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My Son Writes About Twitter, Trump And The Riots

I went a head and struggled through your son's article. What I see is a one sided view without the slightest attempt to understand those with differing opinion or a minimal effort to see anything past his own world view. If he wants to be a difference maker he needs to spend his time learning and understanding people with differing opinions. He already has his views, he needs to educate himself on the views of others. Somewhere in the middle lies the solution.
I don’t think Brian is too concerned about being a “difference maker.” He’s a writer, not a pundit (at least most of the time). He made his bones writing about oddball sporting events at Grantland (where he named Squinky). His reputation is as a long firm essayist, often 20-30 thousand words, but he is trying to transition to becoming a novelist. This gig with The Ringer is just to pay the bills while he works on his book.

I said in the beginning his opinion was sure to rile up the most avid of Trump supporters, and that seems to be the case. My target audience in making this link have been people like @cowboyvol. It ‘s playing a numbers game. It’ll piss off most of you but reach the occasional reader. That’s really all one can ask.
 
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This!
Ponca - I imagine, like any young adult, your son wants to stand out in the crowd in his field. His article will not stand out because it is one of several article that could be on Salon or Daily Kos. Journalism has taken a big hit over the last many years. Facts don’t seem to matter - being the loudest and having a biased opinion does. People, rightly so, don’t trust the media.

But what if you son shined a light to facts? Factually, the police do not target minorities. We know that, but the public doesn’t. There is not a war on blacks. However, people are called racist for speaking the truth. The current protest and rioting is a direct result of inaccurate media activity.

Your son could affect major positive change by challenging those that spew false information and help heal a divide that has grown due to inaccurate information.
You seem to be confusing opinion with journalism. Journalists are supposed to supply the facts: who, what, when, where and why, and leave it for the reader to form an opinion. Some people get paid to express their opinion, which is what Brian did, express his opinion, much like H.L. Mencken used to do, without the slightest concern about what anybody else thought about it.
 
Stats don’t lie. Liberals stand on pins and needless waiting for anything. Most journalists in this day and age are quite frankly reprehensible and don’t care about the truth.
Not a thing in this statement applies to Brian or what he wrote.
 
And your unarmed question....geez do I really need to answer that?
It would be nice if you would. I wouldn’t have asked about it if I didn’t think you could explain it. After all you’re the one who has brought it up multiple times.
 
It would be nice if you would. I wouldn’t have asked about it if I didn’t think you could explain it. After all you’re the one who has brought it up multiple times.
Choking, punching, kicking, some semblance of hand to hand combat. Pick one. As far as a trail off.....if you bring up liberal media members in a time that they are doing a terrible job of course the subject will spin off.
 
Get off your high horse! Nothing special about you or your son. Hope your family doesn’t need help from the police in the future
In the first place I am not on a high horse. And you are correct there is nothing remotely special about me. Brian’s reputation and fan following speak differently for him. And I, too, hope no one from my family ever needs help from the police. But if we ever do need their help we will be most grateful to receive it.
 
Choking, punching, kicking, some semblance of hand to hand combat. Pick one. As far as a trail off.....if you bring up liberal media members in a time that they are doing a terrible job of course the subject will spin off.
So what are the stats? How many unarmed blacks choked a cop to death? Punched one to death? Kicked, etc.? And where do all those statistics come from? Are they based solely on police reports? If you’re going to present yourself as the stats guy you probably should explain.
 
Any of the stats presented in numerous posts have sources. Feel free to look at the sources. Someone shared a source from an African American’s tweet that had FBI data sources related to the misconception of police violence bias vs Blacks/whites. This isn’t off the cuff. Until these misconceptions are brought to the fore front America will be burned and looted every time an isolated idiot commits unnecessary violence towards an African American. Focus on those individual people to the fullest extent of the law as possible and 99% of America has your back. Burn and riot our cities.....not so much.
 
