Mac, I suspect you don't know what "defund the police" means.
What do you THINK it means?
The New Lounge
- Thread starter hpnole
- Start date
Mac, I suspect you don't know what "defund the police" means.
What do you THINK it means?
I knew I should have ignored this thread (no offense @hart2chesson), but a couple of you are getting on my nerves.
Let's kick it off with @Jtre:
That's a gross misrepresentation of what Tucker said. I just finished watching the segment, which is 25 minutes long, and it showed several clips and tweets from political leaders and BLM leadership. Essentially, Tucker was taking issue with de-funding the police and stifling freedom of speech. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you didn't watch the segment in in its entirety, but your statement is a flat out lie.
@TheDude1, I thought you were a teacher. Did you listen to Tucker's segment before passing judgement? Your attitude reminds me of a black middle school teacher I had who wanted me to do three times the work as everyone else in a "general" class since I was mostly in "honors" classes. My parents complained that it was unfair and she called me up in front of the class and said little whitey here complained to her mommy about doing more work, but she is going to do it. She got suspended and I did the same work as everyone else. You're not always right and you would do well to listen more and prattle less.
@bleediteveryday30, you're not getting on nerves, but I just wanted to say Obama and Trump are both dividers in my opinion. They share the same exact problem that makes them divisive to me. They are arrogant and can't admit when they're wrong.
I'm generally an easy-going person, but sheesh. Rant over.
Let's kick it off with @Jtre:
That's a gross misrepresentation of what Tucker said. I just finished watching the segment, which is 25 minutes long, and it showed several clips and tweets from political leaders and BLM leadership. Essentially, Tucker was taking issue with de-funding the police and stifling freedom of speech. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you didn't watch the segment in in its entirety, but your statement is a flat out lie.
@TheDude1, I thought you were a teacher. Did you listen to Tucker's segment before passing judgement? Your attitude reminds me of a black middle school teacher I had who wanted me to do three times the work as everyone else in a "general" class since I was mostly in "honors" classes. My parents complained that it was unfair and she called me up in front of the class and said little whitey here complained to her mommy about doing more work, but she is going to do it. She got suspended and I did the same work as everyone else. You're not always right and you would do well to listen more and prattle less.
@bleediteveryday30, you're not getting on nerves, but I just wanted to say Obama and Trump are both dividers in my opinion. They share the same exact problem that makes them divisive to me. They are arrogant and can't admit when they're wrong.
I'm generally an easy-going person, but sheesh. Rant over.
I listened to him, as I have before. I did not listen to the entire 25 minutes. He's not worth that much of my time. I never said I directly quoted him. I took what he said, sifted through the dog-whistles and found strong similarities to the good old days back when America was great.
You mentioned Obama. Maybe you can share some of the things he did that made him so divisive?
I apologize your middle school teacher did that to you. She was wrong for treating you like she did. Did she actually call you "little whitey?"
I hope you remember what it was like for those few days to Black in America, especially a Black woman. If you want to reach the same level of sustained success as your white male counterparts you pretty much have to go 3 times as hard.
Last edited:
On the other hand, there's been a big push for people to use more inclusive language.
Yes, I am a teacher.
No, obviously I didn't listen to the segment; from what was recounted, that sounds disgusting. I'm really familiar with Tucker, though, and the guy loves his racist dog whistles.
I have no idea what on earth that story is about or how it connects... wtf? Little whitey? What planet is this?
I know I am not always right. I say that often, and am totally fine with being wrong. Nothing wrong with being wrong. The only issue is when someone is wrong and refuses to accept it.
I do listen. In fact, I read everything people post here, and I specifically respond to them, in depth and at length, reflecting what they have said and analyzing it.
And after you shared that bizarre rambling story about a racist teacher being mean to you and thought that it made some sort of cogent, meaningful point, I don't think you are a very effective judge of what is, or is not, prattle. Nice word choice, though.
Last edited:
No, obviously I didn't listen to the segment; from what was recounted, that sounds disgusting.
I have no idea what on earth that story is about or how it connects... wtf? Little whitey? What planet is this?
I know I am not always right. I say that often.
I do listen. In fact, I read everything people post here, and I specifically respond to them, in depth.
