I read yesterday that Body Count just released their 2017 song No Lives Matter to radio. I had forgotten about this song, especially since they released a newer album earlier this year so when I have listened recently it has been the new one. Interestingly, I have to choose when I listen to this band as it is pretty angry music and can affect my mood. I stopped listening to it when I'm at work, for example.
So the Black Lives Matter movement is almost 7 years in (per google) and going strong. There are still protests here in Madison every day but thankfully I've not heard of any recent violence. After it all blew up here at the end of last month all the stores at downtown gathering spot State Street had their windows boarded up, broken or not. Then they had scores of local artists in to paint the plywood, trying to make it a little nicer to look at while being safer for the businesses. Since then there have been marches down main roads and major highways all over town.
It's not surprising to me that Madison got so involved. We have a large black population and made our own national news when a white Madison police officer killed local black teenager Tony Robinson in 2015. The protests then were very much like they are now, and may continue to happen until some tangible change takes place. Police do a vital service protecting us, but people should only be judged by their actions and not pre-judged, or 'profiled,' by their color, and there is a line that should not be crossed where the force used no longer equals the infraction.
You don't have to like the music to watch the video, but I would recommend at least listening to what Ice-T has to say for the first 40 seconds. Better yet, listen to the song, hear the lyrics, the anger.
Body Count - No Lives Matter
I don't have the answers, and I don't march, I don't yell. I just try to be the best me, behave accordingly, and be aware of the things I can change. What are your thoughts?
Fools in Love
4 days ago
11 comments:
I do think that the US has much further to go that the UK on the BLM subject... and that in the UK a lot of black people enjoy a much higher standard of 'respect' from officialdom that a lot of poor white people (what some in the US would call 'trailer trash').
That's historical (as so much work has gone into what used to be called 'Race Relations' in the 1970s), but a lot of them just don't realise the issues are different to those in the US and jump on the same bandwagons, and use the same arguments.
Which is why the far right is proliferating again over here. They feel discriminated against and not listened to. And honestly, I can't blame them, although I certainly don't condone their behaviour or tactics.
Why can't everyone just see people as people and be respectful to them as fellow humans?
Why is there a constant need for people to be part of a sub-group who they perceive as less well treated than other sub-groups? I'm also thinking LGBTQI+ (have any more letters been added to that this week?) etc etc. And raging feminists too come to that.
I've had it with all these people claiming they are so special, and deserve to be treated differently.
Well, that's a whole lot of groups of people, and a valid viewpoint. But this isn't about people claiming to be special or any of those other groups you mentioned. This, right now, is about black people and what they go through, how they are forced to live every day, knowing they are looked at and treated differently than their white friend. If we didn't have this kind of racism we would have better tolerance overall. I believe that.
Look, I can't claim to fully understand as I'm not black. But I can try to see as best I can, through reality and facts, what they are saying. And I agree.
I think it is about experience lived and perspective as in the US and UK are very different.
As BW said a lot has been done over here to improve the lives of minority groups in the UK and it has taken some very vocal and necessary campaigns to do that. That video is very apt as the lives of poor people do not matter to many of those with power and influence. That doesn't only imclude politicians but corporations and high profile people of influence too.
Here in the UK I think they have run out of simple causes to support so we have bandwagon politics now where those who don't get their own way hitch a ride and make lots of noise and activity. Oddly enough they tend to be middle class university educated white people espousing extreme left solutions which funnily enough are not popular with East Europeans living over here who experienced the wonderful world of Soviet socialism.
The Rhodes statue issue is nonsense but for me serves as an example of historical imperialism and can be used to educate people. Remove the statue and I would say remove the scholarship funds for Africans too? The video is right in saying no lives matter because poverty is the issue and identity politics of all sides leads to division, distrust, anger and violence as people with simple solutions always use people for their own ends.
Again, my views reflect my thoughts on the UK situation and not the USA where I think there is a real issue regarding black lives.
Ha! The captcha pictures were to tick statues!
I agree the situations may be different here than there, and we have farther to go. And it's not so black and white, so to speak, as there are many factors and underlying issues and causes. Hopefully this attention will finally bring some change, and not just superficially. We need some of those vocal campaigns.
Boy, between the orange idiot, black and blue (police) for the issues, and red for the anger and embarrassment these are colorful times! What color is pandemic?
I always forget you guys have to do the captcha, sorry, but it does keep spam comments away. Perhaps captcha reads and picked up on the word statue? Here I just have to check the box that says I'm not a robot.
delcatto's 3rd para is a very interesting point/angle.
Interestingly, in South Africa, Rhodes is still held in very high esteem.
It is, and I am impressed with his knowledge of history. It far exceeds mine.
I almost didn't post about this as these heavy issues make me uncomfortable when trying to express my views. I never feel very confident or smart.
"I never feel very confident or smart."
That may be how you feel, but it's not how you come across.
I only read 5 blogs regularly now, and I can't be bothered with people who don't know what they're talking about, or who can't express it eloquently :)
It's always interesting to hear about your take on US events and to appreciate the US/UK differences.
Talking about cats, my firepit and the jets is one thing. Current events and politics is another, for me. But thank you, it was good to hear that. :)
I agree with BW on this, it's good to hear your views on the US and I appreciate what you have to say.
You don't come across as lacking confidence or smarts (Is that a word?). I'm merely well read and always curious.
Thank you, Delcatto.
I didn't mean to fish for compliments or anything. I was just being honest about how I feel when it comes to these kind of heavy topics. I'll get over it. :)
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