General Discussion

VOX

(22,976 posts)

126. There's no playbook for decades of bottled-up, justifiable rage.

Thu May 28, 2020, 12:48 PM

May 2020

No one wants to see things collapse into complete lawlessness, but it happens when an entire segment of the population has been kept down and treated like dirt for hundreds of years in this country.

Time after time after time, African Americans have been subjected to brutal treatment, including numerous documented instances of outright murder, by predominately white law enforcement.

When the anger at such unaddressed mistreatment reaches a boiling point, some citizens just don’t care what happens to them— because they know they’ll be mistreated (or even killed) whether they break the law or not. It’s like a community commuting suicide out of rage.

The phenomenon of “looting” during a full-scale riot is nothing new. It happened when many major cities burned after Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered. It happened in Los Angeles after the cops who savagely beat Rodney King were found innocent of any wrongdoing. It comes with having nothing left to lose.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

146 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

I was so disgusted by the looting I saw in the Minneapolis Target store... [View all] Archae May 2020 OP

I'm more outraged by the thug pigs murdering people. nt RandiFan1290 May 2020 #1

And stealing tvs, burning down people's workplaces will help exactly how? Tipperary May 2020 #2

If you had to choose... Newest Reality May 2020 #27

The story is now about looting and violence. Tipperary May 2020 #43

How many lives were saved by the looters? MichMan May 2020 #55

+1000. (nt) ehrnst May 2020 #108

Sorry, that makes little sense. Tipperary May 2020 #122

You call that a legitimate question? not_the_one May 2020 #124

Injustice causes this sort of behavior. Why are the Cops not in jail. They clearly murdered a man? Demsrule86 May 2020 #79

This message was self-deleted by its author BannonsLiver May 2020 #96

And police tasing people, firing rubber bullets randomly, and pepper spraying people womanofthehills May 2020 #120

OMG that poor Target store WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #3

It is the framing by the RW that it allows, NOT any remote sympathy for the Target store. Celerity May 2020 #6

Yes, the RW will frame anything and everything the way they want. WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #12

They already hate black folk anyway Nature Man May 2020 #15

Arrest the coppers, give them a fair and speedy trial, and lock them up for life. Systemically Celerity May 2020 #16

Status-quo reform simply increases the likelihood of another George Floyd. WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #19

nothing I suggested was 'status-quo' reform nt Celerity May 2020 #23

An oppressive system cannot be reformed; imagining that it can be is upholding the status quo. WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #25

So what do you propose then? Abolition of the police? Celerity May 2020 #32

Yes. WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #33

That is not a tenable position. The US would instantly turn into a Mad Max dystopian nightmare with Celerity May 2020 #47

"Turn into." WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #50

If this is the case (it's not) then why are there zero advanced nations (many staggering less brutal Celerity May 2020 #52

Because it's a radical idea, and the status quo is invested in keeping the police around. WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #54

I mentioned Mao because communism is anti-private property (in theory, never practice) Celerity May 2020 #61

There's actually little evidence that more cops leads to less crime, so deterrence isn't necessarily WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #65

What is the alternative to police? To law enforcement? ehrnst May 2020 #101

What keeps you from doing a crime? WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #102

No answer? Thought so. ehrnst May 2020 #104

Funny, just a few days ago duers were gleefully recounting their calls to turn in their neighbors. Tipperary May 2020 #88

You can be sure I was not among them. WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #90

You might not have noticed Nature Man May 2020 #22

completely disagree, as a PoC myself, and you offer nothing of true import, other than some vague Celerity May 2020 #30

This message was self-deleted by its author Nature Man May 2020 #34

That 'Police Are Inherited From Slavery', Ma'am, Is One Of Those Tiresome Half-Truths The Magistrate May 2020 #66

thank you Sir, much more well put than my attempts to say something similar Celerity May 2020 #74

+++ nt brer cat May 2020 #77

+1000. (nt) ehrnst May 2020 #106

I'm a black American who descends from enslaved Americans JustAnotherGen May 2020 #111

I am the descendant of enslaved people as well (enslaved West Africans from Barbados), and thus part Celerity May 2020 #127

What is the alternative to law enforcement? ehrnst May 2020 #107

Point 1 JustAnotherGen May 2020 #117

This. Tipperary May 2020 #44

So...you think Target Corp supports the murder that happened by that cop? Bengus81 May 2020 #56

I try to avoid the idea of "deserve." Does it deserve to get a pass for its rampant union-busting? WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #59

Love your diversion from my post but no worry's now about that store and it's manager Bengus81 May 2020 #99

Does that make it acceptable to loot it? ehrnst May 2020 #113

Wow, you think looting helps the issue? Seriously? nt USALiberal May 2020 #35

What issue? WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #36

See, you don't know the issue! nt USALiberal May 2020 #41

I see several; I'm curious which one you're focused on. WhiskeyGrinder May 2020 #42

Unsubtle evasion... ehrnst May 2020 #114

Seriously, I don't want people like you in the Democratic Party Goodheart May 2020 #84

Hmm, thug behavior? geardaddy May 2020 #143

+1 geardaddy May 2020 #142

It doesn't bother me one bit. SamKnause May 2020 #4

Agree! mountain grammy May 2020 #121

It only helps the powers that be tman May 2020 #5

Looters are Horrible people kevink077 May 2020 #7

Yup. tavernier May 2020 #76

I agree. phylny May 2020 #8

This message was self-deleted by its author Nature Man May 2020 #18

But it got your attention, didn't it? That's the point. zanana1 May 2020 #9

People Were Already Paying Attention, Ma'am The Magistrate May 2020 #57

It would have been forgotten in a few weeks, sir. zanana1 May 2020 #62

So Will Those Fires, Ma'am The Magistrate May 2020 #70

If I say "You win", will you feel better? zanana1 May 2020 #72

I think you have to add "sir". miyazaki May 2020 #95

LMAO! zanana1 May 2020 #100

I Feel Fine Either Way, Ma'am The Magistrate May 2020 #112

Shoot, my attention hasn't been diverted AWAY from this atrocity. phylny May 2020 #133

