The chants were the same: “Say his name–George Floyd,” “I can’t breathe,” “No justice, no peace,” “Hands up–don’t shoot.”
The signs were the same: “What if it was your son?” “Skin color no crime.” “Peace and justice.” “Black Lives Fucking Matter.” “White Silence = Violence.” “Comply Still Die.” “Blessed are the Peacemakers.”
The passion to be heard, the exhortations to not just march but vote, the fury over a Minneapolis cop’s killing of George Floyd was the same as that blared across the nation for the past eight days and nights when upwards of 200 people gathered in Kohl’s parking lot in Palm Coast at 1 p.m. today and marched in a 3-mile loop through the heart of town, circling to the area of Walmart and bypassing Bealls–incidentally, the three box stores that decided to shutter their doors as a precaution, worried that the march in Palm Coast might replicate some of the more violent demonstrations elsewhere in the country.
Palm Coast has had its share of demonstrations–in tea party days, for teachers, for health care, for Trayvon Martin, against gun violence, by liberals, by Trump supporters. It’s never known a violent demonstration. It wasn’t about to start today.
The scene on the surface at Kohl’s may at first have suggested the same sort of presumed standoff, with demonstrators on one side and cops on the other. But it wasn’t. The cops weren’t in riot gear. They weren’t armed or postured any differently than they would be on traffic detail for a highly attended funeral. They were on foot or on bicycles. If heavier gear was at the ready, it was out of sight. And there really was no dividing line between cops and protesters: cops bowed heads and prayed with the protesters before the march, they were in constant contact with them, they literally carried their water and distributed it for them, and when the march was ready to set off, one of the cops on a bike told the marchers: “You lead the way, we’ll follow you.” Patrol cars stopped traffic at successive intersections so the long line of marchers could cross safely, and along the way drivers honked, marchers waved, sang and chanted, and the staff at Palm Coast Ford had set up a watering station, dispensing water bottles to everyone as if it were a holiday 5K.
But there was also no mistaking the marchers’ intentions. This was no kumbaya moment. There is anger, there is disbelief, there is frustration, there is a sense of dread that the nation is “backsliding” into racism, as one of the oldest marchers put it. John Young is almost 70. He took part in his first civil rights march in Baltimore in 1969. And here he was at it again. “I do live in Palm Coast. I’m not an outside agitator,” he said, wryly reflecting the fear that this, like some other demonstration, would be invaded by “agitators.”
The marchers, with John Young, a 69-year-old veteran who’s been marching since 1969, bringing up the rear.
Three years ago he was in Charlottesville “to see those very fine people in nazi uniforms and white hoods,” he said. “That’s the sad part. It seems to be getting worse. Charlottesville was like a watershed that said this country is in a backslide in being led by the folks in D.C., and it’s just pathetic.” He told the demonstrators: “Our streets. We’re not going to take them over, but this is what democracy looks like.”
Phillip King of Palm Coast addressed the growing crowd before the march set off. “I’m not an organizer,” he said, “but I am excited to see our city standing up with solidarity. There is an old, old good boys’ system in Palm Coast which we are all aware of, and they deem this community to be a place that you come and die. But we’re standing up to say that this is a place you can come to live, and not just to live, but live together and live in peace.
Then he had advice that would be heard repeatedly: Marching is fine. But it’s not enough. “What is the answer? The answer is that we get down to the voting polls so that we can correct or reform legislation and law so that we can make illegal the act of killing unarmed citizens in our country. We want to make sure that while we’re marching, we’re marching with the intent of simply becoming one with each other and our community.” He continued: “I believe we have a good sheriff here. I was on the fence with him. But I can say that I’ve not experienced these national tragedies here, which means that our local law officers are doing something that perhaps the other cities ought to come and watch and see how they’re doing here. But in any result, we’ve got to get to the polls. Marching, chanting and coming together does not matter if we don’t go in and put it down on the polls and make sure we change things in legislation. We’ve got to get laws changed. We’ve got to get laws changed. And you guys can do it.”
Pastor Sims Jones, a veteran of these marches, ridiculed those who’d cast aspersions on demonstrators. “That’s why they’d rather talk about oh–there’s going to be a riot. You know, they want to break up stuff or whatever. We ain’t here to riot. We’re here to bring something out to the people so that they can understand,” Jones told the marchers. “There’s nothing wrong with doing something decently and in order. As long as we do it decently and in order, they can’t say nothing else and they’ve got to listen to the issues we’re talking about. But if we give them a reason, then they’re going to turn it the other way.”
