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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat Happened When Two Students, One Black and One White, Participated in a Peaceful Protest
We are two students -- one black, one white -- at Union Theological Seminary, an institution historically and presently committed to fighting against injustice through faith and action. We were outraged by the non-indictment in the case of Eric Garner, which is only the most recent example of our law enforcement's lack of accountability for violent action, particularly when said violence is committed against communities of color.
On Friday night, we participated in a peaceful protest march calling for change. Together we lay in Macy's, in Grand Central, and on the wet, cold ground of Bryant Park. Together we marched through the streets of our city, demanding that justice be served against those sworn to protect and serve when they so egregiously violate this promise. The march ended on the FDR when we stood together, arm-in-arm, as riot police charged.
We linked arms to show that neither of us stood alone. We linked our arms to show our solidarity in the fight against injustice, police brutality and the slaying of black bodies. We loudly proclaimed that black lives matter.
Up to this point in our story we acted identically, we acted in unison and we committed the same acts of civil disobedience. It is at point in the story, however, that our narratives sharply diverged. Ironically so, as this treatment only underscored the unfortunate truth we had taken to the streets to protest: black and white bodies are not treated equally.
As a line of riot cops approached, two officers broke off and headed directly toward us. Both of them went after the black one of us, Shawn, forcefully ripping us apart. A few seconds later an officer grabbed Ben, the white one of us, and threw him to the ground.
Then the officer leaned over and whispered in Ben's ear, "Just get out of here."
Please Read the Rest http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-shawn-torres/post_8722_b_6316726.html
MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)Please reply with your argument here.
sheshe2
(83,898 posts)I wonder if the are brave enough or should I have said brazen enough.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Raine1967
(11,589 posts)mahannah
(893 posts)joshcryer
(62,276 posts)If it wasn't for Ben insisting he never would have known what it was like to get in a cop van, go to jail, and spend several hours chained up, to enjoy all that the jail house had to offer. He didn't even get to feel what it was like to have his union pin taken away from him. It was a pure injustice that Ben was going to be denied these wonderful life experiences.
delta17
(283 posts)He will grow out of it soon and become a productive member of society.
His friend, though, is clearly a career criminal.
BTW, how do I use the sarcasm tag?
joshcryer
(62,276 posts)It was clear that Ben was exercising his free speech rights and that Shawn was preparing to mug and loot.
delta17
(283 posts)hfojvt
(37,573 posts)but this anecdote totally convinced me that I have white privilege
So I went out to enjoy it.
Took my bicycle out in the rain down to the local bank and asked to withdraw my white privilege dividend. Wow! I did not know they still made bills with that many zeros. I guess it's treasury series W. Then I went down to the car dealership and got a new car. Was prepared to pay with my white privilege dividend, but was told not to be ridiculous. Got a new 2016, a VW of course, and it gets 150 miles to the gallon, not that I have to pay for gas any more anyway.
So I drove to the airport, took my new learjet to Nova Scotia where I now have a nice cabin. Did you realize there was a total eclipse of the sun today? The things you learn by watching WNN. It's amazing that until I read this article I did not realize there was a WNN. Then I had to fly to Geneva where I was scheduled to speak to a meeting of world leaders. Got several standing ovations, of course. Hey, I'm white.
Now I am waiting for a meeting with some guy named Tony and I called up Brenda to make a dinner date. She's married to my old college roommate.
It's been an amazing morning. When I think of all the years I worked menial jobs, pinching pennies and biking in the rain, it almost makes me cry. But then I snap my white fingers and somebody brings me an ice cream sandwich. So I guess I can live with it.
Of course, this is not really a serious argument, but I am not responding to a serious argument either, am I?
MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)Do you have a actual definition for white privilege, or is it that you don't really have one and all you're doing here is going out of your way to deny that it even exists?
If you have a definition for it, perhaps you can enlighten us all on what it is.
I'd like to know if we're even anywhere in the same vicinity during this conversation.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)that would explain the menial jobs, this narrow minded tendency to make everything a whine about themselves.
I don't drink with, or work with you!
