Calls for Equality

Good job! If you keep spreading the word, more people will join you next time.

Where were you people when Arron Bousard was killed?

First all lives matter- second almost every morning on the Indy news they report murders, drive by shootings, children being shot. They are almost always black, and the shooter usually ends up being black. So where is the protesting? Don't those black lives matter? According to FBI stats. most whites (non police) that are shot is done so by whites and most blacks are shot by blacks. 2019 there were 370 whites shot to death and 235 blacks. And no I don't believe these are acceptable numbers, it would be great if both numbers were zero. However the police have to defend their selves, they have to protect the public and defend property. Are their bad cops-YES- but the good out weigh the bad by a vast majority.

I see that none of the protesters are wearing work boots.

Work Boots? That might win the prize for the dumbest comment.

My belief is that at least half of these individuals have been arrested in their life for DWI, theft, child abuse, domestic battery and possibly even speeding. They are not protesting the death of the black man, they are getting a chance to get a cheap shot at the police. There is no respect for law enforcement in Greencastle. But, when they need law enforcement for themselves, they are the first agency they call. When the next white police officer gets killed by a black criminal, I expect all of these people to show up with their protest signs.

Simply an observation, but I see only white protesters.

Also, they are respecting "social distancing", so why the masks? Are they ashamed to have their identities be known as supporters of such a worthy (though narrow compared to "all lives matter") cause?

I'm not sure which is worse, the hate in these comments or the ignorance.

Are the protesters angry with the Minneapolis police, the Indianapolis police, or the Greencastle police? Or do they just dislike the police in general?

Could they be more specific?

The ignorance and hate exhibited here is hard to fathom. It just further shows the need for change, as to read these comments and not see that a major problem still exists highlights the ignorance of some.

Prince of Stardust Hills, there is a great educational lecture on Youtube titled "Dr. Joy Degruy Leary: Post Traumatic Slave Disorder" that will absolutely answer your questions if you can stick with it through the uncomfortable topics, it's about an hour or so long.

It talks some about slavery, but is really about contemporary racism. Every person would learn alot from it, especially those who want to understand why they are protesting. It goes into the topic of racism in the form of unnecessary killing/excessive force by police.

Thanks Raker. After I watch my nightly Youtube street racing video, I might give your suggestion a quick glance. But I'm not sure you have to know or understand anything to be a protester. The girl with the red mask is holding a sign that points out that not only does she not understand, but she will probably never understand. I think most of us would probably agree with her.

Prince of Stardust Hills, I think the meaning behind that sign is that even though she will never understand what it's like to live as a black person and experience racism like they do, she is showing support.

Hello! I’d love to address some of the comments, as I helped organize this protest. We specifically made it a point not to have any “anti police” signs because our police department supports our message. About Aaron, we had a sign for him, and we are trying to reopen the case. The point of the protest was to open the door for these hard conversations and to bring attention to the deeply rooted ignorance that so clearly plagued our community

Thank you Kayce.jean.kean, and good luck.

I can appreciate the right to protest peacefully.

But I am not sure what y'all are protesting about...

Facts are not on your side: concerning the idea that "black lives matter" (look at murder rates between blacks and abortion rates for blacks), police intentionally killing blacks (the numbers don't bear out); systemic racism (which is an undefined lie); societal racism (in the form of prejudice is a cultural thing that is a part of EVERY racial group), or "white privilege" (another undefined lie).

I am honestly curious - and since Kayce.jean.kean has accepted the mantel of organizer, please respond to this query - What is it that you want?

B/c I see a whole bunch of self-righteous finger wagging but I dont see any actual demands /calls for change.

So what do you want to change?

Well put, DPR.

"Retink your prejudice"? I don't follow.

Also, I have seen that if someone says "All lives matter" then one is taking away from the message and are immediately, assumed to be, "enemies" of these protests. Therefore, I'm curios as to why the sign that the young lady is holding would appear to say "All lives matter" on the back side. Hmmmmm

DPR, Usually your ignorance is amusing and sometimes borderline enlightening. This time it is just sad. To say the facts don't support police killing of black people, that systemic racism doesn't exist and that white privilege doesn't exist is at best ignorant and more likely indicative of how sad of a person and how distorted your views are.