The marchers also heard from another veteran of the civil rights movement, Linda Sharpe-Matthews, the long-time president of the Flagler branch of the NAACP. “Young people, I ask you to pay attention to what you have heard today, and what you’re going to hear later on,” she told them. “I am part of an organization that’s been on the front end of civil rights since 1909, started in Niagara, N.Y. I have been marching and holding petitions since I was 8 years old. I’m giving my age away, but that’s how far back: I was born before the civil rights bills were passed. Please, if we are where we were in 1963 and 64 and 65 in 2020, we are in for a long, painful struggle. We can cut the struggle short now by using your power to vote. That is the most powerful weapon we have. Weapons that break out windows are not constructive. Weapons that beat on people’s heads are not constructive. Knees to the neck are not constructive.” By then the crowd was joining Matthews every time she’d say “not constructive.” “What we need is a systematic way to destroy this systematic racism that has been going on since 1619. And I can’t say this better than I’ve said it, and you’ve heard it here, get out and vote in November. Your life depends on it.”
They set off, their chants and signs coloring their way along Palm Coast Parkway, the words of grief and lament punctuating the humid atmosphere with the week’s anthem to George Floyd: “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.” Floyd had spoken those words eight times as then-officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground, Chauvin’s knee locked on Floyd’s neck.
Around Palm Coast Ford, Staly, the sheriff, who was driving by, briefly stopped and spoke with a reporter. “So far it’s an outstanding protest of our community exercising their first amendment right,” he said, “I’m very proud of our community. They’re peacefully working with the businesses, as you can see, and our agency. We want to ensure the safety of everyone so they have a safe opportunity to exercise their constitutional rights.”
Of the chants, he said: “All of us are saddened by the death of Mr. Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department, and no one condones it. Certainly not me as sheriff and not this agency.” Told of Phillips’s comments about him earlier, Staly said: “I do think we are a model agency, that other agencies should look at how we do our training, our deescalation, how we do our hiring and selection process, and how we hold our employees accountable, which I think was a failure in Minneapolis.”
No civilian has died at the hands of a sheriff’s deputy or any police force in Flagler County in eight years–since December 2012.
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Bill says
Lets not forget- White lifes matter too
Russell A Smith says
Absolutely, ALL LIVES MATTER! In the mean time this causes serios unrest. Most people are not working and HURTING during the Corona Virus and this is the gasoline that could set it ablaze. Little changes will be made to make it look good. the Officers will probably be found “not Guilty” then sue the city and state and make millions.
All the damage being done by these riots is going to be costly. Guess who PAYS? US our Tax Dollar. NONSENSE!
Knowsalittle says
You must believe in white privilege. Law enforcement does not treat white people they way they treat black people. How many unarmed white people have been murdered by the police? How many innocent white people have been locked up in prison?
hawkeye says
A lot
Dale M. says
EXCELLENT point! There have been reports of genocide of blacks by the pigs.
Washington Post (that right wing rag- sarcasm) states that there were 1,004 police shootings that resulted in a fatality in 2019.
Of those, ONLY 41 were unarmed. 20 were whites and 10 were black. Of those 10 blacks killed, nearly all of them involved physical altercations with the police. Who would of thunk it? Surely, this has been reported. Wait, uh…, uh…,
It will be reported I am sure the same day that they report that 89 police officers were killed by firearms in their line of duty that same year but who is counting? Oh yeah, you are. Your math teacher is rolling around in her grave.
Oh yeah (on a side note) that you may think is non-relevant- socialists smell bad.
It has been said that if you took all the net worth of all the Americans and divided precisely equally among all the populace, in five years time, the ones that had it before will have it again and vice-versa. Gee, I wonder why?
Weldon B. Ryan says
How could anyone forget!!!
Bea says
Jesus- “The Lost Sheep Matters”
The 99- “All Sheep Matter”
Jesus- “the Lost Coin Matters!”
The other coins- “All Coins Matter!”
Jesus- “Prodigal Sons Matter!”
The Other Son- “All sons matter!”
Its not one more than the other. Its just the one that needs it most at the time.
Maxi says
It’s not about you
Othello says
You see, maybe that’s why it should have been dubbed “BLM TOO” because obviously these Gubers still don’t get it. Of course All Lives Matter, Cops Lives Matter, White Lives Matter. Black are speaking up for themselves and the specific injustices they face. You can’t have that or take it away.
