# Sandra Bland video **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 22, 2015, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859 "2015-07-22T05:50:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 80
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1581 "2015-07-31T23:56:10Z")
What a long strange trip its been. Born and raised in Texas, seen ugly stuff. But I have lived to see the day that someone suggests an incident in Texas might have racial overtones, and someone else is so astonished at the notion they demand evidence for such an outlandish suggestion. Like if someone says they saw Sasquatch fuck a unicorn. Take me now, Jesus, I’ve seen it all. ---
**Author:** ![camille](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@camille](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/camille)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1582 "2015-08-01T00:05:59Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Bland died on July 13, Coleman’s remarks were made on July 30. He’s had time to put his emotions in check, and act like a responsible public official. Read my post [#1561](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18564712&postcount=1561) above. This is your perception. Not everyone will see it that way. ---
**Author:** ![camille](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@camille](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/camille)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1583 "2015-08-01T00:11:23Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Do you know what race baiting is? See my [reply](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18564712&postcount=1561) above about perceptions. What do believe is the difference between what you term race baiting and speaking out against the treatment of black people? ---
**Author:** ![camille](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@camille](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/camille)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1584 "2015-08-01T00:31:18Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > What is the relevance of the sheriff to the arrest? The conversation devolved into the validity of underlying racism in the area. **D’Anconia** dismissed an earlier cite as not contemporary enough so I provided a more recent example. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1585 "2015-08-01T00:38:08Z")
> [@camille](#): > > What do believe is the difference between what you term race baiting and speaking out against the treatment of black people? Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Texas (because you know, that a\*hole politician was talking about DPS, which covers the whole state) is a racist hellhole. Does that mean that the police should be instructed “Don’t ever throw a black woman on the ground again. Don’t ever do that again.”? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1586 "2015-08-01T00:44:01Z")
Be a shame if such a valuable tool for de-escalating a tense situation were to be set aside. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1587 "2015-08-01T00:45:12Z")
If you believe that only a black person can be “race-baiting” then you are racist and you are race-baiting yourself in saying that. If you haven’t been affected by any of the black lives lost in these events of the last (fill in time frame) and don’t care, just say so. People can kindly disagree. But it’s not a democratic conspiracy to bait you. This seems to be a Foxnews hijack. ---
**Author:** ![camille](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@camille](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/camille)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1588 "2015-08-01T00:45:40Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Texas (because you know, that a\*hole politician was talking about DPS, which covers the whole state) is a racist hellhole. > > Does that mean that the police should be instructed “Don’t ever throw a black woman on the ground again. Don’t ever do that again.”? Of course not. It’s rhetoric. Why is it so noteworthy that a politician would employ rhetoric? _You_ should know better. ---
**Author:** ![camille](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@camille](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/camille)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1589 "2015-08-01T00:52:20Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > If you believe that only a black person can be “race-baiting” then you are racist and you are race-baiting yourself in saying that. > > If you haven’t been affected by any of the black lives lost in these events of the last (fill in time frame) and don’t care, just say so. People can kindly disagree. But it’s not a democratic conspiracy to bait you. > > This seems to be a Foxnews hijack. Actually, even Fox News was outraged by the arrest video. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1590 "2015-08-01T00:53:33Z")
> [@camille](#): > > Of course not. It’s rhetoric. Race-baiting rhetoric. ---
**Author:** ![camille](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@camille](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/camille)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1591 "2015-08-01T01:00:37Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Race-baiting rhetoric. That’s your perception, and it has been noted. Could you answer my question: \*What do you believe is the difference between what you term race baiting and speaking out against the treatment of black people? \* ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1592 "2015-08-01T01:09:25Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > It’s quite common for city councils to offer no formal reasons for firings. Do a search of “city council” and “reasons” and “fired” (or something similar) and you’ll find many examples. > > The reporter looked for any evidence that might exist in the public record on the topic of the Hempstead City Council’s interactions with the sheriff in question (Glenn Smith), and found racism named in at least one such interaction. Offering this information seems well within the bounds of good journalistic practice. > > Any grandstanding about Making Up Stories is certainly inappropriate in this instance. I would suggest that it’s good journalistic practice to report all of the possible reasons the sheriff was fired. The article even said, “not all of which involved racial issues”. It doesn’t look like the reporter looked for ANY evidence that might exist in the public record. I suggest that the reporter looked for anything that would suggest racism because the reporter wanted to report on racism. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1593 "2015-08-01T02:37:28Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > I suggest that the reporter looked for anything that would suggest racism because the reporter wanted to report on racism. You say that like it’s a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1594 "2015-08-01T04:00:08Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Then we are left with the exquisitely pointless question of whether the officer should be dismissed because he is a bigot or because he is an equal opportunity asshole. Is this mutually exclusive? Sure not all Assholes are Racist, but you can’t be a Racist without being an Asshole. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1595 "2015-08-01T04:15:39Z")
> [@camille](#): > > Read my post [#1561](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18564712&postcount=1561) above. This is your perception. Not everyone will see it that way. Your post is your cite? Really? ---
**Author:** ![camille](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@camille](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/camille)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1596 "2015-08-01T04:56:00Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Your post is your cite? Really? I didn’t want to repeat myself. If a personal opinion requires a “cite”, I’d like to see a “cite” for your opinion that a man can’t be emotional 17 days after a tragic incident. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1597 "2015-08-01T05:52:12Z")
> [@camille](#): > > I didn’t want to repeat myself. > > If a personal opinion requires a “cite”, I’d like to see a “cite” for your opinion that a man can’t be emotional 17 days after a tragic incident. He can be emotional, but in this situation, it’s unprofessional, and racial. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1598 "2015-08-01T06:20:29Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > The perceived racial bias in most of the high profile cases recently vanishes under close examination. This case is a good example - there is quite literally _no_ evidence that Bland’s race played any part in the way she was treated. None. Yes there is - it’s a dumb ass analysis which even the author acknowledges in the comments below. The biggest problem is Hispanics could be black or white, apparently: > [@](#): > > According to data collected by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, a disproportionate number of the drivers pulled over by police in Waller County in 2014 were black. > **[Cops stop black drivers at a disproportionate rate in the county where Sandra...](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/traffic-stops-black-people-waller-county/)** > > A look at the data on driving while black in Waller County, Texas. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1599 "2015-08-01T06:30:25Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > I would suggest that it’s good journalistic practice to report all of the possible reasons the sheriff was fired. The article even said, “not all of which involved racial issues”. > > It doesn’t look like the reporter looked for ANY evidence that might exist in the public record. I suggest that the reporter looked for anything that would suggest racism because the reporter wanted to report on racism. Might be any number of reasons, lots of them, or just a few of them. He might have been assigned a ten percent drop in car theft and only delivered five. He might have had poor controls on overtime pay, or failed to schedule shifts effectively. And he might well be fired even if he had no blemish from racism. But even if he were to be A-one outstanding in every logistical and managerial respect, a top notch and efficient executive, if he is a bigot, if he enforces the law in a racial unjust manner…he has to go. Period, full stop. Unjust and inhumane people are sometimes very efficient. It is not an improvement. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1600 "2015-08-01T06:36:26Z")
Inhumane is a bit of a stretch, don’t you think? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859.md?page=79) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859.md?page=81)