And I don't think you know what prattle means. Nice word choice, though.
Thank you for proving my point. You're snide, obnoxious, and apparently don't know what prattle means.
Dude, it means money that was to be funded to them, won’t be. Or some cities will take the money that was set aside for them and, instead of giving it to the police department, will go to some other groups.
I hope I passed this quiz of yours. I love how you assume, due to your education, that you’re the smartest guy in any room you walk into.
You don’t even discuss the issue of what I was really talking about: which is the mentality of many, and what agenda they’re trying to push.
I’ve watched Carlson for years. He isn’t the bigot you and others make him out to be.
You remind me of the upper class guy that wants to make him look like he loves everyone of color. I see you as more of a phony. One who finds problems, and to then find who to blame.
Oh, I know you like to give those cute emojis when you’re talking down to us, so here’s one just for you
@Jtre, no need to apologize for the teacher. It's solely her fault. I still think you're grossly misrepresenting what Tucker said. Sometimes people mean exactly what they say.
TheDude1
Ahhh... so I responded to your post sentence by sentence after posting a pretty harmless gif, saying things like "I am wrong a lot" and "I listen and respond to everyone here seriously" and admitting I didn't watch the segment... and now I am snide and obnoxious. Gotcha.
And I assure you that I know what prattle means. Your random story of a racist teacher being mean to you is a perfect example.
Last edited:
Dude, it means money that was to be funded to them, won’t be. Or some cities will take the money that was set aside for them and, instead of giving it to the police department, will go to some other groups.
I hope I passed this quiz of yours. I love how you assume, due to your education, that you’re the smartest guy in any room you walk into.
You don’t even discuss the issue of what I was really talking about: which is the mentality of many, and what agenda they’re trying to push.
I’ve watched Carlson for years. He isn’t the bigot you and others make him out to be.
You remind me of the upper class guy that wants to make him look like he loves everyone of color. I see you as more of a phony. One who finds problems, and to then find who to blame.
Oh, I know you like to give those cute emojis when you’re talking down to us, so here’s one just for you
Thank you mac. Do you know what prattle means? Apparently, I don't.
Ah, okay, good. So let's start with that.
So we are talking about modifying funding of police departments.
There are a number of social programs that have a proven connection to reduction of violence in neighborhoods.
This includes programs like workforce preparedness programs, substance abuse programs, youth involvement programs, home violence prevention programs, and the like.
All have shown measurable impacts on crime, as you might expect.
So the general idea of taking some funding from police departments (which are about enforcement of law) and moving that funding to programs that can prevent crime... is this an acceptable thing to consider?
Oh, and know that I am not entirely sure about how funding should be changed... it's not a position I know a ton about... so I am not trying to get you to my point of view. I'm not sure I have one yet.
Oh, I know you like to give those cute emojis when you’re talking down to us, so here’s one just for you
Actually, I smile a lot in life, and I use it here to show when I am smiling.
Last edited:
Hey @Jtre, can I ask you a pair of questions?
First, have you avoided discussing your own race at times because you felt some people would dismiss your points as being biased?
Second, are you being particularly careful with your reactions... like saying you were sorry about Miserplexs idiot teacher... in an attempt to keep dialogue open?
First, have you avoided discussing your own race at times because you felt some people would dismiss your points as being biased?
Second, are you being particularly careful with your reactions... like saying you were sorry about Miserplexs idiot teacher... in an attempt to keep dialogue open?
You're so smart and I'm so dumb. What I said was your attitude reminded me of that teacher's attitude. In short, you're a condescending jerk who can't tolerate anyone disagreeing with you. I'm going to do what I should have done in the first place, ignore you. Have a nice day.
Jesus christ. Like I ever said anything about me being smart or you being dumb. I don't know you from a hill of beans; how do I know if you are smart or dumb? I mean, you jump into this thread like a house on fire, STARTED OFF by accusing me of prattling and seemingly mocking my profession and then telling some terrible story and saying that is me? And I STILL took the time to respond to you? And somehow *I* am the condescending jerk?