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No, I’ll leave it to Brian to research what he wants. By the way I have seen you refer to the same statistic several times, and I don’t understand it. You say more unarmed blacks killed more officers than officers killed unarmed blacks. What does that mean? How do unarmed people kill armed police officers? I also take exception to your admiration for the amazing restraint law enforcement shows as a whole. Surely you know that is balderdash. Maybe police show restraint most of the time, but their (occasional) lack of restraint is commonly understood by people of color. That you can’t recognize this truth is discussed in the article. And until white people come to that realization the anger and resentment by blacks people will boil up and explode again. I find it admirable that you feel called upon to stand up for LE. But while you ask Brian to be equal in his opinion piece you might want to follow your own advice.

That is some pot calling the kettle black talk right there.
I have a solution for the black folks that feel so oppressed by us white devils and it's the same solution I have for anyone living in poverty. Follow the law, quit committing crimes, quit shooting/killing each other, quit having unprotected sex if you want to avoid an unwanted pregnancy, quit doing drugs, quit blaming others for your own stupid decision. Learn how to act like civil human beings when interacting with a police officer, teacher or anyone in a position of authority and pull your damn pants up. Take advantage of the education opportunities provided to each and every child in this country. Take advantage of opportunities of higher learning or learn a skill. Develop a good work ethic, work your ass off, save money, invest and reap the benefit of all the opportunities this country has to offer.
Start talking and addressing some of the above and you will find a much more receptive audience than just telling us how oppressed you are.
 
I don’t think Brian is too concerned about being a “difference maker.” He’s a writer, not a pundit (at least most of the time). He made his bones writing about oddball sporting events at Grantland (where he named Squinky). His reputation is as a long firm essayist, often 20-30 thousand words, but he is trying to transition to becoming a novelist. This gig with The Ringer is just to pay the bills while he works on his book.

I said in the beginning his opinion was sure to rile up the most avid of Trump supporters, and that seems to be the case. My target audience in making this link have been people like @cowboyvol. It ‘s playing a numbers game. It’ll piss off most of you but reach the occasional reader. That’s really all one can ask.

My criticism has absolutely nothing to do with being a Trump supporter. It has to do with his one sided presentation.
 
Any of the stats presented in numerous posts have sources. Feel free to look at the sources. Someone shared a source from an African American’s tweet that had FBI data sources related to the misconception of police violence bias vs Blacks/whites. This isn’t off the cuff.
Oh, I didn’t mean to imply you’re making things up. I do find it curious to know from where the stats come, and who collates them. I personally would be a little suspicious of stats that are supplied or collated by LE agencies, as they would have a vested interest in putting themselves in the best light possible. Kind of like the Minnesota ME gave one opinion about Mr. Floyd’s cause of death, which put into question whether a murder charge would stick.
 
...I do find it curious to know from where the stats come, and who collates them. I personally would be a little suspicious of stats that are supplied or collated by LE agencies, as they would have a vested interest in putting themselves in the best light possible....

Yet you find it acceptable to accept stats from WaPo? Twitter?
 
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That is some pot calling the kettle black talk right there.
I have a solution for the black folks that feel so oppressed by us white devils and it's the same solution I have for anyone living in poverty. Follow the law, quit committing crimes, quit shooting/killing each other, quit having unprotected sex if you want to avoid an unwanted pregnancy, quit doing drugs, quit blaming others for your own stupid decision. Learn how to act like civil human beings when interacting with a police officer, teacher or anyone in a position of authority and pull your damn pants up. Take advantage of the education opportunities provided to each and every child in this country. Take advantage of opportunities of higher learning or learn a skill. Develop a good work ethic, work your ass off, save money, invest and reap the benefit of all the opportunities this country has to offer.
Start talking and addressing some of the above and you will find a much more receptive audience than just telling us how oppressed you are.
I can’t help but believe you are a person whose attitude about black people in general is predominately formed by watching reality cop tv shows. Most black people do not fit that demographic. And yet you want them to be treated by the police as if they do.

The point of my argument has always been that poor people, who are basically powerless and defenseless against police, and are made up by too many people of color, get treated too often by police as if they are all like the dregs you see in those tv shows. My further argument, which was much more intelligently explained in the article, is most of us white people fail to recognize that reality. It doesn’t happen to us (unless we’re also in the poor underclass) so it is not part of our reality and it is almost impossible for us to see.