Michael Vick served more jail time for killing a dog than all the cops combined that have killed the last 493 unarmed black men. How does your brain not compute that as as problem?

RSOTS - I will try to engage you, personal insults - seemingly the only play in your play book - aside. (Lord knows how well this will actually work...)

Let's start with some definitions so that we are all on the same page, shall we? Please define the following terms that you use: "systemic racism" and "white privilege".

While we are waiting, I will address your Michael Vick comment.

First - that is an idiotic comparison. You cannot compare any one case against any one guy (regardless of color) against a conglomeration of cases when the two things have nothing to do with one another.

But since you brought it up... Michael Vick PLEADED GUILTY to Federal charges that he was running/bankrolling the dog-fighting ring including the operations and gambling side and personally executed several dogs. Any length of sentence he received he was okay with... at least okay with vs the potential time he was looking at should he decide to take his chances with bench trial or jury. (His three cohorts had already pleaded guilty.)

Now, since you have not bothered to list ANY facts or relevant information related to the other side of your comparison I can only surmise that ALL have either involved plea deals in and of themselves or were adjudicated as not guilty.

Again, you are comparing apples to oranges. Every case in every judicial setting is dependent on its own set of facts and the particular jurisdiction in which it is tried.

Now please explain how "my ignorance" is able to see the truth of the complete non-comparison of these two things but "your brain [does] not compute that as a problem?"

I accept that innocent PEOPLE (regardless of color) are killed by police, and I have a big problem with that. In fact I have made numerous postings about Glen Rightsell and the murderer ISP Patrolman Daniel Organ in the past. You could also look up Tony Timpa - a man who died in almost the exact same situation as George Floyd - only he was white, and it was in 2016. Or you could look up the married white couple in Texas, who a few years ago were killed in a police raid due to bad cops, similar to the shooting of Breonna Taylor in KY.

Do some research on the Twin Peaks massacre in Waco, TX that was perpetrated by the police.

This stuff isn't new, and it isn't racial.

It is mostly (but not always) due to bad department policy, training (an "us-vs-them mentality drilled into officers heads at academy) and "the war on drugs" and it's use of no-knock raids.

But there is nothing in the actual numbers that say that black people are killed by police in greater numbers.

Before going any further, I will await your definitions of the terms you throw around that I believe are made up lies.

DPR,

Thanks for your thoughtful and engaging reply.

Unfortunately in your hurry to immediately discount me you made the mistake of saying that we needed to define the terms "I" used. I did not use those terms rather "You" used them in your first post and I merely replied to them.

As far as the Vick comment you can absolutely compare one case to a conglomeration of cases as this proves the point that there is a problem in justice. Vick deserved every minute of his sentence and probably more. That still doesn't excuse the fact that the officers involved in the 493 deaths of unarmed black men should have been served justice as well.

This is where most people (I won't say you as I don't know your stance on this) get tangled up with the "All Lives Matter" vs "Black Lives Matter". They are not dependent on each other but both statements are true. To reply with All Lives Matter every time someone says Black Lives Matter is downplaying the issue. It's no different than saying we can't worry about an endangered species of Birds because "All Bird Lives Matter". Both are true but one is much more of an issue at hand.

As far as Systemic Racism involving police officers you described it much better than I can. (It is mostly (but not always) due to bad department policy, training (an "us-vs-them mentality drilled into officers heads at academy) and "the war on drugs" and it's use of no-knock raids.)

I'm sorry that you believe these terms to be lies but outside of Rural Putnam County they are anything but lies.

Well said, dreadpirateroberts. I thought they were protesting the Greencastle police initially and wondered what the police had done to arouse their wrath.

RSOTS:

You don't have to be armed to be shot/killed by the police. Don't forget, people go after officer's weapons, frequently, and that is something that turns into a fight for life between two parties that was perpetuated by the perpetrator. Now, I know the most recent events didn't involve a shooting and I am not referring to it. I am just responding to your "unarmed" comment. That's all.

I don’t know what these protesters want, but I know what *I* want. I want police to stop killing so many people. All people.

