Why are American blacks always having issues with the Police?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Until high crime is dealt with, these issues will never be dealt with. If you talk about what is really going on, you are called racist. Look at the DC police reports and videos and see who the suspects are daily. Also, what about Chicago and the 2,000 African Americans that have been shot there this year alone? Where are the BLM protesters to protect their lives? 500 African Americans have been killed in Chicago this year.

This. It's hypocritical to protest that Black Lives Matter whenever there is a shooting by the police but to ignore black-on-black violence that occurs daily.

So you don't expect the police to be any better than the criminals they are supposed to be policing? Is that it? I do. I expect more from the police.

You get it. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Until high crime is dealt with, these issues will never be dealt with. If you talk about what is really going on, you are called racist. Look at the DC police reports and videos and see who the suspects are daily. Also, what about Chicago and the 2,000 African Americans that have been shot there this year alone? Where are the BLM protesters to protect their lives? 500 African Americans have been killed in Chicago this year.

This. It's hypocritical to protest that Black Lives Matter whenever there is a shooting by the police but to ignore black-on-black violence that occurs daily.

You are being deliberately obtuse. The black community has been fighting against black on black crime for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am white and have been stopped for being on my phone or for having a tail light out. I always listen to what the police says, never argue with them, am respectful, and don't reach for anything until I am told to do so. In many of these videos, the people getting in trouble are very clearly wrestling with the police and refusing to get out of the car or do what they are asked. I would never ever do such a thing. Also, why is there no outrage about the crime rate in these cities - mostly against African Americans?

This is why I'm sick of people like you. Officer Friendly comes to your car, sees a 'familiar' face. Officer Friendly comes to my son's car and automatically goes into defensive mode.

I guess people like Don Lemon, Van Jones, Chris Rock, George Lopez, John Henson, Jamie Foxx, and a multitude of other well-known figures are just making this up because they have nothing else to do.

y

+1. God this makes me so sad. White fellow human beings, can you really not empathize with us? Please try. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so sad. I am just begging you, white fellow human beings, try to understand. Buy Eyes on the Prize. Really learn about our history. Try to experience it. MLK was assassinated not 50 years ago. You say it was a long time ago, but it wasn't. My father was alive. So were yours. The people that opposed civil rights did not disappear, they were not executed, they were not imprisoned. They are still here, and in many cases, they raised kids who share their lingering and often overt racism.

Maybe the African-American History Musem can be like the Holocaust museum and you get a random name and see how your life turns out as a black person at different times in our history. The thought of being black in the past absolutely horrifies me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the most effective things that can be done in the term near are:

1. Independent investigations and prosecutions of police misconduct at the state level (i.e., not the local DA - they are biased)

2. Independent civilian review boards that have the power to fire and discipline ill-behaved officers

3. More funds for on-going:
a. training of police, particularly de-escalation strategies;
b. support for mental health care of officers with no repercussions for seeking help;
c. frequent rotations of duties (i.e., no officer should spend years on patrol or SWAT - too much stress and compounded effects of PTSD);
d. creation of a mental health force that deals solely with disturbed individuals who need to be forcefully admitted to the hospital and who do not possess weapons

+1,000,000 - This is excellent.
Curious what your background/profession is.

Not that PP but many progressive police departments have all this.

I would consider MPD progressive. As of four years ago, MPD police academy was not teaching deescalation skills; academy time was shortened to get new recruits on the street; the only way to get out of patrol in 3D, 5D, 6D and 7D is to get promoted out; our SOD killed a mentally disturbed man. The last one is debatable about whether everything was done correctly. So if MPD can't do it right, I don't hold out much hope for smaller departments. There are over 18,000 police departments in this country, and they are using 18,000 different policies and procedures.

I'm assuming you are talking about DC. Why do you consider it a progressive police department, then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Nope. Not the public responsibility to ensure officers treat them with respect and do not abuse their authority. Its the officer's sworn duty to do this as a public

Officers unfortunately do not always follow the same procedures when pulling someone over to a T. My uncle was pulled over and they shouted at him to get out of the car, with their guns drawn. They thought he matched the description of robbery suspect recently called in. He complied and they came over, cuffed him, punched him and broke his wrist. When he was released 6 hours later, there was no apology, no offer to address medical needs. They did not respect his life. He's white.