The murder of Mr. Floyd gave us a brief glimpse into that alternate reality, and for a fleeting second we saw it for what it is and were outraged by what we saw. And just as quickly the riots once again shielded us from seeing it and allowed us to go back to our comfortable position of defending the police and defending the status quo. Another opportunity for reason and sanity to make needed changes lost.
 
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Good article. Now I will be thought of as a liberal. But that would mean I vote democrat. I do not remember ever voting for a democrat in a national election.

Studies have shown that someone with a particular paradigm will believe a fact if it agrees with their paradigm (or view of the world) and will not agree if it goes against it. Both being facts. I do like the Trump judicial appointments, support for the Keystone pipeline, view on climate change, etc. But he is the most divisive President in my lifetime. I thought Obama was the worst President in history. Now I am not so sure. In our current climate a moderate is considered radical leftist by one side and radical right by the other. It is true, in my opinion Trump, is the biggest lier in the history of the presidency. But his supporters seem to accept or alibi for his lies.
There is truth on FOX, CNN, and the Washington Post. They all may slant it their way. I watch both FOX and CNN. When Obama was President I watched FOX almost exclusively. Now I get a little tired of their alibis for Trump.
I thought the article was balanced.
 
Yet you find it acceptable to accept stats from WaPo? Twitter?
No I have not said I find stats from WaPo to be acceptable. It’s one of the things I argued with Brian about. I don’t think any of us, even the most fervent a Trump supporter, would deny the man is a world class pathological
liar. But lying is a job requirement. Trump being a liar is hardly new to the position. Hell, I don’t think any president in history is in the same universe as Bill Clinton (unless it would be LBJ, or maybe Richard Nixon).
 
I can’t help but believe you are a person whose attitude about blacks people in general is predominately formed by watching reality cop tv shows. Most black people do not fit that demographic. And yet you want them to be treated by the police as if they do.

The point of my argument has always been that poor people, who are basically powerless and defenseless against police, and are made up by too many people of color, get treated too often by police as if they are all like the dregs you see in those tv shows. My further argument, which was much more intelligently explained in the article, is most of us white people fail to recognize that reality. It doesn’t happen to us (unless we’re also in the poor underclass) so it is not part of our reality and it is almost impossible for us to see.

The murder of Mr. Floyd gave us a brief glimpse into that alternate reality, and for a fleeting second we saw it for what it is and were outraged by what we saw. And just as quickly the riots once again shielded us from seeing it and allowed us to go back to our comfortable position of defending the police and defending the status quo. Another opportunity for reason and sanity to make needed changes lost.
**** off with this bullshit! Your first paragraph is complete horse shit. On your high horse thinking you know how another person thinks about an issue!!!! What’s the winning number for the mega lottery since you can read minds and know the future?
 
Good article. Now I will be thought of as a liberal. But that would mean I vote democrat. I do not remember ever voting for a democrat in a national election.

Studies have shown that someone with a particular paradigm will believe a fact if it agrees with their paradigm (or view of the world) and will not agree if it goes against it. Both being facts. I do like the Trump judicial appointments, support for the Keystone pipeline, view on climate change, etc. But he is the most divisive President in my lifetime. I thought Obama was the worst President in history. Now I am not so sure. In our current climate a moderate is considered radical leftist by one side and radical right by the other. It is true, in my opinion Trump, is the biggest lier in the history of the presidency. But his supporters seem to accept or alibi for his lies.
There is truth on FOX, CNN, and the Washington Post. They all may slant it their way. I watch both FOX and CNN. When Obama was President I watched FOX almost exclusively. Now I get a little tired of their alibis for Trump.
I thought the article was balanced.
Haha. You can keep your doctor! Your health premiums will drop! Police are racists! Benghazi! Spying on Americans! I can continue. The list is endless.
Also, why talk about media coverage of Trump when Obama got kid gloves? Obama had the media pimping for him
 
You seem to be confusing opinion with journalism. Journalists are supposed to supply the facts: who, what, when, where and why, and leave it for the reader to form an opinion. Some people get paid to express their opinion, which is what Brian did, express his opinion, much like H.L. Mencken used to do, without the slightest concern about what anybody else thought about it.
No, not confusing. I was saying your son is amplifying false information. How is that helping the world?

