Juneteenth Violence...Why is it not talked about?

[BoneDaddy]

Motorists pulled from their cars, beaten, one killed.
Mobs assaulting random victims.
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/8083422.html

This is news yet it seems to be overlooked. Shockjock idiots make the news for weeks for words, yet people are brutally attacked by mobs of people literally "lynching" others, but it is old news in a day.

Hmmmm. Sad.

[marshall]

1. I was going to post something about it yesterday

There was a post about the killing in Austin. Before I could make a post about the violence in Milwaukee and somewhere on the east coast the thread was moved to the Texas local news area, and I assumed nobody wanted to talk about it.

There are many wonderful stories of Juneteenth celebrations and remembrances of what it is really about--Lincoln emancipating the slaves. Of course the media focuses on the killings, but that happens in every area. You don't hear stories about parents who are super parents and raise great kids, you hear stories about parents who kill or abuse their kids, etc.

[BoneDaddy]

5. Not my point

This isn't an argument on whethere Juneteenth is good or bad nor is a commentary on the way people of color behave in a group. It is a statement that the media has not covered this to the degree it should be.

[devilgrrl]

20. "commentary on the way people of color behave in a group"

Oh.... those people of color.... :eyes:

[BoneDaddy]

24. That was was was being insinuated by the person responding to me

and your response is often typical of people on this board. This is not the first time serious violence has erupted at this wonderful celebration and I would have the same reaction whether it be at the Puerto Rican Day Parade, the Gay parades, St. Patrick's or Columbus Day parades or any other "ethnic" parade. There is often a reluctance to cover stories like this or criticizing behavior because of the fear of being labeled a racist.

[originalpckelly]

37. Colored people? What is this the '60s? And isn't white a color too?

I would suggest that this is not about "colored people" but rather a bunch of young fuckheads who got out of control. Normal black people don't act this way, these kids were being just as stupid as I've seen drunken white 20 somethings act after hockey games.

[BoneDaddy]

49. Hehe

Don't worry, I am confused too. "people of color" is not the same thing as "colored people". I will call any group by what they want to call themselves. Colored people was offensive so it became "black people". Then "african americans" and often now "people of color" to include pretty much anyone who is not white. These are not my definitions, I am only reacting to what I have seen most non-white groups decision to call themselves that. It was not meant as a racist statement and it may be a geographically bound term. I live in the Northeast and "people of color" is often the choice of terms used.

[marshall]

21. It's a touchy subject

People who are oppressed are naturally going to have more rage beneath the surface.

It is a sort of Catch 22--covering the violence (or over-covering it) would get ratings, but also criticism. They can run the Paris Hilton story into the ground because nobody is going to defend her, but if they exploit Juneteenth violence they will have lots of critics.

[BoneDaddy]

27. I agree that oppressed

people may have more rage, but it is most certainly not an excuse by any measure and I struggle with the often lame attempts to justify it.

[originalpckelly]

38. This has nothing to do with these people being black.

It does, however, have everything to do with them being young assholes who were probably hopped up on something, just like all the drunk people at hockey games who go out and start literal riots.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. Actually, this is all over the news

I heard the report today on NPR...in Pennsylvania. It's also all over the internet. So much for the conspiracy of silence claim.

But what you really wanna say is that the MSM is deathly scared of saying anything bad about black folks for political correctness reasons, while Imus gets the shaft, right? That's your real point here, and you're too much a a goddamn coward yourself to say it, yes?

[BoneDaddy]

6. It is all over the internet

cause it is not covered in the MSM. They seemed to have backed away from coverage... A lil gunshy I think.

[Solly Mack]

7. bullseye

[RebelOne]

11. The story about the motorist being beaten was on CNN this morning. n/t

[snappyturtle]

53. The gal with Scarborough reported it,briefly, this a.m.

She didn't have the story right! Said the driver was killed. And, that was that.

