It is Good to Experience a Peaceful Protest

[Stryker]

I am writing of my experiences this week with peaceful protests I've attended in Sykesville, MD on Wed and Fri this week. I had to take Thu off to grieve for the passing of my Uncle Gary (that story is in the GD forum). As a christian, I'm done listening to divisive rhetoric. My heart will not accept anything but Love Thy Neighbor, and the Golden Rule. It is important that I stand along my minority friends, family, and coworkers in their time of need, to help them grieve, and find a way to move forward as a nation.

I was invited by a friend to Wednesday's protest. I was amazed at the amount of white people joining the cause. I was also moved by the amount of young people. A lot of them were very emotional, but I remember what it was like to be a teen/young adult. As some of the protesters would get angry from the negative feedback from people that didn't agree with them, I grew disheartened. As they continued to chant with more emotional distain, I was moved.

I grew up catholic. I am now a practicing quaker. For those of you who do not know what it is to practice the quaker faith, my sect does not have a spiritual leader. Instead we all meet at a meeting house on Sundays. The elder tells us when the time of quiet reflection begins, and we sit silently for about an hour, reflecting on our lives, the world, whatever you want, just to get closer to experience God's divine light. Sometimes we don't talk or interact at all. If the spirit moves you to speak, or share something with the group. You stand up, share your thoughts, then sit. Usually this leads to more quiet reflection on the topic brought up. But the important thing is, when you feel that feeling, of what it is to have to speak when others are silent, you have to stand up, and you do so with God's divine love in your heart.

I was so moved at the young people starting to show anger and distain for police, and racism, that I had to speak. I have a loud booming voice, and I can project. I spoke of my gratitude of being part of a gathering that so many people came, to express their constitutional right to a peaceful protest. I extrapolated on the words of the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr: We begin to die the moment we are silent about the things that matter. Those words are very impactful, especially in a forum where people are not silent about what they believe in. I was moved to lead us all in a 9min silent prayer, and I invited us all to kneel if we could, and reflect on the countless lives lost to bigotry and racism, and also pray for the hearts and minds of the law enforcement agencies. They are not our enemy, and real change will have to come through their example as well.

After 9 minutes I felt it was important to say that 9 minutes can change a life, and 9 minutes can change a country. It is up to all of us to open our hearts, open our ears, and strengthen our minds. We can't defeat hate with hate. Only love can defeat hate. It's time to change the argument from being one full of hate, to one being full of love and understanding. That is how we can all work to Uniting this great nation.

Even though I missed Thu, when I returned on Friday, though we were battling a thunderstorm, and rain, the mood seemed more positive. No aggression toward cops, no hatred in the words and chants spoken. Just a unified effort to make our community a better place, and in doing so, helping to communicate with others to help and do the same.

I am uplifted by my experiences, and I honestly hope, if you get a chance, go to a local peaceful protest and just listen. You don't have to participate, unless your are moved to do so. I was pleasantly surprised at my experiences, and I hope you would be too.

Peace and love to all of Steeler Nation!

 

[CharlesDavenport]

I still don't understand the point of protesting when everyone is in agreement.

 

[Buster]

I still don't understand the point of protesting when everyone is in agreement.

This exactly...do something to solve the problem instead of tons of people getting together to state the obvious.

I do acknowledge however that everyone has the right to march / protest...I just don’t find it productive.

 

[NCSteelerfan]

I still don't understand the point of protesting when everyone is in agreement.

Because it is about more than just the one incident

 

[SteelChip]

Because it is about more than just the one incident

It damn sure is NC....it fur sure is about more than just one incident.