I realize this is your son, but you asked us to read and give thoughts. His article just spreads fake info. What a great opportunity as a young writer to form independent thought and use facts to back up opinion. Positive influence. Be a light.
 
**** off with this bullshit! Your first paragraph is complete horse shit. On your high horse thinking you know how another person thinks about an issue!!!! What’s the winning number for the mega lottery since you can read minds and know the future?
Well, you’re right, I thought I knew how he felt about the issue because he told us what thought. Again, I’m not on a horse of any kind, just shuffling along on the ground with everybody else. You and I obviously disagree. But that’s really no reason to get mad at each other.
 
No, not confusing. I was saying your son is amplifying false information. How is that helping the world?

I realize this is your son, but you asked us to read and give thoughts. His article just spreads fake info. What a great opportunity as a young writer to form independent thought and use facts to back up opinion. Positive influence. Be a light.
He hates when Trumps spreads fake info but cool for his son! Hypocrite
 
Haha. You can keep your doctor! Your health premiums will drop! Police are racists! Benghazi! Spying on Americans! I can continue. The list is endless.
Also, why talk about media coverage of Trump when Obama got kid gloves? Obama had the media pimping for him
IMO Obama didn’t necessarily tell more lies than other presidents. But the ones he told were WHOPPERS!
 
I thought it was a one sided, narrow minded hit piece that didn't have any depth or insightful information just regurgitated hate for Trump and consequently contempt for Trump supporters.

You and you son understand nothing about why people support Trump. You think you do, you do not.

Count me as very unimpressed.
 
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Well, you’re right, I thought I knew how he felt about the issue because he told us what thought. Again, I’m not in a horse of any kind, just shuffling along on the ground with everybody else. You and I obviously disagree. But that’s really no reason to get mad at each other.
Not mad at all. I might disagree with some of your posts, but this one was uncalled for and over the line! Jumping to conclusions mat!!!
 
No, not confusing. I was saying your son is amplifying false information. How is that helping the world?

I realize this is your son, but you asked us to read and give thoughts. His article just spreads fake info. What a great opportunity as a young writer to form independent thought and use facts to back up opinion. Positive influence. Be a light.
I appreciate the thoughtful comment. I don’t agree with it, but I appreciate you have given some reasonable thought into it.
 
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I thought it was a one sided, narrow minded hit piece that didn't have any depth or insightful information just regurgitated hate for Trump and consequently contempt for Trump supporters.

You and you son understand nothing about why people support Trump. You think you do, you do not.

Count me as very unimpressed.
Well said!
 
I thought it was a one sided, narrow minded hit piece that didn't have any depth or insightful information just regurgitated hate for Trump and consequently contempt for Trump supporters.

You and you son understand nothing about why people support Trump. You think you do, you do not.

Count me as very unimpressed.
Yes, Sir, I will count you as unimpressed. I would like to impress one thing on you, though, if I might. Neither my son nor I have much interest in understanding why Trump supporters feel the way they do. It is enough for us to understand that the support is very passionate, and as such is unlikely to be persuaded to a different line of thinking. As I said in the beginning the article is not intended for you. That’s not meant to be an insult, but rather a way of explaining neither my son nor I have any notion or desire to change your mind. But I for one do enjoy immensely having back and forth like this one.
 
Not mad at all. I might disagree with some of your posts, but this one was uncalled for and over the line! Jumping to conclusions mat!!!
I apologize. It is very hard to read “tone” in someone else’s writing. I thought I detected passion boiling up into anger. If that is not the case I apologize.
 
As I said in the beginning the article is not intended for you. That’s not meant to be an insult, but rather a way of explaining neither my son nor I have any notion or desire to change your mind.
Yes it is intended as an insult. You couldn't have said it in a more condescending way.

In other words it wasn't intended for us us stupid, neanderthal knuckle draggers, it's intended for the enlightened, smart people who agree with us.

Like I said, implied contempt drips from the article and from you. What is funny is you guys can't see how narrow minded you really are because you are blinded by smugness and don't even realize you are being smug and condescending.
 