Joe says
No one is saying they don’t matter. The whole point of the BLM movement is that it’s become abundantly clear that to many many people, black lives dont matter, and the proof is all around you if you only open your eyes
G says
No one is saying that white lives don’t matter! I guess you still don’t understand!
Leavy says
You completely missed the point of what is being said and why! If you don’t understand something, ask “what does this mean”. Don’t just blindly make a comment. That only weakens the platform for communication and understanding.
Fedup says
Way to go! You’ve managed to trivialise this situation and make it about something it’s not. It is not about white lives matter it’s not about all lives matter. This is about the black lives matter movement. We need to stand with them not seperate from them.
Flatsflyer says
Bill, all lives matter, White, Black, Blue. We all have the same red blood and each and everyone of us deserve to be recognized, treated and respected the same.
Deborah Coffey says
You’ve already got White privilege. You should want every person in America to have ALL those same privileges. But, they don’t. The White “lifes” you mention have stopped those of color for centuries in this country. Why don’t you do something positive for America and get out and march with us.
Paul Tetreault says
Bill, as a reply to your post, white lives have “mattered” way too much for a very long time, just look around, every metric conceivable has been designed in our favor.
Time to open the door wide open to folks who don’t “look” like us. White, Black, Brown, Yellow, Red …what an ugly benchmark to apply to access someone’s value, worth …heart.
I hope you’re not implying that the same old, tired stereotyping should continue.
(The defining test of every democracy throughout history has always been “the willingness of the majority to share their power with the minority.”) Who are we?
Sandra Nurse says
Dear Bill, Every life matters no matter what color they are.
Nicki says
You must completely miss the point here and you should go educate yourselves. White people are born with a significant amount of privilege, while black people are not. ALL LIVE DO NOT MATTER UNTIL BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Trailer Bob says
I agree that the police appeared to be over excessive with Mr. Floyd. I wasn’t there so I really don’t know the entire story. That said, the video I saw appeared to show excessive force and the knee on the neck seems pretty rough to say the least.
I am not racist and I am not a police officer, so to me it is sad that so many ARE racists. I judge people on their values and actions. And I realize that there are bad black people as well as back white, brown, etc….
Life is short and I just wish all of us could spend a little more time trying to engage and understand others, regardless of their color, education, size, etc.
We all share more similarities than many think. A nice exercise I try to do is help someone who needs even a small bit of help. It doesn’t take a genius or millionaire to make someone’s day.
The more you help others the better you feel and others might even catch the habit.
I am so sick of hearing about racism, especially when I am white and we are most often the ones accused racism, etc. Let’s be nicer to each other and help others…life if short…it isn’t that difficult it you try.
Steve says
I agree whatever happened to common courtesy or an act of kindness to a fellow citizen. Just the way folks drive tells me its different.
hawkeye says
this is an example of who protesting should be done,and should be an example for the rest of the country. I do not protest ,however ,I did check out this protest,talked to a few people and am proud of the way EVERYBODY behaved,well done.
Fiscal says
ALL lives matter
Don’t subject yourself to an alleged crime that would have these thugs deal with you.
Nicki says
ALL LIVES DO NOT MATTER UNTIL BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Steve Robinson says
The fact, as pointed out in this article, that Flagler County deputies have not killed anyone in the line of duty in nearly eight years–even when there may have been sufficient justification to shoot–is a tribute to Sheriff Staly and his attitude toward policing, which I assume is conveyed to his force. As a former police officer I heard interviewed this afternoon put it, police officers can be trained in two ways: They are either given the message that their job is to ensure the safety of the people in whatever neighborhood they serve, or they are entering a combat zone in which everyone is considered an enemy unless proven otherwise. My guess is that FCSO follows the first path.
And to put a slightly different spin on an old saw (and in a very different context), I would say that Flagler County needs commissioners that its sheriff would be proud of.
Not So Fast says
How quickly we have forgotten Anthony Fennick. What’s the status on that slow-walked investigation?
Percy's mother says
Well, everyone can use their power to vote, which is exactly what was done in 2008, when we elected President Obama.
Then we used our power again to re-elect President Obama.
So that totalled 8 years under a black president along with his 2 black attorneys general.
So what did Obama do for the black community in America? REALLY. What did Obama do for the black community at large FOR HIS EIGHT YEARS IN OFFICE?
By the way, George W Bush has been adding his 2 cents the last few days about how wonderful this movement is (the “peaceful” protests). What did he do for 8 years in the way of working against racism? He also talks a good talk, but actions speak louder than words.