Does not help their cause and gives Trump room to pull shit. sunonmars May 2020 #10

All y'all must be reading the same playbook Nature Man May 2020 #26

and you are just repeating the same line over and over, we all have opinions, stop spamming us. sunonmars May 2020 #97

What "playbook" would that be? MLKs? Ghandi's? ehrnst May 2020 #109

This MLK? tonedevil May 2020 #131

I'm sure you were n/t obamanut2012 May 2020 #11

All I see in these types of threads is: Nature Man May 2020 #13

You are absolutely right jimfields33 May 2020 #20

Not to mention the many people hanging on to employment by a thread phylny May 2020 #132

+1000 Newest Reality May 2020 #21

Truth. zanana1 May 2020 #63

Why was looting necessary? ehrnst May 2020 #110

There's no playbook for decades of bottled-up, justifiable rage. VOX May 2020 #126

Looting is not civil disobedience. MLK didn't condone as such. ehrnst May 2020 #129

At least you're paying attention to what's important Alpeduez21 May 2020 #14

"Concerned" white folk do this EVERY time Nature Man May 2020 #17

+1, if the oppressed aren't perfect then their cause is distracted from uponit7771 May 2020 #68

"No Justice, No Peace, No Hope" sop May 2020 #24

I agree. Owl May 2020 #28

pent up anger. years of watching black men murdered by cops with no repercussions across America, beachbumbob May 2020 #29

I don't blame the rioters a damn bit Chainfire May 2020 #31

I 100% agree, it takes away from the police and makes the story about stealing. nt USALiberal May 2020 #37

I would rather qwlauren35 May 2020 #38

I lulz'd KG May 2020 #39

An interesting essay that was tweeted today by DeRay Mckesson (long read): demmiblue May 2020 #40

+1. Modern American police forces evolved out of fugitive slave patrols dalton99a May 2020 #80

Did I miss your OP about the racist cop murdering George Floyd? Lars39 May 2020 #45

It's a bad response to a terrible crime. Dial H For Hero May 2020 #46

Somehow I doubt that the people looting stores are anything more than crass opportunists. milestogo May 2020 #51

Oh, the material goods! Cirque du So-What May 2020 #48

And someone's job. In fact, many people's jobs. phylny May 2020 #134

Don't forget the stockholders Cirque du So-What May 2020 #138

That's not my point. phylny May 2020 #140

I feel for those people too Cirque du So-What May 2020 #141

It's unfortunate, but understandable Johnny2X2X May 2020 #49

Agree, Archae TheCowsCameHome May 2020 #53

You have identified your priorities quite clearly. MineralMan May 2020 #58

None of our cringing and hand wringing have done any good at all MaryMagdaline May 2020 #60

Looting is something quite different than rioting. (nt) ehrnst May 2020 #105

Feel sad that a legitimate protest devolved into that-- BusyBeingBest May 2020 #64

Now there's at least one shooting death. Dial H For Hero May 2020 #67

Since when is it legal to kill somebody for looting? zanana1 May 2020 #69

The details of the story are very sparse. Dial H For Hero May 2020 #71

I would CJustice May 2020 #83

... demmiblue May 2020 #85

You have five posts! zanana1 May 2020 #87

...and you would be subject to prosecution for murder. roamer65 May 2020 #89

lolz obamanut2012 May 2020 #115

Thoughts and prayers for Target Corp. JCMach1 May 2020 #73

I'm outraged at the non-stop killing of black people malaise May 2020 #75

Me too...and cops escalated it in the beginning with hard core tactic against protesters. Demsrule86 May 2020 #81

Precisely malaise May 2020 #82

Exactly. Start treating everyone equally. roamer65 May 2020 #91

Had the cops been arrested, I doubt it would have happened. But a Black man was executed Demsrule86 May 2020 #78

I don't understand. Aristus May 2020 #86

Post removed Post removed May 2020 #92

Boo-fuckin'-hoo greenjar_01 May 2020 #93

I know a dozen people, sarisataka May 2020 #94

Looters, rioters, and vandals ibegurpard May 2020 #98

It just doesn't help the situation Marrah_Goodman May 2020 #103

I'm over listening to people lecture marginalized people how they should protest StarfishSaver May 2020 #116

If you deprive people of their political and institutional power for Politicub May 2020 #118

When there is chaos in policing chaos spills out all over. aikoaiko May 2020 #119

I'm reminded of the scene from Futurama: Initech May 2020 #123

Looting is an expression of outrage from oppressed people all over the planet maxsolomon May 2020 #125

Protest and looting/rioting are differnent things ehrnst May 2020 #130

Even MLK and Ghandi fell short of their ideals. Jesus, too. maxsolomon May 2020 #135

Binary thinking is the idea that can't both criticize looting & be an ally & support the protest. ehrnst May 2020 #137

Yeah, that is not Binary Thinking maxsolomon Jun 2020 #145

Entitlement disease trickles down? Brainfodder May 2020 #128

Nothing says white privilege more than condemning intheflow May 2020 #136

A seperate, smaller concern more worthy of condemnation Shiv May 2020 #139

"surveillance policies geared toward poor people" Actually geared against theft. EX500rider May 2020 #144

Our local Target is open this morning, but the WalMart is not. hunter Jun 2020 #146