That's the problem here. Until someone actually Shears and responds to this issue, you will continue to have protests, shootings and riots. Since black ppl are mostt impacted, I totally empathize with their anger on this issue.

So, you think he would have fared better by behaving differently?

Bottom line: you do what the cop says. My dad had that talk with me when I got my drivers license--and I am now a senior citizen white woman. Of course, my parents had already taught me that you do what a policeman tells you to do. It is not rocket science.

The advice given about how to behave is spot on. You aren't going to win if you think otherwise. As the writer said, if you disagree, take it out in court. NO one is happy to have a policeman stop them.

Really, you need to google; traffic stop police roadside body cavity searches. They have no legal right to preform these, why should I have to submit or die when the police want to engage in an illegal procedure against my person.

[Anonymous]

Some posters here are posting parenting advice in the guise of political discourse. But that is really disingenuous. How many parents actually teach their kids to disrespect cops?? Zero, I wager. How many people plan to argue with the next cop they see? Zero more I think.

No, what really happens is people get upset, they have problems, they have a hard day, then this cop pulls them over, the person doesn't act like a perfect little sheep (or maybe they do) and blam, they are dead. The cops have to handle the situation non-violently BECAUSE they have a gun. It's not your job to be meek because they might shoot you.

US cops kill people at a 70X higher rate than any other country in the industrialized world. They kill more people in a month than UK cops did in the ENTIRE 20th CENTURY. That's incredible. And it's wrong.

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/american-cops-killed-people-month-march-uk-entire-20th-century/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am white and have been stopped for being on my phone or for having a tail light out. I always listen to what the police says, never argue with them, am respectful, and don't reach for anything until I am told to do so. In many of these videos, the people getting in trouble are very clearly wrestling with the police and refusing to get out of the car or do what they are asked. I would never ever do such a thing. Also, why is there no outrage about the crime rate in these cities - mostly against African Americans?

This is why I'm sick of people like you. Officer Friendly comes to your car, sees a 'familiar' face. Officer Friendly comes to my son's car and automatically goes into defensive mode.

I guess people like Don Lemon, Van Jones, Chris Rock, George Lopez, John Henson, Jamie Foxx, and a multitude of other well-known figures are just making this up because they have nothing else to do.

y

+1. God this makes me so sad. White fellow human beings, can you really not empathize with us? Please try. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so sad. I am just begging you, white fellow human beings, try to understand. Buy Eyes on the Prize. Really learn about our history. Try to experience it. MLK was assassinated not 50 years ago. You say it was a long time ago, but it wasn't. My father was alive. So were yours. The people that opposed civil rights did not disappear, they were not executed, they were not imprisoned. They are still here, and in many cases, they raised kids who share their lingering and often overt racism.

Maybe the African-American History Musem can be like the Holocaust museum and you get a random name and see how your life turns out as a black person at different times in our history. The thought of being black in the past absolutely horrifies me.

What kind of body language does your son present? I have seen many videos where the citizen, black/white/asian whatever gets the double standard because of their attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am white and have been stopped for being on my phone or for having a tail light out. I always listen to what the police says, never argue with them, am respectful, and don't reach for anything until I am told to do so. In many of these videos, the people getting in trouble are very clearly wrestling with the police and refusing to get out of the car or do what they are asked. I would never ever do such a thing. Also, why is there no outrage about the crime rate in these cities - mostly against African Americans?

This is why I'm sick of people like you. Officer Friendly comes to your car, sees a 'familiar' face. Officer Friendly comes to my son's car and automatically goes into defensive mode.

I guess people like Don Lemon, Van Jones, Chris Rock, George Lopez, John Henson, Jamie Foxx, and a multitude of other well-known figures are just making this up because they have nothing else to do.

y

+1. God this makes me so sad. White fellow human beings, can you really not empathize with us? Please try. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so sad. I am just begging you, white fellow human beings, try to understand. Buy Eyes on the Prize. Really learn about our history. Try to experience it. MLK was assassinated not 50 years ago. You say it was a long time ago, but it wasn't. My father was alive. So were yours. The people that opposed civil rights did not disappear, they were not executed, they were not imprisoned. They are still here, and in many cases, they raised kids who share their lingering and often overt racism.

