Let's talk about George Floyd.

Discussion in 'General Discussion / Real life stuff' started by Starixty, May 30, 2020.

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  1. Starixty

    Starixty Donator

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    Look, let's try to keep this thread AS CIVIL AS POSSIBLE. I am simply making this thread to see people's opinions on the situation and also inform people about it if they already don't know. If I sense any drama, I'll lock this thread in a heartbeat.

    If you live in America, there's a huge change you already know about this. However, if you live in a different country you might not know so, let me sum it up. On May 25th, 2020, an African American man, George Floyd, went into a deli in Minneapolis to buy some things. When he paid for said items, the cashier thought his $20 bill was fake and proceeded to call the police.

    George Floyd got in his car, probably getting ready to go home when the police showed up. They decided to arrest him and put handcuffs on him. However, the police said that he was "resisting arrest" and pinned George to the ground. Derek Chauvin, the police officer who cuffed him and pinned him to the ground, then thought it was appropriate to put his knee on George Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 42 seconds. During that time, George was saying that he couldn't breathe but the officer didn't care. Random bystanders came out and started video taping the whole interference. In the video, they told the police officer to get off his neck but he never moved. Even the police officer's partner didn't try to interfere with the situation. Shortly after this confrontation, George Floyd died. (Obviously not posting the video)

    Throughout the video, you could obviously see that George wasn't struggling so there was obviously some vendetta against George from the officer.

    On May 26th, the residents of Minneapolis started to peacefully protest. However, the protests easily turned into riots, leaving Minnesota in shambles. (I'm not going to post pictures, you can easily look them up yourselves.) The riots are still happening, and they've even moved to different states. For example, I know there was rioting in New York as well.

    As for the officer's punishment, he was arrested and charged with third degree murder. If you don't know what third degree murder is, it means when you accidentally kill someone. I read somewhere that the officer, Derek Chauvin, previously knew George Floyd before this happened. After obtaining this information, some people think that his charges should be updated to first degree murder, which is when you intentionally kill someone.

    I want to know what your guy's thoughts are on this situation. Are the riots necessary? Do you think the officer received a fair punishment or, should his charges be updated? Put down anything you want to discuss, I'm genuinely curious.

    EDIT: Thanks @Disphxrial for telling me. There are now riots in at least fourteen states. New York, Minnesota, Georgia, California, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Ohio, Colorado, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arizona, Maine, and even though it’s not a state, Washington DC.

    EDIT #2: Thanks Sara for telling me something again!! So, George Floyd apparently had an underlying heart disease so now people are trying to say it wasn't exactly the cops fault but his previous illness killed him.

    EDIT #3: My opinion. So, as someone who's a minority (I'm half black half hispanic and I'm female) I don't take this case lightly.I think it's complete BS that another innocent black man was killed because racist, white cops think they can do anything they want with no punishment. I understand the frustration, I understand the rioting. These people tried to protest peacefully until the cops took it out of hand and started tear gassing the protesters. Once the cops were violent, the people got violent too. Even though I understand it, I don't really agree with it. I think that they should've kept trying to peacefully protest, even if the cops were being aggressive. In the past, peacefully protesting has played its part. When MLK was alive, he was arrested and harassed by several people, including the cops. That didn't change his way of standing up for what matters. He kept being peaceful all the way through until he got what he wanted.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2020
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  2. Yupac

    Yupac Moderator Lite Staff Member Helper

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    The only thing I'm going to say is: R.I.P George Floyd. He didn't deserve to die.
     
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  3. ExperienceDady

    ExperienceDady Ahsoka Donator

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    I dont want to talk this. I cant handle sorry
     
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  4. TreeKillerMan

    TreeKillerMan shamone Donator

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    It's becoming very real, certainly. If you don't believe Amerikan cops solely 'serve and protect' the ruling class alongside their system of exploitation and racism, you're fucking stupid. I can't even beat around the bush, you just are. If US officials believe people are going to keep living in a society where police can continue escalating this level of excessive force against minorities, they're sorely wrong.

    Yes

    All killer cops should die in jail

    2ABCEE2A-1827-4859-B925-8BD9EDB9B27E.jpeg
     
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  5. Yupac

    Yupac Moderator Lite Staff Member Helper

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  6. 00000000000

    00000000000 Donator

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    That's terrible. I've never heard of this before despite being in the US, but it's a shame that it happened. :(
     
  7. 00000000000

    00000000000 Donator

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    I live under a rock. :D But I will check the news from now on. Thanks for the tip.

    also i live under a rock in case you didnt know ;)
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2020
  8. samm

    samm saint Donator

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    My general thoughts and ideas
    • George Floyd was murdered.
    • Racism is present in America - it is also a problem.
    • Not all cops are bad.
    • Not all whites are bad.
    • The riots are understandable - Don't loot family run/small business'.
     
