General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBlue Dawn
(892 posts)You can count on my doing exactly that!
blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)count me in.
YoshidaYui
(41,869 posts)for that matter.
blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)I'm always willing to stick up for the underdog.
summer_in_TX
(2,767 posts)The sad reason for that is this town once was a sundown town. We have a smattering of people of color, but this being Central Texas we have perhaps 30 percent Hispanic folks (at a guess).
Our law enforcement is hired by the county rather than our town so accountability is spread out over a purple county with a majority of Commissioners who are Rs.
We don't have media across the county to keep us informed, just newspapers in each town, most of them weeklies. Some small radio stations, but dependent on the community for support and too poor to tackle real investigative reporting. In fact that's probably true of all the newspapers too. Gotta keep public opinion on their side or risk losing their business.
And though many loving people live here, there is at least one person that will leave an anonymous hateful note on the porch of a resort cabin where a black family was staying, causing them to cut their vacation short and head back to Houston.
A couple of color initiated a six-month series of Zoom community conversations around the theme Voices at the Table. It's been eye-opening, delving into the history of our town and the town that's the county seat.
We saw a photo of a funeral home ledger, where all the Hispanics who died and were buried by the company were listed by ethnicity, as was those who paid for the funeral, rather than name in the handwritten ledger.
Then when a typist turned the handwritten entries into type, only the white names were even copied down.
We heard from parents of Hispanic and Black kids whose kids are left out of social groups, their bullying is ignored, and who don't get the same opportunities at AP classes. No, no one from the school district has attended.
Maybe only the liberals in town are paying attention and participating. But even if it's only us, it's eye opening and what we have found out is filtering out to others.
efhmc
(14,735 posts)And they do get harassed. What is worse here is that most of the PO are from this small town and have the privileged white boy syndrome to the max.
summer_in_TX
(2,767 posts)Williamson County?
efhmc
(14,735 posts)summer_in_TX
(2,767 posts)Ll
efhmc
(14,735 posts)Will email you. Not exactly worried about DU but I am easily IDed in this town.
summer_in_TX
(2,767 posts)I introduced myself when rejoining DU after the 2016 election and got recognized just from my description by family friends.
Faux pas
(14,703 posts)spike jones
(1,691 posts)monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)DENVERPOPS
(8,883 posts)Clash City Rocker
(3,402 posts)Just to be safe.
Grasswire2
(13,571 posts)BobTheSubgenius
(11,573 posts)DanieRains
(4,619 posts)Police brutalize people of all types, colors, and sexes. Security guards too.
Also there are some very bad people out there, and if you see someone attack a policeman, he (the cop) may need assistance.
Use your head.
Do The Right Thing....
summer_in_TX
(2,767 posts)Two responding to family violence calls.
Another made a traffic stop and was killed.
I've dealt with some decent leo's when I went through a sheriff's citizens academy some years ago. Most I encountered in my classes were bright, caring. One or two who came in to teach a section were more stereotypical.
One was a RW nut. He was in the town police dept. Not the sheriff's dept. We'd gone over to learn about the joint task force on narcotics.
That sheriff had worked in Austin starting from guard up, did about every job, and as a leader he seemed to have a decent handle on his deputies. I didn't hear news reports of accusations of abuse of power (unlike under the previous sheriff).
I had a lot of anti-cop attitudes when I started that course, but getting to know them I was pleasantly surprised most of the time. I think good leaders can make it less likely that the communities are abused. But I didn't have much opportunity to observe them in situations with people of color who weren't part of the law enforcement community.
LizBeth
(9,952 posts)SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)soldierant
(6,945 posts)I'm not sure why we haven't already all promised to follow her lead.
Maraya1969
(22,509 posts)applegrove
(118,875 posts)bad police/people of colour relations. Be safe. Just watch. Don't interfear if it is orderly. Watching will help everyone behave.
Cha
(297,934 posts)samplegirl
(11,519 posts)ready to record!
IronLionZion
(45,615 posts)sometimes body cameras are off during suspicious shootings.
Trust_Reality
(1,723 posts)ALSO, I wonder if it would be wise to do something similar when we see someone with a gun including in "open carry" locations. Again, it would be wise to be fairly discreet. Multiple people keeping an eye on gun nuts with phone in hand ready to do 911.
Butterflylady
(3,555 posts)I am not out much but I will do what I can.
calimary
(81,562 posts)If their own consciences are muted, then the consciences of others have to speak up.
More witnesses and more sets of ears and eyeballs are important. Preventive. Maybe even life-saving.
JuJuChen
(2,217 posts)Luciferous
(6,087 posts)I would walk my dog around the neighborhood a lot and would stop and watch when the cops came around just in case.