Erica Garner dies at 27

[Devout Centrist]

I see our sh*thead population is making a comeback.

[Devout Centrist]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The framing here is crucial: It gives police a great deal of leeway when it comes to working with black communties, while ostensibly condemning police brutality. In short, it’s excusing brutality.

[Devout Centrist]

You are deliberately framing this issue in the wrong way. BLM has no stated goal to make it “okay” to resist lawful detention. The fact that you see no issue with how Eric Garner was detained is absolutely appalling. It’s perhaps no coincidence that you have repeatedly mentioned Mr. Garner’s previous criminal convictions in an attempt to muddy the waters. But despite what you may believe, no, choking a man to death is no okay simply because he is a criminal. There was absolutely no need to resort to using an illegal tactic in order to restrain him. The officers reacted in a completely unprofessional manner, period.

You repeatedly, albeit without any proof, assert that Black Lives Matter isn’t, “serious”, which is utterly false. Activists have elected prosecutors, worked to reform issues like probation, cash bail, poverty, and other issues in communities across this country. In Phoenix, for example, activists have helped fund several community centers and engage in a dialogue with Mayor Stanton. The fact that you have utterly dismissed them without so much as listing their accomplishments simply shows that you have no interest in addressing their complaints.

And let’s talk about race, shall we. Why do black people commit crime at a higher rate than white people? Well, first off, if we’re going down this rabbit hole, let’s reframe this question: why do men (of all races) commit crimes at a hugely disproportionate rate compared to women. Is this not a valid question our society should ask then?

Regardless, let’s address race. If you believe that this is an inherent flaw with black people or a cultural problem or some sort of moral failing on a mass scale, there are only two real options: ethnic cleansing or outright genocide. There’s no middle ground here. You cannot seriously argue that this is a widespread moral failing on the part of black people and then argue for compassion.

If, however, this is a problem rooted in history, in inequality, and in the treatment of black people in today’s society, there are concrete actions we can take to address the problem. Concrete actions that are already being taken by black communities and organizations. In Chicago, advocacy groups are working overtime to reduce homicide rates, in Richmond, California, a new program gives at-risk youth the means to connect with other men emotionally and talk about their emotions. Across this country, communities are fighting this issue.

Should I, perhaps uncharitably, chastise white communities for the opioid epidemic? Or how the murder rate in recent years has increased at a higher rate among white people when compared with black people? And the answer is an unequivocal NO. Absolutely none of this would justify police brutality or systemic racism. The issue of crime does not have to be answered in the same conversation on police brutality. There is no reason that it needs to be included in the debate.

You may now ask, “well what the hell have you done, DC? Seems like you’re all talk and no action”. Well, I have contributed, albeit not as much as I possibly could, towards the movement for police reform and for black communities. I have worked with a local charity (Wellspring’s Women’s Center in Oak Park, if you’re curious) in my hometown of Sacramento to provide a durable library for the children of impoverished mothers, I have marched with demonstrators. I can always do more, of course, and I feel as though I haven’t done enough. Simply put, I don’t say this out of self aggrandizement. But I say this to show that I actually give a damn about the issue. I’m not arguing in bad faith.

You have broached this issue not out of interest of combating crime in black communities. Rather, you sit at home and use it to bludgeon political opponents on a decades old forum. You are arguing in bad faith, and for that, I cannot respect you in any meaningful way.

[Devout Centrist]

Because thats clearly the biggest problem here.

I don't know about the biggest, but it's certainly an important issue.  Unless you want poor people and cops to have more negative run ins with each other, you might, I don't know.  Perhaps you think it furthers a narrative you want furthered?

Bringing up a pet issue in a thread about someones death that's tangentially related at best(which you seem to care about for entirely unrelated reasons) is really freaking insensitive dude.

What are you going to post when Donald Trump passes away?  "RIP, Mr. President."?

Without her public advocacy stemming from her father's death and the circumstances surrounding it, Erica Garner would be no more a public figure than you or I.  She chose to become a public figure, and it's far from improper to discuss the legacy (good or ill) of a public figure when they die.

If Tiffany or Ivanka dies of a coronary, I’m not going to come on here and pontificate about how bad their daddy is.