Maybe the African-American History Musem can be like the Holocaust museum and you get a random name and see how your life turns out as a black person at different times in our history. The thought of being black in the past absolutely horrifies me.

What kind of body language does your son present? I have seen many videos where the citizen, black/white/asian whatever gets the double standard because of their attitude.

!? So now cops can shoot people if they have negative body language? You shouldn't use lethal police as a cop unless your life or another is in immediate danger! It's not okay to use excessive force because someone has an attitude! Jesus.

[Anonymous]

Meant lethal force, not lethal police. But same diff i guess

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:attitude, chip on their shoulder and lack of ability to understand our laws that give authority to our police force are main causes for the reason blacks have trouble.
Our president who has not helped the black community instill work ethic, strong families and community values also does not help. I had high hopes that our first half black president would help black communities help themselves.

Omg he's the president not a social worker. And it's extremely difficult to repair the damage done to black communities by racist government laws and policies over around 200 years of our country's history. I'm so sick of comparisons to immigrants. Most blacks are the descendants of slaves. Say that to yourself: "why do the descendants of slaves have such problems with their communities?". The question should answer itself. Immigrants come here, and even though they face challenges, chose this country and have a mission to succeed. Thats not the cultural legacy of the descendants of slaves. Did we ever get reparations? No. This country continued to shit on us. White people even get furious over paltry affirmative action as if prestigious universities are overrun by blacks. They aren't! They still have a disproportionately low amount og blacks. Please actually try to understand our cultural legacy and history. If you want to compare us to another group, compare us to a non-immigrant minority like Native Americans, who also have extremely high poverty and crime and health issues. This country needs to take a hard look at itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am white and have been stopped for being on my phone or for having a tail light out. I always listen to what the police says, never argue with them, am respectful, and don't reach for anything until I am told to do so. In many of these videos, the people getting in trouble are very clearly wrestling with the police and refusing to get out of the car or do what they are asked. I would never ever do such a thing. Also, why is there no outrage about the crime rate in these cities - mostly against African Americans?

This is why I'm sick of people like you. Officer Friendly comes to your car, sees a 'familiar' face. Officer Friendly comes to my son's car and automatically goes into defensive mode.

I guess people like Don Lemon, Van Jones, Chris Rock, George Lopez, John Henson, Jamie Foxx, and a multitude of other well-known figures are just making this up because they have nothing else to do.

y

+1. God this makes me so sad. White fellow human beings, can you really not empathize with us? Please try. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so sad. I am just begging you, white fellow human beings, try to understand. Buy Eyes on the Prize. Really learn about our history. Try to experience it. MLK was assassinated not 50 years ago. You say it was a long time ago, but it wasn't. My father was alive. So were yours. The people that opposed civil rights did not disappear, they were not executed, they were not imprisoned. They are still here, and in many cases, they raised kids who share their lingering and often overt racism.

Maybe the African-American History Musem can be like the Holocaust museum and you get a random name and see how your life turns out as a black person at different times in our history. The thought of being black in the past absolutely horrifies me.

My husband and I have been watching Eyes on the Prize, from Netflix. We're about halfway through. It is extraordinary and I am angry that it was not shown in my history classes in high school. Everyone should see it. The parallels with today are inescapable. When I read today about the BLM leader arrested outside of Baton Rouge I immediately thought of the scenes from the documentary where civil rights leaders were arrested and called "agitators." It's the same language used today. To the extent anyone is "agitating," it's because there is a real problem that needs to be stirred up and fixed. The protesters are not creating the problem. They are highlighting the problem.

Police brutality is a huge problem and while it touches people of every race, I don't see how there can be any doubt that it falls disproportionately on blacks. It always has.

