Protests

[glockman]

I had one of the most sad experiences of my professional career happen today. I was up in Missoula for work and had one of my clients call me with an opportunity over in Billings. I say- Hey I just happen to be up your way can you set something up for Friday? So he sets up a 9am meeting for us at one of the neatest places to visit in Billings. I work all day Thursday and even took an extra last minute meeting in the afternoon not putting me into Billings until really late. I booked a hotel downtown that was 7 minutes walking distance to my appointment so I wake up and walk over. I showed up about 20 minutes early and was just sitting on a cement ledge out front by the stairs into the building waiting until 9am. About 10 minutes into my wait a security guard comes out and tells me to leave. Now mind you I’m in a long sleeve button up dress shirt, nice jeans and nice boots so while not a suit and tie I’m far from looking like trouble. I explained I have a meeting with ****** and was early and just waiting. He had me come in the building and called the customer of my customer I was meeting. We waited the next 10 minutes with small talk waiting for my contact to show up then we proceeded to have our meeting. On the way out the building contact made a comment about the security guard asking me to leave and I said something like yeah you really don’t tolerate anyone hanging around this place. Then he looks and me and smirks while lowering his voice and said “ I’m surprised that happened I can’t say this to loud but we don’t normally worry about white people.”

I’m posting this only because what an incredible reminder it was for me that racism is still very much a thing.

Of course it's still a thing. People are tribal. It's better now than it's ever been in human history, just like almost every other measure of human wellbeing.

I'm a pretty big fan of Sam Harris, I thought this video from a pretty left leaning guy is full of good stuff.

 

[TRD270]

NSFW

Tried to find it elsewhere but could figure out where they pulled it from

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Tell you I want some of whatever they are smoking. In what world does communism better support black/brown people? Communism supports whomever is in charge and whomever is friends with whom is in charge. Everyone else gets to sit in bread lines.

Edit: Appears the facespace censor bat has struck again against anything right leaning

 

[Stephen]

Just in case you're still thinking that any of this is about "racial justice":

One Author's Controversial View: 'In Defense Of Looting'

In her provocative book, writer Vicky Osterweil argues that looting is a tool to bring about change in society.

www.npr.org

A business being attacked in the community is ultimately about attacking like modes of oppression that exist in the community.

The very basis of property in the U.S. is derived through whiteness and through Black oppression, through the history of slavery and settler domination of the country. Looting strikes at the heart of property, of whiteness and of the police. It gets to the very root of the way those three things are interconnected. And also it provides people with an imaginative sense of freedom and pleasure and helps them imagine a world that could be. And I think that’s a part of it that doesn’t really get talked about—that riots and looting are experienced as sort of joyous and liberatory.

 

[Unimog]

That is so messed up, I don't know where to start.

 

[TRD270]

That is so messed up, I don't know where to start.

Yup want some of what that author is smoking, might make me get a full nights rest.

 

[glockman]

Ya, my immigrant ancestors (Irish on one side and austrian on the other) have a bone to pick with this whiteness bullshit. My grandmother was raised in a chicken coup in Mapleton because her father ran out of money to build the house. Where is my inherited wealth?

 

[TRD270]

Meanwhile in Portland

Also immediately labeled by media as a right wing extremist, then just a few paragraphs later you see

“On Friday, after a peaceful demonstration in front of Mayor Ted Wheeler’s residence, a crowd went out to a police association building, where some of the protesters set fire to the front of the building before the police dispersed the crowd.”

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[SAMI]

This BS doesn’t end Nov 3rd. It gets worse.

 

[glockman]

This pissed me right the eff off.

 

[TRD270]

This pissed me right the eff off.

I’d like to enact the purge script right now. That assault on the business owner was horrible. Then the justification for it.... I’m truly shocked their hasn’t been someone on a rooftop with a stack of mags just smoking rioters.

I’m trying to comprehend the mentality of these people and what their end game is here. I hope that Americans will pull their head out of the sand and stand up to this, my fear is a blind eye is going to continue to be turned just like many “leaders” of this country are doing.

 

[TRD270]

Also as I scroll back up I see another post has been removed by the face space censor police.

