Pwale, that open letter was truly amazing. I laughed at the last part. It's bad but also so true that I just couldn't help laugh. Sorry about that.

I'm glad you had a good week with the DNC. Sad that those Trump idiots were actually able to get away with that crap. I hope those poor people can find out the truth and ignore all the crap they fell for. It's rather sad that some people can fall for crap but it's all too true.

I've stayed out of most of what was going on lately, but we watched the Daily Show for both conventions and learned a few things. Sadly not enough of the bull that Trump was spouting. Except for one thing I read online about some shit he spouted out during a entire day. Shocking and wished I could remember what was said.

I'm thinking I will vote Clinton this election. There is a guy named Johnson and if he has enough pull by then, then I might just vote for him. I wished I could vote truer to myself this election but I refuse to let another vote go towards Trump in any form. Clinton might not be perfect, but she does have classifications for the job and has the stamina to stand for the 4 yrs til the reelection comes up. She in my eyes is a smarter and better choice for that retarded bastard.

Oh and Pwale I am truly sorry for you and every other Jewish person out there that has to suffer that much for nothing. Just because someone is of a different religion or none at all doesn't excuse shit like that and I am truly sorry that you had to experience that stuff. I truly hope in the future people can breathe and feel comfortable and not have to think, worry, or anything else just because of their religion or non religion.

I know what you mean about wishing you could vote truer to yourself.

I really wish there was an anti-war party I could vote for that also offered real security alternatives. For example, many terrorist groups fund themselves through human trafficking. If we dedicated more resources to combatting that, instead of bombing civilians, then we could cut off their revenue and damage their morale. Or more nonpartisan action on destroying nuclear weapon stockpiles, since a ridiculous amount of money and energy goes into keeping those weapons away from terrorists--and sometimes those efforts fail. We give so much to fighting wars, but we never try to address the underlying issues that create war in the first place.

At this point in the election, I can no longer deny that Trump's candidacy is already doing damage to our country and the world. The other day he said in reference to Clinton winning the election and appointing federal judges and Supreme Court nominees, "If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks, Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know.”

A lot of people heard that as an assassination threat. The Trump campaign came back with all sorts of nonsense, at one point saying he was referring to the "unity" and "power" of "2nd Amendment people" and at another point saying that he wasn't saying Clinton should be assassinated, just that she could be. Meanwhile, his supporters on the internet have made it very clear they heard that as a call to arms in case Trump loses the election...

And that's on top of him going around saying the election would be rigged. It is technically possible to rig an election, but it would be practically impossible to do that without getting caught on the national level--numerous people would have to be involved in a mass conspiracy in every single voting precinct in the country. Who knows if he actually understands this issue, but what he's trying to do by saying this stuff is prematurely delegitimize Clinton's presidency. Probably the same way he used birtherism to try and delegitimize Obama for the last 8 years by saying he was born in Kenya--a ridiculous conspiracy theory that has been repeatedly and definitively debunked numerous times.

Ah taking a proper way to handle the nuclear weapons and the other crap that causes wars would be wonderful if we could do that. But we might need all new people in offices all over the country for that. Hopefully if Clinton is elected we can do just that.

And ya I heard about that and I heard the same damn thing. That was a threat on her life. I don't care how they spin that shit, it was a call at arms and nothing but that. He says so much shit, how is this one thing impossible to believe to of came out of his "mouth"?

So much bad shit has come down lately. Worse was this weekend in Milwaukee, not far where I used to live and grow up in Milwaukee.... It's beyond horrible. And of course Trump shitters were partially involved besides BLM people. It was horrible. Innocents being beaten, whites being attacked because they were just white. Gas station, beauty supply store, a auto part store and a bank were all set on fire, cops attacked; one sent to the hosiptal because he got hit in the head with a fucking brick. Cars broken, people looted all because some stupid as 23yr old bastard ran from the cops with a loaded semi automatic and got shot because he did exactly what he was NOT to do and people blew up the whole thing saying he was a innocent black man. NO he fucking was NOT. Seems the gun was stolen and so was the damn car he was stopped in. Ya like he was tottally innocent... Sorry I am still inraged over this right now. I know that place so well. Been there multiple times in my life, grew up a hour away. Lived a hour away and yet this shit is going on. National Guard had to come because they bastard people were shooting at firemen and EMTs.... I hate how our world is now mostly shit and it is going to be hard as hell to come out of this into the light. Like we all need, BADLY.

saiyouri wrote:Ah taking a proper way to handle the nuclear weapons and the other crap that causes wars would be wonderful if we could do that. But we might need all new people in offices all over the country for that. Hopefully if Clinton is elected we can do just that.

And ya I heard about that and I heard the same damn thing. That was a threat on her life. I don't care how they spin that shit, it was a call at arms and nothing but that. He says so much shit, how is this one thing impossible to believe to of came out of his "mouth"?

