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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Police officers kneeling with protesters over George floyd

127 replies

makingmiracles · 31/05/2020 23:03

Have seen the pictures, they make me feel quite uncomfortable. I understand they are kneeling in forgiveness but it seems quite distasteful given how the poor man died. Aibu?

OP posts:
Madein1995 · 01/06/2020 23:30

YABU. Attitudes towards the police in general (as opposed to the disgusting murdering kind) have saddened me the past few days. Not as much as this tragic killing, but they have still saddened me. Not all police are racist. Shock horror, some of them are black themselves. There must be hundreds of thousands all over the world absolutely sickened by recent events, far more than those who condoned the dreadful actions.

There are kind, nice, normal police officers. They're not all racist thugs. Much like not all nurses are Angel's of death, not all firemen like burning down buildings, not all headmasters enjoy bullying small children and not all prison officers enjoy humiliating prisoners. The actions of a few does not equal all.

Yes there are bad police. Yes there are disgusting vile humans in the police force who use their power as a weapon and enjoy terrorising people. There are also many more decent police officers. For fucks sake, the decent olice kn this country risk their lives every day . They're understatfed, unsupported , underpaid. And the majority do a fucking good job. I work with the police in my role and the ones I know are some of the bravest, intelligent and decent human beings I know. They're all disgusted by recent events and they post on social media absolutely condemning it.
Who would you turn to OP if you was assaulted at work? Who would you turn to if your partner was stabbed and killed? Who would support you if you reported a sexual assault? Who would you call if your teen didnt come home one night? Who do you turn to If your bag is stolen?

There are many bad apples in the police. The Us and UK situations are so different, less racism and the police certainly have less power and control here. The majority of the people in this country (admittedly not those who have had bad experiences, but then again a nurse being aggressive towards me and denying me pain meds and inferring I'm a time waster wouldnt make me avoid the entire medical profession), turn to the police when things go tits up. They expect e police to know what to do and to basically make it go again, using very simplistic language. Again this is UK not US , where the gun culture and racism is much more overt and problematic. I very much doubt that a person walking to the shop innocently gets shot dead by the police here not least because deadly force is the most extreme and rarely used.

Killing black people is disgusting. Racism is disgusting. Painting the entire police force the world over as racist thugs simply widens the divide. It creates hostility towards the police. It creates problem estates and lawlessness. It allows thugs in suits to implement aggressive policing. Most importantly it undoes any good work thsy has been done in building community relations, creates more social problems and is s sure fire way of ensuring victims dont report crimes.

JoMarches · 01/06/2020 23:40

I have to say, I too am very surprised that so many people have never heard of the ‘taking a knee’ movement. It hasn’t been around a few months, it has been going on for a few years! And is widely documented and referred to, both in USA and UK. And I agree, it shows that people don’t wish to educate themselves on issues of racism. “It doesn’t concern me, I’m not racist.’
People who are shocked/amazed at the recent killings being discussed, really shouldn’t be. This is happening all the time. We are seeing the tip of the iceberg.
Racism isn’t just white American cops killing black people.
It’s everyday, it’s all around us. And we need to stop scrolling by and start reading and listening and educating ourselves in how we can really help, educate our kids, be more understanding.
Because until we all accept that we are part of the problem, and not just white American cops, we won’t get anywhere.
For those who had never heard of it, read up on it and discuss it with your friends.
Don’t shy away from this. We need to do more that add a sad face emoji to our news feed, and say how could they?

Swiftsseason · 01/06/2020 23:41

Not just racism, also sexism and classism police struggle with (Rotherham) as well as disbablism and I'm sure many other isms...

Grilledaubergines · 01/06/2020 23:53

How can people google something they don’t know exists? It’s not about “white privilege”, but let’s spout that as a way of shutting white people down. You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t. Try and have empathy, and it gets thrown back in your face. As a white person, I’m not prepared to walk on eggshells so that someone can tell me about my white privilege.

StoneofDestiny · 02/06/2020 00:05

Liverpool Football Club kneel in solidarity

Police officers kneeling with protesters over George floyd
BlackBucketOfCheese · 02/06/2020 00:17

The fact you aren’t aware just means you are privileged enough not to care. Let’s stop the feigned ignorance, it’s tiresome.

what emotive language
Yes, because the facts over years and years don’t get through. Now is the time to call out the ignorance and ask people to take time to learn and then engage and then fight for our lives.

BlackBucketOfCheese · 02/06/2020 00:20

As a white person, I’m not prepared to walk on eggshells so that someone can tell me about my white privilege.

Seems you’re happy to stay in your bubble.

It is a privilege to learn about racism when some of us are living it every day.
Take some time out of your life and learn about the ways society is stacked against certain groups, take some time to do it for yourself and once you have some facts come and ask us how you can help to change the situation.

BeardedMum · 02/06/2020 00:30

I take issue with being labelled an ignorant racist living in a white privilege bubble just because I have not come across this kneeling practise before. Be careful labelling people as racists or not caring about racism based on so little information about someone.

Coyoacan · 02/06/2020 02:42

Now is the time to call out the ignorance and ask people to take time to learn and then engage

However we are being called names for asking questions. If we weren't interested and didn't care, we wouldn't bother to ask.