A racist teacher saying terrible, illogical stuff to a child reminded you of me? WTF? Can't tolerate anyone disagreeing with me? That's like ALL THAT HAPPENS here. I engage with people with disagree with me ALL THE TIME. Because as much as I disagree with @Mac9192 , I still f'ing value him as a PERSON, and value interacting with him, and value his beliefs, and believe that we are all decent people at heart and it is worth discussing, no matter how hard it gets or how angry we get or how upset we get.
It is amazing how angry people get over imagined slights.
You are very strange, and it is probably better for you if you ignore me.
And you have a nice day too!
Last edited:
Hart, just gotta say... @Jtre doesn't seem like a guy who is going to be attacking your pastors or whatever.
I think his point was just that, whether they are good people or religious people or well-meaning people... they still aren't speaking from a place of experience, and listening to people with experience is important. My guess is that he would say the same thing to me, if push came to shove.
I could be wrong, but I think that is all that he was saying. You have always struck me as a very even keeled guy, and I don't think he is going to go after you like that.
BTW, it is particularly ironic to read that nonsense today, as I just put the finishing touches on my goodbye letter to my kids, what I would normally say to them in person. Here, I can let you all give it a look... figure some of you might enjoy it. It is so damn hard to try to write something that matters and hits on everything... ugh. Been poring over it for days
June 2020
To the people I’ve gotten to spend this year with,
Well, ordinarily I talk to you all for the last few minutes of the last day of school about what has happened, and what is ahead. It’s always tough… there’s a lot to say in such a short time, and it is hard to get to everything. Plus, I sometimes tear up a bit, and then some of you guys start to cry, and it becomes a mess. You’ve probably seen the ugly results of this in clap-outs from years past.
But this year, it is different. We didn’t get the last few months together, months that are as much time as a family as a class, and we aren’t going to have those last minutes as a class, as US, that we normally would.
That makes me really sad in some ways… those goodbyes, those handshakes, those smiles of a job well done… even the occasional Mr-B-Is-So-Grumpy hugs… they MATTER.
But I also thought it might be an opportunity to get more of a chance to “talk” to you guys about what is ahead, and about what I hope for all of you.
You guys have a whole life ahead of you. And in that life, there are some things that I’ve found will be so very important not just to succeeding, but to ENJOYING what is to come, and to be a power for GOOD… and it doesn’t get much more important than that.
First, you need to stay curious. I don’t know why, but so much of school seems designed to drain the excitement and curiosity out of you. I know it; heck, I’ve seen it in your eyes when I’VE been the one responsible for it! But the thing is… there is SO much in this world to be curious about, to enjoy! Taste rosemary and sage and basil, enjoy how different they are, and figure out which recipes they work best with. Listen to Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor and appreciate how certain notes and instruments inspire such different feelings. Learn about how our minds and bodies work, about the Milgram experiment and congenital analgesia and the Dunning-Kruger effect. There is an absolute universe of interesting stuff out there; stay curious, and go learn about it!
Second… you need grit. Grit is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. It is the ability to stick with something hard, the ability to chew away at something challenging until you succeed, the ability to stay with something that is threatening to break you. You guys have a lot of hard stuff ahead of you. School work will be hard. Relationships will be hard. LIFE can get really, really hard. It is easy to give up on something that is hard, even though when you do, your soul usually knows it was a mistake. You need to display grit, the ability to tackle these hard times, and to grind away at them until you overcome them. And you know the thing that helps the most with showing grit? Realizing that you can influence these hard times. You are not powerless; in fact, you will always be the most powerful person in the events in your life. Using this power often takes effort and bravery and sacrifice and the willingness to do it… it takes grit. So when things get hard, make sure to have the grit to stick with them, and the faith to know that, if you do, you will push through. And the best part is that every time you push through something hard, every time you show grit, it makes the next time just a tiny bit easier. Showing grit gets easier and easier, once you start doing it.
Third… you’ve got to learn from your failures. You will fail a lot in life. I find it isn’t even really the “school” kind of failures that hurt the most. It is the PERSONAL failures… the times when you did something or said something wrong, the time when your grit failed and you gave up at something hard, and then you look back and are ashamed of what you did, afraid that what you did means something dark about yourself, that it reveals or defines some weakness of yours. When that happens, do me a favor and say to yourself “Mr. B says this was okay; I’ve just got to look forward and learn from it.” Failing is natural, and failure is good, because that is when you learn. You can’t take back the bad things you’ve done… the test you didn’t study for and then failed... the time you watched someone accidentally drop something on the street and not notice and you didn’t say anything and then watched them walk away… the mean thing you said to someone… you can only look at those moments, at how you feel about them, and use them to strengthen yourself so that NEXT time, you’ll do right.
