TX - Sandra Bland, 28, found dead in jail cell, Waller County, 13 July 2015 #3

[kimlynn]

I think it's possible to have a respectful, non-defensive discussion here without putting words in people's mouths and being sarcastic. No one has said or implied that they "feel threatened" by a road being named after Bland. Having serious concerns about the long and short term ramifications is not the same as "feeling threatened."

Katydid did not say that Bland died at the hands of LE. She named three people who did and referenced them, not Bland. She asked what Bland did to have a road named after her.

This is a complex subject worthy of discussion. But people are entitled to their opinions and concerns. JMO

Thank you for allowing all opinions. I don't see sarcasm in my posts but if you could point it out I will edit.
Post # 776 from Katy did in fact say..."Just because someone dies at the hands of LE" in reference to SB. IMO

 

[katydid23]

As I posted there are plenty of roads to go around for the deserving. If it makes some happy to have a road that is named Sandra Bland...I'm fine with it.
Some think she was fighting for justice and if it has meaning for them it doesn't matter to me. It's just a road after all.

If I understand the situation correctly, it is the road on the way to the primarily black local University. So it is not 'just a road.' It will hold more significance than that. I would like roads to be named in honor of people who make good role models for our young people. People they should emulate and model themselves after. Like Anthony Sadler or 9 yr old Jamyla. JMO

 

[kimlynn]

If I understand the situation correctly, it is the road on the way to the primarily black local University. So it is not 'just a road.' It will hold more significance than that. I would like roads to be named in honor of people who make good role models for our young people. People they should emulate and model themselves after. Like Anthony Sadler or 9 yr old Jamyla. JMO

And again there isn't any reason why the people you mentioned can't or won't have roads named after them. And who am I to say what might hold significance for another. IMO

 

[katydid23]

And again there isn't any reason why the people you mentioned can't or won't have roads named after them. And who am I to say what might hold significance for another. IMO

There is a huge social trend that is encouraging young people of color to physically resist and denounce Law Enforcement officers. It is a dangerous trend, imo. And naming a road for SB , that college kids will drive on every day, will not help eradicate this trend. it will embolden BLM and things will get worse, not better.

 

[kimlynn]

There is a huge social trend that is encouraging young people of color to physically resist and denounce Law Enforcement officers. It is a dangerous trend, imo. And naming a road for SB , that college kids will drive on every day, will not help eradicate this trend. it will embolden BLM and things will get worse, not better.

I don't think it's just people of color and you're correct it is dangerous. Perhaps the police need to change their reactions to any and all questions of their total authority over citizens.
As I posted earlier...I think naming the road was a gesture and if it makes anyone feel more content I'm fine with it. IMO

 

[katydid23]

I don't think it's just people of color and you're correct it is dangerous. Perhaps the police need to change their reactions to any and all questions of their total authority over citizens.
As I posted earlier...I think naming the road was a gesture and if it makes anyone feel more content I'm fine with it. IMO

BBM

There is a problem with that. For an officer to do his/her job, he has to maintain control and authority when in a face to face exchange. Cops are the 'enemy' to the criminals. But the cop does not know WHO among the people he is standing next to might be his enemy. A cop cannot walk around in public without knowing he has the ability to maintain order and authority , in case that enemy pops up. It makes it uncomfortable for the common citizen. But most understand why it must be that way.

About 6 or 7 cops were shot or assaulted last weekend, across the nation. That is only going to make them more strict and no nonsense during future traffic stops.

 

[katydid23]

And I don't think naming the road after SB is going to make anyone feel 'content.' More like emboldened and justified to be aggressive and resistant and non-compliant, in an effort to be another 'hero.'

 

[human]

I believe MLK Jr wasn't too big on police brutality.

