Do black lives matter?, Do they? Options

[TallDarkAndHands...]

Yes. They do.

[newres]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yrg7vV4a5o

It isn't about slavery. That's a side issue.

[SirWilliam]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yrg7vV4a5o

It isn't about slavery. That's a side issue.

Please enlighten us??? I thought it was ALL about slavery as I do not see colour being an issue in this country with regards to opportunity, equality etc. The fact that it started in the USA has nothing to do with us.
No one has stood up and stated what exactly the ethnic community want? Simple enough question. If I was a black person living in the UK I would be fearful to where this is going to end, as a cause célèbre without a specific goal runs a very real risk of escalation into something a lot darker, (no pun), before it ends.

See they are going to pull poor old Cecil down.........Glad it's not my alma mater.

[Phil_D11102]

Please enlighten us??? I thought it was ALL about slavery as I do not see colour being an issue in this country with regards to opportunity, equality etc. The fact that it started in the USA has nothing to do with us.
No one has stood up and stated what exactly the ethnic community want? Simple enough question. If I was a black person living in the UK I would be fearful to where this is going to end, as a cause célèbre without a specific goal runs a very real risk of escalation into something a lot darker, (no pun), before it ends.

See they are going to pull poor old Cecil down.........Glad it's not my alma mater.

The issue is that black men, unarmed black men are being killed in the U.S. by police officers. That is a fact. However, there is another fact that the number of unarmed black me being killed by police is lower than unarmed white men or hispanic men killed by police. The number may be lower because there are less blacks in America than whites and hispanics.

Another fact is if your a black man, than the risk of dying in violent act by another black man is greater than dying at the hands of the police.

There are issues in the black community, but I feel the BLM movement should focus on all of them, not just this issue with the police.

No one should die in the streets, be it at the hands of the police, a shooting by rival gangs, a drunken brawl, or being stabbed with a knife.

My ancestors faced pogroms in Russia which had them escape to America. Some stopped in Poland, and they didn't survive the Nazi's.

Slavery, be it white on black, black on black, black on white, has gone on for centuries. It wasn't right then, it isn't right now, but it has been outlawed in the U.S. since 1865. Men died over it, white men. That is a fact.

In Britain and America there are opportunities out there. Yes, you will run into jerks, but it shouldn't stop you if you really want it to happen. No one will hand you anything, if your white or black, unless your in that small percentage of the elite The vast majority of us have to work.

Try to focus on the positive. There was a two term black POTUS. Maybe there will be a black PM. We already had loads of clowns. But seriously, stop looking at the past, as that was then. You will never wipe out racism, because mankind is evil, and people don't wear signs..

[Phil_D11102]

Well said. But you would say that as I guess you have white privilege. Off to the re-education camp with you!

I grew up far from being rich. My parents struggled to put food on the table and clothes on our backs. Finally, with some help from family member, my parents bought a house. It was hard to keep up the payments. My Dad told me that if I wanted to hang out with my friends, go on dates, I would have to get a job on the weekends and after school. I delivered newspapers, worked in a pizzeria, was a foot courier in Manhattan, and lastly worked in a rich man's athletic club. I started off shining shoes there, because it paid a buck an hour more than minimum wage. My Dad took rent, 10 or 20 dollars depending on what I took home.

When I went to apply for college, NYC was coming out of bankruptcy. I was told I couldn't get a loan, grants, not even a travel pass as the college was 1.5 hours public transportation each way. Why, my parents were white, and the owned a house. Well, they had a mortgage and still two kids at home.

In the end I joined the Air Force, and I did pretty good out of it. I am still working in IT after 40 years from my initial training. I don't hold nothing against those who took advantage of their situations, they did what they had to do.

At the end of the day anything is possible in a democracy, as long as your willing to work at what you want to do.

[SirWilliam]

I grew up far from being rich. My parents struggled to put food on the table and clothes on our backs. Finally, with some help from family member, my parents bought a house. It was hard to keep up the payments. My Dad told me that if I wanted to hang out with my friends, go on dates, I would have to get a job on the weekends and after school. I delivered newspapers, worked in a pizzeria, was a foot courier in Manhattan, and lastly worked in a rich man's athletic club. I started off shining shoes there, because it paid a buck an hour more than minimum wage. My Dad took rent, 10 or 20 dollars depending on what I took home.

When I went to apply for college, NYC was coming out of bankruptcy. I was told I couldn't get a loan, grants, not even a travel pass as the college was 1.5 hours public transportation each way. Why, my parents were white, and the owned a house. Well, they had a mortgage and still two kids at home.

In the end I joined the Air Force, and I did pretty good out of it. I am still working in IT after 40 years from my initial training. I don't hold nothing against those who took advantage of their situations, they did what they had to do.

At the end of the day anything is possible in a democracy, as long as your willing to work at what you want to do.

An object lesson to all, Sir. The problem, (in the UK), is that we have had over 20 years of "nanny state" politics which at best has reassured the inhabitants that whatever life throws at them there is a steel floor which will not allow them to fall, but the flip side is that the intrinsically idle are in the same system and have exploited it without a second thought to the detriment of all. Do we wish to return to a pre-war type system where the few rich lorded it over the many poor? Of course not but it did mean everyone had to take some form of employment in order to survive and those who had the aptitude were rewarded for their endeavours.
Of course this has bugger all to do with the BLM farce but it needs to be recognised in the context of slavery per se having little to do with colour but a lot with exploitation. We have strict employment laws that protect not only employees but also prospective ones which means when a candidate presents himself for consideration it will not be a skin colour that sits across the table but someone who could potentially benefit the business. This simply means that the best (wo)man gets the job. Anyone who thinks that someone is going to be turned down because of their colour/race/religion is living in cloud cuckoo land as are those who bang on about equality.

[Biker1]

An object lesson to all, Sir. The problem, (in the UK), is that we have had over 20 years of "nanny state" politics which at best has reassured the inhabitants that whatever life throws at them there is a steel floor which will not allow them to fall, but the flip side is that the intrinsically idle are in the same system and have exploited it without a second thought to the detriment of all. Do we wish to return to a pre-war type system where the few rich lorded it over the many poor? Of course not but it did mean everyone had to take some form of employment in order to survive and those who had the aptitude were rewarded for their endeavours.
Of course this has bugger all to do with the BLM farce but it needs to be recognised in the context of slavery per se having little to do with colour but a lot with exploitation. We have strict employment laws that protect not only employees but also prospective ones which means when a candidate presents himself for consideration it will not be a skin colour that sits across the table but someone who could potentially benefit the business. This simply means that the best (wo)man gets the job. Anyone who thinks that someone is going to be turned down because of their colour/race/religion is living in cloud cuckoo land as are those who bang on about equality.

Hit the nail on the head in your usual eloquent way Sir W.!

[SirWilliam]

Hit the nail on the head in your usual eloquent way Sir W.!

Take care, rumour afoot that the there is a school of thought that believes that even inanimate objects such as fastenings should be afforded respect. After all your toilet cistern now contains a float valve as opposed to a ball ****, so from now on everything will be called "George".