If you just focus on interracial crime, though, Mac Donald (writing this time in the City Journal) has crunched those numbers. “Between 2012 and 2015, blacks committed 85.5 percent of all black-white interracial violent victimizations.” This, she qualifies, excludes interracial homicide. Powerline’s Paul Mirengoff fills in that blank: “Blacks commit around 70 percent of black-white interracial homicides.” For this, he draws on FBI crime statistics for 2016. They show that, of 776 black–white homicides, blacks committed 533 and whites 243. Neither of these numbers, by the way, nor their combined total, comes anywhere close to the number of blacks killed by blacks: a staggering 2,570 — the overwhelming majority male.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2020...tent=featured-content-trending&utm_term=first

 

[SojournerSteel]

I think the Apostle Paul first advocated prayer and giving of thanks for all that are in authority that we might live a quiet and peaceable life. How many of these angry young people are idle (or being paid by Soros)? How much energy is being given to anger, rage, and rioting against authority that should be given to prayer and honoring authority? Their first order of business is to "study to be quiet, and do their own business." Why are they getting into the business of the rest of the nation -- or something that happened in one locale and is now being handled by the authorities in Minneapolis. I only offer those Christian themes as an alternative or additional witness to the notion that protesting is the Christian thing to do in this case. I don't think one can easily put lipstick on a pig, or Christian garb on the devil's work and methods. "A little leaven, leavens the whole lump."

1 Timothy Chapter 2:

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."

1 Thessalonians 4:11: "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you."


Proverbs 26:17: "He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears."

 

[Steelr4evr]

It damn sure is NC....it fur sure is about more than just one incident.

That doesn't matter at all. It's all white peoples fault no matter what.

Nobody in my entire family has oppressed anyone in their lifetime. My grandfathers never oppressed anyone.One was a Sargeant in the 101st WW2.My great grandfathers never oppressed anyone. My great great grandfathers fought in the civil war for the Union. The helped free the oppressed. My great great great grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary War to help secure this wonderful divine idea of America. To this day some land purchased from one of William Penn's son's is kept by the German side of my family.

The other side goes back to John Adams


Tired of this blanket blame. Tired of the racism game. I treat all with dignity and respect until the give reason not to.


Be at war with your vices,at peace with your neighbors,and let every New Year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong. Abraham Lincoln


I part ways with those destroying my neighbors house and livelihoods. I part ways with those inciting violence and murdering the innocent because they feel need to destroy.. I part ways with thieves. I part ways with anarchists who would remove all peace makers and destroy the very fabric of a civilized society.


If you lead a noble civil life respecting others and the rule of law in a civilized society. I think it would be extremely difficult to find yourself in a perilous situation with those charged to uphold the law. And the peacemakers should absolutely be held to the highest standard in enforcement.

That everyone can agree with.

 

[SteelerInLebanon]

My only problem with protests is for all the anger and emotion it never translates into solutions. We need to get people to understand that we need real world solutions not just slogans and anger. The protests never focus on the biggest change and that is voting out whatever party is responsible for the problems at the LOCAL level. They blame Trump or we blame Obama but the real policy decisions that matter are local an they never change parties to see if the other side might have solutions. All politics are local.


Sent from my iPad using Steeler Nation mobile app

 

[Stryker]

This is why I encourage you all to attend a protest. You don't have to be part of it, just experience it. Talk with people. There is a groundswell, and it's the first time the white population is organizing and staging peaceful protests.

The arguments of statistics, it's not my problem, and I'm not racist are not enough, because this isn't going away. My black friends, family, and players I interview do not feel safe in this country, and it is all of our duty to listen and find ways to come together and unite against systemic racism. It exists. I'm white, so I've never had to deal with implicit skin color bias, but I've seen my friends do it. I've witnessed it at work. Hell, I've had my fair share of racist moments growing up in rural PA, and some were ignorantly caused by my actions. It's just important to leave old biases behind to try and move forward as a country.

 

[Buster]

All the “Peace Protests” I have seen on TV still have way too many angry people for me. I’ll pass.

 

[Stoney]

This is why I encourage you all to attend a protest. You don't have to be part of it, just experience it. Talk with people. There is a groundswell, and it's the first time the white population is organizing and staging peaceful protests.

The arguments of statistics, it's not my problem, and I'm not racist are not enough, because this isn't going away. My black friends, family, and players I interview do not feel safe in this country, and it is all of our duty to listen and find ways to come together and unite against systemic racism. It exists. I'm white, so I've never had to deal with implicit skin color bias, but I've seen my friends do it. I've witnessed it at work. Hell, I've had my fair share of racist moments growing up in rural PA, and some were ignorantly caused by my actions. It's just important to leave old biases behind to try and move forward as a country.

You keep saying 'peaceful protest', but thats not what I witnessed this past week. There was a peaceful protest in my area last night, which was great, but it was the first of its kind.

