ProfD

This is a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, many of us are taught to be aware of surroundings and keeping one's head on a swivel. Still, it's easy to relax and/or let the guard down for a second. Unfortunately, that's all it takes for something bad to happen. The father and son definitely deserve the death penaltly. The 3rd man should receive life in prison for being stupid. But, this is the state of Georgia. We're not talking about the alphabet soup community capital part of it (Atlanta) either. Nonetheless, folks will be watching this trial closely. An unfavorable outcome could lead to another national protest.

That would be great. I'll save my commentary on the trial for that thread.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. The ACLU has an annual budget of about $300 million. That money comes from somewhere. Technically, most of the border crossing folks are Central and South Americans. Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

It's like an old school TV antenna. I can start a new thread if I'm in one particular location, standing still and facing where the sun is shining. Otherwise, I cannot start a new thread when I'm in a different spot. I could wait until the sun comes up but that's no fun.

@Mzuri, I'm sure already know what I'm going to type but I'll do it anyway...follow the money. Lawyers get paid a king's ransom to defend people they know are guilty.

In furthering the discussion, I thought it was a fair question to ask with regard to the statement you made. In turn, you asked me the same question. I thought it was a reasonable dialog. I don't see where we were challenging observations and opinions or trying to convince one another to think differently. In fact, I'm prohibited from doing that by code.

The jury has been selected for the Armaud Arbery case and the makeup is 11 white, 1 black: https://www.npr.org/2021/11/05/1052435205/ahmaud-arbery-jury I could have sworn we were in 2021 and not 1951. Same shenanigans.

My observations and opinions only serve to add to the topics of discussion. It is not my intent to convince someone to think differently. Most folks are set in that regard.

Biden Considers Awarding $450K Per Person to Families Separated at the Border Discussed in the thread above. Most recently, the Geriatric in Chief, er, POTUS said he's not considering it: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10162717/Its-garbage-Biden-DENIES-report-hes-giving-450K-migrants-separated-border-Trump.html We have no way of knowiing which way this volleyball will fall but as I mentioned in the other thread, to even consider it is a slap in the face of ADOS.

Well, we definitely cannot prove otherwise either. However, we do know the reason Native Americans were not enslaved.

In that discussion, I mentioned that Hip-Hop was created by black folks. We brought Eminem into the game. In typical fashion, white folks catapulted Eminem into the stratosphere because he is one of their own doing black music. I don't see that as scorn and ridicule. Just facts. The system of racism (white supremacy) which is the power to subjugate other groups of people is way beyond and has proven to be far more destructive than a caste system of colorism and elitism. Colorism and elitism within the system of racism is the equivalent of prisoners throwing shade at each other based on complexion and who has better food, housing and clothing. All human beings have the capacity to be good or evil. That's why I wrote that black folks are peaceful and loving under the right conditions. If black folks were savage and barbaric by nature, they would have never been slaves in the first place. If it was in our DNA, we would not be living under a system of racism white supremacy.

That's awesome. I hope @Pioneer1 sees this thread as we discussed AfroAmerican owned radio a few weeks ago. @Cynique, look at the staff of this AfroAmerican owned media company and the communities they choose to give a voice. Ties into what I just posted about the tables being turned. This is what black folks would do.

I do believe black folks would be different if the tables were turned. We really are a peaceful and loving people under the right conditions. We're not savage and barbaric. So, if black folks were on top, I don’t think we would be racist towards white people or anybody else. We would not exploit or mistreat them. Whatever any other groups of people brought to the table in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities, black folks would use and incorporate it to make life better. In my eternal optimism, the planet would be one big happy place if black folks were running the program.

I figured as much and appreciate it. I'm just trying to contribute to the conversation.

@Cynique, if you don't mind, please enlighten me as to why you think black people would be extemely racist if the tables were turned.

True. But, we have a long way to go in that regard. Until then, the first inspires the next that it's not impossible.

@Mzuri and @Delano I hope the like and thanks isn't your way of telling me to shut up.

As Neely Fully Jr. brilliantly observed, if one doesn't understand white supremacy, what it is and how it works, everything else one thinks they know will only confuse them. IMO, white supremacy is not an actor by any stretch of the imagination. White supremacy is the most powerful religion on the planet. I do not over- or under- estimate it one bit.

I would have started a new thread but I cannot from this location: https://www.npr.org/2021/11/02/1051720391/boston-mayor-michelle-wu-elected https://triblive.com/local/gainey-grabs-early-lead-in-pittsburgh-mayoral-race/ https://abc7ny.com/mayor-eric-adams-new-york-city-mayoral-race-nyc-curtis-sliwa/11193424/ Michelle Wu (Boston) and Ed Gainey (Pittsburgh) are historical firsts in their respective cities as people of color and a woman (Wu) to serve as mayor.

That's a d8mn shame if there is no landmark in Tulsa especially at Greenwood Ave and Archer St to recognize the Gap Band as its native sons. The city of Washington DC definitely recognizes Chuck Brown (godfather of Go-Go music) with landmarks and an annual celebration of his life and music.

Senator Thom Tillis (NC) made that stupid azz statement about welfare being black reparations. A number of groups of people have received some form of reparations from the US and the global community. The Jewish state of Israel is a shining example of reparations at work. Japan's economy is another one. I don't know whether it's self-hatred or Stockholm syndrome or a latent form of PTSD that makes ADOS feel the pursuit of reparations to be a pointless endeavor. Again, there's evidence that it can be done. @Cynique , the things you mentioned above are some that align with my thoughts of how reparations can be remitted. Reparations to ADOS definitely would not just be checks or a casino or a truck full of trinkets.

Amen bro. You're absolutely correct. One day, I'll be able to make a significant point as succinctly as @Delano. In the meantime, please bear with my verbosity.

At its best, politics is about groups of people working together collectively to make decisions that ultimately benefit the whole. But, surely, human greed, the lust for money and power has corrupted politics which has led to wars and other destructive results. Right now, politicians are most adept at lining their pockets with money and benign neglect of the people they have sworn to serve. Increasing the freedom and prosperity of the black community comes down to organizing it and codifying an agenda and insuring that it is met politically. Unfortunately, the black community has been splintered in many ways leading to disenfranchisement and indifference with the fallback being individual self-interest which is antithetical to politics. White supremacy clearly understands the game of politics and control it. Black folks are running around in it either clueless or trying to catch crumbles falling off the table.

Sure. The Jewish holocaust happened more recently. But, the truth of the matter is that white folks felt really bad about the atrocities inflicted upon them. 6 million or more folks exterminated. They've received reparations several times over. American slavery didn't happen 5,000 years ago. We have historical records to prove everything from the number of people enslaved, deaths, profits earned from free labor, compounded interest, etc. So, it wouldn't take much for the best and brightest minds to round up the evidence and make the case. Bryan Stevenson and groups like the Innocence Project didn't give up on folks who'd been condemned to spend their lives in prison or death penalty. They kept fighting to get their cases overturned or thrown out. A few wrongly convicted folks were set free decades later. So, it's not totally magical thinking that a group of intelligent folks could pick up our 400 year old case and put reparations on the table. The desire to do it could be a mushroom cloud.