were guilty of at least something without any actual proof.

In the park with the intent to cause harm.

It is very possible to be in the park simply to hang out on a non-school night when you're a teen. It's NY. That city still doesn't sleep 30 years later. When you're young with no money, you hang out at the park with friends. In other places the thing to do is to hang out in the mall.

They had no idea a crazy crime spree would take place that night. That's why the jogger felt safe running through the park alone, while listening to music-completely unaware of her surroundings. It didn't seem to be a hotbed of crime.

I don't believe for one minute that every single person in the park that night was out looking for trouble. There were joggers, bikers and I'm sure equally innocent teens just wanting to be out of their cramped NYC apartments.

[Anonymous]

This is a really great interview with the real CP5 and the actors who portrayed them on Netflix: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/arts/television/when-they-see-us.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a really great interview with the real CP5 and the actors who portrayed them on Netflix: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/arts/television/when-they-see-us.html

Great interview.

I’m watching Ken Burn’s documentary now (free on Amazon Prime with a free 30-day trial) and it’s pretty good. So disappointed that the parents didn’t know any better, enough to say NO, I’m getting a lawyer. They sat in the room during the taped confessions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can understand how this might be traumatizing to watch for Black/POC but it should be mandatory viewing for white people. I am a teacher and this plays out on a smaller scale in schools all the time- Black students are disciplined more often and more severely than their white peers. There is data backing this up. As teachers, it is so important we buck systems that criminalize black youth, address our own biases, and know how to help keep these kids safe. They face down a system designed to do this to them. It’s real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautifully told and rendered. If you refuse to watch because it’s hard/not your problem/boring, you are part of the problem. Choosing to be ignorant harms people.

Young white men have been coerced into false confessions. No one should speak to LE without an attorney. One is available for free.

Yeah young white men have it so hard

Don’t be absurd. It’s wrong for anyone to be forced to confess.

Don’t be absurd. Young white men aren’t filling up the prison with false confessions or false allegations.

They also aren't filling up prisons because they aren't the ones who commit a massive number of violent crimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amazing series. Anyone who touches the criminal justice system should watch it. It should be shown in police academies and law schools. White people (I am white btw) want to believe the world is just, and the American justice system is color blind, and only people who deserve to go to jail are in jail. To have your eyes opened to the systemic racism and injustice that exists in this country is to face the uncomfortable reality that we white people benefit from this system that robs others of their rights & their lives.

Whiteness protects us in so many ways. It is an awful reality. I love this country and want it to be just. To get there we have to bear witness to the horrors inflicted on our fellow Americans who are Black - like the Exonerated Five. Recognize and acknowledge the soul deep suffering that these boys and their families were put through because of racism and an unjust criminal system. And all the Black Americans who are still suffering today. We’ve never had anything close to truth and reconciliation in this country. How can we reconcile when we haven’t atoned for the atrocities of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, white supremacist terrorism, and other American policies and institutions that have disproportionately kept Black Americans from building wealth, that are responsible for poorer health outcomes and higher maternal mortality rates across the board, and that have resulted in Black Americans being incarcerated at higher rates than other groups?

Yet a sizeable section of white America doesn’t believe racism exists! Or worse, that white people are victims of “reverse racism!” How do we heal and move forward as a unified country when this is the case? It makes me sad.

At the very least, watch this series and bear witness to the injustice. Realize it is still happening. Don’t try to justify what happened to these youth. Don’t put it off because it’s uncomfortable. Black people in America don’t have that luxury. Watch it and let it break your heart. Our hearts have to break over the injustice and suffering before anything else can happen.

Did whiteness protect the Duke lacrosse players? I think you might want to chillax on the AA studies classes.

Wait, did the Duke lacrosse players serve years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit?

No, but they were convicted in the court of public opinion by bigots. You know, people who hate rich white kids. They were also the victims of an overzealous and unethical prosecutor. I'm sure you wanted to see those kids rot in jail.

And that’s the same thing as being convicted of an actual crime and serving actual time in prison? You don’t see a difference?

You're nuts if you think white people aren't wrongfully convicted. Your bigotry is showing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can understand how this might be traumatizing to watch for Black/POC but it should be mandatory viewing for white people. I am a teacher and this plays out on a smaller scale in schools all the time- Black students are disciplined more often and more severely than their white peers. There is data backing this up. As teachers, it is so important we buck systems that criminalize black youth, address our own biases, and know how to help keep these kids safe. They face down a system designed to do this to them. It’s real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautifully told and rendered. If you refuse to watch because it’s hard/not your problem/boring, you are part of the problem. Choosing to be ignorant harms people.

Young white men have been coerced into false confessions. No one should speak to LE without an attorney. One is available for free.

Yeah young white men have it so hard

Don’t be absurd. It’s wrong for anyone to be forced to confess.

Don’t be absurd. Young white men aren’t filling up the prison with false confessions or false allegations.

They also aren't filling up prisons because they aren't the ones who commit a massive number of violent crimes.

They just have better lawyers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amazing series. Anyone who touches the criminal justice system should watch it. It should be shown in police academies and law schools. White people (I am white btw) want to believe the world is just, and the American justice system is color blind, and only people who deserve to go to jail are in jail. To have your eyes opened to the systemic racism and injustice that exists in this country is to face the uncomfortable reality that we white people benefit from this system that robs others of their rights & their lives.

