General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA short rant about the need for victims to be perfect & react perfectly to violence and oppression
I am sick of hearing about how victims and victimized communities should react to violence and oppression. The reality is when faced with violence and oppression and constant discrimination, most of us break social mores. However, i really hate how much the media focuses on these 'riots' or 'looting' rather than what instigated these transgressions. Also, in my experience the media grossly exaggerates about how bad things are (remember, Katrina) when covering the transgressions of the victimized community.
I literally can't stand it.
Victims and victimized communities do not need to be perfect to have certain inalienable civil rights.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)Especially when trying to create a narrative that not-so-subtly says "the victim had it coming"
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)and ignoring the dozens of civil rights groups/religious groups etc.
rbrnmw
(7,160 posts)They try to demonize the resistance by showing things like the QT mart instead of the peaceful vigils. They try to besmirch the character of the dead victims who can't defend themselves. I look for a George Zimmerman type excuse for the shooting the cop will have marks supposedly inflicted by Mike Brown.
bigtree
(85,920 posts). . .As the family said, shortly after the killing, violent and destructive reactions would not be in line with the wishes of the victim.
However, those reactions are a predictable and almost inevitable consequence of police brutality directed toward a particular community or racial (or otherwise) group of citizens acting within the law.
During the civil rights protests in the '50's and '60's we could see the same violent reactions, and there evolved a decidedly more peaceful, non-violent response from other quarters which was in very direct and active conflict with each others tactics and expressions of protest.
What evolved, and what I believed prevailed for the better, was a leadership (mainly from the churches) which developed and adhered to non-violent protests which provided a useful and ultimately productive contrast with the government's and individual violent acts of brutality and discrimination.
I hope they can organize that kind of response.
Bonx
(2,041 posts)There's no valid excuse for the looting & rioting in Ferguson. None.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)Bonx
(2,041 posts)Maedhros
(10,007 posts)Little Star
(17,055 posts)you can't be that naive.
Bonx
(2,041 posts)Yeah, I guess.
malaise
(267,843 posts)the unarmed youth?
mountain grammy
(26,573 posts)along with condemning all violence. Let's not forget the violence that sparked this.
malaise
(267,843 posts)who start these riots to obfuscate from the real crime of murder by cop
RadiationTherapy
(5,818 posts)MindPilot
(12,693 posts)And then the terrorists in blue will magically change after seeing the error of their ways?
Yeah, those are some colorful unicorn farts right there.
Bonx
(2,041 posts)Welcome.
MindPilot
(12,693 posts)arcane1
(38,613 posts)La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)Cops should be allowed to gun down whoever they like, and there is nothing more important than protecting property rights. The police are there to serve and protect the right kind of people, and if some of the wrong kind of people suffer some inconveniences that's a small price to pay.
Bryant.
Bonx
(2,041 posts)But defending looting and rioting in Ferguson is nonsensical.
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)VanGoghRocks
(621 posts)Little Star
(17,055 posts)leftstreet
(36,081 posts)In terms of attitudes and media coverage especially
Remember this?
cui bono
(19,926 posts)I don't think that's the same thing as this though. That was a situation where people needed to get items for survival. The looting in a situation such as Ferguson is opportunistic. Now were the people doing it screwed by the system, by systemic racism? I'm sure of it, but it the stealing isn't directly related to the killing. I can understand destructive behavior coming out of anger, but stealing just because you can isn't making any statement about the cops murdering an innocent kid.
Doesn't excuse the way the media covers it, but gives media cover.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)tenderfoot
(8,424 posts)Stop the looting of the middle class!
cui bono
(19,926 posts)of the problem, which is what instigated it. The murder of an innocent kid by a cop.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)Windows can be replaced. People cannot. Get your fucking priorties straight.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)I don't know, maybe it's me, but a broken window V a dead teenager?? No contest!
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)how it relates to the OP.
A Dream Deferred
by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Exultant Democracy
(6,594 posts)Chellee
(2,086 posts)I doubt he was troubled by that unlawful activity.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)When the disfranchised voice has nothing more to lose, don't look for a rational or valid response-- as those rational and valid responses have to date, yielded them nothing.
