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I live in the US, and the past week or so it has been down right chaotic nearly every place you look. I just wanted to reach out to my fellow Americans and see how everyone was doing. I hope you're staying safe. Remember that while change is a good thing, and that it indeed must happen to prevent further tragedies, trying to get it to happen through intimidation and destruction of property/harming of others isn't the right way to go about it. We must all come together as one people, not take sides. Be the change that you want to see.

Stay safe, and remember, we aren't simply black/white/Middle Eastern/Asian/Hispanic/male/female etc. We are all first and foremost human beings.

Yeah, stuff has been pretty chaotic. I've cut down watching the news, it's pretty much bad thing after bad thing, they rarely ever focus on the good. I don't understand all the rioting, I understand that what the police officers did was wrong, but that doesn't justify them breaking into stores and stealing stuff.

All is well here. Like sanguinearocks101, I drastically cut back on watching the news. I've pretty much stopped reading, listening to or watching anything news related for the last 2+ months now. I am definitely much happier this way! Thankfully, things where Leah and I live are pretty calm so it is easy to forget about some of the craziness going on right now in our country. I do think about it from time to time, as I hear about things from friends and family, but try not to let it take over my consciousness entirely.

I agree with what you, Artchic528, and sanguinearocks101 posted. Let's hope that we all move through and past these challenging as Americans and human beings and come out better for it on the other side.

But I am Hispanic!

Copper2 wrote:But I am Hispanic!

You are a human being first and foremost. Are you not?

I honestly stopped watching the news 2 months ago (like Matt) because there was so much coronavirus junk that basically repeated itself over and over again. It made me sick (not literially), but all this make me sicker. It shows how easily out society can snap.

I completely disagree with what those officers did. However , this is no reason to take it out on every single law enforcement officer out there! The former officers are getting what they deserved, rioting is no answer to this problem! Small businesses are a victim of the violence. They are already hurting from not having customers in several months, and now they have to pay for a broken window? Stolen products? Broken down doors? This has to stop or many more homeless will litter the streets!

There is also some increased gang action taking place. They basically use this as a disguise to create violence. Things will only get worse. I have heard that pallets of bricks are mysteriously appearing on the streets - waiting for nightfall. It is very scary.

In the wise words of Abraham Lincon: "United we stand, divided we fall". Let us hope this is not our fall.

Artchic528 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:50 pm

Copper2 wrote:But I am Hispanic!

You are a human being first and foremost. Are you not?

Who said I’m human?

My heart just aches from all the hate going on. Things were already bleak during the pandemic. It's like there was not a break between 2 different forms of chaos. Thankfully nowhere have I seen anyone sticking up for the police officer in question. That seems to be one thing everyone agrees on- the cop was wrong. That does not mean every cop is corrupt or racist. I just wish we had a way to unify and heal.

I agree, it is disappointing that we never really moved past the pandemic before these riots broke out. I feel in a way, the "cabin fever" may have been a factor in the severity. You're right, anyone seeing the video is going to have a hard time convincing anyone that the cop made the right call. There are numerous factors there, but everyone can agree that it was excessive force and very stupid.

I don't watch the news much anymore myself. The sensationalist stories and the drive for ratings over substance makes it a bleak way to get your information. Thankfully I have coworkers to take that bullet for me so I'm not completely in the dark lol.

One day people will stop letting others create unnecessary dividing lines between color and culture and we'll be able to look at each other as just "people."
As long as we have emphasis on color groups and segregation of people by characteristics, we'll stay in this social "limbo." Strangely enough, the United States is one of the very few countries that do this.

As a collective whole though, we are heading in the right direction. I have a lot of respect for the people going out there with the intention of protesting and shunning the rioting, putting a focus on the things that matter. Knowing that burning their neighborhood to the ground will not get them closer to their goals and making a statement by keeping it peaceful. We all have to agree that this is putting immediate focus and attention on our social climate however.

As Benny stated though, the thing that upsets me the most is the indiscriminate targeting of cops. Not only is that close minded and dangerous, it's hypocritical of the people doing it. It makes me wonder if these people would truly prefer martial law. The ignorance of social media is extreme right now, much more than usual.

Sorry for the ramble, it's just a mixed bag of emotions with this stuff and the direction we're going as a country. Need to just take 2020 out of the history books going forward, it isn't America's greatest hour.

I live in Minnesota where all this stuff is going on. I live in a different city then where the killing happened but stores here in my town have been robbed and vandalized it's crazy and so sad like we dont already have enough going on and things to deal with.

Apollyon wrote: I feel in a way, the "cabin fever" may have been a factor in the severity.

I think that is a big part of this too. It is kind of like blowing up a balloon slowly, until it gets too big and it pops. Currently, our worst enemy is ourselves.

Copper2 wrote:

Artchic528 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:50 pm

Copper2 wrote:But I am Hispanic!

You are a human being first and foremost. Are you not?

Who said I’m human?

yea I spend so much time with my plants now everyone says I'm half plant.