[149/366] black lives matter more than property

[cosmolinguist]

I don't really know what to say about today. Yesterday there was shock and disgust about George Floyd being murdered by police for being a black man. Today it's already pivoted to lots of "condemning the violence" rhetoric, which I think some white people seem relieved has happened so they can condemn the whole thing without looking, you know, overtly racist.

I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in Minneapolis; that geographically-based Mastodon instance I'm on is naturally full not just of news but of people whose grocery runs and prescription pickup are suddenly a lot more complicated, who have to close their windows on sunny warm days against pollution from fires or the police's tear gas. I know some of the businesses damaged are POC-run or serving POC and other low-income communities. Burning grocery stores and pharmacies isn't a great idea at any time but especially during a pandemic. And yet, the white moderates misapplying MLK quotes just show the endemic problem will still be there; some people just want things to go back to normal and they don't care that normal is lethal for people who aren't them.

My friends understand the riots and looting as something the police caused, but some of my friends have friends who seem much more upset at the property damage than the police murdering someone for being black. Somebody reports that Target and Wendy's and AutoZone are trashed and people call that "heartbreaking." Leading me to comment elsewhere "Shit they wouldn't be that sad about an actual lady named Wendy dying unless she was white."

Anyway I've got a historical syntax exam I should be working on (open book, and I've got time but I also didn't pay any attention during the second half of the semester so I've got a lot to catch up on!) so I should get back to that.

Comments

[redbird]

Yes, all of this.

I suspect there's a lot of overlap between the people more upset about Target than about the police murdering George Floyd, and people who think we should reopen things prematurely, because the stock market.

[cosmolinguist]

This is a great point and well made. There are definitely disturbing parallels there.

[worlds_of_smoke]

this.

It's so enraging and heartbreaking and I just want this shit to end.

[otter]

I'm not exactly in the midst of it all, but I'm within a few miles of the multiple protests. I keep re-centering conversations on the fact that the cops are causing this, as tools of the white supremacist patriarchy.

[otter]

https://soletstalkabout.com/2020/05/28/how-to-respond-to-riots-never-solve-anything/

[cosmolinguist]

Thank you, this is such a help in the conversation I keep having about how "the senseless violence is ruining their cause!" It's such a good point that this country was founded on senseless violence.

[otter]

I am glad I found it. It is helpful for me to not have to articulate it all from scratch. And I try to signal boost people of color, as this author seems to be.

[sfred]

(also not sure what to say)

[cosmolinguist]

<3

[lilysea]

The police arresting a Black CNN reporter and his TV crew with no reason given while the reporter was reporting live on air shows how incredibly unreasonable and arbitrary the police actions there are at the moment

Police in Minneapolis have arrested a black CNN reporter and his TV crew while he was reporting live on air
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-29/cnn-reporter-arrested-on-air-minneapolis-riots/12302624

[cosmolinguist]

I heard about this happening but not that he is black. Shouldn't be surprising though.

I've seen a photo of police standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the house of the guy most responsible for the murder, and it's just a picture entirely depicting who think he matters more than other people which is a help of a thing to see.

[lilysea]

A source on Facebook just posted this TED talk by Baratunde Thurston which I really liked

How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time
https://www.ted.com/talks/baratunde_thurston_how_to_deconstruct_racism_one_headline_at_a_time

"Baratunde Thurston explores the phenomenon of white Americans calling the police on black Americans who have committed the crimes of ... eating, walking or generally "living while black." In this profound, thought-provoking and often hilarious talk, he reveals the power of language to change stories of trauma into stories of healing -- while challenging us all to level up."

"Baratunde Thurston has worked for The Onion, produced for The Daily Show, advised the Obama White House and cleaned bathrooms to pay for his Harvard education. He's the host of the iHeartMedia podcast Spit, wrote the New York Times bestseller How to Be Black and serves on the boards of BUILD and the Brooklyn Public Library. He makes media, delivers keynotes and promotes action with his unique blend of criticism, humor and optimism. He's most invested in topics of race, technology, democracy and climate, because the hard stuff has already been solved."

[polyfrazzlemented]

Apparently it was a cop that set fire to the Autozone.

[cosmolinguist]

Yep, I saw that last night! *eyeroll*

[alithea]

I don't know what to say either. I'm both horrified and yet not surprised. I really hope those cops get charged with murder before things get any worse and that some healing is possible.