LeBron James calls guns a ‘huge issue’ after Jacob Blake shooting: ‘We think you’re hunting us’
August 25, 2020 at 2:26 a.m. EDT
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KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The shooting of Jacob Blake led Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to directly question the police officers’ behavior and to refer to guns as “a major issue in America.”
Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday in an incident that was captured on video that was shared widely on social media.
James, who has participated in kneeling demonstrations and spoken out repeatedly against police brutality while competing at the NBA’s Disney World bubble, used his postgame news conference Monday to speak at length about the shooting and the role of firearms in American society.
“Quite frankly, it’s just f---ed up in our community,” James said after scoring 30 points to lead the Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers, 135-115, in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. “We are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. You have no idea how that cop left the house. You don’t know if he woke up on the good side of the bed or the wrong side of the bed. You don’t know if he had an argument at home with his significant other or one of his kids said something crazy and he left the house steaming. Maybe he just left the house saying, ‘Today is going to be the end for one of these Black people.’ That’s what it feels like. It just hurts.”
In the video, Blake walked toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and attempted to enter the driver’s seat as multiple officers followed him. As he sat down, he was shot multiple times in the back with three of his children inside the car. Blake remained in serious condition at a hospital Monday, and the officers involved were placed on administrative leave.
“If you’re sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him before the firing of guns, then you’re sitting here lying not only to me, but you’re lying to every Black person in the community,” James said. “We see it over and over and over. If you watch the video, there was multiple moments where they could have tackled him or grabbed him. They could have done that. Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing?
“His family is there, his kids are there, it’s broad daylight. Seven shots at close range, and he’s still alive. That’s through the grace of God right there. My prayers go out to that family and that community, but I’ve got nothing nice to say about those cops at all.”
Over the past two months, James has spoken repeatedly about the police shootings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, including advocating for the arrest of the Louisville police officers who shot Taylor while she slept at her home. James widened his lens Monday, suggesting that aspiring police officers should go through longer and more extensive training before joining the force and highlighting the role of guns in these incidents.
“I think firearms are a huge issue in America,” James said. “I don’t know how you clean that up. I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers. Guns are a huge issue in America. They’re not just used for hunting, like a lot of people do for sport. For Black people right now, when you’re hunting, we think you’re hunting us.”
This isn’t the first time James has broached the gun control issue. He responded to a 2015 school shooting by saying, “there’s no room for guns.”
At All-Star Weekend in 2018, James addressed a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., by asking rhetorically, “How can a kid who can’t buy a beer go and buy an AR-15?”
“We’ve seen … these tragedies in America, and there’s been no change to gun control,” James said, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “I don’t have the answers right now. But we have to do something about it.”
To underscore the persistent fear of police he believes Black people feel, James described watching a recent video of a child who was shooting baskets when a police officer drove past. Rather than continue playing, the child hid behind a truck to avoid an interaction with the police.
“That s--- is sad,” James said Monday. “No kid should have to feel that threatened that he has to hide at his own house. That’s sad. I know what he’s going through. I was one of those kids. When I lived in the projects, when I saw a cop going, we hid behind a brick wall and waited for it to roll out. If we saw the cop’s lights go on, we ran, even if we didn’t do anything wrong. We were just scared.”
James, who has launched a nonprofit organization called “More Than a Vote” campaign to increase voter participation, repeated his calls for people to engage with the political process by voting in the upcoming presidential election. Earlier this month, James dismissed President Trump’s criticisms of the NBA’s national anthem demonstrations and said that the election was a “big moment for us as Americans.”
“We want change,” James said Monday. “It doesn’t end in November, but it starts there. We have to keep our foot on the pedal then even if we get what we want.”
I guess someone should tell him that if he just complies, everything will be fine. Well, most of the time. Or at least some of the time.
It's a shame that the media pushes it so far that a highly admired athlete thinks that black people are being hunted.
That worries me. That Lebron thinks that people are being hunted down and killed... For this reason alone I would like reform or education to be taken seriously.
Jesus dude, have you already forgotten Ahmaud Arbery?
With that incident they are being charged, yes?
It makes it sound like all black people are being hunted.
LeBron James calls guns a ‘huge issue’ after Jacob Blake shooting: ‘We think you’re hunting us’
August 25, 2020 at 2:26 a.m. EDT
Add to list
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The shooting of Jacob Blake led Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to directly question the police officers’ behavior and to refer to guns as “a major issue in America.”
Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday in an incident that was captured on video that was shared widely on social media.
James, who has participated in kneeling demonstrations and spoken out repeatedly against police brutality while competing at the NBA’s Disney World bubble, used his postgame news conference Monday to speak at length about the shooting and the role of firearms in American society.
“Quite frankly, it’s just f---ed up in our community,” James said after scoring 30 points to lead the Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers, 135-115, in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. “We are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. You have no idea how that cop left the house. You don’t know if he woke up on the good side of the bed or the wrong side of the bed. You don’t know if he had an argument at home with his significant other or one of his kids said something crazy and he left the house steaming. Maybe he just left the house saying, ‘Today is going to be the end for one of these Black people.’ That’s what it feels like. It just hurts.”
In the video, Blake walked toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and attempted to enter the driver’s seat as multiple officers followed him. As he sat down, he was shot multiple times in the back with three of his children inside the car. Blake remained in serious condition at a hospital Monday, and the officers involved were placed on administrative leave.
“If you’re sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him before the firing of guns, then you’re sitting here lying not only to me, but you’re lying to every Black person in the community,” James said. “We see it over and over and over. If you watch the video, there was multiple moments where they could have tackled him or grabbed him. They could have done that. Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing?
“His family is there, his kids are there, it’s broad daylight. Seven shots at close range, and he’s still alive. That’s through the grace of God right there. My prayers go out to that family and that community, but I’ve got nothing nice to say about those cops at all.”
Over the past two months, James has spoken repeatedly about the police shootings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, including advocating for the arrest of the Louisville police officers who shot Taylor while she slept at her home. James widened his lens Monday, suggesting that aspiring police officers should go through longer and more extensive training before joining the force and highlighting the role of guns in these incidents.
“I think firearms are a huge issue in America,” James said. “I don’t know how you clean that up. I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers. Guns are a huge issue in America. They’re not just used for hunting, like a lot of people do for sport. For Black people right now, when you’re hunting, we think you’re hunting us.”
This isn’t the first time James has broached the gun control issue. He responded to a 2015 school shooting by saying, “there’s no room for guns.”
At All-Star Weekend in 2018, James addressed a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., by asking rhetorically, “How can a kid who can’t buy a beer go and buy an AR-15?”
“We’ve seen … these tragedies in America, and there’s been no change to gun control,” James said, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “I don’t have the answers right now. But we have to do something about it.”
To underscore the persistent fear of police he believes Black people feel, James described watching a recent video of a child who was shooting baskets when a police officer drove past. Rather than continue playing, the child hid behind a truck to avoid an interaction with the police.
“That s--- is sad,” James said Monday. “No kid should have to feel that threatened that he has to hide at his own house. That’s sad. I know what he’s going through. I was one of those kids. When I lived in the projects, when I saw a cop going, we hid behind a brick wall and waited for it to roll out. If we saw the cop’s lights go on, we ran, even if we didn’t do anything wrong. We were just scared.”
James, who has launched a nonprofit organization called “More Than a Vote” campaign to increase voter participation, repeated his calls for people to engage with the political process by voting in the upcoming presidential election. Earlier this month, James dismissed President Trump’s criticisms of the NBA’s national anthem demonstrations and said that the election was a “big moment for us as Americans.”
“We want change,” James said Monday. “It doesn’t end in November, but it starts there. We have to keep our foot on the pedal then even if we get what we want.”
I guess someone should tell him that if he just complies, everything will be fine. Well, most of the time. Or at least some of the time.
It's a shame that the media pushes it so far that a highly admired athlete thinks that black people are being hunted.
That worries me. That Lebron thinks that people are being hunted down and killed... For this reason alone I would like reform or education to be taken seriously.
i highly doubt his opinion on being black in america is formed by the media
I was just checking that Lebron was hunted, that's all.
Just a few rambling thoughts after reading a bunch of the comments and with the new incident playing out once again.
So much can be done to prevent these things from continuing. I'll start with the victims/suspects:
1. EVERY person, politician, teacher, parent, neighbour, cop, etc. admits that systemic racism is a thing and it needs to be addressed.
2. EVERY person needs to be conditioned and taught that they should always listen to police when requested to do a thing. If they're in the wrong and you are mistreated, get yourself representation. Telling them to F Off, or walking away, or outright refusing to do what they say will only make matters worse, and also suggest that you did something wrong.
3. Criminality should be condemned, not glorified. And that means it should be perfectly fine to suggest that even in cases of excessive force, the cop can be blamed, condemned, and punished... but the crook can be blamed, condemned, and punished as well. Hopefully both sides can learn from this shite and not continue the hate.
Moving on to the cops and politicians:
1. Understand that people are not cool with you and they have a reason not to be. Address that reason in public and swallow some hard truths. (I'm looking at you,cops who tried to sue Masai Ujiri and place blame on him when you were so very in the wrong.)
2. Focus on de-escalation and not force. Case in point here... In Canada, police are trained to shoot to kill. I'm confident but not certain that's the case in USA (if someone on here knows, please comment). But in Canada, shoot to kill, in the interests of safety NOT in the interests of affecting an arrest. That in mind... a cop cannot, cannot, cannot shoot an unarmed person in the back. And if that plays out, that cop is no longer a cop, full stop. That cop should become an inmate. And just to elaborate on this a bit... I know some people may not understand this.. but use of force models for police generally follow a "One step up" philosophy. If a person punches a cop, the cop can use a baton. If a person presents a knife, the cop can shoot them dead. That's in the interests of public safety and safety of the cops. What I've been seeing, in the USA especially, is force being used where isn't warranted.
