I appreciate responses from some posters that I should continue dialogue and with out sounding like a softie it is difficult. I think I feel a little like Doc Rivers when he said he does not want to talk about this stuff he wants to coach and its true, talking about rugby way more fun.

I'll just go through some points super quick, I am not trying to avoid anything but lots to go through

I have seen plenty of videos like Mikethe Snow posted and it has been very frustrating for many, often the instigators I see are white but I could not venture to say what the exact numbers are by race but fair to say its the instigators are an absolute minority. I also would not write off the influence of right wing instigators, this is absolutely a factor.

I think @Rembrandt said something about 30+ murders since George Floyd, I don't even know what that means, I believe there are at least 45+ murders a day in the US in general. Outside of these protests I also would not discount general social unrest that is fermenting through the growing wealth inequality, lockdown etc, but thats a whole thread in itself.

I would repeat BLM is really about the core statement and actions that can be taken to address that statement. I know some thing that its a "cute" statement but I watch CNBC everyday and its great to see business leaders of all races taking it absolutely seriously. Perhaps that will be the first driver for change. Forget about the supposed BLM leaders or the people who have claimed websites, most people don't even know who they are. Think about the overwhelming number of blacks and majority of whites who support the statement and movement.

Sorry if I am all over the map, but just letting it all out. I saw someone mention that LeBron James said "We are scared", I can confirm , I am petrified for myself and for my family. Guaranteed every black person of all economic classes has least one person close to them who has had a jaw dropping interaction with police. For those who say just comply, that's the point, compliance is no guarantee against safety , humiliation or death, we are not making it up, its just that a fraction of these interactions are now being captured on video. And guess what unarmed people in fear of their lives sometimes act irrationally. I hear so many stories of drunk, mentally ill, or armed white kids having the most "civil" interactions with police, not sure why that same care isn't taken with all American citizens.

What about the stats you ask , ah another old time hit. But blacks are more violent , blacks commit more crime, black-on-black crime? Lets start of with black population 48million people? Enough to say that an attempt to smear the vast majority of that number with US murders and crime falls short in my opinion. And how about a higher percentage convicted than whites? I won't even get into the legal representations or overall legal system but just enough to say it would be much more informative to see the numbers broken down by socio-economic class as well as the actual numbers we are talking about with respect to population. Black-on-black crime? Not much different from white-on-white crime.

Sorry tired now.

The Silver Fern

DMX