I disagree that King looks black or particularly biracial even now, let alone as a kid. ISTM that the perception is entirely created by the close-cropped haircut and facial hairstyle.
Yes, I can imagine the impact they would have-- probably none. There are no lack of groups calling out gang members, but it doesn’t seem to do much good.
Still, you’re offering a false dichotomy. They can choose one or the other or both, depending on where they think they can be most effective. If you’re so concerned about gang violence, why aren’t YOU out there publicly denouncing gangs and trying to make a difference?
You explained why you think they’re devoid of credibility, which isn’t the same thing at all. But please, do continue whitesplaining the issue because you “grew up on the south side of Chicago” so you’re an expert on black lives. Heck, I bet even some of your best friends are black! I certainly look forward to future posts from you where you tell feminists how they don’t really care about women’s rights (assuming you haven’t already made those arguments on these boards).
It’s a myth that there are no black people or black groups denouncing violence in black communities. There are tons, but unless you routinely spend time in black churches, civic meetings, etc., you probably won’t hear much about them. Certainly not if your main source of news is any part of the right-wing infotainment sphere.
Well, he’s already said that he thinks police racism is a myth, so…
Seriously. If there’s one problem with the American approach to crime, it’s how soft we are on gangs. I defy you to find a single gang member in prison!
If only, if only we could convince our police to actually arrest gang members once in awhile, we might get somewhere in this country.
Are you for real, Gent?
andros, that’s going to earn you a warning. You simply cannot - in Great Debates or Elections - accuse another poster of lying. In this context ‘make shit up’ fits the criteria of accusing another poster of speaking falsehood intentionally.
Please don’t make personal attacks on other posters.
I’m letting this one slide. No warning.
But everyone should step back for a second and take it a bit easier.
It’s a fair cop. Apologies.
I used to work in Oakland, etc and “No Snitches” and “If you see a Cop, warn a brother” are both very real. So, there are “black people or black groups denouncing violence in black communities” but there’s not enough.
Or, the massive disconnect between the police and the black community is the fault of the police, and not of the black community.
Technically, those are warnings against trusting cops, not pro gang. Yes, I know, it’s used that way in investigation of gang violence, just saying its at least a tad more complex than “those inner city people just love them gang violence” (not saying anyone is literally saying this, mind).
ETA: ninja’ed.
That’s part of it, sure.
Whose fault it is makes no difference, to the question at hand. (Not that I would agree with you in any event, but even if I did …)
Of course such behavior is completely unknown in white ethnic neighborhoods where people have been given good reason to fear police.
For example people in the Charlestown areas of Boston have never actually gone so far as to brag at how their “code of silence” has been foiling police attempts to solve murders for over a hundred years.
It never went so far as to inspire a movie called “Snitch” who’s name was changed to “Monument Ave.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v22Llwkhv18
BTW, I don’t think it’s necessary, but one might want to watch the below clip before the above one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8ci-f0nBsg
In all seriousness, this is hardly anything new. I’m sure Italian neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Polish neighborhoods in Chicago of the 1930s weren’t notorious for their unwillingness to “snitch”.
Undoubtedly true, and for the same reasons.
Crucial difference is that those neighborhoods did not succeed in making a nationwide movement out of their antipathy to police.
I trust that Italians, at the time, generally had the best insight into how Italian people were treated by the police. Similarly, I believe that black people now have the best insight, in general, into how black people are treated by the police. Just as they had the best contemporary insight about how black people were treated at every point through American history.
So if most black people tell me something specifically about how black people are treated, I’m very inclined to believe them. And that’s before any of the numbers are looked at – from what I’ve seen, the numbers support their arguments in many cases.
Ah, you think “Black Lives Matter” is primarily about police antipathy.
To bring it back on topic, that’s probably an opinion shared by Breitbart and other conservative online media, which, again, is why they feel this issue is so important.
That’s another issue. I probably disagree with you for the most part, but that’s not what we’re discussing here.
The issue here is what the impact of this antipathy to the police is as a practical matter, in areas like gang violence.
And the reverse too – what effect does police violence against black people have on possible antipathy towards police, in areas like gang violence (and others)?