I’m asking this because this type of thing has been going on for years that I can remember:
1968
1968 (again)
1970
1989
1992
along with all the most recent events going back the last 10 years.
All the above resulted in rioting, burning, looting and destruction of the inner cities.
In reality, what’s been accomplished? Not much.
One would think that VOTING one’s power would change something. BIDEN has been in office for FORTY YEARS. What has he done for blacks? and you’re thinking about voting your power so as to get Trump out of office by voting for an obviously senile 78 year old man who can’t put a logical sentence together? Do you think after Biden being in office for FORTY YEARS, he’s just going to do something about racism NOW? What’s he been doing for FORTY YEARS?
Ditto for Check Schumer. He’s been in office his whole adult life (Democrat). What’s he done about racism for the last FIFTY YEARS?
What about Pelosi, another democrat? What’s she done for racism the last THIRTY YEARS?
If you want to vote your power, think hard and long about what you want the future of the black community to be. Do you want to continue to be treated like children with a continual hand extended with a continual victim mentality or do you want to get someone in office who will teach the black community how to self actualize, how to accumulate wealth, who will teach the black community how to become strong in mind, body and spirit? What has continually voting Democrat done for the black community for the last 60, 70, 80, 90 years? If voting democrat has been so great, what’s the reason for the events of the last 2 weeks?
The democrat party wants to keep the black community DOWN. If they’re so great, why didn’t Obama do anything for racism and the black community? He talks a good talk, and used race to get elected, but then forgot about his own race. What’s he been doing recently for the black community? Has he been back to Chicago lately? He’s busy spending time with his mega rich friends. You know, his friends who are in the top 1%.
If you want to vote your POWER. Then learn to become POWERFUL. Learn how to be SUCCESSFUL. Learn how to be WEALTHY. The democrats don’t want any of these things for the black community. Have they helped the black community become POWERFUL, SUCCESSFUL AND WEALTHY in the last 50 years? No. They just want to continue their voting base, which is what Obama did in 2008 and 2012, and then once he was elected and re-elected, he largely forgot about the black community. He talks a good talk but actions speak louder than words.
THINK long and hard about casting a vote for your POWER. Do you want to vote to remain the same as you’ve been for the last 100 years with help from Democrats or do you want to be a self-actualized powerful race? THINK LONG AND HARD before casting your vote.
Chuck says
Check Schumer? Now he’s trouble.
Knowledge is Power says
Well said and accurate.
FlaglerLocal says
Excellent comment! For those upset with the police and calling out police brutality, be the change and BECOME A POLICE OFFICER! Will this fix everything, probably not but it is a good start.
Leavy says
I think that was a childish response. If you believe police don’t and haven’t been abusing their authority. It’s human nature when people are put into a position of power. Not saying everyone, but there are a lot of unnecessary cases where it’s happened.
Jp says
That was a lot of words to say you hate democrats and Trump is god. Nicely done.
Billy C. says
After reading your rambling, incoherent, right-winged tripe I most assuredly will vote Democrat in every election for the rest of my life. Attempting to blame Obama, Biden or anyone else for America’s failure to progress in the area of Civil Rights is ludicrous. You are attempting to absolve the anti-progressive, Republican grifters that continually get elected to the Presidency, the Congress and/or our local positions. If you are worried about what Dems do for the Black Community I thank you. But, your assessment of our gains shows you have no idea what you are talking about. Much has been done between the voting rights act and now. Much more still needs to be done. But, your rhetoric says more about you than about the issue. You just posted an unrelated political screed. Excoriating Dems? How can you ignore the “nothing burger” we have been served by this clownshow currently in the White House? So, before you try to sell anyone on how a race of people can get equality in America, you need to help unseat this incompetent buffoon President. BTW, I don’t vote for people to see what he or she is going to do for my community or my race. I vote for a person to better the lives of their constituency. All of us, not just the ones who voted for him.
Michael Bolchunas says
All lives matter! What did these imbeciles prove with their march today? That they’re unemployed and can freely march around in the middle of the day!
frednek says
What bothered me was people had posters saying ..fuck police
Billy C. says
Just by virtue of your post calling someone an imbecile simply because they believe that injustices are being perpetrated, I think you have qualified yourself as being an imbecile.
FlaglerNative says
Goerge Floyd say his name!
Anthony Fennick say his name!
This was a nice and sweet moment between the cops and protesters but it seemed more like cattle being corraled. Lets take this time to let the sherriffs office feel our pain. Hold them accountable for the innocent lives they have let die in thier care. For the over policing of our community. Walk and protest where you please not in a planned route! Lets walk to Joe Mullins house and peacefully protest and let him know we will not stand for his divisive attitude!
