The COVID-19 virus is not the only infectious plague.
The KKKlandemic of racism has been around far longer, has killed far more people, is far more virulent, and targets minorities.
We must find a treatment and vaccination but, until then, those infected must be identified and isolated and removed from their ability to continue spreading their vicious contagion.
Sadly, this task is made more difficult because the unelected president and much of law enforcement are among those with the most serious cases of infection.
I downloaded a database on police shootings from the Washington Post website. I am a data analyst. I crunch numbers for breakfast and here are some of the findings.
Each year there are approximately one thousand fatal shootings of civilians by police. 2020 is on track to exceed the 1K figure.
Of these,an average of 60 fatal shootings are of UNARMED civilians. That’s about 5 a month or more than one a week.
By unarmed, I mean that the person is considered armed if he had anything at all in his hand even if it is as innocent as a pocket comb.
In the “fog and confusion” of war or a police show-down, anything in a person’s hand could be mistaken for a weapon. I must give the police the benefit of the doubt.
Of the 60 annual, fatal shootings, half the people were not fleeing.
A disturbing 9 of these fatalities over the past 4 years (more than two a year) were children under the age of 10. The youngest of these was 6 years old. How can an unarmed child be a threat to a trained policeman? Of these 9 children 7 were non-white.
95% of the unarmed people killed were male. This is down from 98% the last time I did this analysis.
About an equal number of whites and blacks are shot each year, however whites are 60% of the population and blacks are 13%. Blacks are shot at a rate 250% above their percentage of the population whereas for whites it 70%. To express that ratio in another way, your chances of being fatally shot by a policeman is more than 3.5 greater if you are black rather than white.
George Floyd won’t show up in the 2020 statistics; he wasn’t shot.
So as the media concentrates on the rioting, our leadership concentrates treating the symptom rather than the cause. Send in armed troops to stop the looting. Meanwhile the root cause goes untreated.
If Making America Great Again means placing property rights over human rights, I want no part of it.
What’s with the “when” lady? That pandemic is still very active. You are “just” witnessing one of the effects. Folk are fed up with.. unemployment.. COVID-19… the direction trump is taking the country.. the lies.. and last but not least by any means.. the very real decay in justice. trump spouts equal justice while giving pardons to friends.. and having his AG Barr kill investigations into.. what on the surface seems like real crimes.
I am very proud of the people who stood between illegitimate protestors and the stores they planned to victimize, and also all those who have helped clean up for other victims. It appears that a new kind of protest is developing, i.e., against those who would use use the cover of a serious social protest to vandalize and steal.
Perhaps peaceful protesters will need two lines from now on. One line peacefully faces the barrier lines with their signs and megaphones and supports their message. The second line faces backward to try to identify the people who are not part of their group but who throw bricks, Molotov cocktails, and other damaging items over their heads to incite the police to act. Fake protestors have only one cause and that is mayhem so they can exercise their freedom to smash and grab. Without some action to separate the groups, more innocents will be hurt and the goals of legitimate protestors will be ignored.
But then, Buttercup will continue to worsen the situation by trying to become to use the army to prolong his reign. Same thing happened with several misguided despots over the centuries. None succeeded but the wreckage they left in their passing took decades to erase.
I have suggested, over the years and with a layperson’s knowledge, implementing: stricter recruitment, background checks, mental/social evaluations. Longer and more expansive training including education in such topics as sociology, community, history of the citizens to be protected, de-escalating any and all situations. Police officers have citizens’ lives in their hands… arresting someone could lead to possible prison time which would ruin that person’s life. Carrying lethal weapons that can wound, disable, or kill a citizen. Consider the position of a police officer as a career/profession through the training, treatment, and wages given. Regular paid leaves of absence for officers, for more education, possibly volunteering in the community in which they work, therapy with a physician who understands the stress and PTSD related to police work. Increase the number of women officers working out in the public.
Weeding the bullies out the police department and putting in a psychological test for their replacements should be required. My brother in law was a cop in a small Texas town. He was a bully in high school to the point of exhibiting psychological issues in the stuff that he did, and he was able to turn that hobby into a profession by joining the local police department.
Our police should be carefully chosen, required to wear cameras, and any complaints should be reviewed by a citizen’s committee, elected by the citizens of the community. I can assure you he would have never been a cop, because he would never have applied for the job under those rules. I said he was evil, I didn’t say he was stupid.
Remember when we didn’t do enough to take care of each other before the pandemic? Remember when, time after time, day after day, week after month after year, all we got was “thoughts and prayers” and another commission whose actual goal was to just get everybody to siddown and shuddup? Do you suppose that this outbreak of violent anger might have its roots back then? I do.
DD Wiz Premium Member almost 4 years ago
The COVID-19 virus is not the only infectious plague.
The KKKlandemic of racism has been around far longer, has killed far more people, is far more virulent, and targets minorities.
We must find a treatment and vaccination but, until then, those infected must be identified and isolated and removed from their ability to continue spreading their vicious contagion.
Sadly, this task is made more difficult because the unelected president and much of law enforcement are among those with the most serious cases of infection.
Dtroutma almost 4 years ago
Only Bonespurs can give us a threefur.
wyneaux almost 4 years ago
Remember when we just had a totally incompetent ’resident?
braindead Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Trump is applying the same quality of leadership to both.
vree66 Premium Member almost 4 years ago
I don’t want to win apocalypse bingo!
