"Some Lives Don't Matter"

[the_bob_delusion]

Argue for or against. Go

[4channel]

chameleon54, I see what you're getting at but as far as suicides go, people with mental health issues would be more likely to take their lives in custody than others. It's an old saying that someone must not be quite right upstairs if they end up in prison. Well, I don't subscribe to that belief as there are many people who have ended up inside due to circumstances beyond their control. So that in  itself will mask the tragedy and crime of wjhat's happening to Indigenous Australians.

You know the usual story, "Oh he slipped over and ruptured something internally", or "Gosh we checked her 40 mins ago and she was OK", or "We had no idea that he'd hang himself" doesn't wash with me.  You have to remember that White Australia Policy wasn't finally done away with until 1973. There are still people {Men) born not long before that date who are still fathering children. The attitudes and ingrained beliefs still linger to this very day with some people. When people are infected with  beliefs that other people are beneath them and are of lesser value, they become very dangerous if they are in a position of power. I'm not a direct witness to any of the terrible acts but I have read some accounts of these from very credible sources that are available in the public library. That's good enough for me.

As for the Black Lives Matter mov't, I don't wholly trust it even though the majority of the participants are very genuine caring people. But like any movement or cause it gets infiltrated by people who have a different agenda to the one that is portrayed to the public. Something needs to be done about the killing of African Americans and something needs to be done about the killing of Indigenous Australians. The killing of that poor Aboriginal man who was cooked to death in that van stinks of the same sociopath-like evil and brutality that was inflicted on George Floyd. Same kind of disregard for another human being it is without a doubt.

The deaths of Mentally ill people in custody is a dirty shame in Australia that hasn't been brought to light yet. I really hope it will be. Perhaps there's brutality dished out on mentally ill people because the perpetrators know they can get away with it. Lets pray for investigations, real investigations to commence. But right now the issue at hand is the deaths of African Americans and Indigenous Australians.  If these are not  looked into and sorted ASAP, we are going to see reactionary problems that we could never envisage.

The radical left and the radical right are not dissimilar! If there was an agenda to be served then it wouldn't surprise me that by default they were serving the same one. Which is?

[springyzone]

I think the main problem with the BLM rallies etc is not about the subject matter at all. Blacks have been discriminated against in USA, Racism exists in every country and goes in every direction too.

The main problem though is the effect of these rallies. The effect has been (in my opinion) that it has fanned massive racist sentiments.

The original aim may have been valid but once it filtered down to the masses, the effect was rioting, looting, resentment against white people and white culture in general. Here in Australia, some of that resentment against white culture is coming from whites.

I have not seen any mention of clear aims from the rallies. A list of practical changes that they want implemented, and that is what is needed.

As for the topic about black lives mattering, I think the problem is more complex than just skin colour. Much more complex. I believe a lot of the problems stem from generational poverty, joblessness etc. Fact is the crime rate is higher amongst black people and like the aborigines here, they have a higher rate of imprisonment. Two main reasons, neither to do primarily with colour. More to do with poverty and the fact they can't afford the expensive legal help to get them off.

We can talk about BLM till the cows come home, but if it means we develop a culture of hatred towards white culture, then that is counter productive, in my view.

If I had to look at practical ways to help people in Australia, I think education and specialised training for aboriginal children and support for their families would be right up there, because being able to get a job is the best way out of poverty.

Support for those (of any colour) with mental issues and some health issues isn't as good as it could be either.

We're never going to live in a perfect world, all we can do is try in practical ways to make things a bit more even.

[chameleon54]

Kudos to both 4channel and springy, those are two of the most intelligent responses to the discussion so far.

OK I will come clean and provide some context for my responses.....One of the reasons I am so disappointed that many here refuse to acknowledge that police brutality is not just confined to indigenous Australians is that I have been present and witnessed two occasions when police have used excessive force to restrain people suffering mental health episodes. 

One case was very similar to the Floyde case in America. In this instance the police officer placed his knee on the head of an already handcuffed and restrained person for a number of minutes, putting his full weight on the persons head. The person suffered a ruptured ear drum and has since been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident ( to add to a very long list of other mental health issues )

When you are actually present at an incident like that, rather than simply watching some grainy television footage with limited context, promoted by a political extremist, activist group it does tend to enlighten your views on certain topics.

[springyzone]

I think the George Floyd situation did need addressing but to me, where it went off kilter was to call it black lives matter, as if the whole issue was about race. I have a friend in USA who said that fair enough, what happened to him wasn't right, but the media elevated him to some sort of martyr like figure and there would be some presidents who have not had as grand a send off when they died.

Fact is Floyd was a physically large, violent man, high on drugs when he was arrested. The police who took him were a multicultural group, not all white.

The focus in my view should not have been about BLM, it should have been on an overhaul to police recruitment, training and procedures. Police accountability should have been the buzz words.

[the_bob_delusion]

What happened to my great idea?

[domino-710]

LOL - seems it's - poof.

[not_for_sale2025]

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@the_bob_delusion wrote:
What happened to my great idea?

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It don't matter!

[*kazumi*]