Black Lives Matter is a brand. A slogan. A message. An idea. There's no single group that was exclusively permitted to use "Black Lives Matter" as part of an official name for their organization.
It's very appropriate and needful to stand against the rioters as individuals, and stand against specific groups that are known by investigative methods to have purposely fomented violence by taking advantage of the Black Lives Matter brand.
But if you stand against the idea of "Black Lives Matter" as a call for equal justice, as exemplified by the Black Lives Matter-themed protests, big and small, that were peaceful protests, during the summer of 2020—then you are standing on the "wrong side of history."
That's why I approve of those video frames being removed from the Jason Aldean video, and why I call for the statement about it from Jason Aldean and his record company that I drafted in my previous message. The brief statement that I drafted that ends with a "mic drop" after the word "America."
[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 07-27-2023).]
Confederates is a brand. A slogan. A message. An idea. There's no single group that was exclusively permitted to use "Confederates" as part of an official name for their organization.
It's very appropriate and needful to stand against the rioters as individuals, and stand against specific groups that are known by investigative methods to have purposely fomented violence by taking advantage of the Confederates brand.
But if you stand against the idea of "Confederates" as a call for equal justice, as exemplified by the Confederates-themed protests, big and small, that were peaceful protests, during the summer of 2020—then you are standing on the "wrong side of history."
That's why I approve of those video frames being removed from the Jason Aldean video, and why I call for the statement about it from Jason Aldean and his record company that I drafted in my previous message. The brief statement that I drafted that ends with a "mic drop" after the word "America."
Originally posted by olejoedad: BLM turned into a get-rich scheme for the founders of the 'organization.' Didn't do squat besides that.
I think if I were to cast a broader net, using online searches, I could find a number of positive aspects to the story of Black Lives Matter and the summer of 2020.
But I agree that was part of it, as well—about some who organized using the Black Lives Matter brand to line their own pockets.
[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 07-27-2023).]
I think if I were to cast a broader net, using online searches, I could find a number of positive aspects to the story of Black Lives Matter and the summer of 2020.
But I agree that was part of it, as well—about some who organized using the Black Lives Matter brand to line their own pockets.
You have to look at what started the BLM movement to measure its success. There were three high profile cases in just three months in spring of 2020 that ignited the BLM movement.
First, in March, an innocent black woman, Breonna Taylor, was killed by police serving a no-knock warrant. Because of the uproar over that case Louisville Police not only ended the practice of no-knock warrants, but they also called it The Breanna Taylor Act.
In May the story of Ahmaud Arbery broke. Arbery had actually been murdered in February but because of the killer's connections to the district attorney's office no one had been charged until a video of the incident was released. Due to the outrage over that incident the State of Georgia both passed hate crime legislation and repealed its citizen's arrest statute.
Later in May George Floyd was murdered by police using a chokehold and kneeling on his throat. Due to the outrage over this murder most law enforcement agencies immediately modified their use-of-force policies to explicitly prohibit both carotid holds and chokeholds.
When you look at why they were protesting and the results they achieved it was actually a very successful movement.
[This message has been edited by fredtoast (edited 07-27-2023).]
It seems to me that the courts made the decisions.
Are you saying the courts caved to the protesters, rather than performing their legal duties? The legal system was swayed by the threat of mob violence? (I sincerely doubt that you need to use smaller words with me, fella. You have absolutely no idea of my education level or background. Keep it civil or STFU.)
I love you all, I mean that... but other than Jerry Reed, I absolutely cannot stand country music. I am sorry... if that makes me a horrible person, I will take it. I go into a violent rage whenever I hear it. So I've avoided anything with this small town song stuff.
Originally posted by olejoedad: It seems to me that the courts made the decisions.
Decisions from judges and juries, but also district attorneys and prosecutors, police chiefs and review boards, mayors and city councilors, governors and state legislators... more than just "the courts." All that is encompassed within what "fredtoast" described as positive achievements of the Black Lives Matter movement.
I will attempt. I'm not working today, so I'll open a bottle of Kraken Whiskey that's sitting at my bar, and once I'm no longer thinking about the destruction of this country from liberal elites, I'll ask my digital servant who spies on me for economic opportunity (Alexa) to shuffle songs by Hank Williams Jr.
You have to look at what started the BLM movement to measure its success. There were three high profile cases in just three months in spring of 2020 that ignited the BLM movement.
First, in March, an innocent black woman, Breonna Taylor, was killed by police serving a no-knock warrant. Because of the uproar over that case Louisville Police not only ended the practice of no-knock warrants, but they also called it The Breanna Taylor Act.
