I understand, but...

If you're a white person who's never had any difficulties with law enforcement, I understand why you might think this is making a mountain out of a molehill.  But, if you're a good-hearted, open-minded person, when you see that all the M-Live commenters agree with you, you'll know it's time to listen up.

All you need to do to understand this situation correctly is be able to put yourself in another person's shoes.  Imagine yourself an African American male, standing outside.  A white police officer rolls up and points his finger like a gun at you.  In our current climate, where there have been repeated shootings of black men by white cops, what else could you think besides, "that was a threat"?  If you are sitting there, wanting to tell me other things that he could think, you are not trying to put yourself in his shoes.  Yeah, I could come up with other things he could think too. No, I wouldn't have felt threatened by it.  I'd have thought him a cheese-ball and probably laughed.  But I know I'm not in danger of getting shot for no reason.  If you are black in this country, you don't know that.  It's really that simple.  And you should stop complaining about how the black man reacted and start doing something about our broken culture.

If you can watch that video and still not understand, then I don't know how to reach you.

Anchors Aweigh!

Congratulations to the US Navy for a job well done.

And again

In that article from Massachusetts that I wrote about in my last post, the police union "called on the mayor to replace the Black Lives Matter banner with one that states 'All Lives Matter'".

This is nice

In this article, a white mayor in Massachusetts refuses to take down a Black Lives Matter banner that the police officers' union is protesting.  "No one can sit out this conversation," he says.  I agree.  Good work, Joe Curtatone.  Well done.

It's not just a moment

"Understanding makes tolerance unnecessary."  -Dan Wilkins

Most of the people who read this blog are probably well-intentioned.  That's good. We need as many good people in this world as we can get.  But if all you are is well-intentioned, you need to know that it's not enough.  We've been past the point of needing some changes in this country for a long time, but the time has finally come for things to actually change.  The recent shootings have helped the country see that this is a systemic problem we have with difference in our country.  That problem with difference starts with race, but includes many things, most obviously people of different sexual orientation or gender identity and people of different religions. These are not isolated incidents.  And this problem does NOT just affect marginalized people.  It affects all of us.  I'm not going to go in to how this broken system affects us all.  If you need me to, this is probably not the place for you. What I want to say is that it's time for all of us to be doing something.  All good-hearted people need to be taking action.  There are some of you who are not suited to being on the front lines.  Fine.  You don't need to march on Washington.  But you do need to be having conversations with people about what's happening.  You do need to say something when someone spouts bigotry at you.  You do need to be reaching out to people who are different than yourself.  And you do need to be reading things like this article, which talks about NBA player Carmelo Anthony and the actions he is taking to change this system of vilifying difference.  

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

By doing these things, you will be part of the solution, not the problem.  Tamika Catchings, one of the basketball players who was recently fined by the WNBA for wearing a black warm up shirt as a protest against the recent violence, said, "Now it’s not just about a conversation.  Now it’s about putting things into action, and making sure that together we keep that conversation alive, and we put forth the action behind that."  This isn't just a moment.  It's a process.  A process that will continue until it produces the necessary result, true equality for all people.  You can be a part of that process or we can be talking about you.

"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality."  -Dante

It's just a game to them

This article is more evidence that politics, at the national level, is just a game.  The people involved at the highest levels of the Democratic Party are manipulative and power hungry and don't represent what they claim to represent to the American people at all.  And don't even speak about the Republican Party.  There's nothing surprising about this.  What's surprising is that people still engage with politics when they know it doesn't matter.  We're just being manipulated for the amusement of the people in power.  The American political system is broken at the federal level.

Michael Jordan...for the win!

I've always been impressed with Michael Jordan, the basketball player.  I've never been terribly impressed with Michael Jordan, the human being.  Today's action makes me question that.  Incredible.  Thank you Mr. Jordan.  Keep up the good work.

Even more excellence!

Wow.  Three in a row.  I love it.
The WNBA has rescinded the fines it placed on three teams and their players for wearing shirts that violated the WNBA dress code.  I wrote about this Thursday under the title, "No, I'm not understanding this."  Clearly they read what I wrote and made a better choice because of it.  Good thinking on their part.  :)

Also truly excellent

The NBA has decided to move its all-star game out of North Carolina over the "bathroom law".  I think this is a great decision.  It supports the idea of equal rights for all people.  I'm in favor of it.  Another good day to be an NBA fan.