And the nerve to sit in front of the bus, register people to vote, date and marry white people, have strikes! All things against the law and not ok with the white power structure

Lots of death sentences with those activities

 

[kimlynn]

BBM

There is a problem with that. For an officer to do his/her job, he has to maintain control and authority when in a face to face exchange. Cops are the 'enemy' to the criminals. But the cop does not know WHO among the people he is standing next to might be his enemy. A cop cannot walk around in public without knowing he has the ability to maintain order and authority , in case that enemy pops up. It makes it uncomfortable for the common citizen. But most understand why it must be that way.

About 6 or 7 cops were shot or assaulted last weekend, across the nation. That is only going to make them more strict and no nonsense during future traffic stops.

That may be true in some cases but then you have the few in LE that feed on that power and control to the detriment of citizens. They make unreasonable demands or escalate when there could be more peaceful solutions. IMO

 

[Lilibet]

Thank you for allowing all opinions. I don't see sarcasm in my posts but if you could point it out I will edit.
Post # 776 from Katy did in fact say..."Just because someone dies at the hands of LE" in reference to SB. IMO

I edited out the part about sarcasm because it was unnecessary and I didn't want to have mod problems. But since you ask (and thank you very much for that) the part I felt was sarcastic was saying "That's progress" to katydid. I think a careful reading of her post makes it clear that she did not say that SB died at the hands of LE. She was referencing others.

I also added a point later about the term "feel threatened." You may not be aware of the history of that term, but in my long experience dating back to the civil rights movement in the '60's, it has a connotation that certainly pushes my buttons. I don't think that's your goal here, so I thought it might be worthwhile pointing out.

This is a really hard topic. We all have various opinions and I have learned a lot from those I disagree with. My goal is to be respectful and keep pointing out that this issue will not be solved by symbolic band aids. eace:

 

[katydid23]

I believe MLK Jr wasn't too big on police brutality.

And the nerve to sit in front of the bus, register people to vote, date and marry white people, have strikes! All things against the law and not ok with the white power structure

I would hardly dare compare Reverend Martin Luther King to Sandra Bland. But I guess having her own road will have some making the comparison. Thanks for making my point for me. :wink:

 

[katydid23]

That may be true in some cases but then you have the few in LE that feed on that power and control to the detriment of citizens. They make unreasonable demands or escalate when there could be more peaceful solutions. IMO

Absolutely true and I agree with you. But, IMO, BlackLivesMatter is making everything worse, not better. By amping up and escalating the young kids and training them to stand inches away and yell EFF DA POH_LEECE in a cops face, and applauding them for setting cars on fire and blocking motorists, and kicking their cars, BLM is pouring gas on the fire.

Meanwhile, a lot of good, hardworking officers are looking for other careers. I know several in that process.

The public is now more aggressive, resistant, rude than ever before. What does that help?

Especially when you have hundreds of tragic inner city deaths going on and the cops are expected to go into the neighborhood and eradicate the violence. But then they are treated as the enemy by the people they are trying to protect? They are being put in an impossible position and morale is very low.

 

[bluesneakers]

I don't think it's just people of color and you're correct it is dangerous. Perhaps the police need to change their reactions to any and all questions of their total authority over citizens.
As I posted earlier...I think naming the road was a gesture and if it makes anyone feel more content I'm fine with it. IMO

I'm fine with it too. I hope it will give hope and comfort to people who see it.

 

[Lilibet]

I believe MLK Jr wasn't too big on police brutality.

And the nerve to sit in front of the bus, register people to vote, date and marry white people, have strikes! All things against the law and not ok with the white power structure

Lots of death sentences with those activities

MLK Jr and those who demonstrated peacefully in those days accomplished all that without violence on their part. The whole point was non-violence. They were willing to endure police (and civilian) brutality and sacrifice even their own lives for the greater good, as were whites who joined them.

There is no comparison to what is going on today.

 

[kimlynn]

I edited out the part about sarcasm because it was unnecessary and I didn't want to have mod problems. But since you ask (and thank you very much for that) the part I felt was sarcastic was saying "That's progress" to katydid. I think a careful reading of her post makes it clear that she did not say that SB died at the hands of LE. She was referencing others.

