Changing the banner to promote BLM

[Mister Agenda]

timpa and floyd's circumstances, character, or past don't mean absolute shit. It doesn't excuse what actions were done to them. Fuck @Grandizer I really expected more from you.

I think you have misunderstood Grandizer profoundly.

[tackattack]

timpa and floyd's circumstances, character, or past don't mean absolute shit. It doesn't excuse what actions were done to them. Fuck @Grandizer I really expected more from you.

I think you have misunderstood Grandizer profoundly.

That's quite likely as my irony meter has broken from overuse in current societal circumstances. If it was ironic I apologize. If it was something along the lines of "yeah... xxx was killed, but he was doing yyy before or took zzz drugs"  (which was what I read coming) I disagree.

[GrandizerII]

I think you have misunderstood Grandizer profoundly.

That's quite likely as my irony meter has broken from overuse in current societal circumstances. If it was ironic I apologize. If it was something along the lines of "yeah... xxx was killed, but he was doing yyy before or took zzz drugs"  (which was what I read coming) I disagree.

Still missing the point. I was neither being ironic nor placing the blame on someone with mental illness. I'm of the belief that mental illness, like with skin color, puts certain demographics at more risk with the police compared to other groups. I'm saying that the example of Tony cannot be used to negate the argument that there was racism involved in the killing of Floyd because in the case of Tony, even though he wasn't black, was nevertheless an unfortunate and easy target for murder at the hands of the police because of another type of prejudice against the disadvantaged, one that is against people with mental illness.

[tackattack]

Ah, well I don't think it matters if either were in a hijab, girl, boy, green, brown, black, white, convicted rapist, drug dealer, drug user, etc. They didn't deserve to be killed while in custody and not a threat or only a threat to themselves.

Valid point in that there are numerous demographics targeted by systemic bigotry that the police aren't trained or capable to handle. But as there is a plurality of bigotry targets in society (and will continue to be for all time) you can only address the why or the what. The why is because cops shouldn't have been handling Tony any more than SWAT teams should not be handling protests. The what is an over tasked and under-educated group of law enforcers operating under a set of biases and in an environment where those "mistakes" and bigotry is protected.

/2 cents back to work.

PS. thanks for clarifying.

[Rhizomorph13]

I'm going to go on record that Editz is a dumbass but I agree that we shouldn't change our banner. I also have always thought Editz was female based on writing samples. Maybe it is just that the name makes me thing of Archie Bunker.

[Duty]

Rhizounweildy overblown username - I managed to get a 1st at uni so the "dumbass" label seems, to me....misplaced? Anyway, life goes on...

[Shell B]

I want to make it perfectly clear that the inspiration for changing the banner is based on revulsion at continued systemic racism in the U.S., casual racism in everyday conversations and the imbalance in our justice system. When I mentioned it as a possibility to the staff, I thought it important to make a statement about where we stand for the sake of current and future black members. We have a history of anti-racist policies here, so it's really just a visually representation of that pre-existing stance. Just a very small gesture.

Given your stance on racism in the U.S., Editz, I wouldn't be comfortable having you be the person to make that statement for us. That is solely my opinion.

Making a brief statement of solidarity with a community that feels attacked right now isn't going to hurt any of us. It's the very least we can do. For those of us who see that this can be construed as virtue signalling, I agree. However, could you imagine the kind of backlash a grander gesture would be met with? People throw a fit over the slightest little nod to anti-racism. Part of me says, fuck it. Do the bigger thing. Lose members who don't give a shit, but I'm not a very active member, and I'd rather do things IRL than deal with the manufactured controversy here.

[Shell B]

From my perspective, there’s nothing wrong with publicly showing support for an important cause.

Which important cause? Gun violence, corporations, politics, environment, immigration, health, LGBTQ, ............. the cause du jour? They are all important.

That's all I have to say.

Sure, but people's skin color isn't politics or a cause du jour. It's not a matter of opinion. Shit, it's not even a "cause." Until people stop being too scared to say, "I'm not going to tolerate racism in this country anymore," it will never stop.

[Rhizomorph13]

Rhizounweildy overblown username  - I managed to get a 1st at uni so the "dumbass" label seems, to me....misplaced? Anyway, life goes on...

I've worked with plenty of PHDs who couldn't find their ass with two hands and a map, so your appeal to book learnin' doesn't impress me. I'll judge you on the bullshit you post on these forums thank you very much.

Rhizomorph is just a type of mycelial growth. 13 is my favorite number.

[Shell B]

The current banner isn’t toxic and not wanting to change it isn’t toxic. It is simply not enough reason to change it.

I'm forever astounded at the minuscule lengths people are willing to go to avoid simply saying, "I want to see an end to racism." Here, and in real life, I see people I would've never considered racist refuse to take any kind of hard stance against racism. They can't even say black lives matter, even when out of the context of the BLM movement. They wouldn't dare attend a protest because they may be seen as anti-cop. They wouldn't go out of their way to support black people because there are just so many other causes out there that they're also doing nothing about. We wouldn't want to be seen as controversial or anti-white. I've seen all these positions and more over and over again.

I couldn't imagine being black. I couldn't imagine reading a forum thread where people argued that simply subtly changing a banner to show support for me in a dangerous time for people who look like me was just too much, too controversial, too political. It's no wonder there are groups of black people who can't see an ally in any white person. I'd be defensive as fuck too.