3. Look at resolving police culture in general. I could go on for a while about this... but when "Black Lives Matter" is met with "Blue Lives Matter" you are only making the cracks in society deeper and bigger. And if it's largely understood in policing that you protect one another even if that means looking the other way when cops break the law, change that immediately and throw that culture in the garbage where it belongs. If cops want to be seen as the pillars of righteousness and justice, start acting like it and lead by example.
Quite the pipe dream.
Toronto 2000
Buffalo, Phoenix, Toronto 2003
Boston I&II 2004
Kitchener, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto 2005
Toronto I&II, Las Vegas 2006
Chicago Lollapalooza 2007
Toronto, Seattle I&II, Vancouver, Philly I,II,III,IV 2009
Cleveland, Buffalo 2010
Toronto I&II 2011
Buffalo 2013 Toronto I&II 2016 10C: 220xxx
LeBron James calls guns a ‘huge issue’ after Jacob Blake shooting: ‘We think you’re hunting us’
August 25, 2020 at 2:26 a.m. EDT
Add to list
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The shooting of Jacob Blake led Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to directly question the police officers’ behavior and to refer to guns as “a major issue in America.”
Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday in an incident that was captured on video that was shared widely on social media.
James, who has participated in kneeling demonstrations and spoken out repeatedly against police brutality while competing at the NBA’s Disney World bubble, used his postgame news conference Monday to speak at length about the shooting and the role of firearms in American society.
“Quite frankly, it’s just f---ed up in our community,” James said after scoring 30 points to lead the Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers, 135-115, in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. “We are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. You have no idea how that cop left the house. You don’t know if he woke up on the good side of the bed or the wrong side of the bed. You don’t know if he had an argument at home with his significant other or one of his kids said something crazy and he left the house steaming. Maybe he just left the house saying, ‘Today is going to be the end for one of these Black people.’ That’s what it feels like. It just hurts.”
In the video, Blake walked toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and attempted to enter the driver’s seat as multiple officers followed him. As he sat down, he was shot multiple times in the back with three of his children inside the car. Blake remained in serious condition at a hospital Monday, and the officers involved were placed on administrative leave.
“If you’re sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him before the firing of guns, then you’re sitting here lying not only to me, but you’re lying to every Black person in the community,” James said. “We see it over and over and over. If you watch the video, there was multiple moments where they could have tackled him or grabbed him. They could have done that. Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing?
“His family is there, his kids are there, it’s broad daylight. Seven shots at close range, and he’s still alive. That’s through the grace of God right there. My prayers go out to that family and that community, but I’ve got nothing nice to say about those cops at all.”
Over the past two months, James has spoken repeatedly about the police shootings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, including advocating for the arrest of the Louisville police officers who shot Taylor while she slept at her home. James widened his lens Monday, suggesting that aspiring police officers should go through longer and more extensive training before joining the force and highlighting the role of guns in these incidents.
“I think firearms are a huge issue in America,” James said. “I don’t know how you clean that up. I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers. Guns are a huge issue in America. They’re not just used for hunting, like a lot of people do for sport. For Black people right now, when you’re hunting, we think you’re hunting us.”
This isn’t the first time James has broached the gun control issue. He responded to a 2015 school shooting by saying, “there’s no room for guns.”
At All-Star Weekend in 2018, James addressed a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., by asking rhetorically, “How can a kid who can’t buy a beer go and buy an AR-15?”
“We’ve seen … these tragedies in America, and there’s been no change to gun control,” James said, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “I don’t have the answers right now. But we have to do something about it.”
To underscore the persistent fear of police he believes Black people feel, James described watching a recent video of a child who was shooting baskets when a police officer drove past. Rather than continue playing, the child hid behind a truck to avoid an interaction with the police.
“That s--- is sad,” James said Monday. “No kid should have to feel that threatened that he has to hide at his own house. That’s sad. I know what he’s going through. I was one of those kids. When I lived in the projects, when I saw a cop going, we hid behind a brick wall and waited for it to roll out. If we saw the cop’s lights go on, we ran, even if we didn’t do anything wrong. We were just scared.”
James, who has launched a nonprofit organization called “More Than a Vote” campaign to increase voter participation, repeated his calls for people to engage with the political process by voting in the upcoming presidential election. Earlier this month, James dismissed President Trump’s criticisms of the NBA’s national anthem demonstrations and said that the election was a “big moment for us as Americans.”
“We want change,” James said Monday. “It doesn’t end in November, but it starts there. We have to keep our foot on the pedal then even if we get what we want.”
I guess someone should tell him that if he just complies, everything will be fine. Well, most of the time. Or at least some of the time.
It's a shame that the media pushes it so far that a highly admired athlete thinks that black people are being hunted.
That worries me. That Lebron thinks that people are being hunted down and killed... For this reason alone I would like reform or education to be taken seriously.
Talk with your African American friends and family and you will find out these stances don’t come from the media pushing an agenda. It comes from years of over policing and looking at black people as “others” and creating a different system for them through generations. To think that it is due to the media is really to enjoy a little slice of ignorant bliss pie.
I have a couple questions with what happened to the guy who was shot at 7 times after watching the video.
Why was the cops gun already drawn on him. I get that when cops come up onto a scene it is hard to decipher what is going on and who is to blame. Was this guy acting erratic and crazy or did they just role up and point a gun at him.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him. What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns
Why did the cops allow him to slowly walk to the driver side door with no real sense of urgency to stop him. They knew if he got to that door and reached in they were going to shoot. Why would they not try and stop that from happening before hand.
Cops deal with a lot of difficult decisions everyday. I do not envy them at all even though they signed up for that life. A lot of them are the types of decisions that require quick judgement. It is easy to watch a video later, decipher it and say what should have happened. This video however was not the type that required a quick decision and there was plenty of time for them to make one that would have prevented the shooting. If there was a gun on the ground 20 feet away and someone was slowly walking over to it unarmed and you are right beside them with multiple cops backing you up do you wait until they are only feet away to shoot them or do you jump on them and apprehend them before it escalates? To wait until the last second and use maximum force instead of a football tackle is not how I want to see police interact with suspects.
Didn't you just shame me for victim blaming like 5 minutes ago for basically just saying nearly all of the incidents escalate from not following directions or resisting? I hope now you can understand why its good to ask questions, like why was he going to his car with a gun pointed at him. And agreed, even if there wasn't a reason to have their guns out, maybe that isn't the best moment in time to chose to make your statement.
Sorry for the confusion and my post somehow deleted a part of my sentence out and I should have proof read better before posting it. My original sentence read as follows.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him with "his kids in there". What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns.
My point was as a father I would protect my kids from this situation. My instinct would be to get the "bad" cop away from my kids. When I say bad cop I am saying what the guy that had a gun pointed at him for doing nothing wrong probably felt that way. There is not a chance in hell I would be going to my van knowing thats where my kids where I would be going in the opposite direction especially if I did not trust the cop.
I also want to clarify that during this video I do think he was wrong for going to his van. I still stand by my comment however that the cop should not have let it get to the point that they had a "justifiable" shooting.
I can agree with all that. Which was similar to my earlier point and I don't see that as victim blaming.
it's the same, in my opinion, as telling women to stop wearing short skirts out in public if they want to avoid rape. it's putting the onus on the victim to stop the illegal behaviour of the perpetrator, which is classified as victim blaming.
I don't see it like that. We teach our kids to not talk to strangers, don't get in a car with someone you don't know, etc. DO we ever accuse parents of victim blaming because we teach kids these things? Does that mean we are blaming kids and not the pedophiles out there? Of course not. So why don't we teach people what our rights are when it comes to police? Teach them how to handle a situation, even if they feel they are right. How to file a grievance and follow up. How to contact attorneys for bigger cases. I'm willing to guess there are plenty of lawyers out there willing to take up cases of abuse for free or at least no money without a win. Why is it we can teach our kids to stay away from pedophiles, but we can't teach people who to survive a police encounter without being accused of always supporting cops or victim shaming? Shouldn't the first priority be to save lives?
I have a couple questions with what happened to the guy who was shot at 7 times after watching the video.
Why was the cops gun already drawn on him. I get that when cops come up onto a scene it is hard to decipher what is going on and who is to blame. Was this guy acting erratic and crazy or did they just role up and point a gun at him.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him. What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns
Why did the cops allow him to slowly walk to the driver side door with no real sense of urgency to stop him. They knew if he got to that door and reached in they were going to shoot. Why would they not try and stop that from happening before hand.
Cops deal with a lot of difficult decisions everyday. I do not envy them at all even though they signed up for that life. A lot of them are the types of decisions that require quick judgement. It is easy to watch a video later, decipher it and say what should have happened. This video however was not the type that required a quick decision and there was plenty of time for them to make one that would have prevented the shooting. If there was a gun on the ground 20 feet away and someone was slowly walking over to it unarmed and you are right beside them with multiple cops backing you up do you wait until they are only feet away to shoot them or do you jump on them and apprehend them before it escalates? To wait until the last second and use maximum force instead of a football tackle is not how I want to see police interact with suspects.
Didn't you just shame me for victim blaming like 5 minutes ago for basically just saying nearly all of the incidents escalate from not following directions or resisting? I hope now you can understand why its good to ask questions, like why was he going to his car with a gun pointed at him. And agreed, even if there wasn't a reason to have their guns out, maybe that isn't the best moment in time to chose to make your statement.