[JacquesMolay]

22. You got it ....

"But what you really wanna say is that the MSM is deathly scared of saying anything bad about black folks for political correctness reasons, while Imus got the shaft. "

I don't think that Imus got the shaft - I think he merited public disgrace for the things he said. However the mainstream media is deathly scared of riling up racial tensions by reporting on the actions of these thugs. They ignored the Newsom-Christian murders in Knoxville, while they were all over the Duke 'rape' case. That's a double standard that should offend anyone - blacks are more likely to be victims of black criminals, and so we shouldn't treat the actions of scum like these as everyday stuff, and most especially we shouldn't treat it as any less vile because it happened during a street celebration. I've got the feeling that the 'people' who committed these crimes are the same ones who victimize people in their own communities, who have no initiative to better their lives, who sit around blaming racism for their plight instead of getting off their asses and doing something constructive. If they choose to continue that way, I think they need to be weeded out of society.

Cheers.

[BoneDaddy]

29. Excellent summation

and more well put than I could say it. I was not giving Imus a pass at all. I thought that as much "free speech" that he had, the people who called for his head and pressured the company also had the free speech to do that. My point was that the struggles of the black community are often oversimplified and blamed upon bigots like Imus while ignoring the situations like what happened at Juneteenth at numerous sites and attacking anyone who calls attention to it as a serious problem.

[EFerrari]

45. That's exactly backward.

There is a double standard but it goes the other way. Those stories aren't covered because the corporate media doesn't think white people care about them, not because they fear racial tension. You might enjoy The Race Beat, a new book that deals in part with this topic.

And, we're doing a good job of "weeding out" black people. If you're a black man, you've got a much better chance of landing in jail -- I remember it as a factor of four but that could be low. There was a study done in Chicago and black men were something like 8 times more likely to be stopped for Driving While Black.

[BoneDaddy]

47. Accountability goes both ways

I hear your points about institutional racism and you will get no argument there, but there is also an individual level of accountability that everyone is responsible for, regardless of their collective or individual history.

I guess I tire of the constant justifications for extreme behavior that I see with the focus being placed upon anyone other than the individual(s) who have committed acts against other humans.

You will get you argument from me of the struggle against racism that people of color go through but I think it is very disingenuous to not put any responsibility upon those people who acted this way.

[EFerrari]

48. I agree with you about accountability. But the poster above

generalized from the behavior of a few @ssholes and from a speculation about the media, and those generalizations are not born out by the facts.

[JacquesMolay]

50. Yo, slick, watch it ...

... I didn't say we should 'weed out' black people. I said we should weed out black(/other) thugs who seem to have no inclination to work toward bettering themselves and their futures, but do seem to have the energy to prey on people around them. As for blacks being more likely to be in jail, I'm guessing that has to do with the fact that young black men commit a dispropotionate amount of crimes nationallly. Google is your friend there.

And I don't think it has to be that way, and I hope some day it won't be. But I'm not going to coddle predators, or buy into some bull**** self-victimization they use to explain their thuggish actions.

[RB TexLa]

3. google former republican state rep Louisiana 81st district

I'm sure his site will cover it for weeks if not months.

[PassingFair]

4. Why is this the first time I have ever HEARD of "Juneteenth"?

I live in Michigan.

What the hell is "Juneteenth"

I understand it involves drinking on the
19th of June.

Beyond that, any significance?

[BoneDaddy]

8. Here

http://www.juneteenth.com/

[bunkerbuster1]

25. Because it's something black folks organized originally, and celebrate

No need for our corporate media to bring it up. Unless of course there's a horrific instance of violence that occurs during a celebration.

[PassingFair]

44. Plenty of black folks in Detroit, where I grew up.

MUST be a southern tradition.

[BikeWriter]

40. That's when the news of Emancipation finally reached Texas.

June 19, 1865

[TwilightGardener]

51. I have never heard of it either.

[Xithras]

55. It's a minor, unofficial holiday that only exists in areas with a sizeable black population.

It tends to be a bigger deal in the south, and is nearly non-existant out here on the west coast, except in a few areas (like LA and Oakland) that have huge black populations. The closest sizeable town to my home in central California is Modesto, and there has only been a very small Juneteenth celebration for the past couple of years. The black population in town is only a few thousand people, and maybe a few hundred of them show up for the party in the park. And that's all it is...a big barbeque and party.

