I am shocked this LA times Coffey Article hasn't been posted on here as of yet

[golf]

Virtually every black person has a story about some sort of clear experience with racism. The problem is some people don't want to hear it and just can't stand hearing people complain, so they ignore them and conveniently only listen to people who say things that they like to hear. I promise you far more black people (and just people in general) believe racism both exists and is a major problem. I'm guessing you don't know many (or any) black people. Either that, or you've never asked them about their experiences. You should try that sometime. You might learn something.

Hope you are sitting down. I work 40 hours a week with the immigrant community. So fun learning about different cultures. Wonderful people who have enriched my life immeasurably. Here are some statements I've heard.
"America is so great, why does everyone want to change it?" South Sudan immigrant
"Everyone in the world knows about the American lottery system, except Americans". Belarus immigrant
"I waited in line 17 years to immigrate to the states." Filipino immigrant

Couple stories that stick out. Muslim woman who had to play dead as Serbian death squad moved through her village.
Christian family who had to pretend they were Muslim in Yemen in order for their lives not to be in danger.
Of course, our country is not perfect, but
we need to be careful about changing our country so much that we lose it.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Hope you are sitting down. I work 40 hours a week with the immigrant community. So fun learning about different cultures. Wonderful people who have enriched my life immeasurably. Here are some statements I've heard.
"America is so great, why does everyone want to change it?" South Sudan immigrant
"Everyone in the world knows about the American lottery system, except Americans". Belarus immigrant
"I waited in line 17 years to immigrate to the states." Filipino immigrant

Couple stories that stick out. Muslim woman who had to play dead as Serbian death squad moved through her village.
Christian family who had to pretend they were Muslim in Yemen in order for their lives not to be in danger.
Of course, our country is not perfect, but
we need to be careful about changing our country so much that we lose it.

"Hope you're sitting down for this", but making changes to prevent police brutality and hold cops accountable when they murder black people would actually make the country even better. I'm guessing you either don't have a single black friend, or if you do, you've never spoken to them about racism. It's a real thing, and it's a problem. It's okay to admit it. Not sure what's holding you back.

 

[golf]

"Hope you're sitting down for this", but making changes to prevent police brutality and hold cops accountable when they murder black people would actually make the country even better. I'm guessing you either don't have a single black friend, or if you do, you've never spoken to them about racism. It's a real thing, and it's a problem. It's okay to admit it. Not sure what's holding you back.

Seems like you failed to read my post, but truth is that media/academia/elites dont care about black lives. They care about the influence, power, and money they can gain by pushing a narrative. Black on black murders (of course most murders are intraracial) so far this year in Chicago number 191. Included in the 191 were two college bound 18 year old girls who were murdered last weekend. Think about all the heartache for all those families.
More black babies are aborted each year than are born.

By contrast, the Washington Post reports that there were 9 unarmed black men shot by white police in 2019 in the whole country. Yet the media talks about "genocide" and "black people being murdered in their homes at night".

I think it is important that stories like Amir's are shared. I also think it is important to share the recent story of my white golf friend whose teacher son was under the influence one night, took a couple of steps toward a cop, and was shot dead. It was awful.

So now we are at a point where the Chicago Sun Times says they will now capitalize Black and Brown when referring to individuals or people groups, but white will remain lower cased. Boys scouts are considering a black lives matter badge. Chicago Trib reports a black teacher is under fire for saying protesters shouldnt burn and loot. Mores reports even more outlandish than these every day.

The airwaves are filled 24/7 with messages that everything in America is so fixed against the black community that they cannot possibly even begin to reach their potential in any way. Hard for them not to believe it and becomes self fulfilling prophecy. And so the puppeteers continue to pull the strings, continue to enjoy the fruits of their efforts, and black lives continue to not matter in America.

These thoughts are certainly not original with me but borrowed from other leaders/thinkers, both black and white.

 

[paulser21]

Can someone with inside police experience explain, are they on a quota system? I mean if I needed to book someone by the end of my shift to achieve my bonus, who do I target?

As a police officer I can say there is no quota system (at least in my department in a city of roughly 500k people. There are certain units such as traffic divisions that have an expectation to write a lot of citations because that is their job purpose. But for the average field cop there are no expectations for ticket numbers or arrest numbers. Your primary duty is to handle calls for service and handle community complaints.
Many of you seem to have a lot of negative experiences with police officers. Many of you may have questions about why we do what we do. I’d be more than happy to try to answer questions.

