Gatogateau

Technology has sure helped, and it is remarkable how utterly stupid people are to forget it, but that just makes it easier to prosecute. I know what you meant about the "funniest thing" but honestly, I find that the most horrifying. I have run up against that at work, where Joe Schmoe looks like any other person, is nice at the coffee pot, jokes about his kids and then... just lets fly with The Worst whatever. (And yes, I've said something, which didn't make me real popular. "She should have stayed back in California with the rest of the dingbats.") Sweet little old ladies in the store... just... horrifying.

You're absolutely right, this has nothing to do with "other stuff." You're also right that for some people it is still 1619 and slaves are still on the block. I do hope, though, that you see that it isn't every single white person. I kind of get why you might think it is, based on your words. There's a lot of "us" out here who want the bigots gone and the crap to stop.

This is so much the problem, so what on Earth do we do about it. There are a lot of good, decent, not-black people out here who want things to change. For blacks and others. You're so right, it is the same people who show up at armed to protest the plague. We probably all know people, of all races, who we could talk to until we're blue in the face, we could present them with facts, reference material, charts and graphs... all to no avail. And what do we do about that? When it is so ingrained that for some, logic doesn't apply? Yet there are still people who claim systemic racism does not exist (as you know), people who can watch that horrible video of the murder of Mr. Floyd and still come to another conclusion. I do hope this time is different. I do hope we've pushed the stuck wheel of justice hard enough to overcome the inertia. I hope we keep it up to get the Racist in Chief out. But those same people who don't think a billion school shootings a year is worth discussing sensible gun legislation and so nothing changes there and so the shootings keep coming so often that we lose count, are the same people who don't budge on racial issues, and people keep getting brutalized and we lose count. I realize I asked a lot of questions that there aren't easy (or any?) answers to. I just feel so darned...useless. I see it. I hate it. I want it change. I try to keep it out of my life by acting and believing accordingly. But like... big whoop?

I'm glad you chose to share your story. I don't like you, and you don't like me, and that has had zero to do with race (and I honestly did not know what your race is). Reading this, though, gives me some insight on why you might have thought it was. You DO have a story, and honestly? Reading it in the context of all that is going on? Maybe I don't like you any better, but I think I understand you a little better... which is NOT to say I know how you are feeling, because I don't. I get that. I think you'll see a lot of not-black-people here "get" that we don't *know* what you've been through, but we truly want that endless crap, that ingrained hatred and brutality to stop. I think your story is important. For that reason here' a gentle hint, take out the words with the *** in them asap. Spell out something that's "ok" and PG, because things are getting ARd. I don't want your story to be ARd, truly.

She's not been country for quite a while. Although her latest "album" goes back to some of her roots a bit.

This is what *we* (people not experiencing this daily) need to hear. And we need to hear it from people we kinda know. Like, I recognize Janet, sort of. She posts on the Forum and she's nice. Just another person, but one that I have a fleeting knowledge of. I *have* heard stories like this before, but NOT from someone I kinda know. And that just makes the stories more powerful. I can't even imagine, nor can most here, would be my guess. The closest I come was a trip to Ireland. We were in Northern Ireland and crossing the border to the Republic. My husband was driving and really screwed up at this major border crossing, that wasn't a line but several blocks through a military camp. We were abruptly stopped and had the biggest effing guns pointed at us. We were questioned. Our luggage gone through. We were sent ahead and 20 feet later had the same thing. We were scared beyond belief. I have never had a gun pointed at me before or since. It still freaks me out. Afterward, when we were on the other side, my husband just had to stop the car and he shook and shook, and I cried. We wondered what it would be like growing up where armed soldiers were roaming all the time. I repeat that, not to draw away from your story, Janet, but to say, even with that ONE situation I was shaken and it is still a vivid memory. To grow up that way? To live that way. Daily? To want to teach your kids that the police are who you go to for help, but instead also have to warn them of the 20 Steps to Not Get Shot by a Cop? So, I'm crying at your story. I'm picturing this happening to Janet the avatar, but I know it was you in RL. Thank you. This is why I was hoping to hear more stories instead of a bunch of people with no experience yammer on. :::hug::: I know it must seem hopeless at times, like things are never going to change, and what can one person do? I feel the same way. I wish there were some way to meet in the middle and have this crap fixed.

