[RP TownTalk] Parenting children to believe that #BlackLivesMatter

Mon Jul 11 13:01:08 UTC 2016

Hi, Bruce -- I assumed it would probably just be a matter of time before
you weighed in. Welcome.

Since I've received numerous messages from folks off-list about creating a
dialogue, I'll focus my energy on building rather than on tearing down.

-Heather

On Mon, Jul 11, 2016 at 7:44 AM, Bruce Wernek <bruce.wernek at verizon.net>
wrote:

> Honestly Heather, I'm sick of tired of the "race dialogue".  I'm old
> enough to remember what racism is.  I lived through it.
>
> I don't care what color you are.  We are all in this together.  This
> country doesn't belong to whites, blacks, etc.  It belongs to all of us
> which means all of us are responsible for what happens in it.  The problem
> is apathy.  No one wants to be bothered with minding their own affairs
> anymore.  When there's a problem, we all turn to the government to solve
> it.  They have to be involved in pretty much everything.
>
> All you hear from the media is an unending stream of hate.  The news (all
> of it, not just what is the most inflammatory) is secondary and
> incidental.  Take the Freddie Gray case as an example.  The media spins it
> into a police brutality issue, yet 3 of the 6 officers have been
> exonerated.  I'm certain the remaining three will be too.  Does this mean
> anything to you?
>
> What will you do if the same is true for police officers responsible for
> "the murders of Black men" after their trials?  Are we are going to
> organize a lynch mob and string them up on the nearest tree.  That's what
> the KKK was doing when I was a boy.  Judgements rendered by our legal
> system be damned?  Clearly you must know something I don't.  I am unable to
> make any assessment on the innocence or guilt of these officers since I
> don't know all of the facts.  All I have to go on is the media's hate
> rhetoric.  Is that what you are using to assess guilt or innocence?
>
> Our country is being torn apart.  What that psycho did to Texas' finest
> was a declaration of war on America.  BLM has declared war on America too
> and they are not the only "activist group" that has done so.  There's no
> dialogue or resolution, just unending hate.  I've been all over the world
> and observed many cultures.  I assure you America is the one of the most
> diverse tolerant wealthy countries on earth.  Be thankful because if we
> continue down this road, all that we take for granted is perilously close
> to being lost.
>
> The bottom line is that the police are not the enemy.  They protect all of
> from abject chaos.  In my opinion, the police should be held in the highest
> regard.  They get cussed out, spit on, shot at, punched out, insulted,
> threatened, beaten, stabbed, murdered, maimed, deal with the dregs of
> society, etc. (abbreiviated list) in the execution of their duty to protect
> us.  They fight a war that can never be won and they will never get the
> recognition they deserve.  Yet they persevere.  Given this, don't you think
> they should be given the benefit of the doubt, "innocent until proven
> guilty"?
>
> I suggest you start reading something other than the Huffington Post.  Why
> don't you find out who's funding the BLM then you'll know their real agenda
> (hint they aren't people like us).  I assure you, it will be enlightening.
>
> God bless the Police now more than ever.
>
> Bruce
>
>
> On 07/09/16, Heather Cronk<heather.cronk at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> After this week's brutal news about the murders of Black men by
> police, the release of video of those murders, and the subsequent murders
> of police officers at a rally in Dallas, I've been doing a lot of reading,
> a lot of checking in on Black friends, and a lot of talking with fellow
> white folks.
>
> Given that our community in Riverdale is racially diverse and growing more
> so by the month, I felt that it was important to open up a conversation
> here about ways that we -- as neighbors, friends, and folks hugely
> influential on the lives of the kids in our town -- can respond. I hope
> that these conversations are happening in our local schools, as well.
>
> One article has jumped out as particularly helpful among white friends of
> mine who are parents:
>
> http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/10895690
>
> I realize that opening up a conversation about race over a listserv is
> complicated -- and I'm very open to ideas that folks might have about ways
> to continue this conversation offline if there is interest. Despite the
> complexity of this conversation, I also wanted to make sure that a) folks
> of color in this community hear that their lives and their family's
> lives matter, b) white folks in this community hear an invitation to
> dialogue and at least one very concrete tool in having this conversation
> with their kids, and c) all of us take a few minutes to think intentionally
> about what kind of community we want to take an active role in creating.
>
> If there are any white neighbors who are interested in getting together
> offline to have a conversation about how we're actively working together to
> ensure that this community is one of justice, dignity, and respect, I'd be
> very happy to convene that discussion. Please feel free to respond either
> on-list or off-list (heather.cronk at gmail.com) and I'd be happy to
> organize a get-together...
>
> And to our neighbors of color -- especially our Black neighbors -- we see
> you, we love you, and we will do everything we can to ensure that this
> community is a safe haven for you and your children.
>
> -Heather
>
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