Sometimes in the course of enforcing the law, a citizen might take actions that cause police to have no choice but to kill them in the line of duty. I get that. It happens. But far too many American citizens are being killed for no good cause by police who are far too liberal with their use of deadly force. This must stop. This can happen without race or other divisive issues muddying the waters.

RSOTS -

I had hoped to catch you before you opened your mouth and embarrassed yourself again...Im sorry I was too late.

Lets start, again, with the definitions... I discounted the very idea of "systemic racism" and "white privilege", while you not only believe them to be real things but real things that must be dealt with.

What would be the point of me trying to define something I don't believe in? This puts the onus of their definitions on you.

I don't know if you were trying to be clever or just have reading comprehension issues, but either way... they are "your" terms in that you rely on them in your argument.

Again, Michael Vick... That you think you can equate the two situations is absurd. Logic is tough, I guess.

First, let's try this (using your logic): White women who have killed people by vehicle have done more time than black cops who have been involved in police shootings of innocent people. According to you and your logic, the system is both racist and sexist.

Not only do these two things exist exclusively from one another, they have no bearing on each other.

Now, if you were to provide the ACTUAL amount of time that Michael Vick served AND the ACTUAL amount of time that all cops involved in the killing of "unarmed" black men... maybe we could discuss that as a matter of pure numbers. Otherwise, what you posted is conjecture at best, and definitely pointless.

"All Lives Matter" vs "Black Lives Matter"...personally, I think both are stupid slogans and I have no use for either. In the world of sound-bite news and short-attention-span social media thought processes slogans are all well and fine for those who fuel themselves on emotion - whether it be rage, passion, or even patriotism. I'm not a slogan kind-of-guy, they remind me too much of the Russian revolution.

I prefer the world of cogent thought, rational argument, and sound reasoning. That is all I have to say on that matter at this time.

As for the "bad policy", etc...that is not "systematic racism". That is bad policing. And yes, it is a problem. But it is a problem that does not hinge on race - for either the victims or the perpetrators.

As for "outside of Putnam County"... I have worked in Marion County for 20+ years, and can tell you, first-hand, that these ideas are in fact lies for most people regardless of color.

And here is what I was going to tell you while I await your definition of terms...

You and the rest of the Too-White-Crew (that's a play on an 80's rap reference, if you didn't know...) should really consider something while you are shouting "systemic racism".

By claiming "systemic racism" you discount every single successful black person.

Clarence Thomas, Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Condi Rice, Herman Cain, Dr. Ben Carson, George Washington Carver, just about every black athlete who has made something of themselves, and the MILLIONS of black folk who have proven themselves capable EVERY DAY of succeeding, of thriving, in America. MILLIONS of black business owners. Millions of black men & women who get up every day and go to work just like the rest of us to feed our families and pay our bills.

Are you trying to tell me that all of those successful black people are just tokens?

Do you really believe that black folk cannot make it without you trying to make their lives "better"?

Talk about racism!! It is the soft bigotry of low expectations.

B/c if they aren't tokens...and they do deserve all the credit I believe they are due... then "systemic racism" isn't very effective. In fact, one could argue that it really doesn't work very well at all.

DPR, oh my. Embarrass myself??? How funny. I had thought from some of your previous posts / replies that you were capable of thought provoking discussion but apparently I was wrong.

When you state that systemic racism can't exist because there are successful black people then you prove how ignorant you really are to reality.

I'm sorry that you embarrassed yourself by being that far removed from reality.

I don't believe that black people can't "make it without me" and that statement is an absurdity that shows you're grasping at straws. Maybe you should run for President as you've almost modeled him 100%. Oh look something shiny over there!!!

RSOTS - That is your best? More personal attacks? Empty rhetoric bereft of logic?

LOL. Your game is weak. Your lame argument is played out. You have nothing.

I am done with you.

DPR, if I was exposed as an ignorant out of touch with reality so called enlightener of the people that knew it all but was to busy to do anything about it newspaper replying hero I'd probably be done with me to. Carry on and maybe Baird will say something soon so you can get back on your constitution bandwagon where at least you seem more at ease.

I'm still wondering about the spelling error and the back of the girl's sign. I just can't take it serious. LOL

Hmmmmm, Liberals have an answer/excuse for everything else. “Bueller..Bueller?”