Are you surprised?

[qwlauren35]

It has been a month, almost to the day, since George Floyd was killed. Many white people, tired of being cooped up, and more in tune with the news, took it upon themselves to protest his death, and allow themselves to be "schooled" about the numerous incidents of white violence against unarmed blacks, men, women and children, over the past 8 years, especially by police officers. All of a sudden Colin Kaepernick taking a knee makes a little more sense.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52905408


https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2020/know-their-names/index.html


HOWEVER, the police brutality continues, the racism continues. White people are just more aware of it.

Not so many white people joined the protests over: Eric Garner in New York, Tamir Rice in Ohio, Walter Scott in South Carolina, Philando Castle in Minnesota, Trayvon Martin in Florida, Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Michael Brown in Missouri, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky. In many cases, the fact that SOME of these people were being arrested was used to justify their killings. Black people protested. THOUSANDS of black people protested. A lot of white people thought we were over-reacting.

But now that we have videos of what happens, and it's getting posted, it's a little more obvious. So I ask you. Are you surprised that there is so much racism in the US?

13 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	I am white and I had no idea that so many white people, men and women, are overtly racist. I did not know that police brutality was so bad.
	1 (8%)
	I am white and I always knew that many white people, men and women, are overtly racist and I knew that police brutality was so bad.
	12 (92%)
	I am a person of color and I had no idea that so many white people, men and women, are overtly racist. I did not know that police brutality was so bad.
	0 (0%)
	I am person of color and I always knew that many white people, men and women, are overtly racist and I knew that police brutality was so bad.
	0 (0%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[still_one]

1. Generalizations

[qwlauren35]

2. OK, I'll make a few changes.

But the huge number of white people protesting George Floyd compared to the numbers of white people protesting ALL those other deaths does not make sense. There were videos of the other deaths. The only thing that is different is that we are in the midst of a pandemic.

I would ask you. What do you think explains why THIS death got so much more white attention than the others?

[cayugafalls]

6. I'll answer for me. 8:46.

The cold look in Rolfe's eyes as he did it. The fact that it happened so soon after Ahmaud Arbery. The fact that Trump was tweeting dog whistles more and more.

The pandemic. We are home, with little to do, except realize that the world needs to change. Lots of young people have been really mad about the racism in this country and are tired of it (that is from my college son).

I hope this was OK me responding to this question.

[qwlauren35]

11. THANK YOU.

I am glad you answered.

Maybe this was just a very painful video to watch.

[cayugafalls]

13. I've always known racism was bad.

I have a mixed marriage. My wife and I have been chased by rednecks just for driving down the road.

My son has experienced a lot of racism here in Texas, so I am not unaware, but the video of George Floyd was so cold. It was like staring into the abyss of the darkest side of humanity.

Keep sharing the way you do. I know I appreciate it.

[still_one]

9. No need to make changes based on my comment. I think the reason you see the difference is due to

several factors. The media coverage for one thing. Watching a man being tortured and murdered on prime time news brought it home to many. The other deaths you named did not get the coverage they deserved. The last time we saw that coverage was Rodney King

Another factor is the overt racism and bigotry of the POS in the WH. For the last three years his racist dog whistles and actions have finally woke a lot of people up, and they are finally taking a stand, and this time the media is covering it.

21 years ago Amadou Diallo was murdered by NY police while he stood in the doorway of his home when the police fired 41 bullets at him because they thought he was a suspect. In a crime. They were in plain clothes, and not identified as cops.

There were protests from that killing, but it was localized to NYC, and coverage nationwide was sparce.

In the case of Amadou Diallo and Rodney King they got a chane of venue for the cops involved, and they were all acquitted

As in all the cases you named it was a horrendous miscarriage of justice

The murder of George Floyd, the media coverage of it, and the racism of this president for the last 3 years are educating a lot of people to a situation many were not cognizant

[qwlauren35]

14. Maybe

It was the fact that the video was released so close to when the crime happened. And you're right - if it was prime time, nationwide, that would do it. (I don't watch the news.)

When Freddie Gray was killed in Baltimore, the city went nuts. There were protests, there were riots, there was talk of calling out the National Guard. But nothing changed. And ALL of the cops were acquitted. I think there was a suit. There was some coverage nationwide, but more of the riots, and not why. And when only the riots get covered, the crime can get lost.

At least we are seeing some changes.

[still_one]

15. I forgot about Freddie Gray. There have been so many. I hope this time something gets done

[regnaD kciN]

3. Yeah...not voting on this one...

It's as bad as telephone "push polls" the Republicans are so fond of.

I would restrict my observations to the fact that, when you have live video of any event, it causes a lot more people to notice and become outraged. Just as there were many, many African-Americans mistreated by police in Los Angeles, but it took the video of the beating of Rodney King to spur massive protests. Similarly, fifty-plus years ago, what turned the American public against the Vietnam War was seeing live footage and images of the conflict (and of our "allies" behaving in ways we thought were exclusive to "the enemy&quot . The revolution may not be televised, but televising something can hasten a revolution.

