In history, there is always some straw that breaks the camels back. You’re right that this killing might not be any different from some recorded police killings but for whatever reason Floyd’s killing started a movement.
Whether that movement gets anywhere remains to be seen but what’s going on in the streets can’t be dismissed as nothing or just status quo protesting.
The movement started with the killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown in 2014.
I think in large part there are so many more protests this time around because there are a lot more people than usual with nothing to do and nowhere they need to be. And it’s an excuse to get out of the house.
It might be a turning point for politicians. It suddenly seems to be the rule that police will be promptly charged when their behavior crosses the line. Busting police unions might get bipartisan support.
This is the kind of language I expect from left-wing democrats, not establishment types like Cuomo.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Saturday commended city and county officials for suspending and charging the officers. “I think there was criminal liability, from what I saw on the video,” he said. “I applaud them for acting as quickly as they did. There is no tolerance for delaying justice in society anymore.
The wheels of justice move slow? Well they don’t have to. They can move fast. You can turn the crank faster.
Unfortunately, plaintiffs often have a difficult time overcoming the police’s qualified immunity.
Qualified immunity applies to citizens suing government officials (civil code). It’s not relevant to the government charging its employees with crimes (penal code). A criminal case has a prosecutor, not a plaintiff.
A majority of Americans — 57% — now believe that police officers facing a difficult or dangerous situation are more likely to use excessive force if the individual is black, according to a Monmouth University survey conducted after Floyd’s killing — a figure that’s increased from about one-third of Americans four years ago. Over that time, the percentage of white Americans who believe law enforcement is more likely to use excessive force against black people nearly doubled to just under 50%.
I believe both of those are matters of fact easily established from police statistics.
Yes, but it remains to be seen if prosecution can get a conviction since it’s very rare when it comes to police officers. That leaves victims with possibly going the civil route in which qualified immunity shields these officers. Let’s see if the Supreme Court will take up a related case this term and perhaps they might broaden liability set by their precedents so qualified immunity would be easier to overcome.
We’ve all heard the good ol’ magic justification/defense of police officers when they fatally shot someone: “I feared for my life!”
Given the video, I don’t see a jury returning a not-guilty verdict on manslaughter or third-degree murder of Floyd. Same for the assault on the Buffalo protester. There’s just no plausible defense to their actions.
Second-degree murder of Floyd, that’s not so straightforward.
I hope so given that the Floyd case seems pretty clear cut with the way he was restrained by the neck and having already been handcuffed. But I lost faith in the court system a little bit after the officer that shot Philando Castro was acquitted…
I wouldn’t be so sure about the Buffalo case - they will try to find excuses etc.
you gotta wonder though. The police brutality against protesters and press is well documented.
I believe the thread is up to 367 unique incidents. Duplicate angles are filed under the same number.
The facts in the Philando Castile case aren’t remotely similar.
The George Floyd case is similar to that of Eric Garner, but much worse. After Garner lost consciousness the cops turned him on his side to ease his breathing.
Because this wasn’t something they read about or heard on the news - something that could be rationalized or dismissed. They were forced to watch the slow, brazen, merciless murder of a black man by a white cop while other cops looked on. These are not racist people, just people who were not affected by the reality.
Easy to ignore if it doesn’t affect personally on a daily basis. It’s frustrating to explain to people who live in a bubble that their experiences are not everyone else’s. Still at least more people are paying attention now.
I’m not really into catchphrases but I guess that would be the definition of “woke”.
Certainly watching police-brutality stuff videos has had a big effect on some people, but nobody’s forced to watch, except maybe online content moderators, investigators, and eventually judges and juries.
Forced in a metaphorical way, not a Clockwork Orange kind of way. It was nearly impossible to ignore. And when people watched that video there was no way to ignore what is going on inside police departments.
Very brave of them all, looting on TV in front of the cops that are so brutal!
…and for some, instead of getting defensive and trying to maintain their “superiority” by pointing at looters and whining about their property - as if it is equal to a human being slowly and purposely suffocated to death in broad daylight while people watched - they decided to join the protest. That’s character.
I don’t have to stop hating fucking looters just because they won’t be in as low a circle of hell as murderers.
Your post crystallizes how some people can empathize and understand racism intellectually, but not really. You thought at a painful time like this it was funny to post a clip that depicts Blacks as thieves who steal from their employers but deserve forgiveness because that’s how Blacks are. For the first 80+ years of movie making Asian, Hispanic & Black characters were written not by Asian, Hispanic & Black people but by whites. I love Woody Allen movies and that clip is satire at its best. It’s not funny anymore. It cements stereotypes, fear, discrimination and aids in cops seeing every Black person as a potential criminal. Glad you can laugh.
I’ve been even-toned, because I and some others appreciate having this forum on the board. Thank you. But now I’m leaning towards F-it. Let’s put it on the table, folks, without jokes or ambiguity. I’ll go first…
I’ll see your Woody Allen and raise you a Dave Chappell.