In May the story of Ahmaud Arbery broke. Arbery had actually been murdered in February but because of the killer's connections to the district attorney's office no one had been charged until a video of the incident was released. Due to the outrage over that incident the State of Georgia both passed hate crime legislation and repealed its citizen's arrest statute.
Later in May George Floyd was murdered by police using a chokehold and kneeling on his throat. Due to the outrage over this murder most law enforcement agencies immediately modified their use-of-force policies to explicitly prohibit both carotid holds and chokeholds.
When you look at why they were protesting and the results they achieved it was actually a very successful movement.
3 things, and these were done by the courts not BLM.
What have they done for the communities that they orchestrated the destruction of? Are predominate black communities better off now then they were before BLM? Has BLM help with the rebuild and seen to it that merchants returned after the destruction?
Saint George Floyd again.
quote
If the courts had done the job they should have George Floyd would have never been back on the streets. IF George Floyd was not breaking several laws that day he would not have been there. But by all means lets destroy the country over it. There were a lot of other ways this could have been managed and the out come would not have been someone dead. Perhaps if George Floyd's mother had done the right thing perhaps if George Floyd father had done the right thing perhaps if George Floyd parole officer had done the right thing.
I love you all, I mean that... but other than Jerry Reed, I absolutely cannot stand country music. I am sorry... if that makes me a horrible person, I will take it. I go into a violent rage whenever I hear it. So I've avoided anything with this small town song stuff.
Please don't hate me.
Wanna go to this bar I know about ?
I am too damn old for extended brawling anymore so could use a wingman. Your particular talent will come in handy !!!!
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: I will attempt. I'm not working today, so I'll open a bottle of Kraken Whiskey that's sitting at my bar, and once I'm no longer thinking about the destruction of this country from liberal elites, I'll ask my digital servant who spies on me for economic opportunity (Alexa) to shuffle songs by Hank Williams Jr.
Kraken makes Whiskey ???
DAMN !!!!
All we can get here is the black rum,
Trudeau screws us again. (Hey, gotta blame somebody and since he IS up top there.... )
I love you all, I mean that... but other than Jerry Reed, I absolutely cannot stand country music. I am sorry... if that makes me a horrible person, I will take it. I go into a violent rage whenever I hear it. So I've avoided anything with this small town song stuff.
Please don't hate me.
I was going to quote a Merle Haggard title from 1970, but I started another thread, instead.
3 things, and these were done by the courts not BLM.
No they were not done by any court.
Law enforcement agencies changed policies without being forced by any court.
Legislators in Georgia passed new laws without being forced by any court.
They took these steps because they were the right things to do. And they had not done any of them before BLM protests forced them to the front of the public consciousness.
Perhaps if George Floyd's mother had done the right thing perhaps if George Floyd father had done the right thing perhaps if George Floyd parole officer had done the right thing.
if that girl had not worn that short dress she would not have been raped. If the Jews had just stayed out of Germany there would have been no holocaust.
This is what drives the racial divide in America. A policeman murders a black man, and a bunch of white people don't think it is the police mans fault.
[This message has been edited by fredtoast (edited 07-28-2023).]
This is what drives the racial divide in America. A policeman murders a black man, and a bunch of white people don't think it is the police mans fault.
No. The problem is that the left sees George Floyd as a BLACK man, instead of a MAN.
if that girl had not worn that short dress she would not have been raped. If the Jews had just stayed out of Germany there would have been no holocaust.
This is what drives the racial divide in America. A policeman murders a black man, and a bunch of white people don't think it is the police mans fault.
Everyone blames everyone else. We are going to part ways here. Go play with your cards.
No. The problem is that the left sees George Floyd as a BLACK man, instead of a MAN.
The left does not have a problem. Police have a problem. Courts have found that law enforcement agencies engage in racial profiling. Academic studies find that law enforcement agencies engage in racial profiling. And law enforcement agencies have even admitted to engaging in racial profiling.
If police want to stop being accused of racism then they need to stop being racist. It is hard for people to believe them when they say "Yeah, we are racists in some areas, but not always."
...other than Jerry Reed, I absolutely cannot stand country music. I am sorry... if that makes me a horrible person, I will take it. I go into a violent rage whenever I hear it.
I linked to a specific band just for you. I guarantee, you will not "go into a violent rage" when you hear it (or any number of their other songs, including ones in Spanish).
The left does not have a problem. Police have a problem. Courts have found that law enforcement agencies engage in racial profiling. Academic studies find that law enforcement agencies engage in racial profiling. And law enforcement agencies have even admitted to engaging in racial profiling.
If police want to stop being accused of racism then they need to stop being racist. It is hard for people to believe them when they say "Yeah, we are racists in some areas, but not always."
Profiling (playing the odds) is NOT a problem.
It works. Period. A long time ago when I was doing OTR repair work, I could tell you how a call was going to go before I even got to a place just by the race of the client.