Sorry for the confusion and my post somehow deleted a part of my sentence out and I should have proof read better before posting it. My original sentence read as follows.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him with "his kids in there". What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns.
My point was as a father I would protect my kids from this situation. My instinct would be to get the "bad" cop away from my kids. When I say bad cop I am saying what the guy that had a gun pointed at him for doing nothing wrong probably felt that way. There is not a chance in hell I would be going to my van knowing thats where my kids where I would be going in the opposite direction especially if I did not trust the cop.
I also want to clarify that during this video I do think he was wrong for going to his van. I still stand by my comment however that the cop should not have let it get to the point that they had a "justifiable" shooting.
I can agree with all that. Which was similar to my earlier point and I don't see that as victim blaming.
it's the same, in my opinion, as telling women to stop wearing short skirts out in public if they want to avoid rape. it's putting the onus on the victim to stop the illegal behaviour of the perpetrator, which is classified as victim blaming.
I don't see it like that. We teach our kids to not talk to strangers, don't get in a car with someone you don't know, etc. DO we ever accuse parents of victim blaming because we teach kids these things? Does that mean we are blaming kids and not the pedophiles out there? Of course not. So why don't we teach people what our rights are when it comes to police? Teach them how to handle a situation, even if they feel they are right. How to file a grievance and follow up. How to contact attorneys for bigger cases. I'm willing to guess there are plenty of lawyers out there willing to take up cases of abuse for free or at least no money without a win. Why is it we can teach our kids to stay away from pedophiles, but we can't teach people who to survive a police encounter without being accused of always supporting cops or victim shaming? Shouldn't the first priority be to save lives?
You’re assuming the legal and criminal justice systems are equal and treat all people the same, regardless. Imagine small town complaining? Might as well put a target on your back. People are fed up with police impunity and lack of accountability. Rodney King was 29 fucking years ago.
I have a couple questions with what happened to the guy who was shot at 7 times after watching the video.
Why was the cops gun already drawn on him. I get that when cops come up onto a scene it is hard to decipher what is going on and who is to blame. Was this guy acting erratic and crazy or did they just role up and point a gun at him.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him. What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns
Why did the cops allow him to slowly walk to the driver side door with no real sense of urgency to stop him. They knew if he got to that door and reached in they were going to shoot. Why would they not try and stop that from happening before hand.
Cops deal with a lot of difficult decisions everyday. I do not envy them at all even though they signed up for that life. A lot of them are the types of decisions that require quick judgement. It is easy to watch a video later, decipher it and say what should have happened. This video however was not the type that required a quick decision and there was plenty of time for them to make one that would have prevented the shooting. If there was a gun on the ground 20 feet away and someone was slowly walking over to it unarmed and you are right beside them with multiple cops backing you up do you wait until they are only feet away to shoot them or do you jump on them and apprehend them before it escalates? To wait until the last second and use maximum force instead of a football tackle is not how I want to see police interact with suspects.
Didn't you just shame me for victim blaming like 5 minutes ago for basically just saying nearly all of the incidents escalate from not following directions or resisting? I hope now you can understand why its good to ask questions, like why was he going to his car with a gun pointed at him. And agreed, even if there wasn't a reason to have their guns out, maybe that isn't the best moment in time to chose to make your statement.
Sorry for the confusion and my post somehow deleted a part of my sentence out and I should have proof read better before posting it. My original sentence read as follows.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him with "his kids in there". What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns.
My point was as a father I would protect my kids from this situation. My instinct would be to get the "bad" cop away from my kids. When I say bad cop I am saying what the guy that had a gun pointed at him for doing nothing wrong probably felt that way. There is not a chance in hell I would be going to my van knowing thats where my kids where I would be going in the opposite direction especially if I did not trust the cop.
I also want to clarify that during this video I do think he was wrong for going to his van. I still stand by my comment however that the cop should not have let it get to the point that they had a "justifiable" shooting.
I can agree with all that. Which was similar to my earlier point and I don't see that as victim blaming.
it's the same, in my opinion, as telling women to stop wearing short skirts out in public if they want to avoid rape. it's putting the onus on the victim to stop the illegal behaviour of the perpetrator, which is classified as victim blaming.
I don't see it like that. We teach our kids to not talk to strangers, don't get in a car with someone you don't know, etc. DO we ever accuse parents of victim blaming because we teach kids these things? Does that mean we are blaming kids and not the pedophiles out there? Of course not. So why don't we teach people what our rights are when it comes to police? Teach them how to handle a situation, even if they feel they are right. How to file a grievance and follow up. How to contact attorneys for bigger cases. I'm willing to guess there are plenty of lawyers out there willing to take up cases of abuse for free or at least no money without a win. Why is it we can teach our kids to stay away from pedophiles, but we can't teach people who to survive a police encounter without being accused of always supporting cops or victim shaming? Shouldn't the first priority be to save lives?
what you are putting forth here is not an accurate comparison.
if you want to make it about kids, then here's one that matches the "short skirt" issue:
if a kid is playing with a toy, and a bully keeps beating him up and stealing the toy, do you:
-advise the child to stop playing with that toy, or -teach the child how to handle himself against the bully and/or involving those who can help you take care of the bully?
i would hope you would choose the latter.
of course we should be teaching people their rights when it comes to the cops. but when you are a minority, that often gets thrown out the window when you are confronted with someone with weapons and backup. surrendering doesn't always mean a peaceful outcome. what you are talking about here is white privilege, that if you do as the cop tells you, and if you're respectful, everything will be fine. it won't necessarily be fine; the fear is real, and fear often dictates our response.
LeBron James calls guns a ‘huge issue’ after Jacob Blake shooting: ‘We think you’re hunting us’
August 25, 2020 at 2:26 a.m. EDT
Add to list
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The shooting of Jacob Blake led Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to directly question the police officers’ behavior and to refer to guns as “a major issue in America.”
Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday in an incident that was captured on video that was shared widely on social media.
James, who has participated in kneeling demonstrations and spoken out repeatedly against police brutality while competing at the NBA’s Disney World bubble, used his postgame news conference Monday to speak at length about the shooting and the role of firearms in American society.
“Quite frankly, it’s just f---ed up in our community,” James said after scoring 30 points to lead the Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers, 135-115, in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. “We are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. You have no idea how that cop left the house. You don’t know if he woke up on the good side of the bed or the wrong side of the bed. You don’t know if he had an argument at home with his significant other or one of his kids said something crazy and he left the house steaming. Maybe he just left the house saying, ‘Today is going to be the end for one of these Black people.’ That’s what it feels like. It just hurts.”
In the video, Blake walked toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and attempted to enter the driver’s seat as multiple officers followed him. As he sat down, he was shot multiple times in the back with three of his children inside the car. Blake remained in serious condition at a hospital Monday, and the officers involved were placed on administrative leave.
“If you’re sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him before the firing of guns, then you’re sitting here lying not only to me, but you’re lying to every Black person in the community,” James said. “We see it over and over and over. If you watch the video, there was multiple moments where they could have tackled him or grabbed him. They could have done that. Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing?
“His family is there, his kids are there, it’s broad daylight. Seven shots at close range, and he’s still alive. That’s through the grace of God right there. My prayers go out to that family and that community, but I’ve got nothing nice to say about those cops at all.”
Over the past two months, James has spoken repeatedly about the police shootings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, including advocating for the arrest of the Louisville police officers who shot Taylor while she slept at her home. James widened his lens Monday, suggesting that aspiring police officers should go through longer and more extensive training before joining the force and highlighting the role of guns in these incidents.
“I think firearms are a huge issue in America,” James said. “I don’t know how you clean that up. I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers. Guns are a huge issue in America. They’re not just used for hunting, like a lot of people do for sport. For Black people right now, when you’re hunting, we think you’re hunting us.”
This isn’t the first time James has broached the gun control issue. He responded to a 2015 school shooting by saying, “there’s no room for guns.”
At All-Star Weekend in 2018, James addressed a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., by asking rhetorically, “How can a kid who can’t buy a beer go and buy an AR-15?”
“We’ve seen … these tragedies in America, and there’s been no change to gun control,” James said, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “I don’t have the answers right now. But we have to do something about it.”
To underscore the persistent fear of police he believes Black people feel, James described watching a recent video of a child who was shooting baskets when a police officer drove past. Rather than continue playing, the child hid behind a truck to avoid an interaction with the police.
“That s--- is sad,” James said Monday. “No kid should have to feel that threatened that he has to hide at his own house. That’s sad. I know what he’s going through. I was one of those kids. When I lived in the projects, when I saw a cop going, we hid behind a brick wall and waited for it to roll out. If we saw the cop’s lights go on, we ran, even if we didn’t do anything wrong. We were just scared.”
James, who has launched a nonprofit organization called “More Than a Vote” campaign to increase voter participation, repeated his calls for people to engage with the political process by voting in the upcoming presidential election. Earlier this month, James dismissed President Trump’s criticisms of the NBA’s national anthem demonstrations and said that the election was a “big moment for us as Americans.”
“We want change,” James said Monday. “It doesn’t end in November, but it starts there. We have to keep our foot on the pedal then even if we get what we want.”
I guess someone should tell him that if he just complies, everything will be fine. Well, most of the time. Or at least some of the time.
It's a shame that the media pushes it so far that a highly admired athlete thinks that black people are being hunted.
That worries me. That Lebron thinks that people are being hunted down and killed... For this reason alone I would like reform or education to be taken seriously.
Talk with your African American friends and family and you will find out these stances don’t come from the media pushing an agenda. It comes from years of over policing and looking at black people as “others” and creating a different system for them through generations. To think that it is due to the media is really to enjoy a little slice of ignorant bliss pie.
