US Anti-Police Protests and Riots Thread II

[Galloism]

Apparently "masks are tyranny and I want a massage" is "anti-starvation" now.

You might have noticed that the protests broke out when the unemployment system collapsed and no one had gotten money for food because the unemployment system was months behind in sending benefits, and the demand was to go back to work - because they couldn't support their families otherwise.

Pretty sure I provided you that info before.

Oh look, I DID, explicitly in response to you.

[Gravlen]

Apparently "masks are tyranny and I want a massage" is "anti-starvation" now.

You might have noticed that the protests broke out when the unemployment system collapsed and no one had gotten money for food because the unemployment system was months behind in sending benefits, and the demand was to go back to work - because they couldn't support their families otherwise.

Pretty sure I provided you that info before.

Oh look, I DID, explicitly in response to you.

What you say is true, some of the protests were absolutely because they were angry at living in a failing state unable or unwilling to protect its own citizens and see to their basic needs. The system broke down in some states, and that caused fear and anger.

Not all protests were about that, however. The groups we saw had a wide variety of slogans, from "I want a haircut" to "My constitutional rights are essential", "Reclaim our Natural Rights"...

Gov. Holcomb’s extension of the “stay at home” order had protesters feeling like their freedom had been taken away. The governor says it’s to keep the public safe, but the protesters say those are the words of a dictator, tyrant and self-appointed king.

“I’m concerned that our constitutional rights are being trampled,” Bryan Schrank said. “I think that is a bigger issue in my opinion than the virus. I think what’s happening is these governors are acting like kings and tyrants and they’re taking upon themselves authority that they necessarily don’t have.”

(Example)

...to "Fuck your masks", "Ban vaccines", "Arrest Bill Gates", and so on, some with guns and some infamously with rocket launchers. These were not all people afraid of starving, and neither were the protests against the Washington State ban on recreational fishing about starvation.

They say they should be allowed to pursue the sport they have already paid the fees to enjoy.

It was a flotilla of protest, fishers angry that the governor’s order is keeping them from the sport they love.

Craig Bukowski, a Kirkland fisherman, was asked for the best argument to be allowed to fish, since he doesn’t need to fish to eat.

Another choice quote from Illinois:

“I came out here to stand with my fellow Americans who know that this coronavirus is a hoax,” said Candice Vlise.

And don't forget that InfoWars and Alex Jones arranged a protest in Texas.

Alex Jones, the founder of the website Infowars, described the spread of the virus as a “Chi-Comm globalist bioweapons attack,” a reference to the Chinese Communist Party.

“America knows it’s a hoax,” Mr. Jones said of the pandemic.

People had... a variety of views:

“The message is that they’ve gone too far,” Ms. Riley said. “So Big Pharma can take over, give us all vaccinations and make us all stupid and sit home on our couch and comply. There’s an underlying agenda that most people don’t see.”

She was not worried about getting infected despite her age, which makes her more vulnerable to the virus. “I take care of my body and exercise,” she said. “I’m not the least bit worried.”

But even there they weren't all extremists - but neither were they out because they feared starvation.

A group of children held up their homemade sign — “Open our school: Education is a God-given right” — while others waved placards reading “Shut down the shutdown.” Nicole Adkins, 37, a stay-at-home mother and Army veteran who lives near San Antonio, held a sign that said “Flatten the Fear.”

It was the first protest Ms. Adkins had ever attended. The day before, the governor had announced his plan to reopen Texas, but Ms. Adkins was disappointed that Mr. Abbott was taking a gradual approach. He said he was reopening the state’s parks on Monday but would require all visitors to wear face coverings.

“It’s a park,” Ms. Adkins said. “Viruses don’t float through the air. You’re not going to catch it walking in a park, so there’s a lot of misinformation.”

Ms. Adkins and others were convinced that the government and the news media were lying to the public about the dangers of the virus, or at least were exaggerating the risks. Standing together in a crowd, mask-free and well within the six-foot social-distancing zone, was a physical manifestation of their anger and suspicion. They denied they were being reckless, and viewed the shutting down of society as a kind of hysteria, regardless of the numbers of infections and fatalities being reported.

Texas is where the hairdresser claimed she had to reopen her beauty salon because she needed to feed her family, despite having received $18,000 in stimulus funds and not paying her stylists (and set up a goFundMe which reached $500,000 after she violated a restraining order and got sentenced to a week in jail).

All that aside, I will repeat that it's important to not lose sight of the protests and protesters which were out there because of the failures of the state and the federal government. It's not their fault that their protests were all but eclipsed by the more... free thinking people.