Oh, and cops. Lots of cops.

[ceile]

56. TX holiday

when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached TX

[durrrty libby]

9. I watched the helicopter footage you linked to, and it was very scary

What the hell is wrong with people?

Since they hold this every year, I would think the police presence

would be better planned. Why isn't it?

If they can't get a grip on the security, they should cancel it next year

[BoneDaddy]

10. Total shame

I wish the promoters and organizers could reign in this kind of behavior. It mars an otherwise wonderful celebration.

[KansDem]

46. After the Reginald Denny incident, I'm surprised threatening mobs still surround cars

These kids need to think twice about threatening someone with a potential weapon weighing several tons. Perhaps a lot of these kids don't remember the riots following the acquittal of Rodney King's attackers, but I sure as hell wouldn't threaten anyone in a vehicle for fear that driver would simply step on the accelerator to avoid getting beaten or killed and later claim "self defense."

Wikipedia: Reginald Denny incident

[ThomWV]

12. Because its a local disgrace that doesn't make a rat's ass to the rest of the Country.

And shouldn't.

[durrrty libby]

13. That attitude is shortsighted, selfish, and all too common, to say the least

If we cared more about each other, this country wouldn't be

such a mess.

[qdemn7]

14. Suuuurrrre

And if it was a white mob that beat a black man to death the media would be pounding it like a hong kong gong. And so would people here.

[BoneDaddy]

17. That is a honest point

and it needs to be said. But this kind of behavior is justified, denied and minimized constantly. And this is not the first time this has occurred nor was it the only violence. It occurred in multiple locations. It needs to be addressed.

[pampango]

15. Kind of like the alleged rape in North Carolina last year, huh?

Just a local matter. Not a sign of anything larger. Move long now.

[MikeNearMcChord]

16. I agree with one thing, let's call this a lynching

and may the punishment be very severe for the participants.

[Warpy]

18. It's certainly not because it's a black folks' holiday!!

The fact that it was Juneteenth instead of Memorial day is beside the point. It was a story about a celebration where people were boozed up, a minor accident happened, the booze took over and the celebration became a murderous mob. It's not the first time this has happened, it's not going to be the last, and it's certainly not the only celebration that was behind it.

Shoot, a similar thing happened here among a different ethnic group at a damn birthday party.

This is a sickening story, but it's not an unusual one, in other words, and that might be the reason it's not being harped upon constantly.

The only reason shock jocks would have to start screaming about this one is from the racial angle. They'd certainly never think to do it from the alcohol angle. The former might get them in trouble with their listeners and the latter would get them into trouble with their sponsors.

I'm sure they'll continue riffing on Paris Hilton. There's no controversy about Paris Hilton. She's a rich dumb blonde turned into screwed up twentysomething flameout.

[TwilightGardener]

52. Agreed--where are all the "Kwanzaa violence" stories? Um, there aren't any.

[CBHagman]

19. The Austin killing was of the PASSENGER in a car.

I was just reading the account in today's Washington Post. A motorist struck a child, who was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and when the driver got out to check the child, a crowd attacked him. When his passenger tried to intervene, someone in the crowd killed him.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=nation_world&id=5401735

[fishnfla]

23. I hate to do this, but

14 dead US soldiers in the past 2 days. See how much press notice, and posts on this website, to acknowledge that

[BoneDaddy]

26. Fair point

and it needed to be said, but I think it is still news worthy and because the War has never been covered as it should does not mean this story and the war are mutually exculsive.

[fishnfla]

32. Its not fair to compare the two, but going back to your OP

What Imus said got him fired. CBS and NBC scrambled to protect their advertisers because of the uproar.
What Bush and his cronies have done is getting people killed. The MSM looked the other way in the run-up to the war, and still does. Uproar? none. Advertisers? selling!

[BoneDaddy]

34. No argument from me there

I happen to agree with your point.

[BurtWorm]

30. 78 dead in an instant in Baghdad on Tuesday

I posted about it and got a handful of replies.

