“I now have no time for
people who are racist. I used to say, ‘Well, look, don’t you understand...Can’t
you see?’ And try to explain. And now I don’t have time for it. I don’t have
time to spend on you….”
~ Billy Connolly
I have a dream that my.. children.. one day..
will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their
character
What is happening in Trump's America right now makes me feel ill.
Some have reacted to the horrific murder of yet another black human by a white cop with "what about the looting" and "all lives matter". I believe such people need to educate themselves. Fast.
Whataboutism and deflection and seeking to criticise a brutalised community driven to the edge by institutionalised murder for the actions of a few, I think shows, to say the least, their own latent prejudice.
If white communities were routinely harassed, goaded, tormented and murdered in cold blood by black police as part of a history of oppression and suffering and prejudice, should they be calm?
Should the whites protest peacefully?
Would we?
Saying "Black Lives Matter" does not mean other lives do not.
Why does this need pointing out. Still?
No doubt, some are unwitting mouthpieces for the "far right" with their tutting and disapproval and othering and Whataboutism.
Those who join the Trumpian press, in America and in Britain, in their condemnation of a community brutalised by systemic racism for centuries and demand the objectors protest in a way that makes these admirers of Trump comfortable, it's time, perhaps, for them to reflect on their values.
Peaceful protests against police brutality are being answered with police brutality. Members of the press are being attacked, wounded and arrested. There's growing evidence that the far right are fueling riots for their own gain and manipulating social media to make black rights protestors look like the terrorists that Trump has helpfully labelled them as. At this https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52886736 protest yesterday Trump had the peaceful protesters (including the priests from the church he posed in front of) cleared from the area with tear gas and rubber bullets so he could have his photo taken. The bishop of the church has condemned his actions:
“Let me be clear: The president just
used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, at
one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as the backdrop
to a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that
our churches stand for.” “I am outraged,” she fumed. “The president did
not pray when he came to St. John’s nor did he acknowledge the agony of
our country right now.” -Bishop Budde who oversees this church.
A witness statement from one of the priests is incredible:
"Friends, I am ok, but I am, frankly shaken. I was at St. John's,
Lafayette Square most of the afternoon, with fellow clergy and laypeople
- and clergy from some other denominations too. We were passing out
water and snacks, and helping the patio area at St. John's, Lafayette
square to be a place of respite and peace. All was well - with a few
little tense moments - until about 6:15 or so. By then, I had connected
with the Black Lives Matter medic team, which was headed by an EMT.
Those people were AMAZING. They had been on the patio all day, and
thankfully had not had to use much of the eyewash they had made. Around
6:15 or 6:30, the police started really pushing protestors off of H
Street (the street between the church and Lafayette Park, and
ultimately, the White House. They started using tear gas and folks were
running at us for eyewashes or water or wet paper towels. At this point,
Julia, one of our seminarians for next year (who is a trauma nurse) and
I looked at each other in disbelief. I was coughing, her eyes were
watering, and we were trying to help people as the police - in full riot
gear - drove people toward us. Julia and her classmates left and I
stayed with the BLM folks trying to help people. Suddenly, around 6:30,
there was more tear gas, more concussion grenades, and I think I saw
someone hit by a rubber bullet - he was grasping his stomach and there
was a mark on his shirt. The police in their riot gear were literally
walking onto the St. John's, Lafayette Square patio with these metal
shields, pushing people off the patio and driving them back. People were
running at us as the police advanced toward us from the other side of
the patio. We had to try to pick up what we could. The BLM medic folks
were obviously well practiced. They picked up boxes and ran. I was so
stunned I only got a few water bottles and my spray bottle of eyewash.
We were literally DRIVEN OFF of the St. John's, Lafayette Square patio
with tear gas and concussion grenades and police in full riot gear. We
were pushed back 20 feet, and then eventually - with SO MANY concussion
grenades - back to K street. By the time I got back to my car, around 7,
I was getting texts from people saying that Trump was outside of St.
John's, Lafayette Square. I literally COULD NOT believe it. WE WERE
DRIVEN OFF OF THE PATIO AT ST. JOHN'S - a place of peace and respite and
medical care throughout the day - SO THAT MAN COULD HAVE A PHOTO
OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH!!! PEOPLE WERE HURT SO THAT HE COULD
POSE IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH WITH A BIBLE! HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO STEP OVER
THE MEDICAL SUPPLIES WE LEFT BEHIND BECAUSE WE WERE BEING TEAR
GASSED!!!!"
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
It’s the Sixties all over again ... the evil of racism never went away ... it just laid low for a while, but most people in the US knew it was there ... ‘all that’s required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing’.
‘How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see ...?’