Over the past week we've seen stores being looted, police vehicles being burned, police officers set on fire, police officers murdered, store owners being beaten to death for trying to protect their stores, looters beating other looters to take their loot for themselves, Private property destroyed, people beaten for not sharing the same political beliefs......., these are only some of the things that I've seen.

I'm sure that not all people, black and white, are represented by the animals I watched riot this past week. I'm also certain that not all police are represented by the animal I watched kill George Floyd. Most police officers are mothers and fathers, many are from the same communities that hate them and wish them dead.

Certainly police brutality exists, but it isn't part of some fictional 'systemic racism', there are plenty of videos of police killing unarmed white people. In fact, there is a video making the rounds of Dallas police killing a mentally ill white man that almost exactly mimics the Floyd killing, but not one seems to care. I wonder why?

You attended a 'peaceful protest', thats great. Congratulations.

 

[SCSteeler4life]

All the “Peace Protests” I have seen on TV still have way too many angry people for me. I’ll pass.

I agree, I’ve seen too many white people at these peaceful protest get the ever-loving
**** beat out of them.

 

[Steelr4evr]

I'm trying to wrap my brain around this guys history. He didn't deserve to die, but he was a criminal. That 5 year stint in prison for a home invasion holding a gun to a pregnant womans stomach while his 5 pals searched for drugs and money is hard to get past.

Thank goodness he only had meth,fentanyl and thc in his system at the time of his passing. I'm actually shocked he was mobile. No wonder he had counterfeit money. His life was ******. I'd have given him a 50/50 chance of death by OD in the near future or armed robbery.


Oh well. Let's burn it all down.

ugh

 

[Buster]

I agree, I’ve seen too many white people at these peaceful protest get the ever-loving
**** beat out of them.

It doesn't even have to be actual physical violence. When there peaceful protesters are interviewed, they are screaming with rage. Just throwing a tantrum until they get what they want. How about some social skills.

 

[SojournerSteel]

This is why I encourage you all to attend a protest. You don't have to be part of it, just experience it. Talk with people. There is a groundswell, and it's the first time the white population is organizing and staging peaceful protests.

The arguments of statistics, it's not my problem, and I'm not racist are not enough, because this isn't going away. My black friends, family, and players I interview do not feel safe in this country, and it is all of our duty to listen and find ways to come together and unite against systemic racism. It exists. I'm white, so I've never had to deal with implicit skin color bias, but I've seen my friends do it. I've witnessed it at work. Hell, I've had my fair share of racist moments growing up in rural PA, and some were ignorantly caused by my actions. It's just important to leave old biases behind to try and move forward as a country.

Many of the young whites I see look like Soros rabble to me. Let them go out and get jobs, work for a living, raise a family, or own property then it might be a little easier to listen to them. In other words, they aren't exactly living epistles of wisdom and experience like many of our athletes who think ball skills give them double majors in sociology and political science. To me, it's community organizing, Cloward-Piven 101 from the Left. The term "useful idiot" fits these people too often with their nebulous ideas of "change" and "revolution."

Like Churchill said, "Under 30 and conservative = No heart. Over 30 and liberal = No brain."

 

[SojournerSteel]

I'm trying to wrap my brain around this guys history. He didn't deserve to die, but he was a criminal. That 5 year stint in prison for a home invasion holding a gun to a pregnant womans stomach while his 5 pals searched for drugs and money is hard to get past.

Thank goodness he only had meth,fentanyl and thc in his system at the time of his passing. I'm actually shocked he was mobile. No wonder he had counterfeit money. His life was ******. I'd have given him a 50/50 chance of death by OD in the near future or armed robbery.


Oh well. Let's burn it all down.

ugh

She'd give Barack Obama fits in a debate. I'd pay to see it.

 

[Stryker]

I'm sorry, but these excuses for not taking the black community seriously isn't good enough for me, when all they are asking for is understanding and change.

These are our favorite players on the Steelers. Their message is unified. We can not be swayed by the example the woman has stated an excuse for herself, when the community strongly disagrees with her.

I am standing with my conscience, my religion, and my constitution because 'All men are created equal'. And I'll be exercising my constitutional right to protest peacefully. Thank you all for giving me the strength to attend today, when my spirit was wavering.