- a white woman

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am white and have been stopped for being on my phone or for having a tail light out. I always listen to what the police says, never argue with them, am respectful, and don't reach for anything until I am told to do so. In many of these videos, the people getting in trouble are very clearly wrestling with the police and refusing to get out of the car or do what they are asked. I would never ever do such a thing. Also, why is there no outrage about the crime rate in these cities - mostly against African Americans?

This is why I'm sick of people like you. Officer Friendly comes to your car, sees a 'familiar' face. Officer Friendly comes to my son's car and automatically goes into defensive mode.

I guess people like Don Lemon, Van Jones, Chris Rock, George Lopez, John Henson, Jamie Foxx, and a multitude of other well-known figures are just making this up because they have nothing else to do.

y

+1. God this makes me so sad. White fellow human beings, can you really not empathize with us? Please try. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so sad. I am just begging you, white fellow human beings, try to understand. Buy Eyes on the Prize. Really learn about our history. Try to experience it. MLK was assassinated not 50 years ago. You say it was a long time ago, but it wasn't. My father was alive. So were yours. The people that opposed civil rights did not disappear, they were not executed, they were not imprisoned. They are still here, and in many cases, they raised kids who share their lingering and often overt racism.

Maybe the African-American History Musem can be like the Holocaust museum and you get a random name and see how your life turns out as a black person at different times in our history. The thought of being black in the past absolutely horrifies me.

What kind of body language does your son present? I have seen many videos where the citizen, black/white/asian whatever gets the double standard because of their attitude.

!? So now cops can shoot people if they have negative body language? You shouldn't use lethal police as a cop unless your life or another is in immediate danger! It's not okay to use excessive force because someone has an attitude! Jesus.

Blame the victim mentality. It at once makes the poster feel safer, and makes the poster think the victim is stupid. Police have extraordinary power over regular citizens. Extraordinary power. They can take every freedom you have away. We must insist as Americans that they are held to a much higher standard, provide the training to make sure they can attain it, and hold them accountable when they don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am white and have been stopped for being on my phone or for having a tail light out. I always listen to what the police says, never argue with them, am respectful, and don't reach for anything until I am told to do so. In many of these videos, the people getting in trouble are very clearly wrestling with the police and refusing to get out of the car or do what they are asked. I would never ever do such a thing. Also, why is there no outrage about the crime rate in these cities - mostly against African Americans?

This is why I'm sick of people like you. Officer Friendly comes to your car, sees a 'familiar' face. Officer Friendly comes to my son's car and automatically goes into defensive mode.

I guess people like Don Lemon, Van Jones, Chris Rock, George Lopez, John Henson, Jamie Foxx, and a multitude of other well-known figures are just making this up because they have nothing else to do.

y

+1. God this makes me so sad. White fellow human beings, can you really not empathize with us? Please try. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so sad. I am just begging you, white fellow human beings, try to understand. Buy Eyes on the Prize. Really learn about our history. Try to experience it. MLK was assassinated not 50 years ago. You say it was a long time ago, but it wasn't. My father was alive. So were yours. The people that opposed civil rights did not disappear, they were not executed, they were not imprisoned. They are still here, and in many cases, they raised kids who share their lingering and often overt racism.

Maybe the African-American History Musem can be like the Holocaust museum and you get a random name and see how your life turns out as a black person at different times in our history. The thought of being black in the past absolutely horrifies me.

My husband and I have been watching Eyes on the Prize, from Netflix. We're about halfway through. It is extraordinary and I am angry that it was not shown in my history classes in high school. Everyone should see it. The parallels with today are inescapable. When I read today about the BLM leader arrested outside of Baton Rouge I immediately thought of the scenes from the documentary where civil rights leaders were arrested and called "agitators." It's the same language used today. To the extent anyone is "agitating," it's because there is a real problem that needs to be stirred up and fixed. The protesters are not creating the problem. They are highlighting the problem.

Police brutality is a huge problem and while it touches people of every race, I don't see how there can be any doubt that it falls disproportionately on blacks. It always has.