So much bad shit has come down lately. Worse was this weekend in Milwaukee, not far where I used to live and grow up in Milwaukee.... It's beyond horrible. And of course Trump shitters were partially involved besides BLM people. It was horrible. Innocents being beaten, whites being attacked because they were just white. Gas station, beauty supply store, a auto part store and a bank were all set on fire, cops attacked; one sent to the hosiptal because he got hit in the head with a fucking brick. Cars broken, people looted all because some stupid as 23yr old bastard ran from the cops with a loaded semi automatic and got shot because he did exactly what he was NOT to do and people blew up the whole thing saying he was a innocent black man. NO he fucking was NOT. Seems the gun was stolen and so was the damn car he was stopped in. Ya like he was tottally innocent... Sorry I am still inraged over this right now. I know that place so well. Been there multiple times in my life, grew up a hour away. Lived a hour away and yet this shit is going on. National Guard had to come because they bastard people were shooting at firemen and EMTs.... I hate how our world is now mostly shit and it is going to be hard as hell to come out of this into the light. Like we all need, BADLY.

I was talking to my aunt the other day about this. She lives in Milwaukee. She told me this has been building for decades, and my research supports that analysis.

Riots are like forces of nature. Martin Luther King Jr once said that "a riot is the language of the unheard." I think that's truer at certain times than others--one of the colleges near me is infamous for having lots of riots for truly stupid reasons. There was one last year because of a football game.

But the riots in Milwaukee, as in Baltimore and Ferguson, were born of suffering, not stupidity alone. Obviously the ultimate irony is that riots tend to inflict the most harm on the communities the rioters belong to--but once a situation gets to the point of a riot, no one's thinking straight anymore. People are too angry, too hurt, too desperate.

In terms of Milwaukee, it is the worst city in the country to be black and it has been that way for a long time. Today, it is the most segregated city in America. The Milwaukee school system has been accused of discrimination, and not only does it suspend and punish black students at a much higher rate than white student, it diverts public funding to wealthier schools so that only majority white schools actually get resources. The city has been struggling economically for decades, and 4 out of 5 black children in Milwaukee live in poverty. While other states have begun investing in rehabilitation as an alternative to jail time, Wisconsin and Milwaukee especially has tripled down on obsolete and proven-racist criminal justice policies which specifically target black people.

I've heard that a lot of people in Milwaukee don't believe the police story about what happened--and in some ways THAT'S a bigger problem than what actually happened. Except that what actually happened is that a man with a family that loved him is dead and now a 2 year old girl has to grow up without her father, and her pain is heavier and far more important than all the rest of it. But part of the problem is that in Milwaukee the relationship between law enforcement and the black community is so toxic that each side is incapable of trusting the other, even a tiny bit. And when there is a break down in trust, it is always the fault of the side with power--which in this case is law enforcement. They have had the power to fix this broken relationship all along, but instead they have chosen to continue policies that do more harm than good.

When people riot, it's because they don't think they have another option. If they DO have another option, the question becomes: who told them they didn't? Who convinced them that they were so powerless that the only way they could make the world hear their screams of pain was if they set fire to a car or looted a store?


Here's a short article explaining some of the deep problems of racial disparity in Milwaukee.

http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/ ... ack-people

It reminds me of a scene from one of my all time favorite mystery novels....

There's a city. Tensions are high and different ethnic groups within the city are at odds with each other. A young man dies under mysterious circumstances and each side is blaming the other. One night the streets are filled and riots are breaking out all over the city. Cue the main character, who turns on all the lights in his police station, makes hot cocoa, opens the front door wide and sits down on the front porch. When the mob comes, instead of finding an armed police force ready and waiting for them, they find a normal man who they know and recognize, who's from their neighborhood, who knows their parents, and most importantly...it's hard to feel like rioting when someone is offering you hot cocoa.

The point of that scene was that riots are as much about reacting in the moment as anything else.

If Milwaukee suspends more blacks then that might be why the capitol of Wi is being asses when it comes to the bad kids that are bullies and are getting away with it. Seems like a woman in Madison, well her son is constantly bullied but it's by a black boy. They were supposed to suspend this kid multiple times and it took her constantly threatening them when the boy followed her son home by getting on a bus he was told never to go on to get something done. Seems the schools are too afraid to suspend blacks because of the fall out that could come from it, but to me that is bullshit. If the kid is really bad, then don't care what he is; do something about it. But that might just be the fact I have no care for a persons skin in anyway shape or form. I see evil and nothing else.