Sorry, I should have been clearer. Lebron James isn't out in the streets being "over policed" and hunted so where does he get that info from?
That was my point and my friends don't think they are being hunted down either.
We can keep on going back and forth on this but I understand your point and wanted you to understand mine.
LeBron James calls guns a ‘huge issue’ after Jacob Blake shooting: ‘We think you’re hunting us’
August 25, 2020 at 2:26 a.m. EDT
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KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The shooting of Jacob Blake led Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to directly question the police officers’ behavior and to refer to guns as “a major issue in America.”
Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday in an incident that was captured on video that was shared widely on social media.
James, who has participated in kneeling demonstrations and spoken out repeatedly against police brutality while competing at the NBA’s Disney World bubble, used his postgame news conference Monday to speak at length about the shooting and the role of firearms in American society.
“Quite frankly, it’s just f---ed up in our community,” James said after scoring 30 points to lead the Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers, 135-115, in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. “We are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. You have no idea how that cop left the house. You don’t know if he woke up on the good side of the bed or the wrong side of the bed. You don’t know if he had an argument at home with his significant other or one of his kids said something crazy and he left the house steaming. Maybe he just left the house saying, ‘Today is going to be the end for one of these Black people.’ That’s what it feels like. It just hurts.”
In the video, Blake walked toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and attempted to enter the driver’s seat as multiple officers followed him. As he sat down, he was shot multiple times in the back with three of his children inside the car. Blake remained in serious condition at a hospital Monday, and the officers involved were placed on administrative leave.
“If you’re sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him before the firing of guns, then you’re sitting here lying not only to me, but you’re lying to every Black person in the community,” James said. “We see it over and over and over. If you watch the video, there was multiple moments where they could have tackled him or grabbed him. They could have done that. Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing?
“His family is there, his kids are there, it’s broad daylight. Seven shots at close range, and he’s still alive. That’s through the grace of God right there. My prayers go out to that family and that community, but I’ve got nothing nice to say about those cops at all.”
Over the past two months, James has spoken repeatedly about the police shootings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, including advocating for the arrest of the Louisville police officers who shot Taylor while she slept at her home. James widened his lens Monday, suggesting that aspiring police officers should go through longer and more extensive training before joining the force and highlighting the role of guns in these incidents.
“I think firearms are a huge issue in America,” James said. “I don’t know how you clean that up. I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers. Guns are a huge issue in America. They’re not just used for hunting, like a lot of people do for sport. For Black people right now, when you’re hunting, we think you’re hunting us.”
This isn’t the first time James has broached the gun control issue. He responded to a 2015 school shooting by saying, “there’s no room for guns.”
At All-Star Weekend in 2018, James addressed a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., by asking rhetorically, “How can a kid who can’t buy a beer go and buy an AR-15?”
“We’ve seen … these tragedies in America, and there’s been no change to gun control,” James said, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “I don’t have the answers right now. But we have to do something about it.”
To underscore the persistent fear of police he believes Black people feel, James described watching a recent video of a child who was shooting baskets when a police officer drove past. Rather than continue playing, the child hid behind a truck to avoid an interaction with the police.
“That s--- is sad,” James said Monday. “No kid should have to feel that threatened that he has to hide at his own house. That’s sad. I know what he’s going through. I was one of those kids. When I lived in the projects, when I saw a cop going, we hid behind a brick wall and waited for it to roll out. If we saw the cop’s lights go on, we ran, even if we didn’t do anything wrong. We were just scared.”
James, who has launched a nonprofit organization called “More Than a Vote” campaign to increase voter participation, repeated his calls for people to engage with the political process by voting in the upcoming presidential election. Earlier this month, James dismissed President Trump’s criticisms of the NBA’s national anthem demonstrations and said that the election was a “big moment for us as Americans.”
“We want change,” James said Monday. “It doesn’t end in November, but it starts there. We have to keep our foot on the pedal then even if we get what we want.”
I guess someone should tell him that if he just complies, everything will be fine. Well, most of the time. Or at least some of the time.
It's a shame that the media pushes it so far that a highly admired athlete thinks that black people are being hunted.
That worries me. That Lebron thinks that people are being hunted down and killed... For this reason alone I would like reform or education to be taken seriously.
Talk with your African American friends and family and you will find out these stances don’t come from the media pushing an agenda. It comes from years of over policing and looking at black people as “others” and creating a different system for them through generations. To think that it is due to the media is really to enjoy a little slice of ignorant bliss pie.
Sorry, I should have been clearer. Lebron James isn't out in the streets being "over policed" and hunted so where does he get that info from?
That was my point and my friends don't think they are being hunted down either.
We can keep on going back and forth on this but I understand your point and wanted you to understand mine.
You might be surprised as to how many high profile black individuals report still being regularly stopped and hassled by police. I’m seeing stories about this regularly in the media lately. Being wealthy and even relatively famous doesn’t mean this stops.
I can’t remember who it was but recently a Black musician posted a story about how often he is stopped when he’s out in his expensive sports car and the general disbelief of the police that he is actually the legal owner.
my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
I have a couple questions with what happened to the guy who was shot at 7 times after watching the video.
Why was the cops gun already drawn on him. I get that when cops come up onto a scene it is hard to decipher what is going on and who is to blame. Was this guy acting erratic and crazy or did they just role up and point a gun at him.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him. What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns
Why did the cops allow him to slowly walk to the driver side door with no real sense of urgency to stop him. They knew if he got to that door and reached in they were going to shoot. Why would they not try and stop that from happening before hand.
Cops deal with a lot of difficult decisions everyday. I do not envy them at all even though they signed up for that life. A lot of them are the types of decisions that require quick judgement. It is easy to watch a video later, decipher it and say what should have happened. This video however was not the type that required a quick decision and there was plenty of time for them to make one that would have prevented the shooting. If there was a gun on the ground 20 feet away and someone was slowly walking over to it unarmed and you are right beside them with multiple cops backing you up do you wait until they are only feet away to shoot them or do you jump on them and apprehend them before it escalates? To wait until the last second and use maximum force instead of a football tackle is not how I want to see police interact with suspects.
Didn't you just shame me for victim blaming like 5 minutes ago for basically just saying nearly all of the incidents escalate from not following directions or resisting? I hope now you can understand why its good to ask questions, like why was he going to his car with a gun pointed at him. And agreed, even if there wasn't a reason to have their guns out, maybe that isn't the best moment in time to chose to make your statement.
Sorry for the confusion and my post somehow deleted a part of my sentence out and I should have proof read better before posting it. My original sentence read as follows.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him with "his kids in there". What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns.
My point was as a father I would protect my kids from this situation. My instinct would be to get the "bad" cop away from my kids. When I say bad cop I am saying what the guy that had a gun pointed at him for doing nothing wrong probably felt that way. There is not a chance in hell I would be going to my van knowing thats where my kids where I would be going in the opposite direction especially if I did not trust the cop.
I also want to clarify that during this video I do think he was wrong for going to his van. I still stand by my comment however that the cop should not have let it get to the point that they had a "justifiable" shooting.
I can agree with all that. Which was similar to my earlier point and I don't see that as victim blaming.
it's the same, in my opinion, as telling women to stop wearing short skirts out in public if they want to avoid rape. it's putting the onus on the victim to stop the illegal behaviour of the perpetrator, which is classified as victim blaming.
I don't see it like that. We teach our kids to not talk to strangers, don't get in a car with someone you don't know, etc. DO we ever accuse parents of victim blaming because we teach kids these things? Does that mean we are blaming kids and not the pedophiles out there? Of course not. So why don't we teach people what our rights are when it comes to police? Teach them how to handle a situation, even if they feel they are right. How to file a grievance and follow up. How to contact attorneys for bigger cases. I'm willing to guess there are plenty of lawyers out there willing to take up cases of abuse for free or at least no money without a win. Why is it we can teach our kids to stay away from pedophiles, but we can't teach people who to survive a police encounter without being accused of always supporting cops or victim shaming? Shouldn't the first priority be to save lives?
what you are putting forth here is not an accurate comparison.
if you want to make it about kids, then here's one that matches the "short skirt" issue:
if a kid is playing with a toy, and a bully keeps beating him up and stealing the toy, do you:
-advise the child to stop playing with that toy, or -teach the child how to handle himself against the bully and/or involving those who can help you take care of the bully?
i would hope you would choose the latter.
of course we should be teaching people their rights when it comes to the cops. but when you are a minority, that often gets thrown out the window when you are confronted with someone with weapons and backup. surrendering doesn't always mean a peaceful outcome. what you are talking about here is white privilege, that if you do as the cop tells you, and if you're respectful, everything will be fine. it won't necessarily be fine; the fear is real, and fear often dictates our response.
Like my analogy or not, my point is everyone should comply in the moment. But you can't say that without people accusing you of victim shaming. Its not, its not excusing the cops either, its about living to the next day. Remember that family that got pulled over for a misread plate, and the whole family was put face down on the pavement? How would that have ended if the dad was aggressive and uncooperative? But he handled it well and last I heard they are suing the city. He'll almost certainly end up with a fat paycheck with the cops in trouble and some policy changes. If he chose a different path, (and you could argue but they are tired of it and they shouldn't have to comply and fine, I get that) but how would that have ended? With him dead, the kids witnessing it, and the city burns for weeks in riots without anything changing because everyone is focused on the looting and rioting. I know which ending I prefer and would like to encourage.
I have a couple questions with what happened to the guy who was shot at 7 times after watching the video.