I saw Scylla quote this... sigh. The sentence, above, that I emphasized made me cringe. I'm just imagining someone with a mindset of "those people" who are "all on drugs" and when we get "them" off drugs, they can be people again, maybe. I'm not denying some black people have drug problems, so does every other race and so does every class system of every race. Honestly, this struck me like someone saying, "we" can "help" THEM with hunger issues and you've heard "they" like watermelon.

Rolling Stone's email just arrived and they have several good looking articles (that I haven't read because the email "just" arrived). Might be more informative than the Forum. Maybe... https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/u-s-states-have-been-trying-to-criminalize-protests-for-the-past-five-years-1009986/ https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/president-obama-george-floyd-protests-1008912/ https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/books-race-sell-out-amazon-george-floyd-protest-1008220/

Dog? DOG???!!!!! /me saunters over to box and kicks litter n stuff all over the floor. Stopping dramatically. Gives one more big kick and stuff flying. Strolls off and tips over water bowl.

Well who the eff does it that way?! Of course they'd be soggy. The gravy is a dip. ffs

Never thought I'd miss the "good old days" of W, but darned if it isn't so... I watched Obama the other night, and was sighing all the way through it, thinking "Remember when we had a President who could think, and communicate?"

This is my go-to of choice (worrying Scylla and several others, no doubt), and they do gravy on fries/chips and add squeaky cheese. If Cheeto has another 4 years, Canada better build a wall to protect their southern border ASAP. (I wonder who will pay for it?)

Have you ever HAD potato chips and gravy? It isn't bad.

If ever there was a time and thread for your voice, this would be it. Since when do you care if you piss anyone off?

Are any of you going to donate to any of those charities? I was thinking about Fair Fight, for promoting and aiding in fair elections. One of the biggest problems is to get the Constitution-hating Cheeto out of office. His ilk votes. I don't have a lot of money (classic understatement), but maybe $20 or something? I would think any little bit helps.

Oh gawd. Now you're gonna take this to food fights. ♥ Pretty sure most countries can pony up to canned chicken, brussel sprouts, and Oreos. :::scampers again:::

Emphasis mine. Just because.

Maybe she thinks most of us are cats, you know, with limited attenti........ Ooooh! Lookit! Laser pointer!

Don't ya love it? And when you finally do get your avatar to cycle through the whole darn animation series, your click finger is too late, you miss the right pose and get to start all over again? I know there's a way to fix that, I think with editing, but that tends to take me as long as not. Also have you ever tried to get a photo of a bird or some other animal (worse, a group of animals) that are animated, with heads turning this way and that? oy Love the photos and I need a cup in RL like that. ETA: What am I saying??? I have not had my coffee yet! I have an Oatmeal comics nope mug, from his Exploding Kittens (eek!) card game

*Somebody* reads sig lines, and I believe that *Somebody* is trying to bribe me. Cool! I can absolutely be bought, and these adorable mer cupcakes are an excellent *Start* (I didn't say I could be bought cheaply.) Where else to show off the new treats but sitting on a horde of so-called treasure? More of the underwater build in progress. Screenshots. Black Dragon. I've been building in FS, so was sooooooo surprised at how it looked in BD! Close in to show the adorbs cupcake and a little further out for context.

Finally, a memo!

Hi, So you're new here. Anything you wanted to say or know or... ? "Hi" and nothing else is kind of hard to have a conversation. Have you been inworld?

The choke hold used on Mr. Floyd was technically legal at the time but the police officers have not been trained for years in how to do it. The murderer is a 19 year veteran police officer, so he had the training. Many police departments are forbidding this practice, but not all. This was a very interesting article in the NY Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/us/knee-neck-george-floyd-death.html (and the NYT didn't make me log in or subscribe to read it this time).

Source?

Since many people have said one way to help in RL is to donate to organizations that can, you know, help. The email came in my mail tonight, from PureWow. com . I did not vet the list. I can't vouch for any of them (disclaimer, etc.) Usually there is a link to a url, but this time it was a clickable email so of course I can't share that with you, but I've done the best I can with cut and paste. Let me know if any of the links are messed up. go to LOVELAND go to The Bail Project go to LDF go to Know Your Rights go to Fair Fight go to Reclaim the Block go to Communities go to Black Table Arts go to Campaign Zero go to Color of Change go to Brooklyn CBF go BLM