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AIBU?

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Original poster

When the looting starts, the shooting starts.

559 replies

Annamaria14 · 29/05/2020 10:27

Can you believe that Trump has just tweeted this comment? He is talking about the protests about George Floyd's death. He has also called the protestors "thugs".

Twitter has put a warning on his twitter post, saying that it "glorifies violence". It is also racist!

The "historical context" is a reference to the late 1960s, when the phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" was coined by Miami Police Chief Walter Headley, in reference to his aggressive policing policies in black neighbourhoods.

OP posts:
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17
Puzzledandpissedoff · 29/05/2020 20:45

These posts are mostly ignored because it's such a complex issue

Complex? Or perhaps merely inconvenient to point out that in turning on black businesses they're creating even more disadvantage among a community who are already disadvantaged enough?

x2boys I'm no expert in any legal system, never mind the US version, but I wondered the same. Perhaps they'd rather go for a charge they know will stick rather than risk the prosecution falling apart?
If the aim is to get him out of uniform and (hopefully) into a jail cell, I could hardly blame them for using the surest route

HelloToMyKitty · 29/05/2020 20:46

Erm. Hello I really do not think police violence against POC has 'improved'

I’m talking about justice for Floyd. Already the procedure has been improved. I can’t imagine Chauvin and his crew on paid leave, can you?

That is my point.

Justice is jailing these cops. Not burning down your neighborhood and hurting the livelihood of local business owners, many of them black and minority.

Who will want to invest in this community now? What will happen to the locals whose shops have been looted and/or destroyed? Do you think that

These rioters and looters don’t give a rats ass about Floyd. If they did, they’d listen to his family.

EveryoneLoves09876 · 29/05/2020 20:46

It's so awful. I don't know how it keeps getting worse.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 29/05/2020 20:50

Who will want to invest in this community now? What will happen to the locals whose shops have been looted and/or destroyed?

And what will happen to all the local people they employed?
It's hardly going to help job prospects when their places of work are burned down ...

dreamingbohemian · 29/05/2020 20:55

"In order for non-violence to work, your opponent has to have a conscience. The United States has no conscience."

Stokely Carmichael

AKissAndASmile · 29/05/2020 20:55

USA. The world is laughing in horror. Your country is seen as indecent and uncivilised. Forget about how we all loved MacDonald's, Hollywood, Friends and Woody Allen. That's finished. We are recoiling now.

Yes I know you individually perhaps did not vote for him but take a minute to think about how the rest of the world sees you. Do you remember the idea that all it takes for evil to flourish is good people doing nothing? That's not history or fiction or science fiction it's now, today. It's YOU.

Absolutely this.
Trump had the HUBRIS to call African countries shitholes when we all know which country is the real shithole. Corrupt, backwards, racist,. Where you can't even get healthcare if you don't have money.

AKissAndASmile · 29/05/2020 20:59

@HelloToMyKitty take your race hate crime apologist nonsense elsewhere. The amount of energy you're putting into arguing on Trump's side is staggering.

Colom · 29/05/2020 21:03

When we had very bad snow in Ireland one year, there was looting of some shops. Our prime minister did not go online threatening to shoot people!

Indeed. I believe it was ignored... wonder why that was? Hmm

FOJN · 29/05/2020 21:04

PlantPottingPlantPotting
In addition to the shooting he has a total of 18 complaints against him for improper conduct including violence. I saw the video and thought there was no way he wouldn't be charged with murder but then American posters on here seemed less sure that would be the outcome and now he's been arrested on a lesser charge than the crime deserves and I just wonder what has to happen before these crimes are taken seriously; he couldn't have committed a murder more blatantly.

HelloToMyKitty · 29/05/2020 21:05

take your race hate crime apologist nonsense elsewhere. The amount of energy you're putting into arguing on Trump's side is staggering

Please point out what I’ve said that is so racist.

Chillipeanuts · 29/05/2020 21:07

I’ve voted YABU.
Because yes, I absolutely can believe that Trump tweeted this.
Because he’s an imbecilic arsehole.

isadoradancing123 · 29/05/2020 21:09

He didnt actually say the protesters were thugs, he said the looters were, which is true they are

dreamingbohemian · 29/05/2020 21:09

All of you feeling sorry for the local business owners. I'm going to guess none of you have ever given a moment's thought to the welfare of the black community in Minneapolis MN before in your life. Until now when you can try to score some sanctimonious political point.

