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Can't believe it!

(256 Posts)
phoenix Sat 30-May-20 16:23:47

No one has posted about George Floyd!

Disgraceful killing.

Are we unable to look beyond our own immediate locality? Have we stopped caring about anything beyond bloody Covid 19 and the fact we can't see our grandchildren?

Sorry, not my usual sort of post, will don my tin helmet and get behind the sofa.

ladymuck Sat 30-May-20 16:27:22

Perhaps everyone is waiting for someone else to start the ball rolling.

Pittcity Sat 30-May-20 16:27:36

I think it's a case of "it's not in the UK so it doesn't matter!"

The news headlines are Thousands die in Africa and Princess gets new dress.....guess which gets top billing?

Buffybee Sat 30-May-20 16:31:31

A couple of days ago, this clip came up on a newsfeed and for a few seconds I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
I am totally incensed, angry beyond belief and sad for the loss of that poor mans life.
The officer killing him and the others stood by should be arrested for murder.
Pure and simple.

Oopsminty Sat 30-May-20 16:31:35

I was wondering about that, phoenix

We were horrified when we saw this horrendous footage

Just horrific

Pleased to hear they've been sacked and that one has been arrested for murder with the others possibly following

MerylStreep Sat 30-May-20 16:32:10

I've been talking about it a lot on FB.
GN seems to have only one topic of conversation at the moment so i didn't bother.

AGAA4 Sat 30-May-20 16:33:38

That was so brutal. I saw it on the news and just wanted to scream "Get off him!"

It doesn't matter where in the world these things happen it always shocks and upsets me.

ladymuck Sat 30-May-20 16:34:49

Just two questions I would like to ask.....What happened immediately before the man was held down, was the policeman using reasonable force to restrain a dangerous criminal....and would there be the same outrage if the man had been white?

Oopsminty Sat 30-May-20 16:42:19

That's 3 questions, ladymuck

There is footage online of what happened before. He was ordered out of his car due to the fact he'd tried to buy items with a forged 20 dollar note .

He had got out of the car, didn't resist arrest and was handcuffed.

He wasn't a dangerous criminal. He'd had some run-ons with the police a decade ago but all he'd done this time was use a dud note

Of course there would have been the same outrage if he'd been white

But it wouldn't have happened to a white man

CherryCezzy Sat 30-May-20 17:07:56

I'm ignoring your first and third questions as I think Oopsminty has answered them with clarity Ladymuck.
I don't understand how can you even ask your second question? What that officer did no matter what the suspected crime (innocent until proven guilty) doesn't merit that question at all. Since when has it ever been reasonable to suffocate a man to death.

eazybee Sat 30-May-20 17:13:03

There is nothing wrong in asking questions to establish facts.

crazyH Sat 30-May-20 17:13:38

Only n America !!!!!! The blacks are treated appallingly over there and Trump adds fuel to the fire ?

Shelmiss Sat 30-May-20 17:19:41

It’s an awful awful video and I cried when I watched it. The policeman rightly deserves to be tried for murder. Horrific footage.

Orangerose Sat 30-May-20 17:26:21

Shocking and appalling. Good post Oopsminty.

starbird Sat 30-May-20 17:26:33

President Obama is a distant memory and Martin Luther King forgotten history. It’s heartbreaking.

Why are the US police so racist? The whole institution needs a thorough overhaul from the top down.

Grandad1943 Sat 30-May-20 17:31:20

Just to widen the topic slightly, I have recently been watching " The Vietnam War" series on Netflix. Not only does that documentary follow the events on the ground throughout the conflict, but also the way the war grew divisions within America which brought forward the civil rights and Campus movements of the 1960s-70s.

Americans were lied too by their president's throughout that decade and a half and it ended with the United States as a nation virtually tearing itself apart in riots and confrontation.

Having watched the news over the last few nights it seems as if the same situation is once again developing in America, with a president that is constantly lying to the nation, a poor economic situation and race discrimination and inequality still rife in many states.

I genuinely fear for the future of the United States at present.

Dinahmo Sat 30-May-20 17:40:01

Following on: I watched a video taken by a middle aged black man (white collar) who was in a part of a park (in NYC I think) used by bird watchers. There are signs telling dog owners to keep their dogs on leads in that area. A young woman was ignoring the signs and the man asked to secure her dog. She had her phone out and after he'd asked her a few times she started screaming at him. She then phoned the police and asked them to come because she was being attacked and was going to be raped. The man filmed the altercation. He was standing still and several feet away from her at all times. The police came but no action was taken.

Later his sister posted his film on social media. This was seen by the woman's employers who immediately fired her.

These types of incidents happen all the time in America. A few weeks ago a black jogger was confronted by a retired policeman and his son who lived in the same neighbourhood as the jogger. A few seconds after the confrontation the jogger was shot by the son.

This took place in February. At first the story told by the white men was believed. Since then people have come forward with videos and the two men were arrested in early May.

I'm not sure that I see the point of starting a discussion on the subject of the killing of one more black person in America. The vast majority of us will appalled about we can do nothing about it. Perhaps it would be better to discuss the injustices in the UK.

EllanVannin Sat 30-May-20 18:02:21

I was incensed by the thuggery of the police and couldn't honestly watch what happened except those with common sense know that this practice cuts off the airway---bullies/thugs ! For 20 measly dollars !

Ladymuck for such a paltry offence it wouldn't have mattered what colour the offender had been. There's no need for such thuggery to exist in any police force.

EllanVannin Sat 30-May-20 18:02:22

I was incensed by the thuggery of the police and couldn't honestly watch what happened except those with common sense know that this practice cuts off the airway---bullies/thugs ! For 20 measly dollars !

Ladymuck for such a paltry offence it wouldn't have mattered what colour the offender had been. There's no need for such thuggery to exist in any police force.

Whitewavemark2 Sat 30-May-20 18:04:33

Starmer has been talking about it.

NotSpaghetti Sat 30-May-20 18:05:49

Perhaps it would be better to discuss the injustices in the UK.

This isn't just a UK website. And plenty of us do care about what's going on elsewhere.
There was a shooting of a young black man in Phoenix as well this week. He was sleeping in his car.
There is no footage of that but it has contributed to the protests in Arizona.

As my son said - "when did you last see a white guy shot on video?".

Too many killings of African Americans. Too many white police officers responsible.
Too many acquitted.

Kate1949 Sat 30-May-20 18:05:50

This murder was appalling. Some of us do seem to have stopped caring about anything other than Covid. Not having our hair done seems more important than the horrors going on elsewhere. Makes my blood boil.

CherryCezzy Sat 30-May-20 18:05:58

There's nothing wrong with discussing injustices in the UK and goodness knows there are many. It appears that we are as equally powerless to put an end to them here as we are to do anything about those in America.
Part of the problem is that the response is often a case of it is one more rather than one too many, that each incident is one only. In isolation, of course it is one incident but it does not stand alone when you can plainly see a lot of one incidents occurring.

Baggs Sat 30-May-20 18:06:40

I don't think not talking about something on social media (Gransnet in this case) necessarily means that you don't care.

Whitewavemark2 Sat 30-May-20 18:08:39

I think that’s right baggs