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The New York Times has put together a great page revisiting some of the videos in the last year and a half that have put racial issues into discussion. From Tamir Rice the 12 year old boy that got shot for having a toy gun, to the recent South Carolina incident where a police officer choked and threw an unarmed teenager for not leaving her seat in class.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/30/us/police-videos-race.html

And these instances are only the ones that were filmed and became popular. What do you think causes this phenomenon, police officers shooting and attacking black people, and particularly unarmed black people, at such a high rate?

Weren't the cops in the Tamir Rice thing cleared?

Well, I think the collection is about the videos that drew these reactions, of course people (and authorities) disagree on who is to blame for some of them.

Well you asked what caused this phenomenon..I don't know. What I can tell you is it's not 100% on the shoulders of the cops.

How many % do you think the cops are to blame?

I don't know what the number would be. All I can guarantee is what the number *wouldn't* be. Neither said can claim they are only a teeny weeny bit to blame.

Originally posted by Surtur
I don't know what the number would be. All I can guarantee is what the number *wouldn't* be. Neither said can claim they are only a teeny weeny bit to blame.

They are also not equal sides though, one side is normal citizens in the best case and "criminals" in the worst case, the other side is "people being in charge of and paid for keeping citizens safe" ... so there is already completely different levels of conduct required.

The other is the level of consequences because of their behaviour.

Tamir Rice "wins" -> a couple of people are uncomfortable about a child waving around a toy gun
Police "wins" -> Tamir Rice is dead

Eric Gardner "wins" -> a couple people buy tax free cigarettes
Police "wins" -> Eric Gardner is dead

Samuel Dubose "wins" -> he drives away potentially without a license
Police "wins" - Samuel Dubose is dead

The outcomes are often just nowhere comparable, and police needs to be held accountable for that, and taught not to use such excessive force or to shoot that easily (they don't when it is white suspects, only in the case of black people, so they could potentially show restraint)

Oh I don't think anyone would argue the police don't need to change their ways. Thing is: they aren't the only ones who need to do so.

Originally posted by Surtur
Oh I don't think anyone would argue the police don't need to change their ways. Thing is: they aren't the only ones who need to do so.

Okay, lets start getting the people we pay to keep us safe to change first....

Originally posted by Bardock42


Tamir Rice "wins" -> a couple of people are uncomfortable about a child waving around a toy gun
Police "wins" -> Tamir Rice is dead

Eric Gardner "wins" -> a couple people buy tax free cigarettes
Police "wins" -> Eric Gardner is dead

Samuel Dubose "wins" -> he drives away potentially without a license
Police "wins" - Samuel Dubose is dead

The outcomes are often just nowhere comparable, and police needs to be held accountable for that, and taught not to use such excessive force or to shoot that easily (they don't when it is white suspects, only in the case of black people, so they could potentially show restraint) Good way to put it, Bard

Originally posted by Bardock42
Okay, lets start getting the people we pay to keep us safe to change first....


Why not do both at the same time?

Originally posted by Surtur
Why not do both at the same time?

Because one is much harder, because the people are not paid by us, and we can't fire them if they **** up...

I see, so out of curiosity what do you feel needs to be done before we can dare to look at the other side of this? Would you see people able to look at the other side of this in 2 years? Would it take 5 years? A decade?

Surely the cops can't be fixed overnight, so how long would you say it's reasonable to ignore one side of this?

I think we can look at the other side of it, I just think there are some people, you included, that bring the other side up whenever the more pressing, more easily to solved side is brought up, and it distracts and ultimately neither gets done.

It's a tactic that stops any progress from happening, and I don't think you do it on purpose, but you have bought into this narrative, so whenever one of these unjust, racial-based abuses by police comes up you post "well, people should be more respectful it's really their fault as well".

Like, if you feel so strongly about the other side, why not make a thread on it, rather than hijack all the ones about police violence?

Originally posted by Surtur
Oh I don't think anyone would argue the police don't need to change their ways. Thing is: they aren't the only ones who need to do so.

One of the things is it's a bit of a feedback loop. People are suspicious of them because they're treated as hostiles rather than people-to-protect. The police use this to continue to treat them as hostiles. It's a loop, but the police are the ones with the keys to that situation, and it's also literally their job to protect the communities in question, if things aren't working, then they need to adjust their approach just like any other organization with a clear mission that's not doing a good job at carrying it out.

Also, the number of police deaths have been going downhill for a good time, while the number of deaths at police hands... aren't.

It does kinda come across as one side improving more than the other.

Originally posted by Bardock42
I think we can look at the other side of it, I just think there are some people, you included, that bring the other side up whenever the more pressing, more easily to solved side is brought up, and it distracts and ultimately neither gets done.

It's a tactic that stops any progress from happening, and I don't think you do it on purpose, but you have bought into this narrative, so whenever one of these unjust, racial-based abuses by police comes up you post "well, people should be more respectful it's really their fault as well".

Like, if you feel so strongly about the other side, why not make a thread on it, rather than hijack all the ones about police violence?

Thing is if we didn't have such a prevailing attitude of "you can't dare say shit if a black person is involved to suggest any wrong doing" it would be different.

This attitude helps nobody. It paints one side as innocent and the other side as demons. That shit helps nobody.

Also you asked what people thought caused this phenomenon and from the wording of your post don't act like you weren't placing this squarely on the cops.

So yep, as long as people do that shit I will be there to voice the other side. Also see when I say "people" I do not just mean people on this board, just people in general in this country.

So you asked what the reason was,..and I told you what I thought: both sides.

We don't have an attitude of "you can't dare say shit". The US incarcerates more people that any other first world nation, and disproportionately black people.

You are fighting against wind mills, what you imagine to be righteous speaking out is actually just furthering the actual problem.

Uh we do have an attitude of "you can't say shit". Or did I imaqine dipshits making petitions to get rid of Raven Simone? Was that a fever dream?