LawAbidingCitizen says
if the deputies weren’t “over policing”, you would have a problem with that too! it seems that nothing is ever good enough to some.
The police presence was to make sure people were safe. not sure if you’ve seen the news, but in other places, innocent people have been getting hurt/killed during these protests. so our cops were out to make sure people remained safe.
remember the next time you’re in danger and the police come to help you, your words and opinions about them
Erin says
Yes we are all aware of the white suprememist groups along with police officers starting riots and causing property damage. We saw them smash the windows and then sit back and watch the looters loot. We saw them push peaceful protesters on their knees in Miami and put thier knee on peoples neck. Do not say these protests are violent because a few bad actors because we would say the same about the police.
PB says
Does protesting do any good? It makes us feel better to be heard even if the message is ignored! Did it help end the Vietnam war early. The only way to bring about change and take back control is to get our fat butts off the couch and VOTE!!! It is the only thing the people in charge care about.
N/a says
We are all minorities but honestly who stands up for the other races of each generation who stands up for the Hispanics ,asians,as well as other races this is not only time a person of a different race has been killed beated tortured abused i dont believe in protesting if you can discriminate other races when bad stuff has happened to them when no one stood up for them
PalmCDude says
Black people do it to themselves , just look at the statistics ! Not saying what the cop did was right , but numbers don’t lie . Black on black crime is the highest in the world . I’m tired of playing the race game . If you want to be treated different than act different . If this whole situation was involving anyone other than a black man , this would have not blown up the way it has .
Hmmm says
But it didn’t happen to a white man!!!! True, black on black crime is high, but thatz not the issue at hand. Its about people sworn under oath to uphold the law, taking lives unnecessarily. No excuses. All else aside. Blacks and hispanics are prejudged and treated unfairly far too often.
Billy C. says
Since your issue is statistic driven, how about taking a look at the subject at hand. Police on Black abuse. Your typical whataboutism post is the reason why people protest, because without them yelling in the streets you don’t hear anything except what you want to hear. Tone deaf much?
rowan says
hello PalmCDude here’s a little lesson in statistics:
if cops are taught that black people commit more crime, then cops are going to target black people more. if they target black people more, the statistics about black people committing crime are going to go up and cops are going to target them even more. this does NOT mean that black people actually commit more crime, they are ARRESTED and CHARGED for crime more than white people because they are targeted by cops.
(tl;dr, black people dont actually commit more crimes, statistically it looks like they do because they are targeted by cops more)
The Truth says
The hysteria that surrounded these protests was absolutely absurd. The fact that Kohls, Bealls and Walmart closed over this is absolutely ridiculous. I realize there’s been some looting in different parts of the country but these are in much larger cities and the looters and the protesters are two entirely different groups. Please do not combine them into one.
It’s amazing to me that Walmart won’t close for Thanksgiving, Easter, Memorial Day or July 4th but they’ll close for this. It’s reactions like this that portray the true feelings of this country. I am a white man in my 30s and it’s clear to me that we react in different ways. If this was Trump supporters Walmart would open their doors and allow them to protest up and down the aisles. This was a peaceful protest, like so many others around the country. Let’s stop acting like every protest involves looting, because that couldn’t be further from the truth.
CB from PC says
Corporate America is scared shirtless of the “protesters”. The only reason hypocrites CEOS of Starbucks, JP Morgan and AT&T “stand by” them is fear of having their urban stores and branch banks burned and looted. Evidently, they had a phone call from the CEO of Target.
palmcoaster says
To Percy’s Mom ” are we all better now than in the Obama 8 years..? That is the simple question we all need to ask ourselves!
I sure appreciate the leadership of Sheriff Staly and all the officers under his command exercising law enforcement and keeping us safe with respect for all human lives 24-7!
Pogo says
@palmcoaster
Blanche DuBois (or maybe the shade of Phyllis Schlafly?) and the rest of ronnie ragun’s fan club and internet troll gaslighters are like a chronic fungus infection. They’re the moldy leftovers of the Birchers, the corporately funded mutation of the now dying NRA, and the rest of the kooks and Libertarian party nuts whom have eaten the Republican party and pick their teeth with its bones. Now, they are literally gasping their death rattle. Good.
Just one example of their handiwork is the destruction – by shithead Republican judges – of the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The rest of us are not confused about who has been rodent fornicating the working people of this country.
