There is war in the streets of America tonight

[BoSoxGal]

Maybe we could give them the $20 bill? It’s supposed to have Harriet Tubman on it already - but Trump stopped that transition.

Washington was long before the country grappled with slavery. The Confederacy seceded from the Union over the issue of states’ rights TO KEEP SLAVERY INTACT.

I don’t think this is hard to wrap one’s head around; we would like to see the removal of statues and honorifics to individuals who committed treason against this country.

I haven’t seen one black American arguing for a removal of all historic evidence of slavery and slave owners. I think this is a red herring. Or straw man. Or something like that.

[Big RR]

Washington was long before the country grappled with slavery.

Not really, the original draft of the Declaration of Independence included a grievance agains the king for his waging of war against the Africans and enslaving them:

He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian King of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where Men should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce. And that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he has obtruded them: thus paying off former crimes committed again the Liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.

This written by slave holder Jefferson; and removed due to the protest of many southern states. The issue didn't just suddenly arise in the 19th century. The dispute existed in the time of Washington, and even some slaveholders could see how bad it was. From the beginning the US grappled with this issue.

[Econoline]

That's why it's often called "America's Original Sin".

That said, Washington, Jefferson, et al were sinners (as are we all); but Benning, Bragg, Hood, Pickett et al were actual traitors who resigned their commissions in the U.S. military and took up arms to fight in an insurrection AGAINST the United States of America.

[RayThom]

That's why it's often called "America's Original Sin".
That said, Washington, Jefferson, et al were sinners (as are we all); but Benning, Bragg, Hood, Pickett et al were actual traitors who resigned their commissions in the U.S. military and took up arms to fight in an insurrection AGAINST the United States of America.

Amen to that.

What goes and what stays. Will the crusading general public be smart enough to recognize the difference?

Any CSA related shit needs to be removed and banished forever. What remains should otherwise be tolerated, or handled on a case by case basis in the communities where it is displayed. Everyone will then be equally appalled or elated.

And we should then move on with the business of one America.

[BoSoxGal]

Washington was long before the country grappled with slavery.

Not really, the original draft of the Declaration of Independence included a grievance agains the king for his waging of war against the Africans and enslaving them:

He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian King of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where Men should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce. And that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he has obtruded them: thus paying off former crimes committed again the Liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.

This written by slave holder Jefferson; and removed due to the protest of many southern states. The issue didn't just suddenly arise in the 19th century. The dispute existed in the time of Washington, and even some slaveholders could see how bad it was. From the beginning the US grappled with this issue.

I’m very well aware of American history - my ancestors made a lot of it, and I’m pretty sure I’ve posted on this subject numerous times over the years. But thank you for assuming I was clueless and giving me that tutorial.

My point was Washington was well before - nearly 100 years - the country grappled with and abolished slavery, at the cost of almost 700,000 lives lost in a war of rebellion.

Before that, all of our founders were complicit. And as I said, I don’t see anybody calling to remove every shred of evidence of our history of slavery or the founders who participated in it. Maybe they will, but that’s a bridge we haven’t reached yet.

[dales]

BSG claims her ancestors arrived on the Mayflower.

[Darren]

"As cities across the country are discussing defunding or disbanding their police departments, truck drivers are voicing concerns of safety. Seventy-seven percent of truck drivers say they will refuse to deliver freight to cities with defunded police departments.

Truck driving is historically ranked as one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. In 2018, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic reported truck driving as the most deadly job in the country.

Truck drivers have spent the last year on the front line of a global pandemic and protests. Now many are fearful of what might happen if police departs disband or are defunded.

Truck drives have been voicing their concerns on the CDLLife App. After reading about their concerns, CDLLife posted a poll on the app.

We asked drivers on the app, “Would you pick up/deliver to cities with defunded or disbanded police departments? Why or why not?”

To date, 77% of drivers say they will refuse loads to cities with disbanded or defunded police departments."

https://cdllife.com/2020/truck-drivers- ... sxdqh6NV24

[Scooter]

Because when I need to know what mix of policing/social services/health care/housing supports/employment initiatives/community development/etc will work best to meet the complex needs of a city, I recognize truck drivers as the foremost experts whose opinion I will rely on to the exclusion of all others.

[BoSoxGal]

So they’ll lose their jobs and those jobs will be happily taken by some of the 40 million unemployed workers in the country.