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  9. safoya299

    safoya299 Donator

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    whewww chile i have a lot to say about this so let me share some more information and opinion. but before i do, i wanted to thank you for making this thread because politics and minority issues are one of my many passions and i love to discuss them, but i felt afraid to bring this topic to the forums just because of how many people tend to complain and say to keep politics off of a game. (but this is the real life stuff forum so fuk it)

    also if you dont live in the united states please stay educated regardless because these situations are not only national or local.. they occur on an international level. shit like this happens all over the world. its good to stay educated. i feel like this chapter of american history is going to be in the textbooks soon i wont even lie.

    1. derek chauvin is a sick individual. this would not be the first poc death on his hands. not only did he work together with george floyd just last year at a minneapolis club as security guards (this could NOT have been a third degree murder by definition), but he also murdered ira latrell toles, leroy martinez, wayne reyes, and 3 other people in the midst of a chase. he's also had over 10 reports against in him in relation to police brutality. this man is violently racist and needs some help.
    2. the peaceful protests were countered by the police in such an aggressive manner, that they caused anger. everyone is angry because floyd's death (may he rest in power) was absolutely unnecessary and honestly very much inhumane. this has happened many many times to innocent black men and for some reason, it tends to be exactly that demographic that is blamed for the same thing. there is no justifiable reason to take an innocent life. what people fail to recognize is that the burning and looting of the target and other cars were in fact caused and started by undercover and hired police, as well as white men in efforts to make the black community look like "thugs" as president trump so racistly described us as!!!! that does not go to say that black people are incapable of such actions, but they are just as capable as every other race.. including white people.
    3. this is nothing new. the outrage on social media by many influencers and news outlets has simply made more people aware of these tragedies. we cannot forget about people like jonathan ferrell, jordan davis, walter scott, rekia boyd, antwon rose jr, atatiana jefferson, john rawford, jamee jonson, freddie gray, ahmaud arbery, and countless other innocent lives taken at the hands of both implicit and explicit racism.
    4. silence is compliance!! i genuinely believe in this. i don't have anything else to say because my belief in this is firm and can be applied to many different situations. for those of us who have a mass presence on social media, it takes two seconds to share a donation link or to repost an awareness message. it takes a bit longer to make phone calls demanding justice, making donations ourselves, and educating our peers as to why these situations are wrong, and why change MUST come; however, it is necessary and not only by the black community to spread this education. all people must come together if this second 'pandemic' which has pretty much been rooted in this nation ever since its 'founding' is to disperse.
    5. i truly believe that those who complain about the constant posts on social media highlighting situations like this one, do not recognize that to have thought alone is a privilege. they do not have to fight for their lives and to be treated equally. they do not have to constantly have these discussions in order to protect themselves and educate the ignorant. if you don't believe there is mass racism and prejudice towards black people in the united states, and EVERY other nation (yes even other poc are racist as fuck to black people for no reason! their struggles have clearly not taught them to empathize!) then you are CHOOSING to be ignorant. come on. its 2020, please look at the roots of this nation and do some research.
    6. edit: i just want people to know that even mlk's son is claiming that his father would've been in support of these riots...
    being a black person in this country is super hard. being a triple minority in this country is hard. im a black, muslim, female. im glad these uncomfortable and difficult conversations are being had. a sad reality of mine is that i worry a lot about mine, my peers, and my family's safety. i live in northern virginia, which contrasts immensely with the rest of the state. northern va is quite safe in terms of racism and racist actions, but it still exists here. i still worry about my brother everytime he leaves the house. i even worry about myself a lot. bim tired of everything being about race. i wanna just be able to live without feeling like i will lack in opportunity because of the color of my skin. i am fluent in english. i was born in america. i am just as american as my white friend who is apparently related to george mason lol. basically what im saying is that i wanted to be treated equally and it sucks that i have to fight for it because people genuinely believe that i don't deserve it.

    anyways i just wrote so much that my brain is exhausted and fried and ive spent this past week educating and having discussions with both some of my RACIST family and peers it sucks but it is what it is. we can only move forward. if i can think of more to add i will edit this post lol feel free to discuss with me or reply with thoughts i am definitely interested


    EDIT: i am aware that some of my points above may have been supported by some inconclusive claims, however i still believe in what i said and i believe my points are fact. i'm not going to remove anything just add on because i don't want it to seem like im hiding my mistake. im aware and thank you guys for making me aware :)
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2020
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  10. Rob

    Rob Donator

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    "separate but equal" is still an issue today!
     
