John Lewis in the NYT, an essay he wrote to be published in the day of his funeral: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/opinion/john-lewis-civil-rights-america.html While my time here has now come to an end, I want you to know that in the last days and hours of my life you inspired me. You filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. Millions of people motivated simply by human compassion laid down the burdens of division. Around the country and the world you set aside race, class, age, language and nationality to demand respect for human dignity. That is why I had to visit Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, though I was admitted to the hospital the following day. I just had to see and feel it for myself that, after many years of silent witness, the truth is still marching on. Emmett Till was my George Floyd. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. He was 14 when he was killed, and I was only 15 years old at the time. I will never ever forget the moment when it became so clear that he could easily have been me. In those days, fear constrained us like an imaginary prison, and troubling thoughts of potential brutality committed for no understandable reason were the bars. And his conclusion. . . Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it. You must also study and learn the lessons of history because humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time. People on every continent have stood in your shoes, through decades and centuries before you. The truth does not change, and that is why the answers worked out long ago can help you find solutions to the challenges of our time. Continue to build union between movements stretching across the globe because we must put away our willingness to profit from the exploitation of others. Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring. When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide. He definitely lived one of those "left the world a better place" lives.
The Feds in Portland are requesting the judge lift the TRO preventing them from targeting press and observers because... and I shit you not... there is too much tear gas in the air, which requires officers to wear gas masks that obscure their view... The feds have asked the court to dissolve the TRO, arguing that it's too difficult to comply because of hazardous conditions at the courthouse. One of those hazardous conditions: All the tear gas. I'm not making this up.(Aside: _amazing_ use of the passive voice here.) pic.twitter.com/4cHj04mUQO— Athul K. Acharya / @athul.acharya.cc on Bluesky (@AthulKAcharya) July 31, 2020
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ My connection to reality is constantly being eroded. It takes work to repair, every day.
Now imagine being a member of that wing of the GOP that doesn't bother with maintenance and repair of that connection to reality. A wing whose contempt for the "reality based community" was first announced during the GWB administration c. 2004.
Bugs Raplin had it right. (I'm starting to get off on super deep cuts. It's like sending you guys on a scavenger hunt.)
Federal Agents Drive 3 Hours Away From Portland Before Realizing Abducted Protester Still In Backseat https://t.co/ehXVY0AyBc pic.twitter.com/lOuZ5eQuFP— The Onion (@TheOnion) July 31, 2020
You seem to know an awful lot about what the protesters are doing in Portland. There were a couple of high school classmates who went down once for shits and giggles. I forget exactly how they described it, but my image was small town Mississippi/Louisiana/Alabama full of White people.
There is a lot of interaction between the Seattle and Portland protestors and I know people that were heavily involved in Seattle’s.
I can't remember where this was originally posted, ProPublica reported that a 15-yr-old black girl in Michigan with some mental/emotional (ADHD at least) problems was thrown into jail by a judge for violating probation by not keeping up with her online schoolwork in May after the pandemic closed schools, all while there was an order from the Governor to reduce juvenile detention. She went into a high risk juvenile detention center for nearly 3 months. Her offenses are getting physically violent with her (single-parent) mom and then stealing a friends Iphone. Sounds like crazy teenage hormones to me. An appeals court, today, demanded her immediate release. Hopefully there will be some sort of censure or reprimand for this judge, Oakland County Circuit Judge Mary Ellen Brennan. Can't let a lethal pandemic get in the way of putting a Black in their place!
The bolded is just an add on, but in the larger scheme of things, not relevant. What matters is that she is Black, and it follows a pattern of how Black students are treated worse then White students.
I put it in there to partially explain the nature of her involvement with law enforcement. The original piece talked about how she and her mother were thick as thieves until she hit puberty, and then things started to get difficult. She definitely has impulse control issues, but her behavior is pretty commonplace in my experience. That was my point. The article also points out that something like 45% of juvenile cases involve Black youth, whereas they only make up 15% of the population. Surprise!
So the wall of moms and black lives matters groups are having some beef. https://www.yahoo.com/news/portland-wall-moms-movement-falling-104705149.html Stopped me. Unfollowed WOM— gran 💙✡️🌻🇺🇦🇨🇦🏳️🌈🇺🇸🌊🇪🇺🇵🇱🐝🐦 (@shasimss) July 30, 2020
When the Feds pulled out and OSP took over, the protest started fracturing really quick. OSP has been staying inside the courthouse and not coming out to crack heads like the Feds were and after weeks of fighting, the protestors are getting antsy. There’s also been a rise in “protest police” that are trying to rein in the more militant protestors and stop them from tearing down the fence, starting bonfires, and throwing fireworks... As long as OSP stays out of sight and doesn’t do anything stupid, the numbers will drop precipitously and infighting will break up what’s left... I give it a week before it goes back to the hundred or less people they had before the Feds came...
I started watching the video but gave up after a couple of minutes....The terror in Floyd's face is haunting. Newly obtained body-cam footage from two of the police officers charged in George Floyd’s death reveal more details of the horrific arrest that led to his death, the Daily Mail reports. The video shows Floyd’s horror when one officer points a gun at his head as he begs not to be shot. The video also shows Floyd asking for compassion.
One is a partisan political statement. The other is racial justice statement. One promotes racial hatred and division. The other sheds light on racial hatred and division. Not the same thing at all.
Yeah, BLM vs. Blue Lives Matter would have been the right comparison. Or a Biden mask vs. a Trump mask.
BLM vs Blue Lives Matter isn’t right either, as cops aren’t facing systemic discrimination in housing, education, employment, and legal justice. Biden vs Trump mask kinda works but just weird all around.
No, that's not a fair comparison, either. Black people aren't actively out looking for cops to kill, but the reverse is happening. And Biden isn't fueling this reign of toxic conservatism and centrism.
Wow. This living statue is amazing. A group called the “Trump Statue Initative” has erected this life-sized, living art installation in Portland depicting the arrest of a protester by federal agents. In front, it features a man depicting the President taking a selfie. #Portland #PDXprotests #pdx pic.twitter.com/kf6viiM6Sf— David Douglas (@DavidDouglasTV) August 3, 2020
So your argument to the right is, "We can wear our gear because our side is righteous, but you don't get to wear your gear because your side is not?"
I can't imagine making that argument to the right. It's why they're the right, remember? Do you believe BLM literally is out to harass and intimidate anyone of any other color because of their color?