It’s not *that* hard to get a CDL.

By the way, it’s the 6th most dangerous job in the USA and the accidents causing fatality are transportation-related - not getting murdered by thugs.

6. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

Fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 26
Total fatal injuries: 966
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents
Total non-fatal injuries: 78,520
Median annual wage: $24,700
Number of workers: 414,86

Probably has a lot to do with poorly maintained equipment and/or falling asleep at the wheel.

[Darren]

So they’ll lose their jobs and those jobs will be happily taken by some of the 40 million unemployed workers in the country.

It’s not *that* hard to get a CDL.

By the way, it’s the 6th most dangerous job in the USA and the accidents causing fatality are transportation-related - not getting murdered by thugs.

6. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

Fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers: 26
Total fatal injuries: 966
Most common fatal accidents: Transportation incidents
Total non-fatal injuries: 78,520
Median annual wage: $24,700
Number of workers: 414,86

Probably has a lot to do with poorly maintained equipment and/or falling asleep at the wheel.

New York is not a favorite of truck drivers for some reason. I knew a driver that hauled meat from Chicago to NYC. One way streets meant nothing to him. I remember him smirking when he said that.

Another driver that was in the area noticed someone on his flat bed trying to steal his load binders. He dropped a gear, accelerated and took the next turn fast. The would be thief took flight.

If you check the recruiting ads for dry van truckers, lots of them say "NO New York". I suspect in the ongoing competition for drivers recruiting will add more cities to the promise of no New York deliveries or pickups.

Residents of those cities will get a price bump thanks to the poorly run city government.

[BoSoxGal]

This is from a Facebook page called The Unsilent Majority. Just a peek (beyond some of the posters here) inside the brains (?) of those opposed to tolerance and inclusivity.

It was a beautiful morning here in America 2024:

I decided to run down to Dunkin Donuts to grab a dozen of their goodies to surprise the kids. I got into the car and headed for Kaepernick Blvd. Traffic was light, probably due in part to the national unemployment rate of 30%. I arrived, pinned on my little government-mandated star identifying me as white, and went inside.

The store was filled with the wonderful aroma of fresh donuts and coffee. Just 6 or 7 years ago, I used to pick up donuts for my staff every Friday here, but that was before the Reparations Act drove me out of business. I perused the selection of donuts as the elderly woman in front of me finished up her order.

“That will be $19.42,” said the cashier, a white girl of about 20 whose expression bore not even a hint of a smile.

“$19?!?!? All I got was a muffin and a hot tea!” The small old woman protested in a sweet voice.

“You’re wearing that, aren’t you? You gotta pay the tax like the rest of us to make up for what we did!” She pointed at the star pinned on the woman’s jacket.

“I didn’t do anything! And I’m not paying $19 for a muffin. Good day!” She turned and hobbled out the door.

I went to the counter as the cashier shook her head. I asked for a dozen assorted donuts, which the girl boxed up and laid in front of me.

“Anything else?” She asked. When I nodded my head no, she rang it up.

“$37.48.”

“Wait, $37 for donuts?”

“Am I going to have a problem with you too? You have to pay the privilege tax if you wear that star. It’s the law, and we deserve it.”

“I don’t even want to wear this stupid star,” I said.

“The law says you have to. We made black people slaves, stole the native Americans’ land, and oppressed them for 400 years. Now we have to make it right.”

“By overpaying for donuts? What do you mean by ‘we?’ I didn’t do any of those things. My family wasn’t even in America until 1930! This is all BS.” I handed her my credit card, which she swiped with a dirty look and handed back.

I got in my car and headed for home. I turned down Alinsky Way and noticed the military loading people who refused to wear the white star into buses. They’d be headed to the re-education camps now. That law was upheld by the 15 members of the Supreme Court after all the new justices voted in favor of it. Biden was so senile that he was signing anything they put in front of him. Such a different country now; I can hardly believe it.

I turned at the light and headed down Marx street as I turned on the radio. I heard a voice I recognized as Secretary of Education Abrams talking about a new executive order requiring all school districts to be dissolved and schools placed under federal authority for curriculum alignment and racial balance. Great. No more high school football games as we know them.