Hundreds of thousands of Floridians are going down the drain because of jeb’s, crooked rick’s, and ron “trump jr” desantis’ deliberate destruction and malign neglect.
FWIW, I agree with you, and others, who have praised FCSO’s record on use of force. Well led is well done indeed. Their record speaks for itself.
OIF/ OEF Vet says
Hands up dont shoot did not happen… it was a lie proven out at every single level of justice/ government, under BO no less. Anyone using it as a rallying cry automatically loses any support I may have considered.
Also… Va. Gov. Ralph Northam was there in blackface…
Agkistrodon says
But no mention of the black retired police officer who was killed and live streamed on facebook. No mention of his name, he served his community for a lifetime. He was a bridge between the community and the police. He was one of the good ones, and they killed him, and NO ONE marched for him.
Jason Barton says
“He was one of the good ones”
Sometimes our comments reveal more than we intend.
Mike Cocchiola says
The obvious racism shown by some commentators here, each with his or her own spin on it, is so very disturbing. The dissent you see about one thing only: the inequality and deadly abuse the Black community experiences every day of their lives. Black lives do matter.
Some complain that Democratic leaders have done nothing about race (notice nothing about Republican leaders?). The fault is not theirs, but yours. Some complain that Blacks have failed to gain the wealth that is available to all. The failure is not theirs, but yours. Others quote false statistics to blame the victims. Just by your language, your thought processes, you are proof that racism is rampant in our community and in America.
You are both the problem and the solution. If you want to really improve race relations in America, actively support equal access to schools, jobs, housing and political offices. Join the marches for racial justice. Speak out against discriminatory comments and actions among family, friends and neighbors. Defend our citizens of color when you witness discrimination. Oppose discriminatory oratory or policies by religious leaders and politicians and deny them your vote. It’s not Obama or Biden or Pelosi that we need. It’s you that must make the changes we need to have true equality in America.
Leavy says
Thank you. I could not have said it better.
hawkeye says
first time ever I agree with mike…we DONT need biden!!!
LawAbidingCitizen says
I will start by saying, I am 100% for BLM!!! with that being said. We have had a black President, We have black CEO’s of companies, we have black military leaders, we have black law enforcement leaders. It seems clear that black lives DO matter, and are treated just as well as whites.
I will also say, mixed in this whole mess, there are bad people (the cop that killed George Floyd for example), but for every bad one there are many good ones. The rioters and looters who make the peaceful protesters look bad. Hurting and killing WILL NOT help anybodies cause.
A black man was killed (and it was a terrible tragedy) but white people are also killed each day, so are Hispanic, Asian, etc, etc. The fight should not be BLM! but should be LETS STAND UNITED/TOGETHER.
the looting and rioting does not help the cause, in fact, it makes your argument look terrible.
from an outsider, I see people hurting innocent people, ruining innocent businesses. and saying this is what you made us do.
I don’t know who made anybody hurt these innocent people, but that is not the way to get your point across. if you want results, this is not the way to do it.
we should be fighting together for peace and unity and equality TOGETHER! blacks, whites, yellows, blues, greens, the color shouldn’t matter. LIFE MATTERS period! all life matters.
Sherry says
Mike Cocchiola thank you so much for your many reasonable, logical, accurate, compassionate comments.
This latest one certainly makes an excellent point. It is up to each one of us to stand up to racism and speak out against those who discriminate against others in thousands of ways each and every day. Certainly we can act to “vote out” those who do nothing about the “inequality” in our country, but we must do more. It begins with each one of us personally. “WE” must make the lasting difference by making racial discrimination and inequality completely socially unacceptable every minute of every day!
jake says
As usual, a whole bunch of name calling, mostly from the left. Which means, your arguments don’t mean much, if anything.
” If you want to really improve race relations in America, actively support equal access to schools, jobs, housing and political offices.” Explain to me in detail where this occurs. If you remember, Affirmative Action fixed all of that. Obama went to Harvard, not because he was smart, but because he was black. Jobs, are based on knowledge, not color. Housing is a personal choice, as I live in a gated community of $500,000 homes, and half my neighbors are black. Political offices are held by those interested, and with money, in some cases color is helpful, sometimes not.
So tell me, exactly what am I missing, and why are the things “you” think are important will fix all the problems.
“It’s you that must make the changes we need to have true equality in America.” There will NEVER be “true equality” in America, or any where else. YOU are in charge of your own destiny, quit blaming others for your limitations.
