Aaron Blake of The Washington Post thinks we're having a moment of cross-racial unity:
Ferguson, Mo., has captured the nation's attention for the better part of the past four months. But in just a few short days in the national news, Eric Garner has become the political rallying point that Ferguson never has.Er, no, there isn't. Look at the racial discrepancy (click to enlarge):
A new poll shows considerably more unhappiness with the lack of an indictment in Garner's case than in the one in Ferguson. And, perhaps most important as far as its impact goes, that unhappiness is significantly less connected to a person's race.
The Selzer and Company poll for Bloomberg News finds that 60 percent of Americans disagree with the lack of an indictment against officer Daniel Pantaleo, whose chokehold apparently led to Garner's death in July. For comparison's sake, just 36 percent say they disagree with the lack of an indictment against officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson....
The differences in the two cases are almost completely because of whites.
In both cases, nine in 10 African Americans say they disagree with the decision. Although just 25 percent of whites disagree with the decision in Ferguson, a majority (52 percent) disagree with the decision in Garner's case.
There isn't quite consensus....
If 48% of whites still can't see a reason to try Pantaleo on any charge, even after watching the video and hearing Garner say "I can't breathe" over and over again, then we're not at a "rallying point" at all.
It's clear that a large percentage of whites think this case is an outlier, an anomaly, a glaring exception to the rule that cops have an excellent reason for beating or killing the "thugs" they deal with in the vast majority of instances.
Am I wrong? We'll see. There are a lot of excessive force cases piling up, and for once they're coming to white America's attention. We'll see if whites' overwhelming confidence in the cops has been shaken at all. I'm not optimistic.
Anyone with half a brain would be sickened by the video of Eric Garner's death. I am shocked that anyone would think that no charges should be laid.
ReplyDeleteAttended a house party in West County St. Louis Friday. About thirty upper middle class white adults, small group of 21 to 25 year olds, the rest 45-60. My wife and I were attacked. We were the only two who thought Brown was murdered by Wilson (I give him 2 shots maybe if the kid went for his gun, not the next ten emptying his clip). Usual Foxnoise attitudes, even from some folks who are normally open to my libtard thoughts. I believe police killing blahs, and Obama granting immigrants amnesty (yes I know Reagan not Obama did that, will cement the white vote across age demographics for a long time. Also too, Obamacare is just another way for them to get another Government handout at our expense.
ReplyDeleteMart: So how do you handle situations like that. Present your points clearly...then what?
ReplyDeleteMy parents in the 50-60s just walked out on those affairs. It restricted their circle of friends & colleagues but there was social space for more AA friendships.
For me now, it is only the incidental interaction and it is easier to be bold because there is no relationship. Strangely, though, a few white friends I was comfortable with made backsliding comments about arson and looting and were unable or reluctant to listen when I said these were not Protestors, but actual looters & rioters. Sigh. Then the Garner lack of Indictment was announced and they mostly swung back. Palli
I think it is mostly a matter of the news feed people choose. If someone listens to Rush at work, and Fox at night, I cannot make any points as I am wrong about everything. Even if I try to walk to middle ground. I mostly state my point quietly, and then shush-up before it turns into an idiotic shouting match. These are nice church going folks. But they got their's, so screw all the lazy moochers.
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