[RP TownTalk] Parenting children to believe that #BlackLivesMatter (Heather Cronk)

Wed Jul 13 13:25:23 UTC 2016

Yes i am Bruce - because as white people we experience privilege regardless
of our history. When you walk down the street, or into a store, or are
pulled over by a police officer, your peasant lineage does not come into
play.

I do not want to argue and am not calling you racist.  I am sure we have
many things in common and look forward to meeting you. I am merely
expressing my hope that we as a community can come together and acknowledge
the valid fears and concerns of many of our neighbors and try to address
them as best we can.  I will say no more but look forward to a community
dialogue on this.

Thanks,
Catarina

On Wed, Jul 13, 2016 at 6:45 AM, Bruce Wernek <bruce.wernek at verizon.net>
wrote:

> All of my grandparents were born peasants in a feudal system and came to
> this country with nothing.  Their peasant lineage went back a 1000 years.
> It that what you are calling "white privilege".
>
> Where in my response did I say anything about "Denying the racism in our
> justice system as well as in unfair police targeting of people of color".
> I feel like I'm reading the Washington Post.  To reiterate, what I said was
> "I'll prefer to reserve judgement for a judge and jury because I believe in
> America and the American way.  I trust they will make the right decision
> and I will be satisfied with that decision whatever it may be.  Until then
> I'll keep my opinions to myself."  I'm not sure what "America and the
> American way" has to do with prejudice and "white privilege".  Again, this
> is something I'd expect to see in the Post.  This is beyond spin.  If you
> want to make a point then make it.  Don't manufacture one with fiction.
>
>
> On 07/12/16, Catarina<chatareena at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Respectfully, Bruce, that in a nutshell is what white privilege is.
> "America and the American way" has historically been and continues to be
> prejudiced towards many.
> Normally, i would "agree to disagree" but this issue is too important. Our
> friends and neighbors have valid concerns for their safety and that of
> their loved ones. As do l. Denying the racism in our justice system as well
> as in unfair police targeting of people of color is wrong.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jul 12, 2016, at 2:28 PM, Bruce Wernek <bruce.wernek at verizon.net>
> wrote:
>
> Catarina
>
> I watched the videos, but did the media show them in their entirety?  Were
> they complete?  I can't say.  In either circumstance, I cannot pass
> judgement because I'm sure a lot more happened than what the media can air
> in ~1-2 minutes.
>
> I'll prefer to reserve judgement for a judge and jury because I believe in
> America and the American way.  I trust they will make the right decision
> and I will be satisfied with that decision whatever it may be.  Until then
> I'll keep my opinions to myself.  The alternative is basically a "lynch
> mob".  That's about where we are now as a nation.  It's a disgrace and a
> disservice to the law enforcement community.  They risk their lives to
> protect all of us.  The least I can do is give them the benefit of the
> doubt.  Apparently, you feel otherwise.
>
> Likewise, I don't believe anything I could say or facts I could present
> would enlighten you.  Good luck with that.
>
> Bruce
>
>
> On 07/12/16, Catarina<chatareena at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> If you watched the videos and still need enlightening, especially
> considering the racism and violence that has been committed against people
> of color, then i dont believe anything we could say would enlighten you.
> I do believe getting together as a community and talking about it might
> help though.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jul 12, 2016, at 1:34 PM, Bruce Wernek <bruce.wernek at verizon.net>
> wrote:
>
>  Alison
>
> Thought you might like this.
>
>
> http://www.dailywire.com/news/7264/5-statistics-you-need-know-about-cops-killing-aaron-bandler
>
> I can't pass judgement on the "murders" in Louisiana and Minnesota yet
> since I don't have any idea what happened other than cell phone videos.
> Apparently, you do.  Could you enlighten us?
>
> Bruce
>
>
> On 07/12/16, Al Spain<alisonspain at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Heather -
>
> Thank you for the invitation to dialogue and your leadership in our
> community.  The murders last week, in Lousiana, Minnesota, and Dallas, have
> been beyond heartbreaking.
>
> Affirming that Black Lives Matter in no way discounts that other lives do
> not matter, rather, it acknowledges the reality that "the probability of
> being {black, unarmed, and shot by police} is about 3.49 times the
> probability of being {white, unarmed, and shot by police} on average.
> "http://journals.plos.org/plosone/articleid=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0141854
>
> Clearly, some in our community are not interested in having this dialogue,
> but many more of us are and will not be deterred by the Guiliani's of the
> world.
>
> My experience with the Riverdale Police and their community policing has
> been largely positive. I am interested in learning more about their
> outreach efforts, as well as the experience of others in the community.
> Riverdale's strength is in its cultural and economic diversity, and its
> small town in the big city feel.  Perhaps we could be a model for other
> communities by working together to evaluate the present state of affairs
> and create a strategic plan for a stronger and safer future for all.
>
> From the article you referenced for parents, what really stood out for me
> was this:
>
> "As Dr. Brittany Cooper writes: “White people should recognize that the
> best way to be good allies is to go work among their own people (white
> people) to create more allies. Too frequently, white allies think we are
> asking them to come into our communities to affirm our account of racist
> acts and structures. What we are really asking is for them to 1) affirm
> that account boldly among other white people; and 2) use their privilege to
> confront racial injustices when they see them happening, whether in the
> grocery store or the boardroom.”
>
> As the mother of a white son, I know that I will not need to have the same
> "Talk" with my son that my black friends and neighbors will have with their
> sons.  That begs the question, what kind of talks should I be having with
> my white son?  I look forward to further opportunities to dialogue and
> act.  I would be happy to host and create a child-friendly space so that
> parents can participate.
>
> Sincerely,
> Alison Spain
> Tuckerman St.
>
> Please excuse all typos
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> TownTalk mailing list
> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
> processing only
> http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
>
> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
> http://www.riverdaleparkmd.info
>
> _______________________________________________
> TownTalk mailing list
> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
> processing only
> http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
>
> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
> http://www.riverdaleparkmd.info
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://riverdale-park.org/pipermail/towntalk/attachments/20160713/3eb5579a/attachment.html>