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  11. witchchick128

    witchchick128 Amity Blight Donator

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    ACAB, that's it
     
  12. Smg

    Smg Retired | Also known as 'Phaithful' Donator

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    My opinion:

    What happened to him was murder. People have the right to protest and share their opinion in a public manner like some are doing but most of what we see in the news now is people taking it too far. Fires, looting places; come on, people have the right and good reason to be frustrated but performing acts like these are only going to hurt more people in the longrun. I'm not an expert on this but I can't pull myself to support some of the ways people are going on with expressing their opinions, the violent ways.

    I hate that racism is still a thing in our country, to an extent. Why can't we just accept people for who they are. Seriously: To me, I don't give two fucks about what your race, nationality, or gender is; I don't care about anything of that sorts. What defines a person to me is character and the true color of their heart. What matters is what's on the inside, not on the outside.
     
  13. Saul1337

    Saul1337

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    It boggles my mind how someone who is ''trained'' can kill a man this way.
    I can understand that it's a technique used during a struggle, but once someone has their hands on their back and four people on top of him that's when you have to let off those very dangerous techniques and let the restrains do their work. They would have achieved the same effect by just holding his legs and having someone hold his upper body, but why he chose to keep his knee on his neck for that long.. boggles my mind.

    From my understanding they arrested the officer and hopefully they do a full investigation on the situation and maybe America for once does something smart and starts training them all together instead of having departments doing whatever the fuck. For everyone's sake.

    And for the rest, idk man I can only see so much from the internets pov but it's all pretty fucked up.
    I don't get some of the things being said, and I think that a majority in some protest are just using it to mask the fact that they're out there to loot.

    I don't think America will ever be at rest anymore, just one big racial mess with just extreme rights and extreme lefts clashing.
     
  14. SLVSHPANDA

    SLVSHPANDA Custom Title Donator

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    I think everyone here can establish that his death is in fact murder, and that he's only being charged with (I believe) third-degree murder/manslaughter is a fucking joke. I want to talk about the current situation with looting and riots and such because the main point with black lives matter, and such, has been covered by just about everyone, but the effects of this protest isn't really spoken about nearly as much.

    I agree with the fact that 'violent' protests is good at this point in time. Time and time again, minorities (especially blacks) in America have been treated unfairly and the pain and suffering caused by actions by people in positions of power is starting to really show now. Peaceful protests have been happening for a couple years with media coverage (as far as I can remember) and fuck all has been done. There is no signs of progress and in this time period of 2020, we would at least see much more progress in terms of equality and such. It is unfortunate such a big issue is still prevalent in a developed nation. The only way you can cause change now is through causing noise, if you want to call it that.

    Unfortunately, the indirect effects of the destruction being caused are small business owners. There are many immigrants who worked their way up from nothing and their business is all the family has; their livelihood you may say. What happens when people start destroying your workplace and your livelihood? I feel as if the anger is being targeted at the wrong people. Protesters want something or someone to let loose on, and it's clear that the target is anything. Innocent families are having their lives torn apart as well due to all this rioting. If there is any building that should be targeted, it's the police department. Why destroy shit that isn't merely related to your cause?

    On top of that, I also understand that there are people who are exploiting this looting shit to rob for the sake of robbing. There is literally no point in stealing anything. If you want to fight for a cause, do it right. Don't start fucking with everyone else's stuff and pretend you're fighting for injustice when really, you're the one contributing to it indirectly. Everything is starting to get blurred these days, and shit's going downhill.

    I'd also like to point potential global impacts and how the only other powerhouse that could compete with the US is probably just watching and laughing. I'd hate to say it, but China already has the resources to control the world, and with stuff like this happening in the US, it could be a catalyst to bring them to its knees. There's plenty of implications that stem out from this, and it shows the world how unstable America is currently. This is of course from a bigger perspective but the main point is that this is not just affecting inequality anymore.


    Is there a source on this? I've heard faint rumours of this but nothing with credibility.

    I believe this isn't just limited to black people, but it's absolutely more prevalent for black people. Any POC in America seems to be treated like fucking dirt, especially in the more regional areas. That being said, POC are also capable of being racist towards each other, as you mentioned, but it goes in every direction.


    Racism will always exist no matter what, or at least that's what I believe. The environment people grow up in definitely plays a huge role in whether people turn out racist or not. Not only that, but superiority complexes and having delusional beliefs does not help either. It's heavily unfortunate that many people are still very close-minded and not willing to change, but this is the world we live in. You can do your best, but bias, whether it be due to ethnicity or gender or age, will have a place (sadly) within humans.