Hopeful says
I read the comments and shake my head at the ignorance. I can pinpoint the uneducated ones, the ones who will never change their opinion of someone that doesn’t look just like them, the ones who don’t recognize it, or realize that they don’t have the same hand dealt to them. I just can’t believe that, generations later, we are still having this discussion. Yes, all lives do matter. But we need to stand next to our brothers and sisters and stand against the travesties that, decades after the civil rights movement, are still standing in the way of the greatness the black community can accomplish. I’m white and I want everyone to know, black lives matter to me.
Dedicated American says
Mike as always your comments are always spot on. I was brought up being taught the Golden Rule. Do Onto Others as you would expect them to do unto you. If everyone one could hold this in their hearts, we could be looking towards a wonderful future. Remember we all have a choice in our lives. We all can voice our opinions with our voting.
A.J. says
White women call and complain about African People, especially African Men. Remember the case in the Carolinas many years ago. A white woman said a Black drowned her 2 boys, a lie. The N.Y. case in Central Park. A lie. White cops killing Black Men. Most of the time White people do crazy and we are the victims. Remember Star Bucks about 2 yrs. ago, again a white woman. The operation was closed to address how to treat all people. Did it help? In these situations it was always against Black People. There are many cases that I can write about. I hope you all c the pattern. It will coninue. White folks think they are better than people of color. White folks die too. What make them think they are so good. Thurston like all other people.
Agkistrodon says
Your statements generalizing “white people” sounds similar to generalizations made about blacks, chinese, Italians, polish, Irish etc… things like, “all Irish are drunks”, or “all Italians are in organized crime ” or ” all blacks like fried chicken” we call those things prejudices and they are in fact racist.
hawkeye says
This goes both ways ,apparently you forgot the tawana brawley incident about 35 years ago ,a young black girl who wanted to party all weekend claimed that a white sheriff kidnapped her,smeared her with feces and kept her for a few days.Old sharpton got involved ,without knowing the facts and tried to ruin a few peoples lives.The truth came out and embarressed sharpton( if he is capable of being embarressed) and the sheriff was exonerated and I believe brawley spent some time in jail.I am all for equality ,I just dont like the mud slinging in either direction. I judge everyone on a person to person basis. I worked at the same job for 36 years and the best bosses I ever had were black. Does this mean that all blacks are great? No ,it means that there are good and bad in every race. Until every one gets on board with treating everybody respectfully and nicely we will always have problems.Personally ,I do my part, I am nice to everybody .
Sherry says
Billy C. . . . Thank you for your thought provoking comments! You are spot on! ALL LIVES MATTER. . . but, we need to add the word “EQUALLY”!
Thank you also to all those who support those police who “Protect and Serve”. . . . we need to add the word “EQUALLY”.
Thank you to all those who exercised their first amendment rights to peacefully protest against tragic, long termed, systemic injustices
Thank you to those who VOTE to elect leaders that promote EQUALITY
Thank you to those who selflessly wear a mask in crowded public places to protect OTHERS
Let’s make this a ‘turning point” towards working “together” for a better future!
Stay safe and healthy! Care tenderly for your neighbors and ALL fellow human beings! Seek joy, peace and love!
X cop says
Hey, any mention of the number of shootings in Chicago that left 10 dead? Black on black. Apparently black lives don’t matter to the shooters in Chicago or is it just the media
William says
Hey, nowhere in your post do you mention the police treatment of minorities all over America. Yet you want to divert the attention to the Republican talking point:Black on Black crime in Chicago? Historically crime within groups is determined by population density and economic status. Ever read about the inner-city gangs and their crimes back when poor Italians or poor Irish were the inner city dwellers? Or are we to ignore those years in history because it is not convenient to your comment?
oldtimer says
I agree that BLM but to all of those constantly aligning with that organization I have a question, One of their main priorities ( on their website) calls for defunding all police departments. My question is if that happens who do you call if someone is breaking into your house or assaulting a family member?
Bill C. says
The word “defunding” may be a misnomer. Reform and reallocation of some funds and resources is badly needed.
Sherry says
FYI. . . Some information about President Obama’s academic history:
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Obama was not well-known among classmates after he transferred to Columbia University from Occidental College in the early 1980s. The article quotes a former roommate who states that Obama’s performance improved after he stopped taking drugs (which Obama has admitted to openly). Since Obama did not graduate with honors, that means his GPA was between a 2.0 and a 3.3 — although, since he was admitted to Harvard Law School, it’s hard to imagine his GPA was much lower than a 3.3.
Obama graduated from Columbia in 1983 with a degree in political science. He specialized in international relations.
