When you say people should protest gun violence Chicago, and evidence is shown that people already do, but you dismiss that evidence with ease it says to me your concern was disingenuous from the start. Bringing it up was merely a tactic to dismiss any and all complaints from the community. It’s moving the goal posts.

I was already aware of protests, marches, and organizations created to stop gun violence. Anybody who’s really interested would know as well. A friend of mine and myself were texting yesterday morning and spitballing more innovative things we could do through his organization to address that specific issue. Gun safety training. Fun and informative. Job programs. Nothing would help more than being able to raise them up out of poverty stricken situations, but we do what we can.

I get it. Y’all believe police brutality is a non-issue and y’all don’t give a **** what anybody has to say about it, and that’s fine. Just say that. Don’t pretend to care about other things to downplay what’s going on now. “What about Black on Black crime?” is an inappropriate response.

As far as the original post is concern, I’m speaking on the Saints. Drew’s teammates and former teammates seem to be on the same accord. Thomas, Kamara, Jenkins, Sanders, and Jordan all had something to say. That’s almost every leader on the team. I’m sure the silent majority is powerful in the United States. That’s evident. However, the majority in the NFL is different from the majority in real life.

No comment would have sufficed.

Rez

I believe there is a problem with police abuse of power, and there has been for some time. Many of them are trained to subvert the constitution and leave people thinking they have no right to silence or against unreasonable searches.

If Black Lives Matter why can’t the black community stop killing each other at alarming rates? Why does a “snitches get stitches” culture exist? Your seen as a race trader if you work with law enforcement to get criminals out of your community. Nothing can change, no investment into business of color or in minority areas can occur if it’s filled with crime. If the community itself doesn’t realize that change starts from within, nothing from the outside will matter.

Few solutions from my perspective:
1. De-criminalize non-violent crimes (drug crimes, crimes against property are violent). This locks up too many people for just wanting to get high. Focus should be on violence and rehab for non-violent offenders.

2. Body cameras to be mandatory for all police departments and are required to be running at all times.

3. Notional training effort for police regarding abuse of power and de-escalating tactics.

4. Incentivize and heavily promote trade programs in poor communities. Make the training free to provide skills and a way out for people in these communities that feel like they have no choice but crime.

Just my thoughts... if people are going to protest for change they need to know what policy changes they want.

Poverty and violent criminality go hand in hand. There’s study after study detailing that. Most importantly, that should have no bearing on police brutality. Maybe if Black people were killing police at an alarming rate I could see the connection. And snitches get stitches is universal law in all street environments. Does the Yakuza allow snitches? Italians? Mexicans? Nobody does.

Your ideas for legislation are great though for those who see legislation as the end goal.

What do you think some solutions are (end goal)?

I have to preface the statement by reiterating that I'm not a reformist in ideology. However, most of my community are proponents of reform. When Malcolm X said "By Any Means Necessary" what that really meant was use whatever works. If non-violent protest works, do it. If voting works, do it. If looting and rioting works, do it. If all out warfare works, do it. So I must meet my people where they are.

Therefore, we need legislation that helps put more control of the land, resources, and the means of production in our hands. There was a Homestead Act in 1862 that gave Americans up to 160 acres of federal land in the West. You had the Boomer-Sooner rush of Oklahoma. We need something like that to shrink this large wealth gap.

Again, this is a capitalistic society. How can we fix our faces to say things are equal when one race controls well over 70% (likely and understatement) of the wealth? So if reform is the route, we need any and all legislation that will spread the balance of power more evenly; even if that only means that the amount of wealth, land, and resources is equivalent to our overall population. That would be a VAST improvement.

STEM is the way of the future. Within our own communities we could emphasize focusing on that. You can take those skills anywhere. It doesn't even have to be here in America. I'm pro-gun. So I'm sure we all have a lot in common there.

We need emphasis on self-empowerment and an establishment of the cultural identity we had to give up because of the power structure. It's a lot we can do on our own, and legislation is only as good as the people enforcing it, but a genuine effort goes a long way.

Interesting points. I can't say I agree with "any means necessary", but I do understand the thought behind it. Violence only leads to escalation of violence. I thought MLK was much more effective than Malcolm for that reason, he brought all people together in the face of violence and it made his argument much more clear. Throwing violence into the equation and the message no longer becomes the focus.

For example, everyone was outraged by Floyd's death and the country as a whole saw the abuse taking place. If a MLK figure were around to channel that into massive marches and sit-ins EVERYONE would be aligned. Instead, we see the media constantly talking about the riots, constantly looking for the next thing to be outraged at (Drew). It's diluting the message...

I agree that the wealth gap in this country has grown to a extreme, and it's not acceptable. Unfortunately, the elite in this country do not care about the working or middle class regardless of race. Upward mobility has slowed down since the 90's, and the reason for it? Globalism. In 1998 this country's 'elite' sold the future to China. We lost millions of middle class jobs and the most impacted were minority communities. 30 Years ago you could come out of high school, go to work and land a job to support a family and house...