That's not a defense... that's merely history. ,part II
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)XemaSab
(60,212 posts)Because if you don't act with a perfect mixture of rationality (immediately calling the police!) and upset (curl into a ball and cry for days!), then you probably weren't "really" raped.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)including gaza. gay prides/protests. occupy wallstreet type movements. our attitude to the poor overall.
cui bono
(19,926 posts)Rape victims aren't going out and breaking other laws. That's not how they are victimized again.
I can understand the breaking things, destructive behavior, that is an emotional response, a release of anger. But then when people run in and loot, that does not seem to be in direct relation to the anger over the shooting. The media obviously will focus on the sensationalist aspect and the easy aspect of it all, and the aspect that can shed more black people in a negative light without giving any context to it. The looting just gives ammunition to the racists and provides an excuse for the media to slant their coverage (not that they need one, they do it anyway).
That's why nonviolent protests are so powerful. It's clear who's in the wrong and it can't be spun.
Now, if there weren't so much poverty and everyone had a fair shake in this world perhaps people wouldn't feel the need to take an opportunity like that to steal, but that's a different issue than it being due to the killing of an innocent kid. Stealing isn't an organic outlet for anger.
XemaSab
(60,212 posts)Racism doesn't operate on logic, and there's NOTHING black people can do to make racists happy.
Hell, Barack Obama becomes the president of the United States of America and racists see it as a sign that black people are lazy, shiftless, uneducated grifters.
Black people don't owe racists shit.
cui bono
(19,926 posts)And when they are given no ammunition it exposes just how ugly it all is. That's why all the nonviolent protests of the civil rights movement were so powerful.
Response to XemaSab (Reply #30)
Name removed Message auto-removed
XemaSab
(60,212 posts)Tell me more.
Response to XemaSab (Reply #64)
Name removed Message auto-removed
irisblue
(32,829 posts)BlindTiresias
(1,563 posts)They have a fully formed and functional ammo factory running 24/7 in their twisted minds.
cui bono
(19,926 posts)redqueen
(115,096 posts)I'm glad someone did. Thank you.
me b zola
(19,053 posts)PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)Don't pay attention to our transgressions. Look what happened over here. OMG! We are so justified now....
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)after Zimmerman walked after murdering Martin. They are just people filled with hatred.
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)Louisiana1976
(3,962 posts)oppression. And I agree 100% that the media should focus on what instigates rioting and looting and shouldn't exaggerate how bad things are.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)Bacchus4.0
(6,837 posts)Exultant Democracy
(6,594 posts)Being black in America literally means you have been born a victim of over 400 years of oppression. Do you understand what 400 years of oppression does at both the group and individual level?
Uncle Joe
(58,112 posts)Thanks for the thread, La Lioness Priyanka.
Taitertots
(7,745 posts)Riots, looting.... Are not reasonable responses to the situation.
I'm sick of hearing about how we should excuse unreasonable actions because someone else did something unreasonable.
TheKentuckian
(24,949 posts)from your comments that there is not enough of certain skin in the game and going forward every time one of the precious right wing militia gets out of hand until folks like you stop deflecting, excusing, and encouraging more of the same.
Taitertots
(7,745 posts)B/C trying to destroy someone else's community is not a reasonable alternative to destroying your own.
clyrc
(2,299 posts)When I lived in the UAE, I saw that when people think the laws aren't there to protect them, but instead they protect a privileged few, the people who feel unprotected don't see any advantage to following the rules. Why should they? Honestly, I could see their point. I think something like that is at play here. I'm not saying rioting is the right thing to do. But both sides have to follow the rules, and shooting a kid walking on the road is not following the law.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Quayblue
(1,045 posts)Lives can't..wtf!!!
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)Shrike47
(6,913 posts)productive. The police won't even release the name of the homicidal cop. When people have all that anger, it's going to go somewhere.
ashling
(25,771 posts)Ostensibly about slavery and colonialism, I think it has some is applicable here as well
Response to La Lioness Priyanka (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)i am still feeling the same rage this morning
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Avalux
(35,015 posts)I can't stand it anymore.