Why was the cops gun already drawn on him. I get that when cops come up onto a scene it is hard to decipher what is going on and who is to blame. Was this guy acting erratic and crazy or did they just role up and point a gun at him.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him. What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns
Why did the cops allow him to slowly walk to the driver side door with no real sense of urgency to stop him. They knew if he got to that door and reached in they were going to shoot. Why would they not try and stop that from happening before hand.
Cops deal with a lot of difficult decisions everyday. I do not envy them at all even though they signed up for that life. A lot of them are the types of decisions that require quick judgement. It is easy to watch a video later, decipher it and say what should have happened. This video however was not the type that required a quick decision and there was plenty of time for them to make one that would have prevented the shooting. If there was a gun on the ground 20 feet away and someone was slowly walking over to it unarmed and you are right beside them with multiple cops backing you up do you wait until they are only feet away to shoot them or do you jump on them and apprehend them before it escalates? To wait until the last second and use maximum force instead of a football tackle is not how I want to see police interact with suspects.
Didn't you just shame me for victim blaming like 5 minutes ago for basically just saying nearly all of the incidents escalate from not following directions or resisting? I hope now you can understand why its good to ask questions, like why was he going to his car with a gun pointed at him. And agreed, even if there wasn't a reason to have their guns out, maybe that isn't the best moment in time to chose to make your statement.
Sorry for the confusion and my post somehow deleted a part of my sentence out and I should have proof read better before posting it. My original sentence read as follows.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him with "his kids in there". What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns.
My point was as a father I would protect my kids from this situation. My instinct would be to get the "bad" cop away from my kids. When I say bad cop I am saying what the guy that had a gun pointed at him for doing nothing wrong probably felt that way. There is not a chance in hell I would be going to my van knowing thats where my kids where I would be going in the opposite direction especially if I did not trust the cop.
I also want to clarify that during this video I do think he was wrong for going to his van. I still stand by my comment however that the cop should not have let it get to the point that they had a "justifiable" shooting.
I can agree with all that. Which was similar to my earlier point and I don't see that as victim blaming.
it's the same, in my opinion, as telling women to stop wearing short skirts out in public if they want to avoid rape. it's putting the onus on the victim to stop the illegal behaviour of the perpetrator, which is classified as victim blaming.
I don't see it like that. We teach our kids to not talk to strangers, don't get in a car with someone you don't know, etc. DO we ever accuse parents of victim blaming because we teach kids these things? Does that mean we are blaming kids and not the pedophiles out there? Of course not. So why don't we teach people what our rights are when it comes to police? Teach them how to handle a situation, even if they feel they are right. How to file a grievance and follow up. How to contact attorneys for bigger cases. I'm willing to guess there are plenty of lawyers out there willing to take up cases of abuse for free or at least no money without a win. Why is it we can teach our kids to stay away from pedophiles, but we can't teach people who to survive a police encounter without being accused of always supporting cops or victim shaming? Shouldn't the first priority be to save lives?
what you are putting forth here is not an accurate comparison.
if you want to make it about kids, then here's one that matches the "short skirt" issue:
if a kid is playing with a toy, and a bully keeps beating him up and stealing the toy, do you:
-advise the child to stop playing with that toy, or -teach the child how to handle himself against the bully and/or involving those who can help you take care of the bully?
i would hope you would choose the latter.
of course we should be teaching people their rights when it comes to the cops. but when you are a minority, that often gets thrown out the window when you are confronted with someone with weapons and backup. surrendering doesn't always mean a peaceful outcome. what you are talking about here is white privilege, that if you do as the cop tells you, and if you're respectful, everything will be fine. it won't necessarily be fine; the fear is real, and fear often dictates our response.
Like my analogy or not, my point is everyone should comply in the moment. But you can't say that without people accusing you of victim shaming. Its not, its not excusing the cops either, its about living to the next day. Remember that family that got pulled over for a misread plate, and the whole family was put face down on the pavement? How would that have ended if the dad was aggressive and uncooperative? But he handled it well and last I heard they are suing the city. He'll almost certainly end up with a fat paycheck with the cops in trouble and some policy changes. If he chose a different path, (and you could argue but they are tired of it and they shouldn't have to comply and fine, I get that) but how would that have ended? With him dead, the kids witnessing it, and the city burns for weeks in riots without anything changing because everyone is focused on the looting and rioting. I know which ending I prefer and would like to encourage.
There wasn’t a male adult “suspect” involved, if my memory serves.
At what age do we start teaching our children to always obey the police, don’t make any sudden movements and always keep your hands where they can see them? And is it a grade before or after the grade when active shooter drills start?
I have a couple questions with what happened to the guy who was shot at 7 times after watching the video.
Why was the cops gun already drawn on him. I get that when cops come up onto a scene it is hard to decipher what is going on and who is to blame. Was this guy acting erratic and crazy or did they just role up and point a gun at him.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him. What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns
Why did the cops allow him to slowly walk to the driver side door with no real sense of urgency to stop him. They knew if he got to that door and reached in they were going to shoot. Why would they not try and stop that from happening before hand.
Cops deal with a lot of difficult decisions everyday. I do not envy them at all even though they signed up for that life. A lot of them are the types of decisions that require quick judgement. It is easy to watch a video later, decipher it and say what should have happened. This video however was not the type that required a quick decision and there was plenty of time for them to make one that would have prevented the shooting. If there was a gun on the ground 20 feet away and someone was slowly walking over to it unarmed and you are right beside them with multiple cops backing you up do you wait until they are only feet away to shoot them or do you jump on them and apprehend them before it escalates? To wait until the last second and use maximum force instead of a football tackle is not how I want to see police interact with suspects.
Didn't you just shame me for victim blaming like 5 minutes ago for basically just saying nearly all of the incidents escalate from not following directions or resisting? I hope now you can understand why its good to ask questions, like why was he going to his car with a gun pointed at him. And agreed, even if there wasn't a reason to have their guns out, maybe that isn't the best moment in time to chose to make your statement.
Sorry for the confusion and my post somehow deleted a part of my sentence out and I should have proof read better before posting it. My original sentence read as follows.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him with "his kids in there". What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns.
My point was as a father I would protect my kids from this situation. My instinct would be to get the "bad" cop away from my kids. When I say bad cop I am saying what the guy that had a gun pointed at him for doing nothing wrong probably felt that way. There is not a chance in hell I would be going to my van knowing thats where my kids where I would be going in the opposite direction especially if I did not trust the cop.
I also want to clarify that during this video I do think he was wrong for going to his van. I still stand by my comment however that the cop should not have let it get to the point that they had a "justifiable" shooting.
I can agree with all that. Which was similar to my earlier point and I don't see that as victim blaming.
it's the same, in my opinion, as telling women to stop wearing short skirts out in public if they want to avoid rape. it's putting the onus on the victim to stop the illegal behaviour of the perpetrator, which is classified as victim blaming.
I don't see it like that. We teach our kids to not talk to strangers, don't get in a car with someone you don't know, etc. DO we ever accuse parents of victim blaming because we teach kids these things? Does that mean we are blaming kids and not the pedophiles out there? Of course not. So why don't we teach people what our rights are when it comes to police? Teach them how to handle a situation, even if they feel they are right. How to file a grievance and follow up. How to contact attorneys for bigger cases. I'm willing to guess there are plenty of lawyers out there willing to take up cases of abuse for free or at least no money without a win. Why is it we can teach our kids to stay away from pedophiles, but we can't teach people who to survive a police encounter without being accused of always supporting cops or victim shaming? Shouldn't the first priority be to save lives?
The point is, if a kid does willingly get in a car with a stranger and gets murdered or assaulted, we don't blame the child.
LeBron James calls guns a ‘huge issue’ after Jacob Blake shooting: ‘We think you’re hunting us’
August 25, 2020 at 2:26 a.m. EDT
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KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The shooting of Jacob Blake led Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to directly question the police officers’ behavior and to refer to guns as “a major issue in America.”
Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday in an incident that was captured on video that was shared widely on social media.
James, who has participated in kneeling demonstrations and spoken out repeatedly against police brutality while competing at the NBA’s Disney World bubble, used his postgame news conference Monday to speak at length about the shooting and the role of firearms in American society.
“Quite frankly, it’s just f---ed up in our community,” James said after scoring 30 points to lead the Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers, 135-115, in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. “We are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. You have no idea how that cop left the house. You don’t know if he woke up on the good side of the bed or the wrong side of the bed. You don’t know if he had an argument at home with his significant other or one of his kids said something crazy and he left the house steaming. Maybe he just left the house saying, ‘Today is going to be the end for one of these Black people.’ That’s what it feels like. It just hurts.”
In the video, Blake walked toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and attempted to enter the driver’s seat as multiple officers followed him. As he sat down, he was shot multiple times in the back with three of his children inside the car. Blake remained in serious condition at a hospital Monday, and the officers involved were placed on administrative leave.
“If you’re sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him before the firing of guns, then you’re sitting here lying not only to me, but you’re lying to every Black person in the community,” James said. “We see it over and over and over. If you watch the video, there was multiple moments where they could have tackled him or grabbed him. They could have done that. Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing?
“His family is there, his kids are there, it’s broad daylight. Seven shots at close range, and he’s still alive. That’s through the grace of God right there. My prayers go out to that family and that community, but I’ve got nothing nice to say about those cops at all.”
Over the past two months, James has spoken repeatedly about the police shootings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, including advocating for the arrest of the Louisville police officers who shot Taylor while she slept at her home. James widened his lens Monday, suggesting that aspiring police officers should go through longer and more extensive training before joining the force and highlighting the role of guns in these incidents.
“I think firearms are a huge issue in America,” James said. “I don’t know how you clean that up. I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers. Guns are a huge issue in America. They’re not just used for hunting, like a lot of people do for sport. For Black people right now, when you’re hunting, we think you’re hunting us.”