I really am getting sick of this world. There is too much bull going on and I'm giving up in humanity. Milwaukee pushed me over the edge. I know people are struggling there hard but no one is going to do something to fix it. Especially if they never did it yet. And I understand that they are suffering there but to me, keep the fuck away from the damn people doing good. Just because someone is white is no god damn excuse to attack them, just because they own a business, leave them the fuck alone, and my god; firefighters and EMTs.... They are doing good, go harass someone else that should be harassed because they are the ones that did the bad. Not people who are trying to save lives. Because you are too damn stupid you started places that could blow up on fire >.> I truly hate how the world is not changing right now and it's rather sad. Took this one city to break me and I have no idea if it will ever come back. ; ;

I'm a bit sensitive to that city I think. My great grandfather used to control it during a time when he wasn't and shouldn't of been allowed to so I think that is part of it. Besides my fiance and I being there just two days before this broke out and if we stayed in WI like my mom wanted us to; we would of been caught in that hell ; ; Sorry for my outbursts. This is truly one thing I am really sensitive to and no idea why.

saiyouri wrote:If Milwaukee suspends more blacks then that might be why the capitol of Wi is being asses when it comes to the bad kids that are bullies and are getting away with it. Seems like a woman in Madison, well her son is constantly bullied but it's by a black boy. They were supposed to suspend this kid multiple times and it took her constantly threatening them when the boy followed her son home by getting on a bus he was told never to go on to get something done. Seems the schools are too afraid to suspend blacks because of the fall out that could come from it, but to me that is bullshit. If the kid is really bad, then don't care what he is; do something about it. But that might just be the fact I have no care for a persons skin in anyway shape or form. I see evil and nothing else.

I really am getting sick of this world. There is too much bull going on and I'm giving up in humanity. Milwaukee pushed me over the edge. I know people are struggling there hard but no one is going to do something to fix it. Especially if they never did it yet. And I understand that they are suffering there but to me, keep the fuck away from the damn people doing good. Just because someone is white is no god damn excuse to attack them, just because they own a business, leave them the fuck alone, and my god; firefighters and EMTs.... They are doing good, go harass someone else that should be harassed because they are the ones that did the bad. Not people who are trying to save lives. Because you are too damn stupid you started places that could blow up on fire >.> I truly hate how the world is not changing right now and it's rather sad. Took this one city to break me and I have no idea if it will ever come back. ; ;

I'm a bit sensitive to that city I think. My great grandfather used to control it during a time when he wasn't and shouldn't of been allowed to so I think that is part of it. Besides my fiance and I being there just two days before this broke out and if we stayed in WI like my mom wanted us to; we would of been caught in that hell ; ; Sorry for my outbursts. This is truly one thing I am really sensitive to and no idea why.

I think you're feeling sensitive about this because it hits so close to home. This is something that effects you in the immediate sense, and that makes it personal.

I have the privilege of being able to disassociate myself to a certain extent, because even though I have family in Milwaukee I live very far away. And I don't have a good sense of the forces at work. Admittedly, my instinct is always to side with the rebels--that's my anti-authoritarian streak at play. But I also know that riots don't leave communities better off in the end. And as always, my fear is that this kind of behavior will damage the very important efforts being made towards criminal justice and police reform--which is desperately needed.

Chances are, these riots will make things worse in Milwaukee especially for the Black Lives Matter and Coalition For Justice activists--the same activists who came out first thing the morning after the riot and started putting things to rights. The same activists who weren't part of the riots, but who are grouped together with rioters by the systems of power and individuals those activists are in opposition too, as we are already seeing with the Governor and the Sheriff. They use these riots as a chance to further attack black activists.

The great irony is that real activists are the best defense against riots. Real activists, the people who work and think and act for and with their community, are often the only voice of reason in the room. They can keep a spark, like the shooting the other day, from becoming an all out wild fire, which is what happened in Milwaukee because cooler heads did not prevail.

But never give up hope! There is no darkness without light: https://www.romper.com/p/photos-of-milw ... heal-16355

Thank you. I wished it wasn't so close to home so I can be calmer and be able to take a step away from this. And see things how they are. ; ; I'm glad so many people came out to help clean it up.

That city needs it badly. I just hope something small can start to happen for the better there and not turn bad. This world and that community don't need it right now. Everyone needs to put their efforts into the upcoming election and we badly don't need more I'm not sure what to term this all as, going on.

I think the term you're looking for is civil unrest.

But I dunno...maybe we DO need it. None of this would be happening if the situation across the country was where it needs to be. If jobs were more plentiful and wages higher, if communities weren't divided by discrimination, if people were more accepting of other religions and sexual orientations, if we had more enlightened law enforcement and a more progressive tax code, if our social systems were informed by science and reality, if all levels of education were accessible to all as a human right, if people measured their "goodness" by how much compassion they have instead of how much tolerance....


But in order to achieve those things, we have to rip off the bandage and see what's lurking beneath the surface.

With the way things are right now, we might actually get there. With the Milwaukee incident and others just before it, I think it might be possible finally. Seems more riots and more people are protesting now than they ever did before. So it might be an actual possibility in the future. If things keep going the way they are; we just might get that finally. I truly hope we do.