[BoneDaddy]

31. I think the point burt is that

we are limited to address something like that in a foreign country. This is in our backyard and is being committed by Americans on Americans. It has worthy news value.

[BurtWorm]

35. It certainly is newsworthy.

And it's being covered. I was just reading about it on the BBC, even. I don't think the story is going away. It's just two days old.

But a story about the 78 killed in Iraq--78!--is gone. Just another bomb in that country we invaded.

[BoneDaddy]

36. I agree

that, too, is worthy of alot more coverage and it is a shame that it is not.

[AngryOldDem]

28. Funny....the guy on Morning Joe today said almost the opposite.

He was making a big deal over the fact that these types of things get too much coverage, and the events where nothing happens get no coverage. Well, um...yeah. Riots do tend to be newsworthy, and I would say that on the whole peaceful events do get wide local coverage. But his subtext came through loud and clear.

The footage of the Milwaukee fight was awful. And I'm guessing mob mentality just took over with the poor guy in Texas.

[BoneDaddy]

33. When I first heard about this

there was nothing on the news about it. Apparantly since then, and I think due to the blogosphere and the development of some courage by news agencies, they have responded to it.

How can this not be newsworthy?

[NashVegas]

39. Because Unlike College Jocks Raping a 17 Year Old, Or Being Falsely Accused of Rape

There's really not much to debate about, is there?

If there's no one to defend the crowd, there's not much controversy. Sorry.

[warpigs]

41. This seems over looked too and is 7 people not just one

http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=6/21/2007&id=25383

Seven injured in six overnight shootings

The first day of summer comes today on the heels of a dangerous night in Milwaukee, where detectives are investigating six shootings on the city's streets.

Seven people were wounded, including a 19-year-old man who is in critical condition this morning after a shooting at 11 p.m. in the 2900 block of N. 12th St. A 17-year-old girl was also shot in this incident.

[BoneDaddy]

42. ouch

That is newsworthy.

[Catherine Vincent]

43. The idiots in Milwaukee that behaved that way is an embarrassment

to Blacks everywhere. First off, even though the streets were not blocked off, they were walking through out the streets instead of the sidewalks. Secondly, whenever there is some kind of celebration like this where a lot of young people gather, they need to have an ample amount of police there to keep everything in order. This video really makes me so damn mad. Anytime you have outside activities where drinking is involved, there's usually trouble to follow.

Here in Texas, every year a popular college sorority have some beach party down in Galveston during Spring Break and there is always some kind of mischief that goes on down there. Those same type of riff raff screws it up for everyone else and now a lot of the vendors/businesses are closing down because they don't know how to behave.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

54. The Austin incident may not have any relation to "Juneteenth"

I said this before in another thread, I suggest caution until more is know about the situation.

This is what's being reported today.

There were conflicting accounts of how many people were in the area. Police originally estimated 2,000 to 3,000, and a woman who lives at the complex said hundreds who had been at a Juneteenth festival filled the parking lot and street. But late Wednesday, police spokeswoman Toni Chovanetz said witnesses reported four or five men attacked Morales, knocking him to the ground and hitting him.

Chovanetz also said there was no connection to the nearby city-sponsored festival for Juneteenth, which commemorates Texas slaves getting the word that they had been freed.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4908865.html

[AngryOldDem]

57. AP story I just read said there is no connection

Best link I can find:

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/crowd-kills-man-after-car-apparently/20070620164809990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001

Just happened nearby and the connection was made, probably because of the crowds at the Juneteenth event.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

58. Thank you for posting this

This is an excellent example of why it's better to wait and not assume.

Hopefully the people responsible will be brought to justice.

[BushOut06]

59. Let the racist bigots in this country make a big deal out of it

I've already heard a few racist comments about those incidents, people implying that those types of actions are routine among African-Americans. Actually, the wording they used was much more abhorrent, as you can probably imagine.

Why should it be national news? Seems to me like they are local stories at most. This is the type of stuff that the KKK and Aryan Nations thugs thrive on. Idiots like Hannity eat this shit up.