"nobody's going home"

Dave Chappelle, "8:46"

"This is the streets talking for themselves."

Confederacy Tears Are Sweet And Delicious

Summer of 2020:

we learn the sound of Confederate/slave owner statues hitting pavement is beautiful beyond words.

— Antifa Means "Kill All Nazis" James (@wetcasements) June 11, 2020

Jesus Christ, What A Pack of Lawless Assholes

If this isn't symbolic of the sea-change in how Americans view cops in 2020 I don't know what is:

"Law Enforcement ‘Strategically Deflated’ Tires During Minneapolis Protests"

(They were using knives, natch.)

"more troubled with the actions of the Minneapolis police"

As bad as 2020 has been for the world, I think it will also mark a number of turning points.  Up first, the realization that police cause more violence than they prevent:

"A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released Sunday found that a majority of Americans are more troubled with the actions of the Minneapolis police that led to Floyd’s death, rather than by violence at some protests. The poll was conducted among 1,000 people from May 28 to June 2, just days after Floyd was killed on May 25 by a police officer who pinned him down by the neck with his knee, and early on in the (largely peaceful) protests.

Despite some criticism surrounding images of looting and arson, the poll found that only 27 percent of voters thought the violence of protesters was more concerning than the actions of the police and Floyd’s death — a contrast to the 59 percent that found the latter far more troubling. A big caveat: As with much else in American life, there’s a stark partisan divide. Nearly half of Republicans (48 percent) said they were more concerned about the protests, while 81 percent of Democrats found the police killing of Floyd a bigger issue."

I'm sure folks like my FOX-loving father are positively awash in images of broken glass and burning convenience stores, but anybody earnestly watching social media this past weekend saw almost nothing but peaceful (joyful?) protests by multiracial crowds, singing and marching for peace in their cities and towns.

Put simply, the "Ugga-Bugga Scary Black People!" noise machine doesn't work any longer.  That it ever did in the first place is one of our countries many original sins.

"weaponized racism"

NAACP President Derrick Johnson on what makes the public executions of black men possible in America:

"Under no regime but racism could kneeling for eight minutes and 46 seconds on the neck of a man who had already been handcuffed – and who was pleading for breath as bystanders screamed that he was dying – be considered a fitting police response to the suspected use of a counterfeit $20 bill. Five years ago, New York City police choked Eric Garner to death for selling untaxed cigarettes at about $1 apiece. Through such grim arithmetic, we learn exactly how much Black life is worth to America’s police forces.

Each year, more than 1,000 civilians nationwide are killed by police – and Black people are three times more likely to be slain than white people, despite also being more likely to be unarmed. Only 1% of those officers ever face charges. This kind of weaponized racism takes a toll on Black people nationwide. It starts early: the vast majority of Black families find it necessary to have 'the talk' with their children. No, not the one about the birds and the bees. This talk prepares them to expect unfair and disrespectful treatment from police – and to accept such treatment because the slightest objection could result in their death."

How any sane person could look at America right now and think a #BLM protester is more dangerous than a cop is beyond me.