[qwlauren35]

8. But that's just it.

There were live videos of so many of these killings.

They did not spark massive protest.

Even the poor man who was running away in South Carolina, the cop shot him, and then re-set the scene, and no one would have known except for the video.

I know I'm being cynical, but I feel as though, if there had not been a pandemic, this death would not have sparked outrage.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

12. You think it's pandemic related and nothing to do with the White Power / Racist Comrade Trump

Asking for a friend.......

[irisblue]

4. I knew there were "problems" with Columbus Police and BIPOC & LGBTQ communities.

And that is on me for not being aware of how extensive the abuse has been in my city.

Source--https://www.columbusalive.com/news/20200604/how-we-got-here-george-floyd-protests-in-columbus



Post-Ohio Group--https://democraticunderground.com/10714839
removing mailboxes in downtown C-bus

Post-Ohio Group--https://democraticunderground.com/10714852. CPD pepper sprayed a Congressional Representative, City Council President and a County Commissioner, 3 of the highest & widely known AA pols in Columbus.

I can say I was blind to the extent

[Maeve]

5. The straw that broke the camel's back

Cliches exist and persist for a reason--in this case, there is a tipping point, a step too far and one too damned many abuses caught on camera, a point at which people are sick and tired of being sick and tired so they rebel. It has always been thus---things fester until one final outrage...then BOOM!

It has always been a matter of time until the next uprising.

[qwlauren35]

10. Maybe

it will be sustained.

But changing the systemic racism of our nation is so hard.

And as the overt racists come out of the closet, I would say that they make up about 25% of our country. I don't know for a fact, it's just a number. But I think it's more than 10%. It's high enough that I know they will fight to keep their racism, and the best we'll be able to do is push them back into the closet. When I was younger, I thought they would die off. And then the neo-Nazis came, and Dylann Roof came, and I realized that an entire new generation of them had been born.

At any rate, we shall see.

[UpInArms]

7. I have to add ..

I am a white person and I have been fighting overt/covert racism my entire life ... since I was 12 years old ... I have recognized and been angry and done everything I could/can ... and I will never stop

[gollygee]

16. About 10 years ago

A community service group I volunteer with did anti-racism training, and I participated in it. I have to tell you, I was tremendously surprised at how big racism is. I absolutely knew it existed, but I was not at all aware of its size and how systemic it is, and I was not aware that I was unaware of that or that there was anything else to see. If that makes sense.

My hope is that other white people are waking up to just how big of an issue it is and that, now that they are (hopefully) aware of the size of it and how systemic it is, they will continue to see it for what it is and continue to protest and support BLM and other anti-racist groups. But I guess time will tell.

[qwlauren35]

17. I'm glad

that you had the training.

I actually had "cultural awareness" training many years ago, and found out a lot about other cultures.

It's always a good thing to do.

[lunasun]

18. I was listening to a song it said this is not 1992 OK yes but this is also not 2014 Michael Brown

Seems not so w'far away but a whole capture lifetime removed with cell phones and police cams now .
No more being told you are being toosensitive or you probably misunderstood or what really happened you don’t know.
Cell phones and body cams -there is absolutely no contradictions with those two witnesses at any event .
Perhaps interpretation , but see it with your own eyes how it went down, people now need to decide when it’s in their face more than just reports of racism.
And let’s face it, this was a brutal murder out on a public street with those around also captured begging the police to stop.
Tamir Rice , Philando Castle all building up
Yes this lead to more support of BLM not seen other times but will it influence black lives outcome?
If they see it now , all those excuses they have been making or mental roadblocks don’t play anymore. How many deaths in the recent past that have been captured does anyone have to see?
Systemic wide racism is getting harder to not acknowledge

I think for those white peoples who never questioned the racism they were made aware of , deaths clearly captured like this recently pissed them off enough to get in the streets more too because things haven’t changed for so long something has to be said in protest and push for justice.
Exposure has lead to thought
Look how opinion about Kaepernick has started to shift among whites too so it’s not just the protests . With some in white society , hopefully this means there is a break through of finally thinking about BLM that is happening with many who were subconsciously avoiding, or not looking to learn why he knelt

I think some of the march movement was coopted by a whiter anti trump and covid outrage cooped up crowd but let’s face it the MN police were at a trump rally, he was positive for corona at death, and imo it’s good to have all these different supporters come out to protest the streets against racism and/ or push on social media that black lives matter even with their own issues often still kept at front
Those statues may have not come down places etc. if the crowd wasn’t big or social media didn’t embrace it
Plus let’s face, it any color there is a lot of unemployment too, so working people maybe finally have had the time to think and listen and process and protest .
The gathering of a larger crowd that started against the brutality and murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and evolved over the days to addressing changes in many forms of racism like the statues and flags and more acknowledgement of true history is a move forward, a momentum starting . There has to be change including hearts and minds
Solidarity is a good thing right now .

[qwlauren35]

19. It is our young people

Who think to whip out their phones and take a video. It is not my natural inclination.

I am so happy that we have them.