[Northern Davincia]

Alright, to what extent are right-wingers engaging in vandalism, looting, arson, and other acts associated with BLM riots? How does it compare to non-rightist rioters?

We know it happened, which is what you originally objected to.

I have no idea how it compares, I I don't see it as an interesting point, but I do imagine it has been smaller in scope. However, it also saw high levels of brutality. I say that since we know, for example, that two men connected to the Boogaloo movement used the protests as cover to murder a federal guard, and later a deputy.

FBI Special Agent John Bennett said the pair took advantage of the protest on May 29 to drive to Oakland and commit murder.

“We believe Carrillo and Justus chose this date because the planned protest in Oakland provided an opportunity for them to target multiple law enforcement and to avoid apprehension due to the large crowds attending the demonstrations,” Bennett said.

So we have two individuals from a widespread movement compared to hundreds, or maybe thousands of people, from a much larger group engaged in violence.
The disparity is so vast that it is pointless to compare them.

[Galloism]

You might have noticed that the protests broke out when the unemployment system collapsed and no one had gotten money for food because the unemployment system was months behind in sending benefits, and the demand was to go back to work - because they couldn't support their families otherwise.

Pretty sure I provided you that info before.

Oh look, I DID, explicitly in response to you.

What you say is true, some of the protests were absolutely because they were angry at living in a failing state unable or unwilling to protect its own citizens and see to their basic needs. The system broke down in some states, and that caused fear and anger.

Not all protests were about that, however. The groups we saw had a wide variety of slogans, from "I want a haircut" to "My constitutional rights are essential", "Reclaim our Natural Rights"...

...

All that aside, I will repeat that it's important to not lose sight of the protests and protesters which were out there because of the failures of the state and the federal government. It's not their fault that their protests were all but eclipsed by the more... free thinking people.

Being not from the United States, you can be forgiven for not understanding the problems with our media and how they use their lenses to frame the argument based on their biases.

It's why you barely hear about the people facing economic ruin in a failed state protesting against that state, but all about the haircut people.

And, conversely, you hear all about the legitimate complaints about police brutality, but hear almost nothing about the BLM demands to restore segregation, abolish police and the courts, abolish all prisons and imprisonment, and allow unaccountable citizen militias to enforce the law.

Not being from here or familiar with our society, I can see how you might be taken in by that.

[Shazbotdom]

Go to bed if you want.
Good idea frankly. Perhaps you've reached the age where a nap in the afternoon is necessary to keep from getting grumpy?

well i think it's same to say that this year has made everyone grumpy. maybe that's how we solve everyone is just too damn grumpy so we just need a good nights sleep.

Can't sleep, clowns will eat me...

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Texas is where the hairdresser claimed she had to reopen her beauty salon because she needed to feed her family, despite having received $18,000 in stimulus funds and not paying her stylists (and set up a goFundMe which reached $500,000 after she violated a restraining order and got sentenced to a week in jail).

I think my outrage at that woman's case is justified. All her supporters were on about how she was being denied the means to make a living, the governor let her out of jail and specifically cited her case when doing so, then she reopened her business against state guidelines that were still in place. Fine, she has to "make a living". I wasn't that offended, more with the governor than her.

But now I hear that she got half a million dollars in the time between when her shop was shut down, and when she re-opened it again. That is fucking disgusting. Anyone who said "let her make a living" and then gave her money so she didn't have to, should be utterly ashamed of themselves.

[Zapato]

Two LAPD officers went to do a mental health check on a suicidal person, ended up with one officer shooting the other and injuring a dog.

Why is this a job for the LAPD alone in the first place?

[The Black Forrest]

Two LAPD officers went to do a mental health check on a suicidal person, ended up with one officer shooting the other and injuring a dog.

Why is this a job for the LAPD alone in the first place?

That probably can go back to when Reagan repealed the mental health systems act which was supposed grant communities mental health centers.

The police seem to like shooting dogs these days. There was even an incident of shooting two St. Bernards as you know they are so dangerous. Police took a big hit that day.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Two LAPD officers went to do a mental health check on a suicidal person, ended up with one officer shooting the other and injuring a dog.

Why is this a job for the LAPD alone in the first place?

These are the departments the republicans want us to keep endlessly funding. Any cut in funding will surely make the world a worse place to live in if we cut police funding according to Trump.

[Alcala-Cordel]

Two LAPD officers went to do a mental health check on a suicidal person, ended up with one officer shooting the other and injuring a dog.