“I should have voted for Trump,” I muttered to myself as I turned onto N.W.A. avenue. I noticed my neighbors mowing grass and working in the yard all along what used to be Maple street. It wasn’t long ago that people smiled and waved at each other here. Now, the misery of no jobs and being blamed for everyone’s problems had everyone beaten down. I suddenly noticed red and blue lights in my mirror as I approached my driveway. I knew I wasn’t speeding, but the car followed me into my driveway as I stopped.

A state enforcement officer got out and approached my window. He asked for my identification, which I quickly produced.

“What’s this all about?” I asked him as he looked at my license.

“This is about you and sedition.”

“Sedition?!?!? Wait, there’s been some mistake!”

“No mistake. We heard you right there from your own cell phone. Patriot Act and all that. So you wish you’d voted for Trump? We have a nice seat waiting for you on a bus. Now, step out of the car.”

All I wanted was some donuts.

[Darren]

Meanwhile back at the Capitol, Democrats have a New Coke moment.

[Gob]

Police were pelted with bottles during confrontations with demonstrators in London, where hundreds gathered despite warnings to avoid protests.



Groups gathered in the centre of the capital, claiming they were protecting statues from anti-racism activists.

Some anti-racism demonstrations have also taken place around the country, including in central London.

The Met Police has placed restrictions on several groups intending to protest, following violent scenes last weekend.

Various groups from around the country, including right-wing activists, said they had come to London to protect symbols of British history.

Hundreds of mostly white men gathered around the Cenotaph war memorial in Whitehall and the boarded-up statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square.

There were a number of clashes with police in riot gear as crowds chanting "England" and raising their arms surged towards lines of officers.

Some protesters managed to break metal barriers around the Cenotaph on Whitehall while hurling flag poles, a smoke flare and a traffic cone towards police who were striking them back with batons.

Large groups of far-right protesters then moved to Trafalgar Square, where fireworks were thrown across the crowds.

Police attempted to stop them getting to Hyde Park where a anti-racist demonstration, which had largely been peaceful, was taking place.

Organisers from the Black Lives Matter movement had urged people not to join any anti-racism rallies planned for the weekend over fears there could be clashes with far-right groups. One demonstration planned for Saturday in London was brought forward by a day.

[Darren]

True or false?

"BEDFORD, Mass. — A 62-year-old patient at the Bedford VA Hospital in Massachusetts has been found dead in one of the facility’s stairwells after having been last seen over a month ago."



https://www.wsbtv.com/news/trending/62- ... zR5RdU50L0

[RayThom]

True or false?"BEDFORD, Mass. — A 62-year-old patient at the Bedford VA Hospital in Massachusetts has been found dead in one of the facility’s stairwells after having been last seen over a month ago."https://www.wsbtv.cox/news/trending/62- ... zR5RdU50L0

Darren, is this another one of your trick pop-up quizzes?

Well, I'm not falling for it.

[Scooter]

Apparently, in some alternate universe, this death was caused by the measures put in place to address COVID-19.

[Darren]

"This is grotesque given the fact that the American cities with the worst rates of black-on-black violence and police-on-black violence are overwhelmingly Democrat-run. Minneapolis itself has been entirely in the hands of Democrats for over five decades; the ‘systemic racism’ there was built by successive Democrat administrations."

[Darren]

"A truck driver who survived an interstate attack at 70 m.p.h. in Ohio last night says that he’s grateful to be alive after his truck took multiple rounds of gunfire.

CDLLife spoke with veteran driver Marcus Sommers after he survived being “blasted with bullets” by an unknown suspect who has yet to be taken into police custody.

The shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. on Monday on westbound I-70 near mile marker 47 in Ohio.

Sommers told CDLLife that he was going about his daily driving routine and traveling at 70 m.p.h. when he heard the “pop pop pop” of multiple rounds. "

[Scooter]

[Darren]

"TAMPA, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is hoping you can help them identify hundreds of looters who broke into a Walmart store and more than $100,000 worth in merchandise.

According to HCSO, it was just after 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 30 when a crowd gathered in front of the Walmart Supercenter on East Fletcher Avenue.
...
"Not only is this violence completely unacceptable, it was disrespectful to the protesters who were out there that night trying to express their message in an impactful way," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "We are actively working to identify each and every one of these suspects and ask the public to provide any information they may have.""

https://www.fox13news.com/news/hcso-nee ... h-of-items