- a white woman

God bless you! I am PP you are responding to. I'm so depressed to my core this last week. Reading mean anonymous posts on the Internet is probably not helping me. Thank you thank you for being a ray of light. Talk to other white people. Like everyone else on earth, it's easier to listen when the person talking to you reminds you of yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some posters here are posting parenting advice in the guise of political discourse. But that is really disingenuous. How many parents actually teach their kids to disrespect cops?? Zero, I wager. How many people plan to argue with the next cop they see? Zero more I think.

No, what really happens is people get upset, they have problems, they have a hard day, then this cop pulls them over, the person doesn't act like a perfect little sheep (or maybe they do) and blam, they are dead. The cops have to handle the situation non-violently BECAUSE they have a gun. It's not your job to be meek because they might shoot you.

US cops kill people at a 70X higher rate than any other country in the industrialized world. They kill more people in a month than UK cops did in the ENTIRE 20th CENTURY. That's incredible. And it's wrong.

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/american-cops-killed-people-month-march-uk-entire-20th-century/

NP here, I trust your data but it's also because we have a somewhat violent and armed population. No other western country has so many people that carry guns. Cops deal with guns in domestic abuse calls, drug related violence, gang or retribution violence. This is in white and black communities.

Compliance matters when dealing with an officer who pulls you over or who responds to a call. If one does as they ask and you have done nothing illegal it will likely end well. Sometimes it doesn't. There are racists cops. They ought to be fired immediately. Most cops are great people who protect our neighborhoods so our kids can walk to school and play outside safely. I feel tremendous gratitude to our police forces who work to keep us safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some posters here are posting parenting advice in the guise of political discourse. But that is really disingenuous. How many parents actually teach their kids to disrespect cops?? Zero, I wager. How many people plan to argue with the next cop they see? Zero more I think.

No, what really happens is people get upset, they have problems, they have a hard day, then this cop pulls them over, the person doesn't act like a perfect little sheep (or maybe they do) and blam, they are dead. The cops have to handle the situation non-violently BECAUSE they have a gun. It's not your job to be meek because they might shoot you.

US cops kill people at a 70X higher rate than any other country in the industrialized world. They kill more people in a month than UK cops did in the ENTIRE 20th CENTURY. That's incredible. And it's wrong.

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/american-cops-killed-people-month-march-uk-entire-20th-century/

NP here, I trust your data but it's also because we have a somewhat violent and armed population. No other western country has so many people that carry guns. Cops deal with guns in domestic abuse calls, drug related violence, gang or retribution violence. This is in white and black communities.

Compliance matters when dealing with an officer who pulls you over or who responds to a call. If one does as they ask and you have done nothing illegal it will likely end well. [b]Sometimes it doesn't. There are racists cops. They ought to be fired immediately. Most cops are great people who protect our neighborhoods so our kids can walk to school and play outside safely. I feel tremendous gratitude to our police forces who work to keep us safe.

I no longer believe this. At least not for minorities. (And I am sure many black posters on this thread will chime in and say they have never believed it and it has never been true for them.)

I feel gratitude to have the police. I also feel afraid of the police -- not much for myself, because I am white, but for others. The problem isn't just individual "racist cops." It's a system that devalues black life as a whole. Thus an individual cop who may feel he is not racist is primed to react more harshly to a black individual than a white individual. Hell, I do so myself. If I am walking down the street and five teenage boys are coming toward me, I am twitchier if they are black than if they are white or Asian. I hate that I feel this way, but I do. And I have never had a personal negative experience with any teenage boy of any race. Racism is built into our society, regardless of individual feelings. Most racism today is of the subtler, unconscious variety. I'm sure you can find some good ol' boy who will happily expound on how blacks are inferior or the races should commingle or what not, but most people probably don't feel this way. Yet, they may react more negatively to blacks than to whites, and not even realize they are doing so.

With regard to cops, it's also a major problem that the system is not set up to punish bad cop behavior. I am a lawyer and I have seen many cases of acknowledged excessive use of force by police. For instance, police who, when responding to a call, break into the wrong house, don't bother to correct their error after being informed of it, and beat the people inside even when they don't resist. There is no apology or attempt to change. When the victims sue, they are lucky to get a small settlement. Police have too much immunity under the law.