I live in Mexico and don't follow any sports. I do follow the grotesque way that blacks are treated in the USA and know some lovely quiet young black men in England who are constantly being stopped by the police.

I understand the rage that people are feeling right now but not immediately recognising one symbol does not mean that I don't care.

HoldMyLobster · 02/06/2020 02:44

One of the few things that's made me feel some hope this evening has been the sight of police officers - in my state and others - taking a knee with protestors.

emojisarentwords · 02/06/2020 02:47

I thought the same OP but clearly we are in the minority here

HoldMyLobster · 02/06/2020 02:53

Those of you who find the kneeling distasteful will be delighted to know Donald Trump agrees with you.

www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41407176

"US President Donald Trump has stepped up his criticism of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, calling them "disgraceful".

Speaking at a White House press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Mr Trump said the NFL should ban players from kneeling."

PickUpAPickUpAPenguin · 02/06/2020 03:05

Trump's rants about NFL players kneeling educated me about this.

You can't criticize people for not knowing. Perhaps the critics are the ones living in a bubble where people read and watch the news?

USirName · 02/06/2020 03:14

I wish more police departments would respond this way. The video from Flint was wonderful too. The police joined the march (without batons and helmets), and allowed the protesters to grieve and have a voice.

PickUpAPickUpAPenguin · 02/06/2020 03:23

I wish Trump understood why they were kneeling.

saraclara · 02/06/2020 07:54

Now is the time to call out the ignorance and ask people to take time to learn and then engage

However we are being called names for asking questions. If we weren't interested and didn't care, we wouldn't bother to ask.

The latter is a fair point. I can totally understand the frustration black people feel at both a) people's ignorance and b) being asked to explain all the time. But unfortunately the answer to ignorance IS asking questions and trying to empathise.

But...
It is curious to see how we are being called ignoramuses for not knowing the ins and outs of a protest movement in the USA? Considering that this site is based in the UK. Would you be equally shocked if we didn't know similar details about India or Kenya?

I'm in the UK @Coyoacan. I spent a week in the US ten years ago, well before taking a knee became a thing. And that's my only direct experience of the country.
I know about taking a knee because it was all over our news media. TV, newspapers, sport IN THE UK. You're not required to know all the ins and outs of it, but I remain amazed that anyone in the UK hasn't heard of it at all.

So yep, I think it's important that people follow news media one way or another. I don't watch TV news any more because I find it pretty stressful these days. But I do read a broadsheet newspaper online every day or listen to news on my car radio. I suggest that maybe you should? I genuinely think that information is power. If we don't know what's going on in the world, we're at a disadvantage.

shinyredbus · 02/06/2020 08:01

Maybe do you research - it’s a sign of solidarity, google is your friend.

ITonyah · 02/06/2020 08:26

Those of you who find the kneeling distasteful will be delighted to know Donald Trump agrees with you
I don't remember reading that anyone found it distasteful for any reason other than they didn't realise the significance of it.

And I'm not sure why using Google is acceptable but asking a RL person isn't.

Jangirl2018 · 02/06/2020 08:32

@Coyoacan

Why would I not care about the inhumanity meted out to black people every day of the week in the USA. I just didn't know about the knee-bending and when I don't know something I ask and don't expect to be humiliated and called a racist for asking a question.

May want to read what you wrote again. Your question was along the lines of ‘why would we know what happens in the US’ as if it’s impossible to know what happens over there once it makes the news. I pointed out how bloody stupid and privileged that was.

TabbyMumz · 02/06/2020 08:35

"If you understood where taking a knee started you wouldn’t ask this."
But that's the point isnt it. People here havent heard of it, so were asking about it. I think its rude people being snotty about others not knowing about it and saying things like you need to educate yourself as if they are thick. When new movements start, it takes time for people to hear about it, especially in other countries.

ITonyah · 02/06/2020 08:36

Presumably all these posters calling people both stupid and privileged for not knowing everything that's going on in the news, know everything that's going on in the news?

CrowdedHouseinQuarantine · 02/06/2020 08:37

I know what you mean op

CrowdedHouseinQuarantine · 02/06/2020 08:38

i initially wondered but then did realise it must mean something, and lo, it does

iVampire · 02/06/2020 08:43

It takes less than five seconds to type 'take a knee' into google

Though to be fair, I don't think anyone was specifically asking BAME posters to explain. None of us know who's BAME and who isn't on here

a) if you don’t know the phrase ‘take a knee’ then you won’t be googling it, and other search terms are likely at the moment to return hits to the crime

b) agree that no-one knows which posters are BAME

c) wondering if those who think other MNetters, including those in affected group, have been around long enough to remember how often this has featured on MN - notably (and IMO regrettably) icw disability issues. And that it is MNHQ explicit policy to allow threads where people ask (no matter how provocatively) for explanations. And that included on threads started for quite a different purpose, thereby detailing them. It’s why threads in SN topics don’t routinely appear in ‘active’. It is a common and permissible posting style on MN. Members of an affected group saying they don’t want to have to do it, has never had any traction in getting MNHQ to change policy on this

ITonyah · 02/06/2020 08:46

iVampire

I was thinking exactly this! Old enough to remember when SN was taken out of active.