Fourth, make sure to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! There are times I’ve seen you all get down on yourselves, believing you cannot do something, believing you weren’t good enough. It happens to everyone. But you ARE good enough. All of you… you ARE. Yes, as I said above, you’ll fail. You’ll hit times when you need grit, and you can’t find it. You’ll be presented with options to do the right thing, and sometimes you won’t take them. But believe in yourself. Each of you. I truly believe that every one of you are capable of anything you truly want to do, and if I believe it, you better believe it too.
And finally… be good. Be righteous. Be a person who listens, who admits errors, who is empathetic to the people around them. Be a person who actively works to make the world a better place, in small ways and large. I wasn’t always a teacher… I used to be in a job that was much cooler, that paid much more, that most outsiders would look at and say “Oh WOW!” But I eventually came to realize that that job, for all of the fun and money and fame it entailed… it didn’t MATTER. It wasn’t helping anyone, it wasn’t improving the world… it wasn’t “spending” my life in a way that would leave a meaningful impact, in a way that was worthwhile. It sounds silly, but that is why I became a teacher. I didn’t become a teacher because I like math, or because I care about spelling, or because standardized tests and lesson plans get me excited. I became a teacher because I felt that it might give me a chance to use this one life in some service to others, and that by doing so I would be doing good. I hope that you all, the ones who I have literally dedicated my life to, have seen that, and benefited from that, and appreciated it, and felt that it is a life well spent, and more importantly I hope that, when the time comes for you to determine the path your life will take, you decide to take the good and righteous one.
So… that’s it. That’s the grand speech. I hope some of it… ANY of it… sticks with you, that some small lesson from this year of your life guides you through some time you face, that some moment of what we’ve done over the last year pops back into your head twenty years from now and makes you smile. I so thoroughly enjoyed spending this year of life with you all. I will think of all of you often, and fondly, for the rest of my life. And I do look forward to hearing from you all, seeing you all again. Email, come to visit… I will always be thinking about you and wondering what’s going on with you, and there are no joys as rich as having middle schoolers and high schoolers and college kids and even the college grads keeping in touch, emailing and visiting, to talk about big things and small, in a way that we never can when you are sixth graders. You might be graduating from our school, but you will be “my kids” forever, and I will always be thinking of you all.
Love always,
Mr. B
June 2020
To the people I’ve gotten to spend this year with,
Well, ordinarily I talk to you all for the last few minutes of the last day of school about what has happened, and what is ahead. It’s always tough… there’s a lot to say in such a short time, and it is hard to get to everything. Plus, I sometimes tear up a bit, and then some of you guys start to cry, and it becomes a mess. You’ve probably seen the ugly results of this in clap-outs from years past.
But this year, it is different. We didn’t get the last few months together, months that are as much time as a family as a class, and we aren’t going to have those last minutes as a class, as US, that we normally would.
That makes me really sad in some ways… those goodbyes, those handshakes, those smiles of a job well done… even the occasional Mr-B-Is-So-Grumpy hugs… they MATTER.
But I also thought it might be an opportunity to get more of a chance to “talk” to you guys about what is ahead, and about what I hope for all of you.
You guys have a whole life ahead of you. And in that life, there are some things that I’ve found will be so very important not just to succeeding, but to ENJOYING what is to come, and to be a power for GOOD… and it doesn’t get much more important than that.
First, you need to stay curious. I don’t know why, but so much of school seems designed to drain the excitement and curiosity out of you. I know it; heck, I’ve seen it in your eyes when I’VE been the one responsible for it! But the thing is… there is SO much in this world to be curious about, to enjoy! Taste rosemary and sage and basil, enjoy how different they are, and figure out which recipes they work best with. Listen to Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor and appreciate how certain notes and instruments inspire such different feelings. Learn about how our minds and bodies work, about the Milgram experiment and congenital analgesia and the Dunning-Kruger effect. There is an absolute universe of interesting stuff out there; stay curious, and go learn about it!