A friend said she had it on good authority from a reliable acquaintance in the US that in his privately funded church-linked college inter-racial dating was against the rules until 2000! He also admitted that it was several years after that before he realised how totally abhorrent that was. 😭
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Absolutely dreadful. I despise racism in every form but the only small comfort is that so many people are aware, and feeling outraged on the behalf of these poor people. I am on Instagram and today, in the UK, from people of all ages, just black screens as a protest against this truly evil man, and as a gesture of support to say yes, black lives matter.
Posts
“I now have no time for people who are racist. I used to say, ‘Well, look, don’t you understand...Can’t you see?’ And try to explain. And now I don’t have time for it. I don’t have time to spend on you….”
~ Billy Connolly
I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character
Martin Luther KingWhat is happening in Trump's America right now makes me feel ill.
Some have reacted to the horrific murder of yet another black human by a white cop with "what about the looting" and "all lives matter". I believe such people need to educate themselves. Fast.
Whataboutism and deflection and seeking to criticise a brutalised community driven to the edge by institutionalised murder for the actions of a few, I think shows, to say the least, their own latent prejudice.
If white communities were routinely harassed, goaded, tormented and murdered in cold blood by black police as part of a history of oppression and suffering and prejudice, should they be calm?
Should the whites protest peacefully?
Would we?
Saying "Black Lives Matter" does not mean other lives do not.
Why does this need pointing out. Still?
No doubt, some are unwitting mouthpieces for the "far right" with their tutting and disapproval and othering and Whataboutism.
Those who join the Trumpian press, in America and in Britain, in their condemnation of a community brutalised by systemic racism for centuries and demand the objectors protest in a way that makes these admirers of Trump comfortable, it's time, perhaps, for them to reflect on their values.
“Let me be clear: The president just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition, at one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as the backdrop to a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our churches stand for.” “I am outraged,” she fumed. “The president did not pray when he came to St. John’s nor did he acknowledge the agony of our country right now.” -Bishop Budde who oversees this church.
A witness statement from one of the priests is incredible:
"Friends, I am ok, but I am, frankly shaken. I was at St. John's, Lafayette Square most of the afternoon, with fellow clergy and laypeople - and clergy from some other denominations too. We were passing out water and snacks, and helping the patio area at St. John's, Lafayette square to be a place of respite and peace. All was well - with a few little tense moments - until about 6:15 or so. By then, I had connected with the Black Lives Matter medic team, which was headed by an EMT. Those people were AMAZING. They had been on the patio all day, and thankfully had not had to use much of the eyewash they had made. Around 6:15 or 6:30, the police started really pushing protestors off of H Street (the street between the church and Lafayette Park, and ultimately, the White House. They started using tear gas and folks were running at us for eyewashes or water or wet paper towels. At this point, Julia, one of our seminarians for next year (who is a trauma nurse) and I looked at each other in disbelief. I was coughing, her eyes were watering, and we were trying to help people as the police - in full riot gear - drove people toward us. Julia and her classmates left and I stayed with the BLM folks trying to help people. Suddenly, around 6:30, there was more tear gas, more concussion grenades, and I think I saw someone hit by a rubber bullet - he was grasping his stomach and there was a mark on his shirt. The police in their riot gear were literally walking onto the St. John's, Lafayette Square patio with these metal shields, pushing people off the patio and driving them back. People were running at us as the police advanced toward us from the other side of the patio. We had to try to pick up what we could. The BLM medic folks were obviously well practiced. They picked up boxes and ran. I was so stunned I only got a few water bottles and my spray bottle of eyewash. We were literally DRIVEN OFF of the St. John's, Lafayette Square patio with tear gas and concussion grenades and police in full riot gear. We were pushed back 20 feet, and then eventually - with SO MANY concussion grenades - back to K street. By the time I got back to my car, around 7, I was getting texts from people saying that Trump was outside of St. John's, Lafayette Square. I literally COULD NOT believe it. WE WERE DRIVEN OFF OF THE PATIO AT ST. JOHN'S - a place of peace and respite and medical care throughout the day - SO THAT MAN COULD HAVE A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH!!! PEOPLE WERE HURT SO THAT HE COULD POSE IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH WITH A BIBLE! HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO STEP OVER THE MEDICAL SUPPLIES WE LEFT BEHIND BECAUSE WE WERE BEING TEAR GASSED!!!!"
A friend said she had it on good authority from a reliable acquaintance in the US that in his privately funded church-linked college inter-racial dating was against the rules until 2000! He also admitted that it was several years after that before he realised how totally abhorrent that was. 😭
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/06/02/donald-trump-church-photo-op-george-floyd-protest-bash-pkg-vpx-es.cnn
I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character
Martin Luther Kinghttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/george-floyd-protests-live-trump-police-military-today-minneapolis-update-autopsy-a9543656.html
to here
https://www.history.com/topics/china/tiananmen-square
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.