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And a lot of you are not going to like what he has to say. (I would encourage you to read with an open mind and try to repress your initial knee-jerk reaction that you must defend Trump against all comers. If you can do that you might figure out that he says something of value).


https://www.theringer.com/2020/6/1/21277660/protests-donald-trump-twitter
So I read most all of what your son just vomited onto the page. Your son is an idiot and you failed as a father. Period. You should hang your head in shame.

That boy 'decorates with commas' as my high school English teacher would say. That prose is so dis-corridinated as to be unreadable. He needs to learn what a topic sentence is and how to properly format an article. He states opinion as fact and his supporting facts are laughable at best and outright lies at worst.

Even if that drivel was content I agreed with it would be damn near unreadable. Just shit writing. We're doomed as a literate society if people consider him a worthy read.
 
Yes it is intended as an insult. You couldn't have said it in a more condescending way.

In other words it wasn't intended for us us stupid, neanderthal knuckle draggers, it's intended for the enlightened, smart people who agree with us.

Like I said, implied contempt drips from the article and from you. What is funny is you guys can't see how narrow minded you really are because you are blinded by smugness and don't even realize you are being smug and condescending.
Nope, not intended as an insult. Regret you took it that way.
 
So I read most all of what your son just vomited onto the page. Your son is an idiot and you failed as a father. Period. You should hang your head in shame.

That boy 'decorates with commas' as my high school English teacher would say. That prose is so dis-corridinated as to be unreadable. He needs to learn what a topic sentence is and how to properly format an article. He states opinion as fact and his supporting facts are laughable at best and outright lies at worst.

Even if that drivel was content I agreed with it would be damn near unreadable. Just shit writing. We're doomed as a literate society if people consider him a worthy read.
Thank God you aren’t a literary critic! His career would be doomed!
 
And a lot of you are not going to like what he has to say. (I would encourage you to read with an open mind and try to repress your initial knee-jerk reaction that you must defend Trump against all comers. If you can do that you might figure out that he says something of value).


https://www.theringer.com/2020/6/1/21277660/protests-donald-trump-twitter

Good article and it raises some important points we all should consider, especially concerning the impact social media has in our society today and the role it plays.

You should be proud @Ponca Dan!
 
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Thank God you aren’t a literary critic! His career would be doomed!
He may be a good writer. But that was horrible. My high school English teacher would have red lined the hell out of that. I'm not even talking about the idiotic content. It almost needs an English to English translator.

But it's funny you don't try to defend your boy when the criticism isn't even about the content. I guess you can't because deep down you know I'm right.

Oh, and passive aggressive as fvck.
 
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He may be a good writer. But that was horrible. My high school English teacher would have red lined the hell out of that. I'm not even talking about the idiotic content. It almost needs an English to English translator.

But it's funny you don't try to defend your boy when the criticism isn't even about the content. I guess you can't because deep down you know I'm right.

Oh, and passive aggressive as fvck.
No, I feel no need to defend him when I know the source of the criticism. I’m sure Brian would be humiliated to have a high school teacher tell him he doesn’t know how to write.
He would probably feel compelled to return the awards he has received. I mean, a high school teacher surely knows best!
 
No, I feel no need to defend him when I know the source of the criticism. I’m sure Brian would be humiliated to have a high school teacher tell him he doesn’t know how to write.
He would probably feel compelled to return the awards he has received. I mean, a high school teacher surely knows best!
Ha. You keep on brand and stay PAAF.

He should return any award for that pile of filth if someone is dumb enough to present him with one. Unless, of course, he were to win the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest. Now that is one award he could possibly win.
 
Any of the stats presented in numerous posts have sources. Feel free to look at the sources. Someone shared a source from an African American’s tweet that had FBI data sources related to the misconception of police violence bias vs Blacks/whites. This isn’t off the cuff. Until these misconceptions are brought to the fore front America will be burned and looted every time an isolated idiot commits unnecessary violence towards an African American. Focus on those individual people to the fullest extent of the law as possible and 99% of America has your back. Burn and riot our cities.....not so much.

I have yet to see stats here that prove the proposition that unarmed blacks have killed more officers than officers have killed unarmed blacks. I haven’t even seen that proposition before today, much less any data or statistics showing it to be true.

As the proponent of such a proposition, it is usually considered incumbent upon you to provide at least some proof of it.

I would be interested in seeing them....sincerely interested.
 
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