Stevefk almost 4 years ago
Gawd, I miss Obama. Hell I even miss George Bush – that’s how bad it has gotten.
FrankErnesto almost 4 years ago
Nero fiddled while Rome burned, our"leader" hid in a bunker.
dflak almost 4 years ago
I downloaded a database on police shootings from the Washington Post website. I am a data analyst. I crunch numbers for breakfast and here are some of the findings.
Each year there are approximately one thousand fatal shootings of civilians by police. 2020 is on track to exceed the 1K figure.
Of these,an average of 60 fatal shootings are of UNARMED civilians. That’s about 5 a month or more than one a week.
By unarmed, I mean that the person is considered armed if he had anything at all in his hand even if it is as innocent as a pocket comb.
In the “fog and confusion” of war or a police show-down, anything in a person’s hand could be mistaken for a weapon. I must give the police the benefit of the doubt.
Of the 60 annual, fatal shootings, half the people were not fleeing.
A disturbing 9 of these fatalities over the past 4 years (more than two a year) were children under the age of 10. The youngest of these was 6 years old. How can an unarmed child be a threat to a trained policeman? Of these 9 children 7 were non-white.
95% of the unarmed people killed were male. This is down from 98% the last time I did this analysis.
About an equal number of whites and blacks are shot each year, however whites are 60% of the population and blacks are 13%. Blacks are shot at a rate 250% above their percentage of the population whereas for whites it 70%. To express that ratio in another way, your chances of being fatally shot by a policeman is more than 3.5 greater if you are black rather than white.
George Floyd won’t show up in the 2020 statistics; he wasn’t shot.
So as the media concentrates on the rioting, our leadership concentrates treating the symptom rather than the cause. Send in armed troops to stop the looting. Meanwhile the root cause goes untreated.
If Making America Great Again means placing property rights over human rights, I want no part of it.
Zen-of-Zinfandel almost 4 years ago
Moderately chaotic.
Alberta Oil Premium Member almost 4 years ago
What’s with the “when” lady? That pandemic is still very active. You are “just” witnessing one of the effects. Folk are fed up with.. unemployment.. COVID-19… the direction trump is taking the country.. the lies.. and last but not least by any means.. the very real decay in justice. trump spouts equal justice while giving pardons to friends.. and having his AG Barr kill investigations into.. what on the surface seems like real crimes.
sandpiper almost 4 years ago
I am very proud of the people who stood between illegitimate protestors and the stores they planned to victimize, and also all those who have helped clean up for other victims. It appears that a new kind of protest is developing, i.e., against those who would use use the cover of a serious social protest to vandalize and steal.
Perhaps peaceful protesters will need two lines from now on. One line peacefully faces the barrier lines with their signs and megaphones and supports their message. The second line faces backward to try to identify the people who are not part of their group but who throw bricks, Molotov cocktails, and other damaging items over their heads to incite the police to act. Fake protestors have only one cause and that is mayhem so they can exercise their freedom to smash and grab. Without some action to separate the groups, more innocents will be hurt and the goals of legitimate protestors will be ignored.
But then, Buttercup will continue to worsen the situation by trying to become to use the army to prolong his reign. Same thing happened with several misguided despots over the centuries. None succeeded but the wreckage they left in their passing took decades to erase.
Librarylady almost 4 years ago
I have suggested, over the years and with a layperson’s knowledge, implementing: stricter recruitment, background checks, mental/social evaluations. Longer and more expansive training including education in such topics as sociology, community, history of the citizens to be protected, de-escalating any and all situations. Police officers have citizens’ lives in their hands… arresting someone could lead to possible prison time which would ruin that person’s life. Carrying lethal weapons that can wound, disable, or kill a citizen. Consider the position of a police officer as a career/profession through the training, treatment, and wages given. Regular paid leaves of absence for officers, for more education, possibly volunteering in the community in which they work, therapy with a physician who understands the stress and PTSD related to police work. Increase the number of women officers working out in the public.
Michael G. almost 4 years ago
“You asked for ‘law & order’? I gave it to you!” – Mao Ze-Trump
Diane Lee Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Weeding the bullies out the police department and putting in a psychological test for their replacements should be required. My brother in law was a cop in a small Texas town. He was a bully in high school to the point of exhibiting psychological issues in the stuff that he did, and he was able to turn that hobby into a profession by joining the local police department.
Our police should be carefully chosen, required to wear cameras, and any complaints should be reviewed by a citizen’s committee, elected by the citizens of the community. I can assure you he would have never been a cop, because he would never have applied for the job under those rules. I said he was evil, I didn’t say he was stupid.
Radish the wordsmith almost 4 years ago
Who knows if we will even have a country next month, thanks Republicans!
William Bednar Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Ah, yes, the good old days when all we had to worry about was a vicious pandemic . I recall them fondly.
JerryWalfish almost 4 years ago
Remember when we had a [real] president?
Lynnjav almost 4 years ago
Thanks for the number crunching. It helps to put all in perspective.
Joel Stein Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Remeber when we had a government,not a bunch of thugs.
Concretionist almost 4 years ago
Remember when we didn’t do enough to take care of each other before the pandemic? Remember when, time after time, day after day, week after month after year, all we got was “thoughts and prayers” and another commission whose actual goal was to just get everybody to siddown and shuddup? Do you suppose that this outbreak of violent anger might have its roots back then? I do.