This isn’t the first time James has broached the gun control issue. He responded to a 2015 school shooting by saying, “there’s no room for guns.”
At All-Star Weekend in 2018, James addressed a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., by asking rhetorically, “How can a kid who can’t buy a beer go and buy an AR-15?”
“We’ve seen … these tragedies in America, and there’s been no change to gun control,” James said, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “I don’t have the answers right now. But we have to do something about it.”
To underscore the persistent fear of police he believes Black people feel, James described watching a recent video of a child who was shooting baskets when a police officer drove past. Rather than continue playing, the child hid behind a truck to avoid an interaction with the police.
“That s--- is sad,” James said Monday. “No kid should have to feel that threatened that he has to hide at his own house. That’s sad. I know what he’s going through. I was one of those kids. When I lived in the projects, when I saw a cop going, we hid behind a brick wall and waited for it to roll out. If we saw the cop’s lights go on, we ran, even if we didn’t do anything wrong. We were just scared.”
James, who has launched a nonprofit organization called “More Than a Vote” campaign to increase voter participation, repeated his calls for people to engage with the political process by voting in the upcoming presidential election. Earlier this month, James dismissed President Trump’s criticisms of the NBA’s national anthem demonstrations and said that the election was a “big moment for us as Americans.”
“We want change,” James said Monday. “It doesn’t end in November, but it starts there. We have to keep our foot on the pedal then even if we get what we want.”
I guess someone should tell him that if he just complies, everything will be fine. Well, most of the time. Or at least some of the time.
It's a shame that the media pushes it so far that a highly admired athlete thinks that black people are being hunted.
That worries me. That Lebron thinks that people are being hunted down and killed... For this reason alone I would like reform or education to be taken seriously.
Talk with your African American friends and family and you will find out these stances don’t come from the media pushing an agenda. It comes from years of over policing and looking at black people as “others” and creating a different system for them through generations. To think that it is due to the media is really to enjoy a little slice of ignorant bliss pie.
Sorry, I should have been clearer. Lebron James isn't out in the streets being "over policed" and hunted so where does he get that info from?
That was my point and my friends don't think they are being hunted down either.
We can keep on going back and forth on this but I understand your point and wanted you to understand mine.
You might be surprised as to how many high profile black individuals report still being regularly stopped and hassled by police. I’m seeing stories about this regularly in the media lately. Being wealthy and even relatively famous doesn’t mean this stops.
I can’t remember who it was but recently a Black musician posted a story about how often he is stopped when he’s out in his expensive sports car and the general disbelief of the police that he is actually the legal owner.
Often, I get it and I read it too and that is part of the point though. Being pulled over and profiled is different to me than being hunted down and killed but if it is done a certain way then I can see it that way.
I have a couple questions with what happened to the guy who was shot at 7 times after watching the video.
Why was the cops gun already drawn on him. I get that when cops come up onto a scene it is hard to decipher what is going on and who is to blame. Was this guy acting erratic and crazy or did they just role up and point a gun at him.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him. What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns
Why did the cops allow him to slowly walk to the driver side door with no real sense of urgency to stop him. They knew if he got to that door and reached in they were going to shoot. Why would they not try and stop that from happening before hand.
Cops deal with a lot of difficult decisions everyday. I do not envy them at all even though they signed up for that life. A lot of them are the types of decisions that require quick judgement. It is easy to watch a video later, decipher it and say what should have happened. This video however was not the type that required a quick decision and there was plenty of time for them to make one that would have prevented the shooting. If there was a gun on the ground 20 feet away and someone was slowly walking over to it unarmed and you are right beside them with multiple cops backing you up do you wait until they are only feet away to shoot them or do you jump on them and apprehend them before it escalates? To wait until the last second and use maximum force instead of a football tackle is not how I want to see police interact with suspects.
Didn't you just shame me for victim blaming like 5 minutes ago for basically just saying nearly all of the incidents escalate from not following directions or resisting? I hope now you can understand why its good to ask questions, like why was he going to his car with a gun pointed at him. And agreed, even if there wasn't a reason to have their guns out, maybe that isn't the best moment in time to chose to make your statement.
Sorry for the confusion and my post somehow deleted a part of my sentence out and I should have proof read better before posting it. My original sentence read as follows.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him with "his kids in there". What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns.
My point was as a father I would protect my kids from this situation. My instinct would be to get the "bad" cop away from my kids. When I say bad cop I am saying what the guy that had a gun pointed at him for doing nothing wrong probably felt that way. There is not a chance in hell I would be going to my van knowing thats where my kids where I would be going in the opposite direction especially if I did not trust the cop.
I also want to clarify that during this video I do think he was wrong for going to his van. I still stand by my comment however that the cop should not have let it get to the point that they had a "justifiable" shooting.
I can agree with all that. Which was similar to my earlier point and I don't see that as victim blaming.
it's the same, in my opinion, as telling women to stop wearing short skirts out in public if they want to avoid rape. it's putting the onus on the victim to stop the illegal behaviour of the perpetrator, which is classified as victim blaming.
I don't see it like that. We teach our kids to not talk to strangers, don't get in a car with someone you don't know, etc. DO we ever accuse parents of victim blaming because we teach kids these things? Does that mean we are blaming kids and not the pedophiles out there? Of course not. So why don't we teach people what our rights are when it comes to police? Teach them how to handle a situation, even if they feel they are right. How to file a grievance and follow up. How to contact attorneys for bigger cases. I'm willing to guess there are plenty of lawyers out there willing to take up cases of abuse for free or at least no money without a win. Why is it we can teach our kids to stay away from pedophiles, but we can't teach people who to survive a police encounter without being accused of always supporting cops or victim shaming? Shouldn't the first priority be to save lives?
The point is, if a kid does willingly get in a car with a stranger and gets murdered or assaulted, we don't blame the child.
Same should go for victims of police violence.
But do you say "we need to teach our kids to never get into the car with a stranger"?
I have a couple questions with what happened to the guy who was shot at 7 times after watching the video.
Why was the cops gun already drawn on him. I get that when cops come up onto a scene it is hard to decipher what is going on and who is to blame. Was this guy acting erratic and crazy or did they just role up and point a gun at him.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him. What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns
Why did the cops allow him to slowly walk to the driver side door with no real sense of urgency to stop him. They knew if he got to that door and reached in they were going to shoot. Why would they not try and stop that from happening before hand.
Cops deal with a lot of difficult decisions everyday. I do not envy them at all even though they signed up for that life. A lot of them are the types of decisions that require quick judgement. It is easy to watch a video later, decipher it and say what should have happened. This video however was not the type that required a quick decision and there was plenty of time for them to make one that would have prevented the shooting. If there was a gun on the ground 20 feet away and someone was slowly walking over to it unarmed and you are right beside them with multiple cops backing you up do you wait until they are only feet away to shoot them or do you jump on them and apprehend them before it escalates? To wait until the last second and use maximum force instead of a football tackle is not how I want to see police interact with suspects.
Didn't you just shame me for victim blaming like 5 minutes ago for basically just saying nearly all of the incidents escalate from not following directions or resisting? I hope now you can understand why its good to ask questions, like why was he going to his car with a gun pointed at him. And agreed, even if there wasn't a reason to have their guns out, maybe that isn't the best moment in time to chose to make your statement.
Sorry for the confusion and my post somehow deleted a part of my sentence out and I should have proof read better before posting it. My original sentence read as follows.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him with "his kids in there". What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns.
My point was as a father I would protect my kids from this situation. My instinct would be to get the "bad" cop away from my kids. When I say bad cop I am saying what the guy that had a gun pointed at him for doing nothing wrong probably felt that way. There is not a chance in hell I would be going to my van knowing thats where my kids where I would be going in the opposite direction especially if I did not trust the cop.
I also want to clarify that during this video I do think he was wrong for going to his van. I still stand by my comment however that the cop should not have let it get to the point that they had a "justifiable" shooting.
I can agree with all that. Which was similar to my earlier point and I don't see that as victim blaming.
it's the same, in my opinion, as telling women to stop wearing short skirts out in public if they want to avoid rape. it's putting the onus on the victim to stop the illegal behaviour of the perpetrator, which is classified as victim blaming.
I don't see it like that. We teach our kids to not talk to strangers, don't get in a car with someone you don't know, etc. DO we ever accuse parents of victim blaming because we teach kids these things? Does that mean we are blaming kids and not the pedophiles out there? Of course not. So why don't we teach people what our rights are when it comes to police? Teach them how to handle a situation, even if they feel they are right. How to file a grievance and follow up. How to contact attorneys for bigger cases. I'm willing to guess there are plenty of lawyers out there willing to take up cases of abuse for free or at least no money without a win. Why is it we can teach our kids to stay away from pedophiles, but we can't teach people who to survive a police encounter without being accused of always supporting cops or victim shaming? Shouldn't the first priority be to save lives?
The point is, if a kid does willingly get in a car with a stranger and gets murdered or assaulted, we don't blame the child.
Same should go for victims of police violence.
But do you say "we need to teach our kids to never get into the car with a stranger"?
So we should teach our kids that cops are like pedos, rapists etc, rabid dogs that could do anything and not to be trusted because you could be killed by them or worse? I mean if we are at a point where people are this scared of the police it is time to make sure the police aren’t able to continue with behaviors that would have you acting to them as you would if you came upon a feral grizzly in the woods. Cops need to be held accountable and behaviors changed.
I have a couple questions with what happened to the guy who was shot at 7 times after watching the video.