Second… you need grit. Grit is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. It is the ability to stick with something hard, the ability to chew away at something challenging until you succeed, the ability to stay with something that is threatening to break you. You guys have a lot of hard stuff ahead of you. School work will be hard. Relationships will be hard. LIFE can get really, really hard. It is easy to give up on something that is hard, even though when you do, your soul usually knows it was a mistake. You need to display grit, the ability to tackle these hard times, and to grind away at them until you overcome them. And you know the thing that helps the most with showing grit? Realizing that you can influence these hard times. You are not powerless; in fact, you will always be the most powerful person in the events in your life. Using this power often takes effort and bravery and sacrifice and the willingness to do it… it takes grit. So when things get hard, make sure to have the grit to stick with them, and the faith to know that, if you do, you will push through. And the best part is that every time you push through something hard, every time you show grit, it makes the next time just a tiny bit easier. Showing grit gets easier and easier, once you start doing it.
Third… you’ve got to learn from your failures. You will fail a lot in life. I find it isn’t even really the “school” kind of failures that hurt the most. It is the PERSONAL failures… the times when you did something or said something wrong, the time when your grit failed and you gave up at something hard, and then you look back and are ashamed of what you did, afraid that what you did means something dark about yourself, that it reveals or defines some weakness of yours. When that happens, do me a favor and say to yourself “Mr. B says this was okay; I’ve just got to look forward and learn from it.” Failing is natural, and failure is good, because that is when you learn. You can’t take back the bad things you’ve done… the test you didn’t study for and then failed... the time you watched someone accidentally drop something on the street and not notice and you didn’t say anything and then watched them walk away… the mean thing you said to someone… you can only look at those moments, at how you feel about them, and use them to strengthen yourself so that NEXT time, you’ll do right.
Fourth, make sure to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! There are times I’ve seen you all get down on yourselves, believing you cannot do something, believing you weren’t good enough. It happens to everyone. But you ARE good enough. All of you… you ARE. Yes, as I said above, you’ll fail. You’ll hit times when you need grit, and you can’t find it. You’ll be presented with options to do the right thing, and sometimes you won’t take them. But believe in yourself. Each of you. I truly believe that every one of you are capable of anything you truly want to do, and if I believe it, you better believe it too.
And finally… be good. Be righteous. Be a person who listens, who admits errors, who is empathetic to the people around them. Be a person who actively works to make the world a better place, in small ways and large. I wasn’t always a teacher… I used to be in a job that was much cooler, that paid much more, that most outsiders would look at and say “Oh WOW!” But I eventually came to realize that that job, for all of the fun and money and fame it entailed… it didn’t MATTER. It wasn’t helping anyone, it wasn’t improving the world… it wasn’t “spending” my life in a way that would leave a meaningful impact, in a way that was worthwhile. It sounds silly, but that is why I became a teacher. I didn’t become a teacher because I like math, or because I care about spelling, or because standardized tests and lesson plans get me excited. I became a teacher because I felt that it might give me a chance to use this one life in some service to others, and that by doing so I would be doing good. I hope that you all, the ones who I have literally dedicated my life to, have seen that, and benefited from that, and appreciated it, and felt that it is a life well spent, and more importantly I hope that, when the time comes for you to determine the path your life will take, you decide to take the good and righteous one.
So… that’s it. That’s the grand speech. I hope some of it… ANY of it… sticks with you, that some small lesson from this year of your life guides you through some time you face, that some moment of what we’ve done over the last year pops back into your head twenty years from now and makes you smile. I so thoroughly enjoyed spending this year of life with you all. I will think of all of you often, and fondly, for the rest of my life. And I do look forward to hearing from you all, seeing you all again. Email, come to visit… I will always be thinking about you and wondering what’s going on with you, and there are no joys as rich as having middle schoolers and high schoolers and college kids and even the college grads keeping in touch, emailing and visiting, to talk about big things and small, in a way that we never can when you are sixth graders. You might be graduating from our school, but you will be “my kids” forever, and I will always be thinking of you all.
Love always,
Mr. B
Those are both fair assumptions.
As far as @meisperplexed goes, there's a couple additional reasons I responded how I did.
