Will black lives ever matter?

[RockLock]

So another killing of a black man Ahmaud Arbery by 2 white men (Father and son) in US. They nearly got away with it calling it a citizen arrest and self defence. Father was a retired policeman.

They followed him, armed with guns and shot him.

Prosecutors tried to cover it up until the video emerged.
Ahmaud’s crime? He was going for a jog.

Will black lives ever matter?

JFC

This gets worse and worse.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8302641/Attorney-leaked-Ahmaud-Arbery-lynching-video-thought-CLEAR-friends.html

And also Trump is backing them. We can't possibly have all the facts to condemn them.

Tbh this kind of reply is rather dismissive of the people that at least try to get it ,help and listen.

I don't think comments like this help, though I understand what you're saying. It's a bit like saying 'Not All Men' in terms of feminism. The fact is, amongst many of the white community who truly believe they are supportive of Black Lives Matter, or truly believe themselves not to be racist, there are many who still will say something ignorant without any idea they've (at best) just stuck their foot in their mouth. I include myself in that. It's a balance between listening, caring for the issues but also not becoming over opinionated and believing we truly know what one particular community are feeling just because we can see the issues and are willing to listen.

Too many white people start claiming 'but all lives matter!', not out of racism (as the individual may see), but because they see it as being super inclusive. If we all matter, all think about each other as equal, then there won't be an issue - one big world hug, right? Be kind, and all that. That's why it feels like as a group (or it certainly comes over as on here), certain people are especially dismissive about how black (and other non-white) people are ignored with the huge issues facing them in the world.

All lives do matter but there isn’t a need for ‘white lives matter’. As a white woman I do not have to worry about being profiled because of my skin colour, I don’t get abused because of my skin colour and I don’t have to worry about being attacked for my skin colour.

I would love there to not be a need for ‘black lives matter’, or there to not be a need for diversity training, LBGQT groups etc because everyone is treated with respect regardless of their skin colour, religion, sexuality etc. Unfortunately I can’t ever see that happening in our life time.

Yes MouthBreathingRage. It reminds me of posts on the feminist boards of yore and some of the issues the Special Needs board had in the past. The idea that the onus is on the group who are suffering the prejudice to patiently educate those who are (often wilfully) ignorant of it and that some goady fucker posting shit is just an opportunity to spread awareness.

YANBU. I do fear now that Trump has added his words to this situation that justice will not occur. He states, "You know it could be something that we didn't see on tape." "There could be a lot of, if you saw things went off tape, and then back on tape." "I mean that to anybody that watched it, certainly it was a disturbing or troubling video." "BUT they have very good law enforcement in the state of Georgia and I'm sure they are going to come up with exactly what happened."

So once again another person and this time the effin President is stating that the victim could have done 'something' when off tape for 2 seconds and that law enforcemen will 'come up with the truth'. So the truth that we saw on the tape is put into question by the President, and in a few short lines he has given Georgia the ok to spin it how they see fit and he will back it. FFS

Ahh yes, the "only if you were nicer and willing to discuss/explain " bullshit. Completely ignoring the fact that a lot of assholes just want to say their piece and have no intention to understand or to be educated. Completely ignoring how exhausting, demoralising and endless it is to defend yourself and deal with prejudice and hatred over and over again. Then putting the blame for the "isms" at the feet of people suffering for it for not educating people. If only they were nicer, more open,more understanding the world would be a place full of love,rainbows,puppies and unicorns shitting glitter everywhere.

Bullshit.

What the president SHOULD have said is..

'The video alone is not proof, but it's damning on initial inspection. Given that, I'd like to know why the police have taken so long to act upon such initially damning evidence and when in fact they themselves first became aware of it'

Latest is that the person recording from the car behind is a friend of the arrested two and released the footage because he believed it would clear them. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Apparently if the victim had just stood still, no shots would have been fired...

It beggars belief.

It doesn't answer why he was taking the video in the first place though.
To document their good citizenship? I don't bloody think so.

The man who filmed joined the father and son in 'hot pursuit' as he put it. So really it was three men who chased after Ahmaud (an obvioulsy unarmed man). Wonder if he, the man filming, was also armed?

The posters who are trying to blow this off need to have a good hard think. Watch the video again with your brain turned on. It is broad daylight, and these men had their guns out and ready to go, pointed at an unarmed man jogging. Oh and the reports from the area proved there had been NO break-ins in the area. So why was he pursued and shot? There is only one answer.

This story is absolutely heartbreaking. I feel awful for Ahmaud and all his family and friends who have to come to terms with his tragic loss.

I’ve seen a lot of conflicting information on this story. Some are saying he was armed with a hammer whilst others are saying he was unarmed. There are also people questioning why he would be running in boots?

None of this obviously justifies the brutal attack he suffered. I just hope justice is done.

Oh FFS, now it's 'he may have had a gun back in 2013', and 'he may have shoplifted in 2018'. I have fucking had it with the American legal system, and all who support this kind of mentality. I remember watching the Rodney King video in the 90s, nothing has changed.