 

[golf]

As a police officer I can say there is no quota system (at least in my department in a city of roughly 500k people. There are certain units such as traffic divisions that have an expectation to write a lot of citations because that is their job purpose. But for the average field cop there are no expectations for ticket numbers or arrest numbers. Your primary duty is to handle calls for service and handle community complaints.
Many of you seem to have a lot of negative experiences with police officers. Many of you may have questions about why we do what we do. I’d be more than happy to try to answer questions.

Am wondering what you think of Jocko Willink's ideas. They are located above in post 27. Thanks

 

[GoldenRodents]

As a police officer...I’d be more than happy to try to answer questions.

What percentage of police officers do you think would have ended up shooting Rayshod Brooks if placed in the same situation?

 

[builtbadgers]

As a police officer I can say there is no quota system (at least in my department in a city of roughly 500k people. There are certain units such as traffic divisions that have an expectation to write a lot of citations because that is their job purpose. But for the average field cop there are no expectations for ticket numbers or arrest numbers. Your primary duty is to handle calls for service and handle community complaints.
Many of you seem to have a lot of negative experiences with police officers. Many of you may have questions about why we do what we do. I’d be more than happy to try to answer questions.

Thank you for serving. Nearly every officer i have met has been a bright guy, seemingly devoted to protect and serve. Of course there are bad cops, every profession has a small % of bad guys.

 

[paulser21]

Am wondering what you think of Jocko Willink's ideas. They are located above in post 27. Thanks

There is always a want and desire for more training, but while bodies are in training that means bodies aren’t in the field which causes shortages/longer response times/safety concerns. Our department does a lot more training than some of the smaller departments in the nation but we would all like more training in regard to certain things.
Many of the academies that train officers are only a few weeks long (someone would have to look up Minnesota requirements) but our department has a 6 month academy followed by 12 weeks with a training officer.

The physical fitness thing is another issue in and of itself. No business/public entity is allowed to have physical fitness requirements anymore. We have them in the hiring process but once you are hired I believe an employer cannot fire you regardless of how out of shape you become. Our department has incentive programs for physical fitness which provides extra days off if you complete the test.

 

[paulser21]

What percentage of police officers do you think would have ended up shooting Rayshod Brooks if placed in the same situation?

I would hate to put a percent on that. But officers are trained to engage with a suspect with a weapon. The officer did not shoot at the suspect while he was fleeing until he turned and pointed the weapon at him. You may say “it was just a taser” but tasers can incapacitate an officer leaving him prone to having his firearm taken.

I won’t try to defend the Minneapolis officers actions in any way shape or form. No officer or department will try to say what he did was ok or justified. The knee to the neck is not a trained restraint and he did not even attempt to reposition himself or listen to the victim (or bystanders).

 

[golf]

There is always a want and desire for more training, but while bodies are in training that means bodies aren’t in the field which causes shortages/longer response times/safety concerns. Our department does a lot more training than some of the smaller departments in the nation but we would all like more training in regard to certain things.
Many of the academies that train officers are only a few weeks long (someone would have to look up Minnesota requirements) but our department has a 6 month academy followed by 12 weeks with a training officer.

The physical fitness thing is another issue in and of itself. No business/public entity is allowed to have physical fitness requirements anymore. We have them in the hiring process but once you are hired I believe an employer cannot fire you regardless of how out of shape you become. Our department has incentive programs for physical fitness which provides extra days off if you complete the test.

Thanks. I assume that his idea of 20% of the time training would make a huge difference and probly the Floyd murder wouldnt have happened? Issue I suppose is manpower and money. Also, what do you think of the idea of more foot patrols and community ride alongs in effort to build bridges? Is law enforcement doing enuf to recruit black cops?

 

[Mulligan]

The airwaves are filled 24/7 with messages that everything in America is so fixed against the black community that they cannot possibly even begin to reach their potential in any way. Hard for them not to believe it and becomes self fulfilling prophecy. And so the puppeteers continue to pull the strings, continue to enjoy the fruits of their efforts, and black lives continue to not matter in America.

Yes, it's so unfair and one-sided. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham, Lou Dobbs, Ann Coulter, Ben Shapiro, Liz Cheney don't pull strings and are just eeking out a living. There's a whole frick'n network, much of talk radio and countless think tanks churning out propaganda 24 hours a day so you're going with it's unfair and one-sided because things aren't so bad. Talk about having your strings pulled.

 

[LongLiveMilesTarver]

Is this really a racism thing though? My four white friends and I got pulled over by nearly the entire St. Cloud police force when we were in high school because someone apparently thought we were going to rob Wal-Mart. They cuffed us, threw us in separate police cars and searched our vehicle and found Mountain Dew and candy (the exact items we just purchased at Wal-Mart) along with our receipt.