    This is probably the scariest part of it all. As I said in my own statement, the only powerhouse that can really compete with America is China, so if shit like this blows up to the point where it can't settle down properly, it's game over in my opinion. I don't even understand how the fuck the US Dollar is the central economy of the Western world when they're trillions of dollars in debt; it's absolutely ridiculous and mind-boggling.
     
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  15. MC_Scout

    MC_Scout Fearless Leader Staff Member Manager

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    The death is unfortunate and the cop deserves whatever prison time he gets but, facts are important yo.
    This is flat wrong, but everyone is getting this wrong.
    First Degree murder is intentionally killing someone AND with some aggravating factor. Second Degree murder is just intentionally killing someone. 3rd degree murder is when you unintentionally kill someone, but the actions were clearly something that could be direct and proximate cause of the persons death. The classic case here is someone shooting a gun randomly into a crowd.
    It's entirely possible that chauvin intentionally killed Floyd intentionally, but the state has to be able to prove it. Clearly, they don't have enough evidence to prove it, so it's Murder III. Weather or not he knew Floyd is irrelevant.
    I actually looked up the news stories for all of these because something didn't seem right. Yes he killed these three people, but in all three cases his actions were justified. Not every police shooting is unjustifiable.
    This is the only thing that is concerning in the first point you made. But this goes to a bigger problem: Police departments in the US are underfunded and as a result incompetent at times.
    Yes. Police are going to be at a protest, to protect everyone there. It's kind of their job. Police also, rightly, show up in riot gear to some of these because they are grossly out numbered by the crowd and need to protect themselves. Riot gear is designed to look dehumanizing,
    I agree that Floyd shouldn't have died. I agree that chauvin was either grossly negligent or malicious, and deserves to be locked away. I do not agree that black people are the only victims of police misconduct. I think the bigger issue is that some police are just incompetent and we dont' have enough funding allotted to solve the issue.
    I mean I'm sure this is true at one protest, but to say that this is what caused all the riots is grossly unsupported.
    Peaceful protests are fine, violent protests are not.
    Except many of these result in protests too? This is leads to my biggest issue with the protests: they aren't doing anything. Most people are well aware that there are problems with the police in America. So spreading awareness, while with good intention, doesn't really get at anything. BLM talks about holding people accountable, so propose legislation that does so. Simply demanding vague change isn't going to actually cause change. In previous civil rights protests, there was very clearly an end goal in mind, I think your cuase would have significant more impact if there was some tangible thing proposed to lawmakers.
    This I agree with.
    Yes, I agree there are problems with how minorities are treated, but again, how is protesting going to change it?
    Now at the same time...
    I genuinely believe that most people protesting are doing it peacefully, and that only a few people are resorting to violence. The problem is that, just like the police, all it takes is one bad person out of the group to ruin it for the rest of the group.
     
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  16. rosellavio

    rosellavio Donator

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    I am sick and tired of people being killed or abused by cops (and others) simply because their skin colour is different. The situation with George Floyd broke my heart and I am absolutely furious with everyone who believes that he deserved to die.
    I am trying to go to a protest but there aren't many near where I live.

    REST IN PEACE
    Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Travon Martin, George Floyd, Regis Korchinski and many many others.
    To me, no lives matter until black ones do. #blm #acab
     
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  17. 00000000000

    00000000000 Donator

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    Agreed, it's really sad.
     
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  18. rosellavio

    rosellavio Donator

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    To me it is more than sad, It's disgusting.
    I am very proud of everyone supporting BLM, yet there are white people who are saying the n word and sitting in their rooms thinking they're oppressed when an entire crisis, as well as a global pandemic, is happening right inside their country. I do not associate with them because they make me physically sick.
     
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  19. Starixty

    Starixty Donator

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    SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK. Literally so many people who aren’t black who say the n-word, steal our culture, and everything decided to stay silent in times like this. It’s disgusting.
     
  20. ANumber2Pencil

    ANumber2Pencil Resigned ______________________________________ Donator

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    I have had protests/riots in my own city and we now have an 8 pm curfew. It's absolutely sick how unjust our "justice" system is towards people of color. It also goes beyond police brutality, but with sentencings and large numbers of wrongly convicted people of color. While I don't necessarily condone some of the behavior exhibited by some of the rioters, who just go and loot stores for their own personal gain, I do see a need for these protests and I hope it does cause something to change in our society.
     
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