I knew a professor, who I kept in contact with for many years until he passed. I wouldn't necessarily call him a mentor but I had a lot of valuable conversations with him over the years.
One of the courses he taught was Intro to African-American studies. At public PWIs, this particular class will often consist of high majority of Black students who take it mostly for the purpose of having a class on their schedule with an abundance of people who look like them. The class will often have a handful of white students who are in there for a variety of reasons.
Anyhow, my man had a practice of assigning a solo-presentation in which each student stood up in an auditorium setting and spoke about a piece of Black, African or Caribbean history. Many times the prof would actually nod off or cut off the presentation after a few minutes. He also gave every student an A on the presentation.
When I asked him why he did it like that he explained the assignment wasn't about the presentation but about truly putting students in someone else's situation for a few minutes.
I believe that is may have been what @meisperplexed teacher may have been doing. The problem is that a middle school white kid and his suburban parents probably aren't going to get that, at least without immediate explanation.
I actually am still waiting to hear if the teacher really called him little whitey or if that was just creative license.
The second reason is that I actually place emphasis on anecdotal evidence, as a lot of things in matters like what we've been discussing don't always make it into reports and documents. If I listen to his story and give it some respect maybe the next time someone tells him about their experiences he will do the same as opposed to dismissing them or whatabouting them like so many do today.
Well thank you dude.....At my age I have to be "even keeled." I have no problems with you, just happen to be quite prideful and protective in my church leaders. Honestly I am glad Jtre got proper care for his knee... OFC
Okay, I thought so... you have been exceedingly careful in this thread, both in your responses and where you choose NOT to respond. Don't think it hasn't been noticed
That's a VERY generous reading of that story... you ask me, that teacher was f'ing horrible, full stop.
Although I do get your last point. People want to feel heard, and if they feel heard, maybe they will also listen better.
BTW, funny story. So one of my degrees was African American studies. I was often one of the only white kids in class. So one day our Prof. Dr. El Hamel does a whole class on the Nation of Islam. An hour or so on it... the whole nine yards, from the origins to present day.
So he wraps up, and then takes questions.
So there is this girl in my class, Katie... I forget her last name. LOVELY girl, but the EPITOME of a clueless blonde girl. Big blue eyes, and bright but dopey as ****. The NICEST girl in the world. So she raises her hand, and he calls on her.
"Katie?"
"Well, Professor El Hamel," she says, "I really appreciate all of this, it was really interesting, but I'm a little confused... where, exactly, IS the Nation of Islam?"
Good lord man. Everyone turned to her with these wide eyes... I swear, I almost wanted to apologize on her behalf
It was AMAZING.Thanks, I'm good. I hope the point of the story was clear. I also was in no way trying to disrespect your pastor just trying to point out being a expert on one thing, even something as far reaching as religion, doesn't mean you can't learn from others with differing experiences and expertise.
Don't presume to know my circumstances. Suburbs? I rode past some on the bus to the trailer park. Also, don't insinuate I'm a liar. The teacher did call me that. That's why she was supended. As to why she did it, it was the complaint from my parents. It embarrassed her and she lashed out. There was no social lesson and even insinuating it was is why we'll never agree. Also, the teacher story was aimed TheDude1, not you.
Furthermore, I'm female and I know very well that things aren't fair. I doubt if you're male that you have ever had to put up the sexual harassment I have experienced in my life. My issue with what you said was Tucker Carlson did not say what you said he did. I believe you are wrong to make a statement based on inferences rather than the actual words that were spoken. I don't understand how you can say something that you infer from "reading between the lines" or "dog whistles" is fact. It's not. It's your opinion and you're entitled to it..
I hope this puts the matter to rest. Have a good evening .
Ah, the "dog whistles aren't a thing" argument.
Hey, we all know... language is always literal. Inference is nothing but personal bias.
I mean... inference is LITERALLY the thing we spend the most time teaching and analyzing, but... whatever.
Inference, really? I’m not so sure that’s true. It’s been said from multiple posters that Carlson didn’t mean what this Jtre has claimed. When @meisperplexed shared a story of something that happened to her in school by a teacher, she was met with doubt, and all but accused of lying.
Seriously, Dude, I believe you are a smart man, but sometimes you make me scratch my head.