This is why Americans will keep their heads in the sand. Every aspect of this evil is being censored and hidden, you’ll never see the assault of that business owner on the news. You see the drum circle outside chanting for justice. You won’t see the angry mob attacking people. You won’t see the angry white girl spouting her rhetoric.

For lack of a better word I’m ****ing over this

 

[BlackSheep]

I saw today that someone posted through FB that this is 'All Trump's fault - it's happening on his watch'. What about the responsibility of the idiots actually trashing the communities? What about the leadership of the City, County and State where this is happening? Are all of them absolved from the responsibility? I really can't understand that thought process.

 

[TRD270]

I saw today that someone posted through FB that this is 'All Trump's fault - it's happening on his watch'. What about the responsibility of the idiots actually trashing the communities? What about the leadership of the City, County and State where this is happening? Are all of them absolved from the responsibility? I really can't understand that thought process.

Everything bad leads back to Trump, thats how its rationalized. In these wingnuts mind every aspect of their life should be controlled by the government. Since Trump is the head of our government of course it leads back to him. The "leaders" of these cities are doing same thing, hell sakes the speaker of the house says it every time she opens her mouth.

Here is Ted Wheeler doing the same thing. The guy shot in Portland was all Trumps fault. Didn't Trump do exactly as you asked and reduce the federal presence because you said you could take care of it yourself?

 

[Jinx]

I saw today that someone posted through FB that this is 'All Trump's fault - it's happening on his watch'. What about the responsibility of the idiots actually trashing the communities? What about the leadership of the City, County and State where this is happening? Are all of them absolved from the responsibility? I really can't understand that thought process.

Yep, Trumps fault and if you send in federal troops people really freak!...

 

[Tebbsjeep]

That video makes my blood boil.

 

[glockman]

I’m truly shocked their hasn’t been someone on a rooftop with a stack of mags just smoking rioters.

My exact reaction! The sleeping giant is going to wake soon. There are a whole lot of us waiting for the right time to save our country.

 

[Stephen]

My exact reaction! The sleeping giant is going to wake soon. There are a whole lot of us waiting for the right time to save our country.

Why wait? You "save" your country by being civically engaged. Got a problem with how the country/state/county/city/town/school board is operating? Write your representative! Start a petition! Attend a public meeting! Really got a problem? Run for office yourself!
Anyone who thinks that "saving your country" means slapping a mag in your AR and heading into the streets to dole out vigilante justice has seen too many movies.

 

[Hickey]

Anyone who thinks that "saving your country" means slapping a mag in your AR and heading into the streets to dole out vigilante justice has seen too many movies.

Or read too many history books.

 

[Stephen]

Or read too many history books.

If you'd read too many history books, then you'd be saying exactly what I said. If history has taught us anything then it is that mobs and vigilantes are bad. Who in their right mind is thinking, "Oh yeah, I gots tha guns, I'm just waitin' for my chance!!!" NO ONE! That's insane! What we are seeing in Portland, Kenosha, et. all is a fraying of the social fabric of our country. It's bad, about as bad as any of us have seen in our lifetimes. But if you start seeing two groups of citizens waging actual warfare in the streets... that's a breakdown of the social fabric, not just a tearing. History is full of situations like this, none of them end well.
You save a country by fully participating in its institutions. You destroy a country by rooting for violence and demonizing those you disagree with.

 

[jeeper]

My exact reaction! The sleeping giant is going to wake soon. There are a whole lot of us waiting for the right time to save our country.

I've had to put a lot of thought time into this. That kyle kid, as much as we may agree with him, will not have the same life he once did. His actions will forever haunt him in one way or another. If rioters came to south jordan and started burning businesses, would I stand up? What if people were 'peacefully' walking down my street, What would I do? What if my new deck, or flag pole, or yard decorations were being damaged, do I engage? If my vehicles are being damaged, do I engage? I know I have rights to protect my property.. but at what point does it become worse than just replacing what is damaged? A few days in jail until is gets sorted, or any kind of trial with legal fee's, emotional toll on the family, etc seem way worse than a few broken items.
But on the other hand, America. And rioting is wrong, and needs to be stopped.