Whiteness protects us in so many ways. It is an awful reality. I love this country and want it to be just. To get there we have to bear witness to the horrors inflicted on our fellow Americans who are Black - like the Exonerated Five. Recognize and acknowledge the soul deep suffering that these boys and their families were put through because of racism and an unjust criminal system. And all the Black Americans who are still suffering today. We’ve never had anything close to truth and reconciliation in this country. How can we reconcile when we haven’t atoned for the atrocities of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, white supremacist terrorism, and other American policies and institutions that have disproportionately kept Black Americans from building wealth, that are responsible for poorer health outcomes and higher maternal mortality rates across the board, and that have resulted in Black Americans being incarcerated at higher rates than other groups?

Yet a sizeable section of white America doesn’t believe racism exists! Or worse, that white people are victims of “reverse racism!” How do we heal and move forward as a unified country when this is the case? It makes me sad.

At the very least, watch this series and bear witness to the injustice. Realize it is still happening. Don’t try to justify what happened to these youth. Don’t put it off because it’s uncomfortable. Black people in America don’t have that luxury. Watch it and let it break your heart. Our hearts have to break over the injustice and suffering before anything else can happen.

Did whiteness protect the Duke lacrosse players? I think you might want to chillax on the AA studies classes.

Wait, did the Duke lacrosse players serve years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit?

No, but they were convicted in the court of public opinion by bigots. You know, people who hate rich white kids. They were also the victims of an overzealous and unethical prosecutor. I'm sure you wanted to see those kids rot in jail.

And that’s the same thing as being convicted of an actual crime and serving actual time in prison? You don’t see a difference?

You're nuts if you think white people aren't wrongfully convicted. Your bigotry is showing.

Whites routinely receive lighter sentences when they are convicted.

And the # of wrongly convicted Whites pale in comparison to that of Blacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have watched the documentary on amazon last year and honestly this was one of the cases that most impacted me emotionally. I started watching the series yesterday and I almost couldn’t finish the first episode. I told my husband that I will not watch it until my summer classes are over. I went to bed crying and took me a long time to fall asleep. Somehow, I think if you watched the Ken Burns’ doc, this Netflix series is even harder to swallow. Those actors are doing a great job and I hope they get recognized for it.

+1. Those poor kids. Years in jail because an overzealous prosecutor decided someone needed to be punished, irrespective of whether they actually did it. Thank god the real rapist came forward and for dna testing advancements or they’d still be rotting in jail now.

What’s crazy is that they had the DNA then! And it didn’t match any of the boys. But they plowed right ahead full steam anyway because they knew they were dealing with unsophisticated families who could easily be railroaded.

What’s worse is that the actual culprit went on to rape and even kill more people-one a pregnant women whose 2 children were in the next room!

They also had a chance to get him a day or 2 before the Central Park case when a woman who got away described him as having fresh stitches. An officer found out it was Reyes but that situation fell through. They bungled that case so badly.

They should’ve never moved forward with the case with no matching prints, DNA or other physical evidence. All they had were conflicting “confessions” that made absolutely no sense and didn’t fit the facts of the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amazing series. Anyone who touches the criminal justice system should watch it. It should be shown in police academies and law schools. White people (I am white btw) want to believe the world is just, and the American justice system is color blind, and only people who deserve to go to jail are in jail. To have your eyes opened to the systemic racism and injustice that exists in this country is to face the uncomfortable reality that we white people benefit from this system that robs others of their rights & their lives.

Whiteness protects us in so many ways. It is an awful reality. I love this country and want it to be just. To get there we have to bear witness to the horrors inflicted on our fellow Americans who are Black - like the Exonerated Five. Recognize and acknowledge the soul deep suffering that these boys and their families were put through because of racism and an unjust criminal system. And all the Black Americans who are still suffering today. We’ve never had anything close to truth and reconciliation in this country. How can we reconcile when we haven’t atoned for the atrocities of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, white supremacist terrorism, and other American policies and institutions that have disproportionately kept Black Americans from building wealth, that are responsible for poorer health outcomes and higher maternal mortality rates across the board, and that have resulted in Black Americans being incarcerated at higher rates than other groups?

Yet a sizeable section of white America doesn’t believe racism exists! Or worse, that white people are victims of “reverse racism!” How do we heal and move forward as a unified country when this is the case? It makes me sad.

At the very least, watch this series and bear witness to the injustice. Realize it is still happening. Don’t try to justify what happened to these youth. Don’t put it off because it’s uncomfortable. Black people in America don’t have that luxury. Watch it and let it break your heart. Our hearts have to break over the injustice and suffering before anything else can happen.

Did whiteness protect the Duke lacrosse players? I think you might want to chillax on the AA studies classes.

Did you learn nothing from the movie? You’re absolutely frightening and the reason this type of thing happens.

The Duke players were ID’d by their “victim”. They were yanked off the street and coerced into “confessing”.

I also find it ‘cute’ that all you have is the lacrosse team. Most Americans can name a list of falsely accused Blacks stretching over centuries-Scottsboro Boys, Emmett Till, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, Central Park 5. Oprah just interviewed a black man who was just released after 30 years for a crime he didn’t commit.

There are 3 other cases I just saw in the news this week.

And your comeback is the Duke lacrosse team. Who served not one day in jail. AND that prosecutor was disbarred. Nothing happens to white prosecutors who railroad Blacks.