This was posted by a friend~

[aftermidnight]

I hesitated to respond here as at times I've had to pry not one but two feet out of my mouth. Not good at putting my thoughts into words, actually getting my point across . I've read through this thread several times and I think I actually get or think I do at what Ridge is saying. I didn't get far in school due to circumstances so I'm mostly self taught but I have to say my thoughts are along the same line as Ridge's. We can't change the past, it is what it is but we can learn from it, try and do better. There will always be bad people but there's also a lot of good ones. Hopefully the good will overcome. When it comes right down to it the only one you can control is yourself, live by example and hope others will follow. No bad guys allowed . Do I have to now.

Annette

 

[valley ranch]

Wonderful Annette~ OK no bad guys~ I like that~ I think we all like that```

 

[Ridgerunner]

Annette said it better than I can. I think all the posts on this thread about Muslims, Middle Easterners, Christians, Blacks, and Native Americans owning slaves is a distraction. They all did. I'm not sure about Native Americans but all the others plus a lot of other groups do today. It's not everybody in any group, just some. What good does it do to blame somebody, present or past? Instead of laying blame why don't we look for a solution. Blaming specific groups is not a way to find a solution, it just makes finding a solution harder. In my opinion it is part of the problem.

Is that plain enough?

 

[valley ranch]

America has the solution~ and solved the problem```

 

[Ridgerunner]

America has the solution~ and solved the problem```

Could you please explain that solution. Or maybe it would help if you would explain your version of the problem.

My version of the problem is that American citizens are being harassed by law enforcement officials for walking down the street because of the color of their skin. American citizens are pulled over more often because of the color of their skin. Some American citizens are being killed because of the color of their skin. It's not every cop that does this and it's not every police department that sweeps it under the rug or even encourages it, but American citizens are afraid of the police that are supposed to protect them because of the color of their skin. That fear is often based on personal experience. Mothers are worried about their kids getting home from school safely because of the color of their skin. These are not just the people that live in high crime areas. It's not people wearing gang colors getting stopped. This can happen to people dressed decently and minding their own business.

Through the decades some people, black and white, have tried to draw attention to this problem, sometimes through peaceful means, sometimes with violence. There has been tremendous progress. I was around in the 50's and 60's. I went through a high school integration. I heard some things said in church Sunday school that disgusted me then. Separate doors into buildings, separate bathrooms, could not eat together, it was dangerous for blacks and whites to even mingle in public. A lot of progress has been made.

Despite this progress, American citizens whose families have been American citizens for generations are afraid of the police that are supposed to protect them because of the color of their skin.. They've recently tried protesting when a black is shot by the police, demanding it not be swept under the rug. Sometimes these protests have been peaceful, sometimes they turn into a riot. If you pay attention you'll notice that in the cities that the people have some trust in the police department and elected officials it's usually peaceful, but in cities where they do not trust the police department or elected officials it's often a riot. Not every time either way of course, but often. These demonstrations seem to have helped. It's caused a lot of elected officials and police departments to look at their policies and make adjustments. Not all, but a lot.

It's still going on. Not so much blacks being shot by the police because of the color of their skin, that seems to have dropped some. But the harassment of American citizens because of the color of their skin goes on. They are trying a way to bring this to a lot of people's attention by kneeling. It's not a disrespect to the flag, our country, or our soldiers, it's a cry for help. So how do people respond? Those that already understood understand. Those that don't respond by Oh, you are insulting me by the peaceful legal way you are trying to get the message out. Can you go do that in the parking lot of somewhere else where you don't inconvenience me or make me have to think about it.

I know this is long, maybe you don't see much meat in it, but to me the problem is that people are too busy looking for ways to be insulted instead of trying to figure out why it's going on. They are simply not listening.

 

[valley ranch]

Hi Ridge~ I see where you’re coming from and understand what you are saying``` People in communities around the country ~ are asking, begging for protection from their neighbors~ Ridge~ People of the same color’’’

These people deserve police protection~ they are, they say, being robbed, raped and preyed upon on in terrible fashion and it seem true’’’

In some places the police force has backed off~ stopping people to check for weapons~ stolen items like cars, jewelry or If the minor in the car is there willingly~ they’ve stopped policing an area because of the complaints and accusations such as the ones you’ve mentioned these officers are of all races ``

People are left to the mercy of the merciless``` Our police, our Army our country is manned by Americans black, yellow, white and red~ in some areas they are mostly black~ they have a hell of a time giving service and protection to certain communities~ and I think you know this```

You and I have both heard white and colored peoples talking **** about the other side~ because some have drawn up sides``` What people say in Locker Room conversations is crap```

What you are saying is bULL sHip?~ You don’t have to love me~ and Ridge~ I don’t have to love you~ what we must do is allow each other to do our lives here in the freest country in the world~ I’ve been in other countries as well as you have~ lived as long or longer~ and seen as much or more```

You’ve made it sound as though you’ve been inside groups heard talk about ~ Killing the Pig ~` Offing the hog~ Killing our service personal Police and military~` Stuff them Ridge~ they are the Raciest you’re looking for~ not our fellow Americans whether we are on the police force or working in a store or are the bad white man or the bad black man~ their countryman```

No one does a service to America by division~ we’ve had several years of that~ it’s time to work together~ fix thing that have been damaged or went unused ~ do for our Country~ together ~ I don’t have to be first in line nor you```

 

[digitS']

Richard,

The US population has grown since 1992 but the FBI has the occurrence of violent crime down by nearly 1/3rd as of 2014.

https://www.bjs.gov/ucrdata/Search/Crime/State/TrendsInOneVar.cfm

Steve

 

[bobm]

Ridge, you seem to have an issue with our police force and that they are going after someone due to the color of their skin. I was in the life insurance business . I had an occation where I had to deliver a death benefit to a black family after the death of the husband and father in a Sacramento. Cal. very large mixed race neighborhood apartment complex. As I parked my car and started to walk between buildings, I was stoped at least 6 times by black men who asked me " whitey, what are you doing here? " " What you whant, whitey? " one of these guys had a switch blade knife , opened and closed it several times. Another had a large husting knife and didn't have a smile on his face. Another one had a pistol tucked in his belt and told me to leave NOW. Was that harassment or not ? I felt that my life was threthened , or do you think that it was ? Our son , a student at Fresno State lived in a apartment with his wife and 3 little kids near the University. Their apartment was brocken into by guys that apeared to be from south of the border ( as witnessed by other neighbors in adjoining apartments ) 3 times within 4 months with many valuable items stolen. Another time 3 illegals were breaking into his car just as he was arriving at the scene and they attacked him. He was told many times to move out by those of a darker colored shin. Only those with white skin was burglarised and / or harrassed. Our daughter, while she was in high school in Clovis, Cal., as well as any other white girl that wanted to go to the girl's bathroom, were constantly harrased and propositioned by Hmong high school boys that where the sons of refugees from Viet Nam. The high school principal and staff feared to do anything about it for fear of being accused of being racist in public, but they were told that in private by these boys. I and several other parents funally had enough and whent to the school board and soon the school board had an unarmed policeman patrol near the girls' rest rooms. What do you think ?

 

[digitS']

It probably serves little purpose to either continue this or to leave @bobm and @valley ranch to themselves.

Their distrust of the "other" is so very severely pronounced:

get-yee-hence

Nov 15, 2017

there can be no way forward. Bye.

Steve

 

[sumi]

I think we're done here. Thanks for your participation everyone.