Not a one of us knew what was happening but in the follow months up until our charges were dismissed not once did we ever think it had anything to do with our race or our age or whatever.

Not sure what point I'm trying to make other than getting pulled over for no reason doesn't just happen to black people.

 

[GopherBlood777]

Is this really a racism thing though? My four white friends and I got pulled over by nearly the entire St. Cloud police force when we were in high school because someone apparently thought we were going to rob Wal-Mart. They cuffed us, threw us in separate police cars and searched our vehicle and found Mountain Dew and candy (the exact items we just purchased at Wal-Mart) along with our receipt.

Not a one of us knew what was happening but in the follow months up until our charges were dismissed not once did we ever think it had anything to do with our race or our age or whatever.

Not sure what point I'm trying to make other than getting pulled over for no reason doesn't just happen to black people.

Cops will target younger kids as much as anything. A cop pulled over to confront my friend and I (both white) while in high school and walking down lyndale ave for looking into a building under active construction and threatened to write us a ticket for lurking lol. Some cops are just dick heads looking to flex power regardless of who you are because that's who they are. I won't deny some stops or arrests are likely racially motivated, but that same cop would probably do the same thing to any person because they are a jerk that again just want to flex their muscle.

 

[paulser21]

Thanks. I assume that his idea of 20% of the time training would make a huge difference and probly the Floyd murder wouldnt have happened? Issue I suppose is manpower and money. Also, what do you think of the idea of more foot patrols and community ride alongs in effort to build bridges? Is law enforcement doing enuf to recruit black cops?

Tough to say on the 20% training thing. Was it a training thing or was this guy just an asshole on a power trip? I don’t know.

As for foot patrols, I was part of one for awhile. They have their pluses and negatives. You do get to develop good relations with the community but you are so restricted geographically with being able to handle calls for service. In today’s era where many PD’s are struggling financially or are being asked to be “defunded” this wont be a possibility. They will also probably need to cut a lot of the units that specialize in PR to be able to handle the field.

I love community ride a longs. They really open up the eyes of people who don’t know what officers do. They just need to ride in the areas where they will be exposed to what we see. Not a day shift in the business district.

 

[golf]

Yes, it's so unfair and one-sided. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham, Lou Dobbs, Ann Coulter, Ben Shapiro, Liz Cheney don't pull strings and are just eeking out a living. There's a whole frick'n network, much of talk radio and countless think tanks churning out propaganda 24 hours a day so you're going with it's unfair and one-sided because things aren't so bad. Talk about having your strings pulled.

abc, cbs, nbc, npr, espn, cnn, msnbc, other cable stations are lefty.
fox is righty.

Big 3 newspapers WaPost, NYTimes, LATimes are left. Trib gets most of its outsourced copy from these three.

Tech media is a huge deal, especially among youth - 100% left

Hollywood also swings a lot of weight - 99% left.

AM radio shows largely right. AM top of the hour news briefs largely left.

Sirius xm slightly more left.

Not sure, but would guess podcasts are mostly left.

White House news room is very strongly left. Very easy to prove.

Leftist groups like Media Matters search for something right media says that left deems wrong. Those statements are then used to threaten righty media advertisers. nbc right now is putting pressure on google to take down some righty advertising. ChikFilA was forced to stop supporting Salvation Army because of this.
Attacks on right wing advertisers is a constant threat against righty media. Advertisers for left wing media are never threatened.

Influence of left media far exceeds influence of right media. Not even close.

 

[builtbadgers]

Mostly been left of center my whole life but i would never fall for the blatant lies the far left is putting out there. Each person is fully capable of doing their own research to decide. Journalism wrapped in political agendas kills the truth and without the truth we can never solve our greatest problems. The far right has the same problems. I want my civil liberties, i want control over what i own and the freedom to decide what i want to do with it. The Government was never meant to be our mommy. I cherish a merit based system with compassion and a curiosity to learn and grow. No group think.

 

[LesBolstad]

abc, cbs, nbc, npr, espn, cnn, msnbc, other cable stations are lefty.
fox is righty.

Big 3 newspapers WaPost, NYTimes, LATimes are left. Trib gets most of its outsourced copy from these three.

Tech media is a huge deal, especially among youth - 100% left

Hollywood also swings a lot of weight - 99% left.

AM radio shows largely right. AM top of the hour news briefs largely left.

Sirius xm slightly more left.