Why is this a job for the LAPD alone in the first place?

Incompetence might be the one thing that runs even more rampant in the police than racism.

Related:
Cop Who Accidentally Shot 10-Year-Old When Aiming For Family Dog Can’t Be Sued, Federal Court Rules
Body cam shows Sacramento officer shooting dog after owner’s arrest
Police officer shoots dog after it barked near him

Maybe they just love shooting dogs. I remember reading that a State Department official called it an epidemic.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Two LAPD officers went to do a mental health check on a suicidal person, ended up with one officer shooting the other and injuring a dog.

Why is this a job for the LAPD alone in the first place?

Incompetence might be the one thing that runs even more rampant in the police than racism.

Related:
Cop Who Accidentally Shot 10-Year-Old When Aiming For Family Dog Can’t Be Sued, Federal Court Rules
Body cam shows Sacramento officer shooting dog after owner’s arrest
Police officer shoots dog after it barked near him

Maybe they just love shooting dogs. I remember reading that a State Department official called it an epidemic.

Theyre sick fucks. When you tell someone they can do a job that basically let's them get away with murder, you get a large amount of bad apples.

[The Reformed American Republic]

Two LAPD officers went to do a mental health check on a suicidal person, ended up with one officer shooting the other and injuring a dog.

Why is this a job for the LAPD alone in the first place?

Agreed. Mental health experts would have been a better choice for that.

[Loben III]

Two LAPD officers went to do a mental health check on a suicidal person, ended up with one officer shooting the other and injuring a dog.

Why is this a job for the LAPD alone in the first place?

Agreed. Mental health experts would have been a better choice for that.

on a suicidal person?

[Vassenor]

Agreed. Mental health experts would have been a better choice for that.

on a suicidal person?

So how would sending the police to a suicidal individual be better than a trained mental health professional?

[Loben III]

on a suicidal person?

So how would sending the police to a suicidal individual be better than a trained mental health professional?

Kinda in there with the “suicidal” bit.

[The Greater Ohio Valley]

So how would sending the police to a suicidal individual be better than a trained mental health professional?

Kinda in there with the “suicidal” bit.

Being suicidal is a mental health issue, trained mental health professionals are more equipped to handle such things.

[West Leas Oros 2]

This is still happening?

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Agreed. Mental health experts would have been a better choice for that.

on a suicidal person?

Yes? Thats their job.

[Organized States]

on a suicidal person?

So how would sending the police to a suicidal individual be better than a trained mental health professional?

They could finish the job!

/sarcasm

[Loben III]

Kinda in there with the “suicidal” bit.

Being suicidal is a mental health issue, trained mental health professionals are more equipped to handle such things.

and suicidal people are often a danger to themselves and others.

might be best to have cops at least escort the mental health professionals.

[Cannot think of a name]

Being suicidal is a mental health issue, trained mental health professionals are more equipped to handle such things.

and suicidal people are often a danger to themselves and others.

might be best to have cops at least escort the mental health professionals.

Personally I'd rather the mental health professional make the call should they feel its necessary.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

So how would sending the police to a suicidal individual be better than a trained mental health professional?

Kinda in there with the “suicidal” bit.

Getting shot will cure them of that nonsense. Possibly permanently.

[Loben III]

and suicidal people are often a danger to themselves and others.

might be best to have cops at least escort the mental health professionals.

Personally I'd rather the mental health professional make the call should they feel its necessary.

of course, barring certain circumstances.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Being suicidal is a mental health issue, trained mental health professionals are more equipped to handle such things.

and suicidal people are often a danger to themselves and others.

I doubt it. How many suicides do you think are committed with reckless disregard for whether others die?

There's also "suicide by cop". A suicidal person who doesn't have a gun (or is hesitating to use it) might attack a cop in the expectation they will be killed. That in no way implies they would attack a social worker ... because the social worker doesn't obviously have a gun, nor a reputation for shooting people who attack them.

[Cordel One]

and suicidal people are often a danger to themselves and others.

I doubt it. How many suicides do you think are committed with reckless disregard for whether others die?

There's also "suicide by cop". A suicidal person who doesn't have a gun (or is hesitating to use it) might attack a cop in the expectation they will be killed. That in no way implies they would attack a social worker ... because the social worker doesn't obviously have a gun, nor a reputation for shooting people who attack them.

The police as an institution are already terrible enough at doing what they're supposed to do. We really need to stop using cops as a universal tool for any situation, they're just gonna be useless or counterproductive.