What if Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Terrance Crutcher, Keith Lamont Scott and many others had acted differently during their fatal interactions with police?
It is funny. It's dark humor, not meany to be punny. Dark humor is about laughing at things that would normally make us cry or afraid. It's another way of taking a breath and keep moving forward because, like it said towards the end, all you can do is keep living. But approaching problematic subjects with dark humor also promotes thought. It's funnier because you can identify with the truth in it, and it's another way of getting at the truth without open hostilities and destructive behaviors. It might even be a beginning to something constructive.
That's my initial reaction. I am thinking that it may depend on people's personal experiences, though. Some subjects may hit too close to home for some people who have been through traumatic experiences to appreciate with humor. The threat in the memories is too potent to just "keep living" and laugh about the absurdity of it all. That thought came up because it seems like there have been subjects that have come up that I cannot find humor in. I thought of one...killing cats, and
( ... )
thanks. that's a great insight and makes me think. maybe that's the key - to be aware if we fear something, and try to understand it, rather than to simply react to it. as you said, post trauma or experiential.. some things just trigger me and even if i know the reason, they still trigger me, it doesn't necessarily go away. it is good to talk about this and that's what the video probably was trying to achieve. i can't see myself as a policeman, but i can see myself in the black man's shoes being misunderstood.. ; )
I suspect in many cases, there would be different outcomes if the victims behaved differently. I don't deny that racism still exists. (I just told a supervisor yesterday about a racist remark a colleague made that took me off guard.) However, I believe most police are not out to just shoot down young black men. A lot of the shootings that I have heard about in the news were of people commiting crimes. Not doing criminal behavior would certainly help. Not being around people doing criminal behavior would help. (Sometimes the latter is not an option, but many times it is a choice.) Not behaving beligerently would help. Are there double standards? I'm pretty sure there are and that needs to be addressed from the police end, but your question was concerning if the victim's behavior could change the outcome, and I really believe a lot of the times it could.
i'll buy that. i also think cops have a tough call and fear for themselves and can't see clear past themselves about others. they react rather than respond, to be on the safe side. the problem with that is that racial profiling is objectifying people like sexism into mere objects. there is no emotional investment here, just knee-jerk reaction. how could there be in a robotic society
( ... )
A person should be able to act as belligerent as they want without being shot. A cop should not be able to shoot someone over a non violent crime.
Instead of thinking, 'what could the victims of police shooting have done different' a better idea might be, 'how can we teach police officers not to grab for their gun as their first, second or third solution'
agree, or at the very least speak openly without threat of death, guns or tasers or beatings, it makes us not respect our protectors, they end up shooting themselves in the foot so to speak by bullying. (nobody respects an asshole..)
like the guard on coolhand luke says, 'what we've got here is a failure to communicate', not understanding that he himself is the impedance to being able to communicate ))
satire comes home to roost. so what if the cop is black, how does that change the game? here in canada which is multicultural, there are sikh cops and asian cops and the odd black cop, but few native indian cops. many natives, like american blacks (and natives) have been locked up in prisons for criminal behaviour.
i like what william shatner said in a rant once, 'why can't we just learn to - get along!' ?
Click to view
Comments 12
It is funny. It's dark humor, not meany to be punny. Dark humor is about laughing at things that would normally make us cry or afraid. It's another way of taking a breath and keep moving forward because, like it said towards the end, all you can do is keep living. But approaching problematic subjects with dark humor also promotes thought. It's funnier because you can identify with the truth in it, and it's another way of getting at the truth without open hostilities and destructive behaviors. It might even be a beginning to something constructive.
That's my initial reaction. I am thinking that it may depend on people's personal experiences, though. Some subjects may hit too close to home for some people who have been through traumatic experiences to appreciate with humor. The threat in the memories is too potent to just "keep living" and laugh about the absurdity of it all. That thought came up because it seems like there have been subjects that have come up that I cannot find humor in. I thought of one...killing cats, and ( ... )
Reply
; )
Reply
I suspect in many cases, there would be different outcomes if the victims behaved differently. I don't deny that racism still exists. (I just told a supervisor yesterday about a racist remark a colleague made that took me off guard.) However, I believe most police are not out to just shoot down young black men. A lot of the shootings that I have heard about in the news were of people commiting crimes. Not doing criminal behavior would certainly help. Not being around people doing criminal behavior would help. (Sometimes the latter is not an option, but many times it is a choice.) Not behaving beligerently would help. Are there double standards? I'm pretty sure there are and that needs to be addressed from the police end, but your question was concerning if the victim's behavior could change the outcome, and I really believe a lot of the times it could.
Reply
Reply
Instead of thinking, 'what could the victims of police shooting have done different' a better idea might be, 'how can we teach police officers not to grab for their gun as their first, second or third solution'
Reply
like the guard on coolhand luke says, 'what we've got here is a failure to communicate', not understanding that he himself is the impedance to being able to communicate ))
satire comes home to roost. so what if the cop is black, how does that change the game? here in canada which is multicultural, there are sikh cops and asian cops and the odd black cop, but few native indian cops. many natives, like american blacks (and natives) have been locked up in prisons for criminal behaviour.
i like what william shatner said in a rant once, 'why can't we just learn to - get along!' ?
ain't that the truth?
Reply
If only they were white
Reply
"i used be wong, now i all white!"
old chinese proverb..
Reply
Leave a comment