Why was the cops gun already drawn on him. I get that when cops come up onto a scene it is hard to decipher what is going on and who is to blame. Was this guy acting erratic and crazy or did they just role up and point a gun at him.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him. What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns
Why did the cops allow him to slowly walk to the driver side door with no real sense of urgency to stop him. They knew if he got to that door and reached in they were going to shoot. Why would they not try and stop that from happening before hand.
Cops deal with a lot of difficult decisions everyday. I do not envy them at all even though they signed up for that life. A lot of them are the types of decisions that require quick judgement. It is easy to watch a video later, decipher it and say what should have happened. This video however was not the type that required a quick decision and there was plenty of time for them to make one that would have prevented the shooting. If there was a gun on the ground 20 feet away and someone was slowly walking over to it unarmed and you are right beside them with multiple cops backing you up do you wait until they are only feet away to shoot them or do you jump on them and apprehend them before it escalates? To wait until the last second and use maximum force instead of a football tackle is not how I want to see police interact with suspects.
Didn't you just shame me for victim blaming like 5 minutes ago for basically just saying nearly all of the incidents escalate from not following directions or resisting? I hope now you can understand why its good to ask questions, like why was he going to his car with a gun pointed at him. And agreed, even if there wasn't a reason to have their guns out, maybe that isn't the best moment in time to chose to make your statement.
Sorry for the confusion and my post somehow deleted a part of my sentence out and I should have proof read better before posting it. My original sentence read as follows.
Why was the guy going to his van with a gun drawn on him with "his kids in there". What a stupid thing to do even if the cops were wrong for drawing their guns.
My point was as a father I would protect my kids from this situation. My instinct would be to get the "bad" cop away from my kids. When I say bad cop I am saying what the guy that had a gun pointed at him for doing nothing wrong probably felt that way. There is not a chance in hell I would be going to my van knowing thats where my kids where I would be going in the opposite direction especially if I did not trust the cop.
I also want to clarify that during this video I do think he was wrong for going to his van. I still stand by my comment however that the cop should not have let it get to the point that they had a "justifiable" shooting.
I can agree with all that. Which was similar to my earlier point and I don't see that as victim blaming.
it's the same, in my opinion, as telling women to stop wearing short skirts out in public if they want to avoid rape. it's putting the onus on the victim to stop the illegal behaviour of the perpetrator, which is classified as victim blaming.
I don't see it like that. We teach our kids to not talk to strangers, don't get in a car with someone you don't know, etc. DO we ever accuse parents of victim blaming because we teach kids these things? Does that mean we are blaming kids and not the pedophiles out there? Of course not. So why don't we teach people what our rights are when it comes to police? Teach them how to handle a situation, even if they feel they are right. How to file a grievance and follow up. How to contact attorneys for bigger cases. I'm willing to guess there are plenty of lawyers out there willing to take up cases of abuse for free or at least no money without a win. Why is it we can teach our kids to stay away from pedophiles, but we can't teach people who to survive a police encounter without being accused of always supporting cops or victim shaming? Shouldn't the first priority be to save lives?
The point is, if a kid does willingly get in a car with a stranger and gets murdered or assaulted, we don't blame the child.
Same should go for victims of police violence.
But do you say "we need to teach our kids to never get into the car with a stranger"?
So we should teach our kids that cops are like pedos, rapists etc, rabid dogs that could do anything and not to be trusted because you could be killed by them or worse? I mean if we are at a point where people are this scared of the police it is time to make sure the police aren’t able to continue with behaviors that would have you acting to them as you would if you came upon a feral grizzly in the woods. Cops need to be held accountable and behaviors changed.
teaching people their rights and how to respond to police =/= telling them police are pedos and rabid dogs.
I'm only bringing this up because it feels like we are doing the opposite. I've heard many times recently "we're so tired we have to fight back." And maybe that's true, but pick the right time. This mentality is literally getting more people killed and no one seems to care about that. No one seems to care that the media is saying its open season on black people, and if you get arrested and are black you will be taken out somewhere and murdered. No one is bringing up the damage this is doing. That doesn't mean to do nothing about it, it just means be smarter. Call people out when they say its open season for cops.
How are kids going to play the game of cops and robbers now? Cops were always the good guys and robbers were always the bad guys? Now that there are no good guys I don't know how this game survives. Robbers and robbers? Gonna have to think this one through...
LeBron James calls guns a ‘huge issue’ after Jacob Blake shooting: ‘We think you’re hunting us’
August 25, 2020 at 2:26 a.m. EDT
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KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The shooting of Jacob Blake led Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to directly question the police officers’ behavior and to refer to guns as “a major issue in America.”
Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday in an incident that was captured on video that was shared widely on social media.
James, who has participated in kneeling demonstrations and spoken out repeatedly against police brutality while competing at the NBA’s Disney World bubble, used his postgame news conference Monday to speak at length about the shooting and the role of firearms in American society.
“Quite frankly, it’s just f---ed up in our community,” James said after scoring 30 points to lead the Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers, 135-115, in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. “We are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. You have no idea how that cop left the house. You don’t know if he woke up on the good side of the bed or the wrong side of the bed. You don’t know if he had an argument at home with his significant other or one of his kids said something crazy and he left the house steaming. Maybe he just left the house saying, ‘Today is going to be the end for one of these Black people.’ That’s what it feels like. It just hurts.”
In the video, Blake walked toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and attempted to enter the driver’s seat as multiple officers followed him. As he sat down, he was shot multiple times in the back with three of his children inside the car. Blake remained in serious condition at a hospital Monday, and the officers involved were placed on administrative leave.
“If you’re sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him before the firing of guns, then you’re sitting here lying not only to me, but you’re lying to every Black person in the community,” James said. “We see it over and over and over. If you watch the video, there was multiple moments where they could have tackled him or grabbed him. They could have done that. Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing?
“His family is there, his kids are there, it’s broad daylight. Seven shots at close range, and he’s still alive. That’s through the grace of God right there. My prayers go out to that family and that community, but I’ve got nothing nice to say about those cops at all.”
Over the past two months, James has spoken repeatedly about the police shootings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, including advocating for the arrest of the Louisville police officers who shot Taylor while she slept at her home. James widened his lens Monday, suggesting that aspiring police officers should go through longer and more extensive training before joining the force and highlighting the role of guns in these incidents.
“I think firearms are a huge issue in America,” James said. “I don’t know how you clean that up. I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers. Guns are a huge issue in America. They’re not just used for hunting, like a lot of people do for sport. For Black people right now, when you’re hunting, we think you’re hunting us.”
This isn’t the first time James has broached the gun control issue. He responded to a 2015 school shooting by saying, “there’s no room for guns.”
At All-Star Weekend in 2018, James addressed a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., by asking rhetorically, “How can a kid who can’t buy a beer go and buy an AR-15?”
“We’ve seen … these tragedies in America, and there’s been no change to gun control,” James said, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “I don’t have the answers right now. But we have to do something about it.”
To underscore the persistent fear of police he believes Black people feel, James described watching a recent video of a child who was shooting baskets when a police officer drove past. Rather than continue playing, the child hid behind a truck to avoid an interaction with the police.
“That s--- is sad,” James said Monday. “No kid should have to feel that threatened that he has to hide at his own house. That’s sad. I know what he’s going through. I was one of those kids. When I lived in the projects, when I saw a cop going, we hid behind a brick wall and waited for it to roll out. If we saw the cop’s lights go on, we ran, even if we didn’t do anything wrong. We were just scared.”
James, who has launched a nonprofit organization called “More Than a Vote” campaign to increase voter participation, repeated his calls for people to engage with the political process by voting in the upcoming presidential election. Earlier this month, James dismissed President Trump’s criticisms of the NBA’s national anthem demonstrations and said that the election was a “big moment for us as Americans.”
“We want change,” James said Monday. “It doesn’t end in November, but it starts there. We have to keep our foot on the pedal then even if we get what we want.”
I guess someone should tell him that if he just complies, everything will be fine. Well, most of the time. Or at least some of the time.
It's a shame that the media pushes it so far that a highly admired athlete thinks that black people are being hunted.
That worries me. That Lebron thinks that people are being hunted down and killed... For this reason alone I would like reform or education to be taken seriously.
Talk with your African American friends and family and you will find out these stances don’t come from the media pushing an agenda. It comes from years of over policing and looking at black people as “others” and creating a different system for them through generations. To think that it is due to the media is really to enjoy a little slice of ignorant bliss pie.
Sorry, I should have been clearer. Lebron James isn't out in the streets being "over policed" and hunted so where does he get that info from?
That was my point and my friends don't think they are being hunted down either.
We can keep on going back and forth on this but I understand your point and wanted you to understand mine.
You might be surprised as to how many high profile black individuals report still being regularly stopped and hassled by police. I’m seeing stories about this regularly in the media lately. Being wealthy and even relatively famous doesn’t mean this stops.
I can’t remember who it was but recently a Black musician posted a story about how often he is stopped when he’s out in his expensive sports car and the general disbelief of the police that he is actually the legal owner.
Often, I get it and I read it too and that is part of the point though. Being pulled over and profiled is different to me than being hunted down and killed but if it is done a certain way then I can see it that way.
I'm thinking about this more and empathizing.
I think that if I were being repeatedly stopped by police when I was doing nothing wrong, simply because they assumed I was a thief or worse because of the colour of my skin, I might start to feel hunted. And each time I was stopped by police I’m sure there would be massive anxiety - what if this is the one? What if this cop is the guy who misinterprets me reaching for my ID as reaching for a gun, what if this is the time that he barks contradictory orders and then decides I’m not complying? What if this is the time the cop shoots? Then I would definitely feel hunted.