I do however agree the cops have a serious problem.
I linked to a specific band just for you. I guarantee, you will not "go into a violent rage" when you hear it (or any number of their other songs, including ones in Spanish).
Hahah... I appreciate it. I tried, I mean that... I'll say that to some extent, I've closed my mind to country, so unless the songs left an impression on me when I was younger, it's hard to accept "new" country. I feel like the country from the 60s and 70s was better, to be completely honest. I'm certainly glad that other people like it... but there's not been a lot I've heard that really gets me like... "**** yeah..." hahah... and then want to go do something crazy.
... but, when I listen to some of the old classic 70s country... I get this feeling of wanting to say "F" my savings, and go buy an enormous-engined late 60s / 70s muscle car and just tear ass down I-95 or I-10 with the T-Tops off and tires squealing.
I'm not an expert on 2nd gens, but here's my thought. A few things I notice is that it has a slot under the pull-out ashtray. This tells me it cannot be a 1981, or a mid-year 1980 because by that time, they'd implemented spark control and some kind of weird sensor that went on the carburetor, so it actually had an ECM. When they installed those ECMs (which were almost twice the size of Fiero ECMs) it went right behind that panel, and thus that tray was closed off.
I also notice what I THINK looks like a 100mph speedometer. So... I might be off a little on the years, but I think that rules out a 1979 and 1980 model year, because I'm pretty sure they had 85mph speedometers. I know the earlier years... like 1970-1973 had 160mph speedometers. And there was a period of time where some models also had a 120mph speedometer. But you could get the 100mph speedometer from say 1974-1978 on most engines... so my guess is that it's basically that age range.
All of that said, the dash and everything basically looked identical from 1970-1979.
This is a 1970 Dash:
This is a 1981 Dash:
You'll notice the 70s one is missing the center vents, and the 81 one has more buttons and crap on it. But basically the same... you can't fix perfection.
If anyone here is old enough to remember it, the Left tried to cancel Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" as well.
Joe Biden recently 'fired' Lee from the National Endowment of the Arts program as well.
The freedom of expression is protected by the Constitution, and is intrinsic to the fabric of America.
What I get from this report (I'll get to it at the end, here) is that Lee Greenwood himself, in some comments that he made to Fox News, echoed the idea that he was being removed from the National Council on the Arts and replaced by someone else, as part of a Biden administration, cancel culture-style "cancelation of conservatives." But the facts indicate otherwise:
quote
In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Kamilah Forbes, a theatre and TV director and producer, to replace country singer Lee Greenwood on the National Council on the Arts. . . .
In September 2021, several primarily right-leaning outlets reported that Lee Greenwood, a country singer best known for his patriotic hit "God Bless the USA," had been replaced on the National Council on the Arts, with Greenwood claiming he was being removed for political reasons.
For example, on Sept. 23, Greenwood told Fox News he was "shocked" to receive an email informing him he was to be replaced on the council, which advises the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, an agency that oversees federal arts policy and distributes grants to cultural organizations. "He's cleaned house," Greenwood said of President Joe Biden. "Finally he's fired the patriot."
On the right-wing platform Newsmax, Greenwood struck a similar tone, saying, "I believe he [Biden] decided to clean house. He's getting rid of all conservatives in the government."
Earlier in 2021, Biden did signal his intention to replace Greenwood on the arts council, so this element of the claim was accurate. However, the notion that the country singer was specifically or exclusively targeted for his conservative political views was contradicted by the fact that seven other council members were set to be replaced as well, pending Senate confirmation of their replacements, and almost all of those were nominees of fellow Democratic (former) President Barack Obama.
As far as this phrase "the Left", as used here by forum member "olejoedad"... it doesn't mean a damn thing. It's a phrase that conjures up an image of multiple, octopus-like tentacles of conspiracy, all coordinated and controlled by some central group, organization or agency which is "the Left." That's just phony-baloney.
Many people became especially tired of hearing Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." after it became such a predictable staple at Trump campaign rallies.
If the MAGA movement had not made such a fetish of the "God Bless the U.S.A." song, and had not made it into such a predictable Trump theme song, the song would not have become so tiresome to many other people as it did. Still somewhat tiresome, perhaps... but not as tiresome as it became in the eyes and ears (so to speak) of so many other people.
quote
In 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden replaced country singer Lee Greenwood on the National Council on the Arts, as part of an anti-conservative agenda.
What's false about this assertion is that it asserts (falsely) that Joe Biden moved to replace Lee Greenwood as "part of an anti-conservative agenda."
Perhaps if George Floyd's mother had done the right thing 
perhaps if George Floyd father had done the right thing 
perhaps if George Floyd parole officer had done the right thing. 