Law school was another story for Obama. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School (the second highest honor available) in 1991. He also was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, a very prestigious honor.
Sherry says
Regarding “Impeached” trump’s academic records:
In 2011, days after Donald Trump challenged President Barack Obama to “show his records” to prove that he hadn’t been a “terrible student,” the headmaster at New York Military Academy got an order from his boss: Find Trump’s academic records and help bury them.
The superintendent of the private school “came to me in a panic because he had been accosted by prominent, wealthy alumni of the school who were Mr. Trump’s friends” and who wanted to keep his records secret, recalled Evan Jones, the headmaster at the time. “He said, ‘You need to go grab that record and deliver it to me because I need to deliver it to them.’ ”
Cohen said last week that he had sent threatening letters to Trump’s schools, warning that “we will hold your institution liable” if any of his records were released. In his letter to the president of Fordham University, where Trump spent his first two years of college, studying business administration, Cohen demanded that the records be “permanently sealed” and said any release was “criminality,” which “will lead to jail time.”
A Fordham spokesman last week confirmed that the school received Cohen’s letter, as well as a call from the Trump campaign, and responded that the university was bound by federal law not to reveal any student records without Trump’s permission. A spokesman for the University of Pennsylvania declined to comment.
In 2011, when the military academy was asked to secure Trump’s records, he had not entered politics formally. But he was considering challenging Obama in the 2012 election and had been making the rounds on TV, stepping up his criticism of the president, including insinuating that Obama was not qualified for admission to Columbia, where he finished his undergraduate degree, or Harvard, where he went to law school and graduated magna cum laude. During the 2012 campaign, Trump offered to donate $5 million to charity if Obama released his college transcripts.
At New York Military Academy, the decision to remove Trump’s records from the files was unique, said Jones, a management consultant who served as headmaster from 2010 to 2011. “It was the only time in my education career that I ever heard of someone’s record being removed,” he said. “But people were fearful as a result of whatever call was made from Mr. Trump’s friends. I was told we’re getting a lot of heat about this.”
Coverdale, who was the school’s superintendent from 2010 to 2013 and is now a public school administrator in Florida, said he does not know what happened to Trump’s file after he left the academy in 2013.
The school’s willingness to move the records stemmed from Trump’s special status and the school’s precarious position at the time, according to several academy graduates and former staff members.
The academy, founded in 1889, has had a mixed relationship with Trump through the years.
The school was in debt, and was openly discussing selling its 113-acre campus and shutting down, when a group of graduates and others trying to save the school visited Trump at his Manhattan office in 2010. The group was seeking a $7 million donation that they hoped to use to raise an additional $30 million from graduates and other sources.
The meeting did not go well.
First, Pezzullo, Trump’s fellow graduate, spilled a glass of Diet Coke on Trump’s cream-colored carpet, which caused Trump to blurt an expletive, according to two participants in the meeting.
Then, according to Pezzullo, when the school’s graduates made their pitch, Trump responded by asking, “What do I get for my $7 million?”
The military academy was prepared to offer to name a summer program, a building or potentially even the school itself after Trump, according to academy officials.
But Trump said no investment in the school was worthwhile. “It’s not a good business proposition,” he said, according to Pezzullo. “The school has had a good run.”
A decade before that meeting, Trump offered to build a facility on campus in honor of his coach and mentor, Theodore Dobias, according to two former school officials. But the school’s board turned down the offer, preferring a cash donation. Trump, who had “just wanted to build something for this man he loved,” gave nothing, Pezzullo said.
The Trump Tower meeting in 2010 ended with Trump’s “firm ‘No,’ very polite, but firm,” Pezzullo said.
After the meeting with Trump, the group from the academy met with Cohen, who delivered the same message but in a less gracious manner.
“Cohen told us he would love to have enough money to buy the school so he could bulldoze it,” Pezzullo said.
A. J. says
All lives matter. It looks like some lives matters more than others. Just look at the histor of this country. Just saying.
Edward says
No fireworks 💥 in palm Coast on July 4th.
Seanpeckham says
I think Society in general is upset because when you go to a black neighborhood it is Sit at home and do nothing nobody trying to make it better no grass and trash everywhere , you go into a white neighborhood the grass is cut flowers are planted and people are smiling I think that is the problem if you did not bring our neighborhood down they would invite us in .
I hate that people in my own neighborhood and race just don’t get it
Let’s step it up and prove our selfs police our community and lend a hand
Our children need to respect the law first then they will receive respect back !