I apologize for assuming the suburb thing. Broke ass Blacks don't normally don't have a lot of pull in school systems. I assumed broke ass whites didn't either. I have learned something new today.
I did not imply you were lying. I asked if little whitey was actually what was said or if you were actually paraphrasing. I don't remember if already said it or not, but did you attend a predominantly Black school?
Also, I didn't specifically state there was a social lesson in the teacher's actions of making you work harder, just that there could have been. Regardless, surely you agree there was a lesson in the story I recounted from college.
I apologize for assuming your gender. Much like the many people on these boards who seem to assume everybody is white, I jumped to the assumption you were a male.
The reason one should sometimes read between the lines in matter of race is because a lot of the discussion is coded.
For instance, since many white people will only concede someone's action as racist if those actions include the use of the N-word, most racists know they can get away with a lot by avoiding the word and using some dressed-up language.
I have heard and read so many white people who defended Trump's comments about the four congresswomen going back to their own countries by saying they were not meant in a racist way. I am still waiting on a white person of Western European descent to tell me they have had someone tell them to go back to their own country. If something only happens to people of one race, the offending action is by definition racist.
Ah, okay, good. So let's start with that.
So we are talking about modifying funding of police departments.
There are a number of social programs that have a proven connection to reduction of violence in neighborhoods.
This includes programs like workforce preparedness programs, substance abuse programs, youth involvement programs, home violence prevention programs, and the like.
All have shown measurable impacts on crime, as you might expect.
So the general idea of taking some funding from police departments (which are about enforcement of law) and moving that funding to programs that can prevent crime... is this an acceptable thing to consider?
Oh, and know that I am not entirely sure about how funding should be changed... it's not a position I know a ton about... so I am not trying to get you to my point of view. I'm not sure I have one yet.
Let's be clear, a few white people who by all accounts probably have little to no real knowledge of the history of racial oppression in this country, have cleared it up that Carlson, a guy who has a history of making racially-charged statements, didn't mean anything racial when he said his shit last night about, "they're coming for you." Well, that squares it.
Once more, I didn't say or imply @meisperplexed was lying. I asked if she was called little whitey or if it was implied. I don't doubt it happened. There are bigoted idiots in every race.
Yep.
Tucker Carlson...
... the guy who said stuff like...
"(Iraq is) a crappy place filled with a bunch of, you know, semiliterate primitive monkeys."
and said, about underage girls exploring sexuality...
"If it weren't my daughter I would love that scenario."
and told Bubba the Love Sponge that he likes him
"in a completely ****** way."
and said that women...
"(are) like dogs... they're extremely primitive, they're basic, they're not that hard to understand."
and said that immigrants make America
"poorer and dirtier and more divided."
literally said this:
“This may be a lot of things, this moment we’re living through, but it is definitely not about Black lives. And remember that when they come for you ― and at this rate, they will.”
I mean, that's not a dog whistle. He is literally saying that "they" (the people who say it is about Black Lives) will come for you.
Jesus, I had missed this until now. ****ing disgusting.
Good post. In my opinion, I wouldn’t have an issue if some of the funding went to youth programs. Maybe involve the police in some of those groups. I’m just weary of police departments getting screwed.
I mentioned earlier that there was a vote on eliminating tear gas as a tool for the Charlotte Police Department yesterday. I think that’s a terrible idea. It’s not like you hear of people being gassed daily, but that’s a powerful weapon for them to gain control of a hostile situation.
I’m not so sure that a lot of the protesters are using the word ‘defund’ in a correct manner. I think they’re anti police at this moment.
The problem overall isn’t the police.
Perception is a huge issue. Denzel Washington had a good comment, “you don’t see 7 year olds in jail.” Parenting starts at home, and educating our kids on how to act. Respect the officer, do what he says, even if you feel you did nothing wrong.
If a kid comes in to me wanting a job with his pants sagging, or hat on backwards, he’s fighting an uphill battle already.
As I have mentioned on here a few times, I feel one of the best things could do in terms of improving race relations and bettering our society is simply listen to what people of other races have to say and to the emotion that is attached to their statements.
That has basically been ignored throughout, which leads me to believe some of you guys feel at best there is nothing of value to be learned by doing so and at worst you know more than the people who actually experience those things on a daily basis.