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This (from the article): “Spiteful retaliation from law enforcement officers towards a citizen for any reason is an unacceptable option. This is in no way condoned at any level, for any reason,” Gramiccioni said in the statement. “All members of the law enforcement community must maintain the public’s trust by conducting themselves at the highest level of integrity and decency.”
These officers should be made an example of and should face major legal consequence for this bullshit. Hopefully no innocents are beaten or looted because of this...
This (from the article): “Spiteful retaliation from law enforcement officers towards a citizen for any reason is an unacceptable option. This is in no way condoned at any level, for any reason,” Gramiccioni said in the statement. “All members of the law enforcement community must maintain the public’s trust by conducting themselves at the highest level of integrity and decency.”
These officers should be made an example of and should face major legal consequence for this bullshit. Hopefully no innocents are beaten or looted because of this...
Yeah, trust the police to police themselves, that’s worked out so well for us this far.
I hope I never get to the point in life where looting and destruction of private property bothers me more than unarmed people getting shot and killed in the streets by police for non compliance.
This (from the article): “Spiteful retaliation from law enforcement officers towards a citizen for any reason is an unacceptable option. This is in no way condoned at any level, for any reason,” Gramiccioni said in the statement. “All members of the law enforcement community must maintain the public’s trust by conducting themselves at the highest level of integrity and decency.”
These officers should be made an example of and should face major legal consequence for this bullshit. Hopefully no innocents are beaten or looted because of this...
They can never hold a public job in the state again and face probation. I'd say that's an example and fair for $500 of damage.
This (from the article): “Spiteful retaliation from law enforcement officers towards a citizen for any reason is an unacceptable option. This is in no way condoned at any level, for any reason,” Gramiccioni said in the statement. “All members of the law enforcement community must maintain the public’s trust by conducting themselves at the highest level of integrity and decency.”
These officers should be made an example of and should face major legal consequence for this bullshit. Hopefully no innocents are beaten or looted because of this...
They can never hold a public job in the state again and face probation. I'd say that's an example and fair for $500 of damage.
This (from the article): “Spiteful retaliation from law enforcement officers towards a citizen for any reason is an unacceptable option. This is in no way condoned at any level, for any reason,” Gramiccioni said in the statement. “All members of the law enforcement community must maintain the public’s trust by conducting themselves at the highest level of integrity and decency.”
These officers should be made an example of and should face major legal consequence for this bullshit. Hopefully no innocents are beaten or looted because of this...
They can never hold a public job in the state again and face probation. I'd say that's an example and fair for $500 of damage.
they are tasked with upholding the public trust, protecting and serving. i'd say they got what they deserved.
This (from the article): “Spiteful retaliation from law enforcement officers towards a citizen for any reason is an unacceptable option. This is in no way condoned at any level, for any reason,” Gramiccioni said in the statement. “All members of the law enforcement community must maintain the public’s trust by conducting themselves at the highest level of integrity and decency.”
These officers should be made an example of and should face major legal consequence for this bullshit. Hopefully no innocents are beaten or looted because of this...
They can never hold a public job in the state again and face probation. I'd say that's an example and fair for $500 of damage.
Holy shit, police officers retaliated against someone who filed a complaint and you guys are focusing on the dollar amount of the damage they inflicted to his property? 🤣
Holy shit, police officers retaliated against someone who filed a complaint and you guys are focusing on the dollar amount of the damage they inflicted to his property? 🤣
This (from the article): “Spiteful retaliation from law enforcement officers towards a citizen for any reason is an unacceptable option. This is in no way condoned at any level, for any reason,” Gramiccioni said in the statement. “All members of the law enforcement community must maintain the public’s trust by conducting themselves at the highest level of integrity and decency.”
These officers should be made an example of and should face major legal consequence for this bullshit. Hopefully no innocents are beaten or looted because of this...
They can never hold a public job in the state again and face probation. I'd say that's an example and fair for $500 of damage.
Holy shit, police officers retaliated against someone who filed a complaint and you guys are focusing on the dollar amount of the damage they inflicted to his property? 🤣
i only see one person focusing on that.
Mic drops about this being a punishment for vandalism... talk about missing the forest for the trees.
Comments
It makes it sound like all black people are being hunted.
Just a few rambling thoughts after reading a bunch of the comments and with the new incident playing out once again.
So much can be done to prevent these things from continuing. I'll start with the victims/suspects:
1. EVERY person, politician, teacher, parent, neighbour, cop, etc. admits that systemic racism is a thing and it needs to be addressed.
2. EVERY person needs to be conditioned and taught that they should always listen to police when requested to do a thing. If they're in the wrong and you are mistreated, get yourself representation. Telling them to F Off, or walking away, or outright refusing to do what they say will only make matters worse, and also suggest that you did something wrong.
3. Criminality should be condemned, not glorified. And that means it should be perfectly fine to suggest that even in cases of excessive force, the cop can be blamed, condemned, and punished... but the crook can be blamed, condemned, and punished as well. Hopefully both sides can learn from this shite and not continue the hate.
Moving on to the cops and politicians:
1. Understand that people are not cool with you and they have a reason not to be. Address that reason in public and swallow some hard truths. (I'm looking at you,cops who tried to sue Masai Ujiri and place blame on him when you were so very in the wrong.)
2. Focus on de-escalation and not force. Case in point here... In Canada, police are trained to shoot to kill. I'm confident but not certain that's the case in USA (if someone on here knows, please comment). But in Canada, shoot to kill, in the interests of safety NOT in the interests of affecting an arrest. That in mind... a cop cannot, cannot, cannot shoot an unarmed person in the back. And if that plays out, that cop is no longer a cop, full stop. That cop should become an inmate. And just to elaborate on this a bit... I know some people may not understand this.. but use of force models for police generally follow a "One step up" philosophy. If a person punches a cop, the cop can use a baton. If a person presents a knife, the cop can shoot them dead. That's in the interests of public safety and safety of the cops. What I've been seeing, in the USA especially, is force being used where isn't warranted.
3. Look at resolving police culture in general. I could go on for a while about this... but when "Black Lives Matter" is met with "Blue Lives Matter" you are only making the cracks in society deeper and bigger. And if it's largely understood in policing that you protect one another even if that means looking the other way when cops break the law, change that immediately and throw that culture in the garbage where it belongs. If cops want to be seen as the pillars of righteousness and justice, start acting like it and lead by example.
Quite the pipe dream.
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So why don't we teach people what our rights are when it comes to police? Teach them how to handle a situation, even if they feel they are right. How to file a grievance and follow up. How to contact attorneys for bigger cases. I'm willing to guess there are plenty of lawyers out there willing to take up cases of abuse for free or at least no money without a win.
Why is it we can teach our kids to stay away from pedophiles, but we can't teach people who to survive a police encounter without being accused of always supporting cops or victim shaming? Shouldn't the first priority be to save lives?
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if you want to make it about kids, then here's one that matches the "short skirt" issue:
if a kid is playing with a toy, and a bully keeps beating him up and stealing the toy, do you:
-advise the child to stop playing with that toy, or
-teach the child how to handle himself against the bully and/or involving those who can help you take care of the bully?
i would hope you would choose the latter.
of course we should be teaching people their rights when it comes to the cops. but when you are a minority, that often gets thrown out the window when you are confronted with someone with weapons and backup. surrendering doesn't always mean a peaceful outcome. what you are talking about here is white privilege, that if you do as the cop tells you, and if you're respectful, everything will be fine. it won't necessarily be fine; the fear is real, and fear often dictates our response.
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That was my point and my friends don't think they are being hunted down either.
We can keep on going back and forth on this but I understand your point and wanted you to understand mine.
Remember that family that got pulled over for a misread plate, and the whole family was put face down on the pavement? How would that have ended if the dad was aggressive and uncooperative? But he handled it well and last I heard they are suing the city. He'll almost certainly end up with a fat paycheck with the cops in trouble and some policy changes. If he chose a different path, (and you could argue but they are tired of it and they shouldn't have to comply and fine, I get that) but how would that have ended? With him dead, the kids witnessing it, and the city burns for weeks in riots without anything changing because everyone is focused on the looting and rioting.
I know which ending I prefer and would like to encourage.
At what age do we start teaching our children to always obey the police, don’t make any sudden movements and always keep your hands where they can see them? And is it a grade before or after the grade when active shooter drills start?
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Same should go for victims of police violence.
I'm thinking about this more and empathizing.
There are no kings inside the gates of eden
I'm only bringing this up because it feels like we are doing the opposite. I've heard many times recently "we're so tired we have to fight back." And maybe that's true, but pick the right time. This mentality is literally getting more people killed and no one seems to care about that. No one seems to care that the media is saying its open season on black people, and if you get arrested and are black you will be taken out somewhere and murdered. No one is bringing up the damage this is doing. That doesn't mean to do nothing about it, it just means be smarter. Call people out when they say its open season for cops.
Huh.
https://www.nj.com/monmouth/2020/08/cops-admit-vandalizing-cars-of-man-who-filed-complaint-against-them-prosecutor-says.html
“Spiteful retaliation from law enforcement officers towards a citizen for any reason is an unacceptable option. This is in no way condoned at any level, for any reason,” Gramiccioni said in the statement. “All members of the law enforcement community must maintain the public’s trust by conducting themselves at the highest level of integrity and decency.”
These officers should be made an example of and should face major legal consequence for this bullshit. Hopefully no innocents are beaten or looted because of this...
I hope I never get to the point in life where looting and destruction of private property bothers me more than unarmed people getting shot and killed in the streets by police for non compliance.
www.headstonesband.com
🤣
www.headstonesband.com
Seems like just yesterday that was the advice on here. I’m sure it will all work out just fine.
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©