Note: The man who filmed is distressed because he has been receiving threats and has lost his job. How tragic . Apparently it hasn't occured to him that an innocent young man lost his LIFE.

Can't get over the first three comments on this thread. 2020 really is disappointing us on every level isn't it. Fucking hell.

@Creation have you watched the video?

We really @Creation you can watch it you realise, right?

@NearlyGranny its disgusting the whole thing. I hope it doesnt clear them really do and hope they also is consequence for him too. He didnt step in and try and help in anyway instead watched it.

And the victim blaming ahhh. If hadnt chased him then wouldn't have needed to stop cause wouldn't been there

I’ve seen a lot of conflicting information on this story. Some are saying he was armed with a hammer whilst others are saying he was unarmed.

He was unarmed and I believe this is undisputed.

No reputable news sources whatsoever have reported (let alone confirmed) that he was armed with a hammer.

So sharing that ‘some are saying’ is problematic in itself because it’s spreading erroneous information that clearly hasn’t been fact checked.

None of this obviously justifies the brutal attack he suffered.

So why does it take up about a third of your post along with his footwear?

I don't mean that in an aggressive way to you but it's something to think about.

If he was armed with a hammer then do you not think this would have been widely reported and verified?

This thread makes me feel so sad.

Why would he be jogging with a hammer?!
Have not read that anywhere and its worrying it's been said.

The hammer “rumour” I suspect is because people are trying to give more weight to the theory that he was out to burgle. There are so many people trying to justify his death which makes me sick to my stomach. I suppose we’ll have to wait for the court case for all the facts to be confirmed however, regardless of the ins and outs, those 2 men lynched him and deserve to serve lengthy prison sentences. I just know the American justice system doesn’t always seem fair so I’m praying that it’s proven he was simply out running unarmed so that the defence don’t get off with their “citizens arrest” argument. Those men deserve life for what they have done regardless!

If you see the full video - there are three shots about 2 seconds between each in a struggle. From the video alone, it seems more like a genuine struggle than a premeditated murder... but after the final shot (the first two appear to have missed him), the white guy does not appear to have an 'oh shit' moment.
I've never been in that situation, and hope I never am, but my gut feeling is that they intended to beat him, but it turned into a struggle immediately. If the gun went off by accident the first time, you'd think they'd be shocked back to reality, but no... there is a second shot, and then the fatal one. It DOES look unintentional (to me) but three accidental shots is almost impossible to believe.

The seeming lack of remorse right after looks terrible too. Maybe it's shock. I really don't know, but when you combine all the factors together, it just looks so bad.

Do you know how best to not "accidentally" shoot someone?

Don't accost them, unprompted and unnecessarily, as a civilian, holding a gun.

Why are people so desperate for this to not have been a case of clear racism resulting in death?

What's the motive for wanting that not to be the case when all the evidence points at it being the case? I don't get it.

I've never been in that situation, and hope I never am, but my gut feeling is that they intended to beat him, but it turned into a struggle immediately.

This was so troubling to read.

Your gut feeling is that they were going to kick the shit out of him but because he struggled aka defended himself and tried to get away, they "accidentally" shot him three times?

You've wrapped up by saying you think it's awful and they're guilty. But why all the qualifications and mitigating factors?

Someone defending themselves and trying to get away is I suppose a "struggle" of sorts but that description is unnecessary and implies an equal footing.

He defended himself, attempted to get away and was shot to death. In the middle of a street in February. And they were not charged until now. Fuck me, how much more clear cut can a case be.

I suppose we’ll have to wait for the court case for all the facts to be confirmed

This is America, so don't hold your breath

In my opinion, the very fact that they brandished the guns and approached him like they did, they took the risk of something like this happening and so should be charged with murder. Apparently they tried to block him in with the vehicles twice unsuccessfully before this final encounter. He must have been scared for his life and felt his only option was to try to defend himself.

I really believe their actions warrant a murder conviction.

Murder might be hard.
Gun culture in the USA is different. We might not like it here, but it is what it is in the USA.

Defence will claim it would be utter madness to set out to shoot someone in broad daylight and video it... with potential witnesses everywhere.
Prosecution will argue that they actively sought out trouble in a vigilante fashion, and made no obvious attempt to carry out a peaceful arrest.

The shooting doesn't look particularly controlled, but 3 accidental shots won't wash.

My hand on heart instinct says it's redneck vigilantes setting out to kick someone's ass on video, and it's gone horribly wrong very quickly. Which is what can happen when you mix aggression, guns, racism and vigilantism.

I do not understand the american obsession with guns but I know racism when I see it. 2 DA’s covered this up and tried to blame the victim. They had the video and they did not see anything in this video that would warrant the arrest of the father and son. They are only upset because we have seen the video.

What is astounding is that an attorney apparently uninvolved in this (but who clearly sympathises with the father and son) leaked the video online to prove the innocence of the father and son, claiming that Ahmaud shouldn’t have resisted when he had a gun pointed at him!! It beggars belief!

To all you voters who think IABU, you are ignorant, racist and part of the problem.