Bigotry comes in all forms

Someone that I consider a good friend shared this today with the caption "TRUE STORY". I've known for some time that she's on the far end of the political spectrum from me but this surprised me. If you can relate to this post, I feel truly sorry for you.

That man in the USA hat would probably be one of the only people to stop and help you on the side of the road. He'd gladly travel miles with his truck and boat to help people in need during flooding or a hurricane.

To base your opinion on a group of people solely based on a USA hat and confederate flag sticker makes you no better than someone that avoids black people because of the acts of a few. Bigotry and hatred come in all forms and I think the last few years have made it clear where the majority of the bigots will cast their vote.

They don't care about the truth

I recently read an article where a police officer gave his account of an altercation where he almost shot an unarmed black man. Turns out, the suspect resisted and ran and DID have a gun that he ditched in the bushes shortly before the cops caught up to him again. This cop did not shoot but he wanted to share his experience and what went through his mind while he decided how to proceed with the scenario.

The officer's chief later took down the post and apologized for it. Why? If people actually wanted the truth they would demand both sides of the story. I find it deeply disturbing that people refuse to accept that police officers are human. They have to make split second decisions that could cost them, or someone else, their lives. Most of them don't take that responsibility lightly. For anyone to say that they don't want to hear it from the perspective of the other parties involved makes it clear to me that these "protesters" have no interest in real justice or the truth.

They don't care what officers go through on a daily basis. They don't want to hear how many encounters police have with citizens or suspects that didn't end badly. They definitely don't want to hear about the # of times an officer hesitated and lost his own life because of it. They just want to look at the few isolated cases, omit many of the key factors leading up to the end result and focus solely on what fits their racist narrative.

It's time for us to demand that all sides of the story are heard. Demand that our leaders start supporting our law enforcement officers and stop apologizing because the facts don't fit the narrative that the system is racist.

The facts are almost never what the media puts out to the public. They no longer have any concern for reporting the facts and verifying those facts prior to publication. It's time to hold them accountable for the racial divide that they have pushed in our country.

Defund the Media

I miss the days when you could read the news and be confident that they are presenting the facts in an unbiased fashion, allowing the reader to form their own opinion and do a little research to find out more. These days, within 5 minutes of an event happening, the media seems to know everything about the past of the person they perceive as the "offender" and their minds are made up about exactly what happened. 

The headline and story are always biased toward the beliefs of the author or media outlet and NEVER present a simple summary of the known, and proven, facts at the time. There is always speculation about what happened and assumptions of why the actions were taken.

Even worse is the # of people that blindly believe what the mainstream media tells them. They refuse to believe that there are other sides to the story and they cannot fathom that the media might not be telling them the truth. They can't see that the spin in the headlines is created to form the readers opinion before they even read the story, which many folks don't do at all.

Media outlets need to take more responsibility for their stories, falsehoods and lies and be expected to pay damages when they deliberately slander someone for ratings. Because, let's be honest...all their are doing is trying to push their agenda and generate more divide in our country.

These media outlets need to be held to a higher standard because their entire goal, at this point, is to sway the people rather than report the facts. Let's start with Rachael Maddow and Don Lemon. Those are 2 of the most vile, hateful people on the face of the earth. You can't even have a civil conversation with either of them because they will just continue to talk/yell over anyone that doesn't appear to agree with them. Why do people even listen to them anymore?

Do black lives really matter?

Black lives matter... That phrase is all over social media these days. Problem is, black lives only seem to matter when they are killed by a white cop. Where is BLM when blacks are killing each other in Chicago EVERY SINGLE DAY? Where were they when a black retired officer was killed trying to defend a friend's store that was being looted and destroyed by rioters? Where were they when a food truck vendor was killed while trying to make a living during these violent "protests"?

If you're going to claim black lives matter then you'd better be just as outraged by blacks killed by blacks as you are those killed by a white cop. You'd better be even more enraged when black business owners are attacked and their stores destroyed in the midst of your "protest".

These people are destroying their own neighborhoods, for what? What lesson does that teach corrupt cops? What change does that make when you continue to vote in the same democrats year after year when they continue to do nothing for your community? Do you know what your violent actions show the rest of the world? It shows me that you are vile, inhumane people that don't give a shit about George Floyd. You wanted a crisis so you could continue to play the victim while blaming everyone else for your failures. You're using George's death as an excuse to violate the rights of others while claiming that yours have been taken away. 

You want to know why so many folks are leery of black people? Because of folks like those that are "protesting" by attacking other people. By ruining the livelihoods of people that had nothing to do with George's death. The looting of stores caused businesses to shut down, putting people out of work. So all you've done in your search for "justice" is make yourselves look like animals, lose support from over half the country and hurt thousands of innocent people, many of whom are black as well. 

You have a right to be irate. Your anger is justified. What happened to George Floyd should have never been allowed and the entire country is in agreement that these officers should be charged with murder. You DO NOT have the right to infringe on other people's rights in order to express that anger. At least not without consequences. 

So, if you're going to attack innocent people & businesses, burn down buildings and disregard barriers and requests from law enforcement that are in place to keep people safe...don't complain when people fight back. Don't play the victim or cry injustice when a business or homeowner shoots someone for attacking their home or store. Don't cry about excessive force when you get in a cops face in an attempt to push through a security barrier and they pepper spray you or throw you down and arrest you.

We are through with your excuses. There is no reason for police brutality. There's even less reason for these riots and attacks that are happening as a result. You must learn that your vote is the most powerful tool of all if you want change. It's time to clean house and get rid of the folks that have been telling you what's best for many years. Stop blindly following what they say. Do some research and vote for the change you claim you want. Because the current method you're employing leads me to believe you like playing the victim.