Minneapolis cops slowly murder handcuffed man in front of crowd

[Progressive Pessimist]

I'm not sure if this thread is the right place to share this, but watching the reactions to the protesters really bother me. Mostly because it serves as a sort of touchstone for just how awful policing in this country has become.

We should be horrified at a mob of angry citizens burning down a police station. I should. We all all should. But we're not. Reactions on the left seem to range from open sympathy to pretty gentle criticism, much of it worried about how this might help Trump's campaign. There's probably open cheering somewhere, too, but I haven't seen it myself, yet. Meanwhile, the right's response is transparent glee at getting some broadly acceptable ammunition for their race and culture war. And we all know full well (because of the evidence of recent history) that if this was being done by white guys with guns in milita or western drag, they'd be the ones cheering or maybe tut-tutting about means while agreeing with the sentiment.

These reactions are a terrible indictment of American policing as an institution. It has failed. And I see absolutely practical path for how we fix it, for how we get from where we are now, to where the police (and the justice system) get out of the deep hole they're in (and which they helped to dig).

Honestly, I echo your thoughts here and felt the exact same about last night's events.

 It's perfectly fair to be upset at last night's looting and rioting, but what is property worth in comparison to a man's life that was taken for no reason by the very people who should be among the most trusted by the community? That should be infinitely more outrageous. That was the spark that ignited this powder keg, and I wish the anger was less understandable.

It also definitely puts the anti-lockdown protests in perspective too, as you alluded to, and how petty they look in comparison to communities of color feeling alienated by their own taxpayer funded police force. They're an even bigger joke than they were before.

[Progressive Pessimist]

I can't endorse the riots and obviously do not approve of them, but I think it is very telling that such a large proportion of the African-American community feels the need to riot.  Whether or not the number of blacks killed by police is significantly different from them as a proportion of the population seems irrelevant to me in this case, as there obviously is a belief that African-Americans (and the population at large) are being treated unfairly by the police.

While I wish this did not happen this way, now that it has, I hope it will be a wakeup call and that steps will be taken to prevent misuse of force in the future.

I completely understand how you feel. Sadly, it takes sad events like this to be the catalysts for change and progress sometimes. It is often a messy process, it shouldn't have to be, but it is.

[Progressive Pessimist]

No violence is justified, obviously.

I do wonder if there would be less violent protesting in major cities if the country weren’t locked down for 2 months (and were fed fear mongering lies)?

I honestly think that the connection is tenuous. People still would have been protesting over Floyd's death even if we weren't in the midst of a pandemic. The fact that so many protesters are still wearing masks suggests that their frustration isn't with the lock-downs.

[Progressive Pessimist]

No violence is justified, obviously.

I do wonder if there would be less violent protesting in major cities if the country weren’t locked down for 2 months (and were fed fear mongering lies)?

I honestly think that the connection is tenuous. People still would have been protesting over Floyd's death even if we weren't in the midst of a pandemic. The fact that so many protesters are still wearing masks suggests that their frustration isn't with the lock-downs.

I would have to disagree with you here. Polls have shown that the vast majority of Americans have seen masks as a necessary measure to contain the pandemic's spread, and even with the uproar over mandatory mask mandates (and I've made clear my concerns about those), mask-wearing is still a much less intrusive and more tolerable practice than many of the lockdown restrictions. I firmly believe that many people, who have lost their jobs because of their pandemic, who have been socially isolated, and experiencing great mental anguish, were pushed over the breaking point by this horrific incident. I would also say that the George Floyd incident represented a step too far for most in this country, revealing the extent to which police brutality, racism, prejudice, and discrimination continue to govern our society.

I'm sure it contributed, I just don't think it's really on the minds of too many as they're out protesting. The focus is still on criminal justice in this country.

[Progressive Pessimist]

This is a good example of the many grey areas we are seeing from these protests. It may be hard for some to process them, but they're the reality of this situation. Nothing about what is happening is that cut-and-dry.

[Progressive Pessimist]

More black people have been murdered in the riots than what started the protests in the first place. I thought black lives matter?

This isn't just about George Floyd. He was just a tipping point for the protests. This is about hundreds of years of injustice. Stop saying this, please. We get that you dislike the protests but stop with the concern trolling. You're not going to checkmate anyone.

[Progressive Pessimist]

https://twitter.com/TooMuchMe/status/1268986246338134016?s=19

This is getting far too predictable.

[Progressive Pessimist]

U.S. Marine Corp bans display of the Confederate battle flag.

https://twitter.com/USMC/status/1269075089078784001

Not sure I agree with their reasoning but a good development nonetheless.

I can't believe it took this long. How was displaying the flag of traitors acceptable in any way by our military?

[Progressive Pessimist]

Bail for Chauvin set at $1.25 million.

https://www.startribune.com/1m-bail-for-chauvin-officer-in-floyd-death/571099132

Obscene amount of money for someone whose salary is probably around $60,000 a year. Excessive bail must be abolished. Though if I were Chauvin, I wouldn't want to pay it anyway; I'd stay away from the protesters in the safety of my jail cell.

I am with you, but it is pretty poetic for someone who abused their role in the justice system now getting a taste of the dark realities within it.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Bail for Chauvin set at $1.25 million.

https://www.startribune.com/1m-bail-for-chauvin-officer-in-floyd-death/571099132

Obscene amount of money for someone whose salary is probably around $60,000 a year. Excessive bail must be abolished. Though if I were Chauvin, I wouldn't want to pay it anyway; I'd stay away from the protesters in the safety of my jail cell.

I am with you, but it is pretty poetic for someone who abused their role in the justice system now getting a taste of the dark realities within it.

I generally agree with lower (or no) cash bails, but I dont think this is the case for it. If the bail were small in this case, there are enough 'cops are heroes' people that would organize a gofundme page to pay it. Also, the police union may pay it if their laws allow. And I see a high flight risk in this case.

That is also a good point.