Not sure, but would guess podcasts are mostly left.

White House news room is very strongly left. Very easy to prove.

Leftist groups like Media Matters search for something right media says that left deems wrong. Those statements are then used to threaten righty media advertisers. nbc right now is putting pressure on google to take down some righty advertising. ChikFilA was forced to stop supporting Salvation Army because of this.
Attacks on right wing advertisers is a constant threat against righty media. Advertisers for left wing media are never threatened.

Influence of left media far exceeds influence of right media. Not even close.

100% true, and Mulligan in a box.

And even while Fox is on the right, they do make an attempt to have lefty guests and viewpoints. CNN and MSNBC are completely worthless Loony Leftist sites- they don't even try to hide it anymore.

 

[GopherBlood777]

Mostly been left of center my whole life but i would never fall for the blatant lies the far left is putting out there. Each person is fully capable of doing their own research to decide. Journalism wrapped in political agendas kills the truth and without the truth we can never solve our greatest problems. The far right has the same problems. I want my civil liberties, i want control over what i own and the freedom to decide what i want to do with it. The Government was never meant to be our mommy. I cherish a merit based system with compassion and a curiosity to learn and grow. No group think.

I agree with everything you stated here. However your last two sentences are quite impossible in the competition based, endless debt system we all live in. With every man out for himself, and trying to make the most money while at it, there is little room for compassion and the greatest ideas are suppressed if they threaten the profits of a larger company. You should look into the Venus Project if you have time.

 

[MinnGopher]

Great post. I have not had the experience but i have witnessed it and not just blacks. The media is focused on the deaths or violence of blacks and missing out on the millions of harrassments by authorities against blacks. Pleased that young people are speaking out and sharing their experiences. I HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON THE SYSTEMIC real estate laws on the north side that crush opportunities for minorities and have for decades.This has dashed geberations of families and their ability to get ahead. It is a dirty secret of what makes Minneapolis one of the most segregated cities of size in the country. These studies are peer reviewed. Racism is thriving world wide. What Muslims and Jews put up with is scary as hell. The closest i experienced it worked in my favor. I was told by a professor that since i articulated so well when i talked i would go along way, that people would assume i was intelligent. I also heard uncle Tom a ton from people i played with or worked for and against. I took that as a compliment. For mInorities to have to exist in their lives with greater anxieties, judgements is unacceptable to say nothing of cruel. Each person has to stand up to it and conduct themselves with a dignity that should not be uncommon.

Built could you expand on the north side real estate laws that have been crippling? Have not heard of this and am really interested in how these are affecting people if so. It is such an outlier in terms of rent prices and purchase price relative to the rest of mpls and it blows my mind.

 

[builtbadgers]

Built could you expand on the north side real estate laws that have been crippling? Have not heard of this and am really interested in how these are affecting people if so. It is such an outlier in terms of rent prices and purchase price relative to the rest of mpls and it blows my mind.

Of course, by know you may know I love research. Google -mapping the segregation of Minneapolis click on Bloomberg City lab.

 

[MinnGopher]

Of course, by know you may know I love research. Google -mapping the segregation of Minneapolis click on Bloomberg City lab.

Thanks for the tip, was definitely an interesting read, and although I knew that stuff existed, I didn't really realize how prominent it was in mpls

 

[builtbadgers]

Thanks for the tip, was definitely an interesting read, and although I knew that stuff existed, I didn't really realize how prominent it was in mpls

Truly disgusting and peer reviewed.

 

[GopherBlood777]

Truly disgusting and peer reviewed.

PJ Fleck was presented a question about the segregation of demographics in the twin cities by Steven A Smith and he completely dodged the question with coach speak which was disappointing he didn't take it head on. However I can't blame him because having been here for a short period he can't do anything about the past, just try to make things better for the future.

 

[builtbadgers]

PJ Fleck was presented a question about the segregation of demographics in the twin cities by Steven A Smith and he completely dodged the question with coach speak which was disappointing he didn't take it head on. However I can't blame him because having been here for a short period he can't do anything about the past, just try to make things better for the future.

The vast majority of folks that live in the western suburbs are completely unaware of what life is like in parts of north and south Minneapolis. I got interested when after spending time here and starting to scout those areas, many of the folks welcomed me into their homes and educated me on their challenges. Over the years i have researched several avenues of my concern. Fleck will make his impact in several areas that have a very positive effect on those communities. So many can help by simply getting to know people, asking how someone is doing, volunteering at the boys and girls club on Ilium and Irving, helping at Agape, sponsoring a youth team, coaching.