I also added a point later about the term "feel threatened." You may not be aware of the history of that term, but in my long experience dating back to the civil rights movement in the '60's, it has a connotation that certainly pushes my buttons. I don't think that's your goal here, so I thought it might be worthwhile pointing out.

This is a really hard topic. We all have various opinions and I have learned a lot from those I disagree with. My goal is to be respectful and keep pointing out that this issue will not be solved by symbolic band aids. eace:

I did another read of the post in question and you are correct in that Katy did reference others before mention of SB. I did read that wrong and did edit my post to reflect my error. Sorry Katy for getting it wrong.
I am going to leave my comment about feeling threatened because IMO it does seem that some do have a huge problem with the road being named after SB and do feel threatened and in fear of what this might bring.
I am aware of the connotation and sorry for any offense that this might bring but feel strongly that my wording was correct. IMO

 

[kimlynn]

And I don't think naming the road after SB is going to make anyone feel 'content.' More like emboldened and justified to be aggressive and resistant and non-compliant, in an effort to be another 'hero.'

No one is the enemy Katy. People just want change. They may not always go about it the way you or I would, but many are angry and I can't blame them.
O/T and I mentioned this in another thread...I used to argue to the death with people arming against the police for their own protection.
Now I'm just not so sure on my former stance. Things are much worse in the last few yrs. IMO

 

[katydid23]

I did another read of the post in question and you are correct in that Katy did reference others before mention of SB. I did read that wrong and did edit my post to reflect my error. Sorry Katy for getting it wrong.
I am going to leave my comment about feeling threatened because IMO it does seem that some do have a huge problem with the road being named after SB and do feel threatened and in fear of what this might bring.
I am aware of the connotation and sorry for any offense that this might bring but feel strongly that my wording was correct. IMO

Personally, I do not feel 'threatened' by the road name. I just feel it is sending the wrong message to our kids.

I worked in an inner city high school. Kids who wanted to turn in their homework sometimes had to sneak it to the teacher because they would get beat up after school if their 'friends' saw them turn it in. Doing well in class was looked down upon socially. It meant you were selling out to whitey.

How are kids supposed to succeed with these kinds of social cues? And this trend towards making heroes out of people resiiting arrest just compounds the problem, imo.

 

[Lilibet]

I did another read of the post in question and you are correct in that Katy did reference others before mention of SB. I did read that wrong and did edit my post to reflect my error. Sorry Katy for getting it wrong.
I am going to leave my comment about feeling threatened because IMO it does seem that some do have a huge problem with the road being named after SB and do feel threatened and in fear of what this might bring.
I am aware of the connotation and sorry for any offense that this might bring but feel strongly that my wording was correct. IMO

Fair enough. Thanks for being willing to edit and also clarify your meaning about "feeling threatened." Personally, I don't have a huge problem with the road. It's a small thing in light of the whole issue, even though in principle I think it's unwise. I guess time will tell whether it creates dialogue or further escalates poor behavior on both sides.

 

[bluesneakers]

And I don't think naming the road after SB is going to make anyone feel 'content.' More like emboldened and justified to be aggressive and resistant and non-compliant, in an effort to be another 'hero.'

Sandra's life was about more than happened at one traffic stop and in the few days after. Reducing her to nothing other than her run-in with BE makes me sick. JMO.

 

[Night-owl]

I think it's great that a road was named after Sandra Bland. It's a gesture, albeit an empty gesture. IMO. If it makes anyone happy I don't see why anyone would feel threatened as we have plenty of roads to go around for all.
We have no proof that SB assaulted BE and some think it was BE that was abusive and escalated in his role as LE.
IMO

That's just it though, an empty gesture. It addresses nothing. Fixes nothing. Ask someone what has changed in response to the situation? A shrug and a point at a road sign? Really?

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