My question for those of you, would you tell @meisperplexed what it is like to be a woman in America? If she has risen to any professional level in life she has had to put up with some seriously misogynistic shit along the way. Would you listen to her or would dismiss her, which would effectively be saying you know more about being a woman in America than she, an actual woman, does?
Holy cow. Just as I was complimenting you on a good post, you come in with this. I’m not calling you a liar, but I don’t think for a minute he said what you have said. It’s already been shown Carlson didn’t say what Jtre said. Of course, anything can be twisted. You of all people, Dude, should know that. I believe had he really said what you’re saying here, he wouldn’t have a job on the highest rated cable network.
Mac.
These are literal quotes from him.
QUOTES.
Look any of them up.
He said them, AND he has a job at Fox.
That's the point.
Come ON man. I never say anything about me being smarter than anyone, and every single post you hammer me for thinking I'm so smart. I post quotes that the guy being discussed actually said, and the fault is with ME for posting that? Come on, man. You are giving me absolutely no chance here.
I said you had a good post on the defunding. But, I can’t sit here and say I agree with you about things you’re claiming Carlson said. Now, if you’ll stop with these off the wall posts trying to show you and Jtre are right about Carlson, and address the good post you made, and the reply I made to you, you might see I have some thought out ideas. You may disagree with them. Instead of getting derailed on your hatred at someone who has no bearing on what’s being discussed.
In 2003 I read a Sports Illustrated article, "The Secret Life of Kirby Puckett." Kirby was a childhood hero of mine and it shattered my world. I still remember where I was when I read the article.
The good news is I got through it, just like you'll get through this. It might be tough at times, but you'll be the better for it. Not everybody is a hero worth putting your faith in.
But dude, come on.
First, how can you not agree with the things I'm claimed Carlson said? He said them. There is video of it. These are undeniable facts. If we cannot even agree that things that are on tape are facts, how can we discuss ANYTHING?
And Carlson said this stuff just last night, about what is going on. That's definitely pertinent.
Dude, can't you just say "Damn, thats some vile stuff to say. That makes me dislike Tucker Carlson"? I feel like that shouldn't be that hard to just... say. That's low hanging "We can all agree this is wrong" fruit, you know?
Anyway... I'll respond to the other thing.
Would you be okay with funds going towards other programs that are shown to reduce crime and poverty and the like? I mean, those seem like worthwhile ways to spend money.
I don't know what you mean about police departments getting screwed. Police funding has grown by 445% over the last 30 years, even though FBI stats show that violent crimes have steadily decreased since the 90s.
That is not what happened. They voted against funding purchase of it this year. They can still use the supplies they have, and no changes have been made for future purchases. That is a vital difference. It seems that it is mostly about them wanting to ensure oversight over purchases.
Hm, I don't know if that is true... I think many protestors simply mean that too much is being spent on policing (they seem especially aimed at the military surplus stuff that police departments get through the 1033 program.) I think the majority of protestors are "anti police brutality," although you have some at the *far* extremes who just want to get rid of traditional policing... I haven't seen anyone of note endorse that.
And the problem overall might not be police, but it most assuredly police brutality. That's literally the problem.
So here, man... you are really seeing things from your own perspective. Plenty of black people do what a police officer says and still get roughed up, still get pushed, still get put in the back of a patrol car... hell, even still get shot... in ways that just doesn't happen in the same way to white people.
This seems just impossible for you to understand, that what you see as simple common sense... it just isn't. The way the world works for you and me, that isn't how it works for many black people in this world. It just isn't. You really are looking at this all like it is black peoples fault for not being respectful of the police, for not knowing how to raise their kids, for not working hard enough, like all of the hurt and frustration that nearly every black in America is expressing is all made up, all their own fault... and ignoring the absolute root of the issues.
Anyway... off to go record a video for my students about Reconstruction. Good times.
Last edited:
Thank you @Mac9192. It was a long time coming with the king of condescension. I've rarely seen someone so consistently hurl thinly veiled insults at people about their intelligence. It's unnecessary, rude and I finally got fed up with it today. I'm not particularly proud of my behavior, but enough is enough, and today it was more than enough for me. Have a great evening.