I wish I knew the answer to the wealth disparity, but the problem is those that really control the wealth are no longer American's, they are Global citizens. If you impose laws on them to take some of that wealth, they'll move their assets to another country.

Who are the top lobbying groups?
Who are the people controlling the media?
What do they have in common (aside from race)?
Why do they hold meetings every year (Bilderberg meetings)?
All questions that Americans should want answers to.

I love your last few paragraphs Rez, think we have a lot in common on those fronts.

What do you think some solutions are (end goal)?

I was already aware of protests, marches, and organizations created to stop gun violence. Anybody who’s really interested would know as well. A friend of mine and myself were texting yesterday morning and spitballing more innovative things we could do through his organization to address that specific issue. Gun safety training. Fun and informative. Job programs. Nothing would help more than being able to raise them up out of poverty stricken situations, but we do what we can.

I get it. Y’all believe police brutality is a non-issue and y’all don’t give a **** what anybody has to say about it, and that’s fine. Just say that. Don’t pretend to care about other things to downplay what’s going on now. “What about Black on Black crime?” is an inappropriate response.

As far as the original post is concern, I’m speaking on the Saints. Drew’s teammates and former teammates seem to be on the same accord. Thomas, Kamara, Jenkins, Sanders, and Jordan all had something to say. That’s almost every leader on the team. I’m sure the silent majority is powerful in the United States. That’s evident. However, the majority in the NFL is different from the majority in real life.

No comment would have sufficed.

This is the kind of frame of mind that Demario Davis has been lauded and that all people have gotten behind and supported and has seen steps taken. President Trump gets little credit (though he's not afraid to let people know) and that's that he gave people a seat at the table to publicly make their argument about former incarcerated reform and there's been steps taken at the federal and state level to the former incarcerated can have more legit steps to rebuild their lives...



My issue from where I'm standing, is when police brutality is made into only a white cop on black perp crime - #FakeNews Manipulative #MSM knows this and that's what gets the air time and they hammer at it 24/7...

Do you know the same police force in MN killed a white perp who was attempting to surrender by a black police officer?

There was no looting and rioting.

Right here in Louisiana just a few years ago two black police officers shot and killed a white father with his son next to him in the truck on their property.

Again little to none #MSM coverage, but no looting and rioting...

And I've no doubt ANTIFA garbage has jumped in now as the leftists radicals had tried to do in the 1960's and stir racial disharmony among people who genuinely got along before being manipulated by #MSM and #Antifa...

But watching the video online shared by independent reporting, it's not just white kids raiding Cheesecake Factory stores, but folks of colour rioting and looting small businesses, and often those small biz owners are black!

That's when as Demario Davis rightly points out, that the whole thing loses focus - and it loses credibility...



Attacking Drew was just the last straw for me because he didn't repeat, verbatim the exact f*cking message...

People need to get their selfish head out of their arses and understand if we're all Americans, all in this together, then stop with the Identity politics of identifying as only one segment...

Then need to embrace and truly understand when people see #AllLivesMatter, it means that we're all in this fight together, we all hurt when an individual or just a couple of *******s violate an American's Rights and Due Process...

And that when a shady guy with a criminal history, or a 70+yo old police officer (also of colour), or some white punk who's stupidly trying to get some street cred are killed while in police custody - it's a problem for us all...

But the reaction we've seen and the virtue signaling by out-of-touch sports and entertainment personalities, to somehow call out someone like Drew, who did more for Black New Orleanians than even Obama, is bullsh*t...

And what it's worth, I'm not a black man and I can't fully appreciate the BS mindset you've got to go through in some situtations; I truly respect and appreciate that's no easy task...

But to say that poor white folks (jokingly and accepted in entertainment and news circles as white trash) get as rough a treatment; the words and faces may be different, but it's still a humiliating experience...

In my business, I still drive my Dad's old beat-up truck while wearing overalls after working on a farm or in a swamp; and yes, when I've been pulled over, a few of times without cause, I see a difference vs my then newer vehicle...

When I walk into the bank dirty, full of oil and dirt, I feel the shadow creeping up on me vs when I come in dressed dapper. And it's then I realize, like all folks, that the real colour that matters is Green...

Now I've many folks of colour I have as friends and clients - And we've very frank, honest talks and I believe them when they tell me how disgusted they are with all this virtue signaling and political correctness to social problems...

And I believe them and what I believe is their true #wokeness, when they acknowledge that the real colour that matters in this country is Green...

I believe them when they tell me they too, like Drew Brees, value their families' sacrifices, especially in the military, and don't believe in taking a knee...

And I believe them that it's better to sit down together, break bread together as neighbors, and have a calm talk about it without sh*tstarters yellin' from a podium or twitter account...

And for what it's worth, when I invite a handful of my friends and neighbors to come and sit down and burn some ribs and chicken at my small shot/warehouse and just talk, (as my late Dad taught me to do), the level and patience and respect for one another is tremendous...

And I agree with the earlier post, DeMario Davis is a legit man of his Belief in the Almighty, and we've got to stay on message and not tolerate virtue signalling, and especially not rioting and looting...