Truly Excellent

This is a great response.  Congratulations to the people of Wichita.  I'd love to see this kind of stuff all around the country.  Again, "we are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness."  -Thich Nhat Han.

No, I'm not understanding this.

The WNBA has fined three teams and their players for wearing plain black shirts during warm ups before games in support of both the Black Lives Matter movement and the five officers shot and killed in Dallas.  If you read the article, the fines sound like a reasonable outcome until you get to the part in the story where it says that the WNBA sent all the players shirts to wear in support of the LGBT community, immediately after the shootings in Orlando.  How does that work?  The league actively supports the LGBT community, but puts a halt to attempts to support the African American community and the killed officers?  It really doesn't make any sense.  I'm hoping the WNBA will recognize the error and take corrective action.

Years ago, I quit

This article is a good example of why I no longer follow national politics.  With everything going on in this country, a speaker at the Republican National Convention says about President Obama "We had a Muslim president for seven and half years," Sabato Jr. said, adding "I don't believe he is (a Christian)."  Really? There is no level of ridiculousness they won't stoop to.  But for me, I had to draw a line.  Yes, the sick decisions of those sick people have an impact on me that I don't have a say in.  But at least I don't waste the precious minutes of my life believing that stuff is important and taken seriously.  It's not.  It's a game to them.  My life is not a game.

My heroes

Imagine the conversation if these two were alive today.  In a way, I'm glad they're gone.  They've seen enough suffering.  But no!  These men were no cowards.  They would stand up and say what needed to be said.  They should be here, leading the way.  Oh, how I wish they were.

"Understanding makes tolerance unnecessary." -Dan Wilkins

Tavis Smiley says we need to listen.  "The question is, how does respect for black life today compare with respect for white life today?"  It's a good question with an easy answer:  It doesn't.  How we choose to address this problem is what's really important.

The impact of racism

I don't seem to feel like writing much lately.  Here's a link.  If you read it with openness, you'll be able to see how these type of events would have an impact on a person.

Segregation

This article talks about how segregation is at the heart of what's going on in our country right now in regard to race.  I agree completely.  And I agree that police forces and schools need to make changes to address segregation.  But I think the real answer comes from ending segregated housing.  All-Black and all-White areas are breeding grounds for fear.  If people interact with people who they believe are different from themselves, their fears start to dissipate.  Over time, desegregation alone would fix most of what's happening right now.

So, if you are White and want to do something, move into an all African American neighborhood.  If you're Black and want to do something, move into an all White area.  It's not easy, but it can be done.  My wife and I moved into an African American neighborhood on Chicago's west side many years ago.  It was a wonderful experience and something I would never trade.  But, because of fear, it's a choice most people wouldn't make.  If you're in a position to make a similar choice, confront your fears and do something positive for yourself and for our society.

I guess I'll need to post it again

And again...

Link: BLM

This is why I started The Weeping Face.  The fact that I need to explain this is just too appalling, and yet clear.  In this case, the article and cartoon do the job so well, I don't need to.  "But, but, the house on the left is made of GOLD!  And I don't like the house on the right!  And the owners of the house on the right are against houses on the left!  It's THEIR fault!  Let it BUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNN!" Whatever.

Huh?

So, I'm not trying to be obtuse.  I really just don't understand.  What is this article about?  Yes, I understand that four police officers refused to work the Lynx WNBA game.  Why?  Because the players wore shirts that take accountability for what's happening in our culture and honor the victims of recent shootings, including the police officers in Dallas?  Why would this cause the officers to refuse to work the game?  Were the players' shirts only supposed to honor the slain officers, not the African American civilians?  Were the officers somehow upset that the shirts took responsibility for what's happening instead of placing it squarely on the shoulders of the police forces?

I simply can not understand it rationally.  The only thing I can come up with is that the officers are buying into the ridiculous notion that the Black Lives Matter movement is a racist organization. That's a notion I'll address on Emotion Colored Glasses, not here.

Here, I will just say that taking responsibility for what is happening and also honoring the fallen officers is exactly what the Black Lives Matter movement should be doing.  This is an issue for every American citizen and violence is not the answer.  BLM's response is just right and white Americans of conscience should be actively recognizing and supporting this.