 

[SojournerSteel]

I'm sorry, but these excuses for not taking the black community seriously isn't good enough for me, when all they are asking for is understanding and change.

These are our favorite players on the Steelers. Their message is unified. We can not be swayed by the example the woman has stated an excuse for herself, when the community strongly disagrees with her.

I am standing with my conscience, my religion, and my constitution because 'All men are created equal'. And I'll be exercising my constitutional right to protest peacefully. Thank you all for giving me the strength to attend today, when my spirit was wavering.

The data doesn't support police genocide against the black community -- it just doesn't. "Understanding and change" are as nebulous as the mythical "conversation" (very one-sided at that) we are continually told we need to have as well.

How did that "conversation" work out for Drew Brees?

You brought Biblical perspective into the argument, but know also that it's possible to "have a zeal, but not according to knowledge."

The zeal and fervency with the "protest movement" is emotion-based and not supported by the larger overall data context. It's political in nature in an Election Year and hardly organic. Athletes are the biggest hypocrites alive when it comes to truth telling -- just look at how they bowed the knee to China and how the pack turned on Drew Brees. AV went through a Humiliation Ritual with the American flag while his whole team stayed in the locker room. No, we haven't forgotten the Pontius Pilate approach the Steelers took on the flag.

They need us way more than we need them.

 

[Buster]

I'm sorry, but these excuses for not taking the black community seriously isn't good enough for me, when all they are asking for is understanding and change.

So I say I understand...”No you don’t. You’ve never been a black man, you can’t understand”. So now I have offended them.

Change...I can’t change anyone else. All I can do is treat everyone fairly and based on their actions regardless of race or color. I do my best to do that everyday. I really don’t know what else they are asking of me.

 

[ZonaBurgh]

So I say I understand...”No you don’t. You’ve never been a black man, you can’t understand”. So now I have offended them.

Change...I can’t change anyone else. All I can do is treat everyone fairly and based on their actions regardless of race or color. I do my best to do that everyday. I really don’t know what else they are asking of me.

 

[Booted]

......, when all they are asking for is understanding and change. .

We ask the police to understand and change.We ask whitey to understand and change. Ok sounds good...Do minorities have to understand and change anything? Or just everybody else?

 

[Steelworth]

I'm sorry, but these excuses for not taking the black community seriously isn't good enough for me, when all they are asking for is understanding and change.

You know who the most important people are in taking the black community seriously and enacting change? The mayors of these cities that they live in, the governors and all of their local politicians. Last I checked, the cities with the most violence and police brutality are largely Democrat-controlled cities. Prayers and protests only go so far. Real change comes at the ballot box.

Straight from Shaun King's mouth:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">STOP generically telling us to VOTE in response to all of the police brutality we have right now.<br><br>Yes we should vote. But we have to be VERY specific.<br><br>Democrats, from top to bottom, are running the cities with the worst police brutality in America right now.<br><br>We voted for them.</p>— Shaun King (@shaunking) <a href="https://twitter.com/shaunking/status/1268911183878410246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[DBS1970]

We ask the police to understand and change.We ask whitey to understand and change. Ok sounds good...Do minorities have to understand and change anything? Or just everybody else?

Expecting minorities to abide by the same laws white people do is racist.

I keep pointing out the cold hard truth that one of the reasons why people turn a blind eye to police conduct towards minorities much of the time is because young black men commit 80% of violent crimes.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Expecting minorities to abide by the same laws white people do is racist.

I keep pointing out the cold hard truth that one of the reasons why people turn a blind eye to police conduct towards minorities much of the time is because young black men commit 80% of violent crimes.

Yet blacks are 12% of the population, therefore black men are 6% of the population, and young black men would be about 3% of the population.

 

[Steelr4evr]

Expecting minorities to abide by the same laws white people do is racist.

I keep pointing out the cold hard truth that one of the reasons why people turn a blind eye to police conduct towards minorities much of the time is because young black men commit 80% of violent crimes.

Yeah but we can't have people taking a cold hard look in the mirror and realize that YOU alone are most responsible for your behavior and what you become in life. It's so much easier and convenient to blame someone else.