Cha
(297,655 posts)nevermind.. it's been too obvious all along.
mahalo she
riqster
(13,986 posts)salin
(48,955 posts)I was reading this - visualizing it. And yet, while it was both predictable and foreshadowed in the righting - I still audibly drew in a deep shocked breath as I read the words whispered to the knocked down protester.
My mind isn't surprised, but my soul still keeps gasping at the undercurrents (cops prejudices) that underlie the atrocities.
There is an interesting piece at TPM about millenials' awakening that was posted yesterday. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/tpm-reader-my-cousin-was-shot-dead-by-police-in-albuquerque which I hope reflects a growing segment of our society.
An awakening. For those of us who do not live the reality of worry/threat of being at the brutal end of a police stop. For those of us who know it is a reality - but until recently didn't have to cognitively process it over and over again. This isn't about us. It is far bigger than us. It IS about who we are as a society.
Viva the protesters in Ferguson whose continued actions forced eyes open and conversations to begin! Even when faced with militarized force meant to intimidate - you kept acting! Viva the protesters in Cleveland for forcing those conversations to continue! Viva the protesters in NY and those who have joined protests around the country! Viva those who attend and witness and then share pictures and accounts from those protests!
To all those taking action - You are part of moving us towards who we can be as a society.
liberalhistorian
(20,819 posts)that he and his friends and at least the millenials I know are getting very much awake about this issue and they will NOT continue to stand for it (we're white and he and I are heartened to see that most of his white friends also understand, the ones who don't-he and his friends are working on them).
It will not be people my age, middle-aged and older, who will finally effect the change that is desperately needed. It will be the younger generation, who do not, fortunately, have that automatic respect for LEO no matter what and the authoritarian mindset that was drilled into us from day one. They are not falling for the bullshit.
not diminishing an ally's participation in a human endeavor, justice for all, but what happened is typical amerika these days, always really. Some are just more unequal than others........
samsingh
(17,601 posts)Number23
(24,544 posts)seveneyes
(4,631 posts)Has anyone got a link?
hughee99
(16,113 posts)Suspicious. It's the kind if thing where, if it didn't fit so perfectly into our preconceptions, there'd be a whole bunch of "cool story, bro" responses.
noiretextatique
(27,275 posts)MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)Ah yes, "good cops" are on par with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
bhikkhu
(10,724 posts)I was always treated pretty decently by police when I was younger, and a bit prone to doing stupid things. It never really occurred to me until recently that this wasn't the norm.
liberalhistorian
(20,819 posts)with my mother in trying to get her to see the racist, violent nature of the police. She's an elderly white woman who's never had a problem with them and has always been treated just fine. Well, of course, because she's a white woman and, especially now that she's elderly. She was going into diabetic shock while she was driving last summer and was driving erratically because of it. A cop pulled her over and she was barely conscious and slumped over the wheel. She could communicate, but barely. She said the cop was super nice and called an ambulance and stayed with her and called my son to come get the car and then go to the ER afterwards.
I told her if she'd been a black or Hispanic man (especially black), chances were VERY high that things would have been a lot different. The cop may very well have assumed he was on drugs or "acting suspiciously" and reacted accordingly. He very well may have assumed such if she were an older black woman (there have been many older black women shot or murdered by police for no reason that made any sense)I said it was lucky she was an old white woman. But she just simply doesn't see it, refuses to see it. Sigh.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)Thespian2
(2,741 posts)very insightful post. White privilege is real. How could anyone misunderstand that?
bonniebgood
(943 posts)They 'choose to'. Denial is very strong and real. My experiences.
giftedgirl77
(4,713 posts)Where are all of the ppl that so diligently deny that white privilege exists or want to trivialize the plight of minorities in this country?
If this was a bash a Dem thread it would have 300 replies, all patting each other on the back & they wonder why we don't post regularly.
dembotoz
(16,832 posts)giftedgirl77
(4,713 posts)about the comment section.
MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)Though they're not that talkative right now.
giftedgirl77
(4,713 posts)That was impressive & very insulting.