What is "Black Lives Matter"?

[printcraft]

Go back far enough and damn near everybody has an ancestor that was a slave.
Some of us don't care about lugging some ancient chip on our shoulder.

Lugging a chip around on your shoulders, placed there by someone else, does seem akin to slavery in its own right.

 

[Hookeye]

If one is smart, just shrug it off.

It will fall to the ground as you move forward.

If one wants the chip on their shoulder, they will act in such a manner as to keep it there.
Looking at that chip, moving to preserve its location, if they trip and fall, who's damn fault is it?

 

[srad]

It's hard to do, especially for black American people. I don't know what language my ancestors spoke, what tribe they were from, or even what part of the continent they came from. "Black" is just as precious as anyone else's heritage. Even our names aren't our own. My last name is the name of the people that owned my ancestors. "Black," is essentially all we have that gives us kinship to one another.

DNA/genome science might be the answer as it doesn't depend on documented records to trace lineage/origins.
African Ancestry ? Trace Your DNA. Find Your Roots. Today.

 

[jd4320t]

Go back far enough and damn near everybody has an ancestor that was a slave.
Most of us don't care to lug some (ancient) chip on our shoulder.

Exactly! Others CHOOSE to not move on.

 

[Hookeye]

My daughter is trying to find family (and do a family tree) back in the old countries (Greece and France).
I know who my grandparents were, that's good enough for me.
Don't see how folks feel so lost because they can't trace stuff past 75 yrs or so.
Looking backwards, for ghosts............they keep walking into walls and blame the bricks.

 

[Hookeye]

My daughter worries about ancestors, like it matters to who she really is.
Probably worth the effort to find out what friggin' bastard left a liberal gene in the bloodline and caused her handicap (she's a democrat).

 

[bwframe]

If one is smart, just shrug it off.

It will fall to the ground as you move forward.

If one wants the chip on their shoulder, they will act in such a manner as to keep it there.
Looking at that chip, moving to preserve its location, if they trip and fall, who's damn fault is it?

Exactly! Others CHOOSE to not move on.

Part of the difficulty is that we allow ourselves to be baited into engagement, by those who will never allow life to be anything but their agenda.

 

[thunderchicken]

Not much clue about my ancestry...based on family heritage/traditions I speculate scotch/Irish...but great grandma was full blooded cherokee so hell I guess I'm just like a mutt from the pound. Lol. I can understand the desire to know where your family comes from. I know this is going to sound bad so bear with me. Keep in mind it's not just or white ancestors to blame for up rooting people from Africa...Africans from other tribes often did the kidnapping and initial selling of the slaves. So maybe some need to be reminded where to point some of the blame.
Slep for a couple hours and the conversation got interesting again

 

[Hookeye]

Don't do drugs.
Don't make babies.
Don't quit school.
Don't be an ass.

Do that and life should be pretty easy.
Maybe not golden, but certainly not a pile of crap either.

 

[Woobie]

Well, other than the fact that nobody has actually done it. Ridiculous actions don't often get much traction.

Or maybe it just not high on their priorities. Some people don't appreciate the way things are, but have better things to do.

I know it's not my priority. I spend my time working, or raising my family. I'm not going to waste the 3 days a month I get off trying to change something I can't. I just don't have the time to dance in the street when a cop dies. Not many people to watch on these county roads anyway.

 

[Hookeye]

I can see some curiosity as to one's ancestry, but to let it be all consuming and deteriorating.........is just stupid.
If anything, it is disrespectful to your unknown ancestors.

 

[ruger1800]

Mommas baby daddies maybe, ancestrial research is a waste of time

 

[Gary119]

Avoided, not so much. I called it ridiculous. I don't even know if one can call it racist, as it would only exist solely in protest of the black counterparts. I think I have proven, well beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I am not avoiding anybody's questions.

I just got home.

You (and others) avoided my question.

Post#122

Thanks in advance

 

[BugI02]

The notion is actually pretty ridiculous. What would be the reason such a organization exist? In America, being "White," is the default; the status quo.
Does anybody know what I mean when I say "status quo?" and if so can someone define what I mean?

I assume you actually mean the 'status quo ante'

 

[Kutnupe14]

Go back far enough and damn near everybody has an ancestor that was a slave.
Most of us don't care to lug some (ancient) chip on our shoulder.

It's a having a chip on your shoulder holding on to one's history by embracing a culture created in United States?
My culture is 100% American (unlike most of you ya'll), starting on the day my ancestors set foot on these shores. Is it having a chip on your shoulder because the majority of those early years were hallmarked with negative events?
What authority does anyone have to tell me to forget the history of my own family?
Have I asked any of you for money? I have asked any of you extra privileges? Have I taken out money out of your pockets? Have I compromised your safety? No... I don't think I have. I haven't forced any of you to do anything. If I am forcing anything on you, I'm forcing you to deal with it.

If anyone has a chip on their shoulder, it probably those that are too short sighted to understand that the story of my ancestors goes well beyond the confines of slavery... it's almost as if there's some sort of guilt there, and the figurative head in the sand.

If black people wanted to have a chip on their shoulders, lol, they don't need to spotlight slavery.... they could point to their living, breathing, "ancestors," who could cite countless oppressions the endured under other people's "living, breathing ancestors." So how about you guys take the boulder of slavery off of YOUR shoulders and move on. Despite what you may wish to believe, slavery seems to be more your problem than ours.

 

[Tombs]

So I was just thinking of a solution to the BLM problem.

Why don't we give communities the ability to opt out of policing if they hate police so much? Call a vote for the community, require a 3/4 majority, if they don't want police, then end services to the area.

After they devolve into chaos and wipe themselves off the map, they will have no one left but themselves to blame and we can finally move past this nonsense, as they learn a valuable lesson that can be demonstrated nationally. And for the communities that chose not to opt out, they chose that path and have no one else to blame when police decide to remove criminals from their community.

Police would then have the confidence of knowing the areas they are policing want them there. They would have resources freed up to better police the areas that welcome their presence.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I just got home.

You (and others) avoided my question.

Post#122

Thanks in advance

Since it wasn't specifically asked of me, I'll let the others take it.

 

[BugI02]

so, in the Modern Context... why can't it just be "American"? Why not an American Heritage? I get the past of how and why most ancestors came or were brought here, but why not be proud in achieving equal rights, etc and have an American Heritage?

^^^^ This ^^^^^. Seemed to work for the Aussies

 

[bmbutch]

I'm sure it's been mentioned above (likely anyway), so why don't the leaders of BLM step up & join the various police forces in their respective communities & lead the way via example?

 

[Dead Duck]

I'm sure it's been mentioned above (likely anyway), so why don't the leaders of BLM step up & join the various police forces in their respective communities & lead the way via example?

Black Dallas Police Chief Has a Message for Black Lives Matter | American Action News




Chief Brown said

Become a part of the solution, serve your community. Don’t be a part of the problem…we’re hiring. Get off that protest line and put an application in. We’ll put you in your neighborhood – we will help you resolve some of the problems you are protesting about