No one thinks it's wonderful that there's looting and arson. But we don't get to lecture people on how they should be responding to this situation. That's where you cross the line.

HelloToMyKitty · 29/05/2020 21:14

All of you feeling sorry for the local business owners. I'm going to guess none of you have ever given a moment's thought to the welfare of the black community in Minneapolis MN before in your life

Pretty racist for you to conclude that the black community are also not part of the local business community. There have been plenty of coverage of local business owners talking about how their businesses have been affected by the riots. Many of them were black or POCs.

They may or may not have insurance. Their insurance may not cover damage from rioting. Even if you do get the money, its not so easy to start over, especially in this horrible economic climate.

Original poster
Annamaria14 · 29/05/2020 21:18

I have to say that Trump has now clarified his remark. Apparantly he did not want people to be shot.

He has put up a new comment saying this. In fairness to him, the media can twist his words.

Trump has now said this:
"Looting leads to shooting, and that’s why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night - or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot. I don’t want this to happen, and that’s what the expression put out last night means....

OP posts:
Original poster
Annamaria14 · 29/05/2020 21:20

I read his words in an article where the journalist said that "looting leads to shooting" was a phrase originally used to threaten black lives.

So the media probably twisted the comment to make it sound bad.

Trump has now clarified what he meant - that he did not want people to be shot

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PlantPottingPlantPotting · 29/05/2020 21:23

@FOJN I can’t imagine the pain his family are feeling right now. I can’t imagine the pain & fear BAME Americans feel right now, I always thought if you charge with first or second degree murder it could be reduced to third or manslaughter, so why didn’t they charge him with 1st or 2nd then reduce to 3rd if they aren’t confident they could get a conviction. It seems they are setting him up to get a lesser charge by reducing the initial charges. Maybe I’m wrong as I don’t know much about the law. But one thing is for sure, what you said “ he had 8 minutes to think about what he was doing” he chose to murder George Floyd in broad daylight as he thought he’d get away with it. I’m wondering whether the police officer chose to put his hands around his neck & strangle him, would the charges still be the same as the intent is still the same. To kill someone with a part of your own body, whether that’s your hands, knee or feet, the initial intent is still the same.

Also, why was George on the floor for 8 minutes being restrained, he wasn’t resisting. Why didn’t they get him up and put him in the back of the police car? It doesn’t make sense to me

Poor George & his familyFlowers

PicsInRed · 29/05/2020 21:23

@HelloToMyKitty

Hong Kong protestors occupied and trashed an enormous university, a shopping mall, the government building and the entire CBD

Fair enough. Over a period of months there were some arson incidents and broken windows. But I never saw an entire store trashed with looters taking out whatever they could carry. They don’t care about BLM, they are pure opportunists and really hurting the cause

Oh, well then, let's do away with the entire movement and the entire cause just because of a minority of looters.

Is it too late to go back in time and undo the French Revolution? Lot of looting and naughty behaviour there too.

Or is it only Black people who are judged as the whole for the actions of the few?

PicsInRed · 29/05/2020 21:24

The focus on looting is racist, derailing bullshit.

dreamingbohemian · 29/05/2020 21:37

Hello no you are (deliberately?) missing my point. Obviously many of the local business owners are black, I didnt think that needed to be explained.

I'm saying those of you feeling all sorry for people in the black community who are suffering from the riots never gave a goddamn for the black community of Minneapolis until now. So you are in no position to judge.

dreamingbohemian · 29/05/2020 21:38

The focus on looting is racist, derailing bullshit.

Totally.

HelloToMyKitty · 29/05/2020 21:42

Dreaming it seemed you were separating the welfare of the black community with the concerns of local business owners, but they are not separate. Sorry if I misinterpreted but that’s what it seemed like in your post.

AKissAndASmile · 29/05/2020 21:43

The focus on looting is racist, derailing bullshit
This ^

And anyway, there were white looters as well. Why are you assuming they are all black Kitty?

x2boys · 29/05/2020 21:43

Absolutely Pics and ,now they are saying his death could have been contributed by substances in his system ,no idea if he had any substances in his system but even if he did surely a fucking knee on your neck would have compromised his breathing more ??

PicsInRed · 29/05/2020 21:48

they are saying his death could have been contributed by substances in his system

Utter bastards.

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