Posts by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
(DIR) Post #AlSraa0NOiEOdlnD9M by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-08-29T03:47:22Z
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@ricci American History X is a terrible film if its objective is to speak against racism. If I were a young white man and I watched American History X, and I believed its portrayals of Black folk? I'd feel more justified in my racism.Black people murdered his dad, a hard working fireman. Then tried to steal his stuff. Then murdered his brother in school. But we're not supposed to be racist because it's wrong. We're not supposed to be strong in a cruel world. That messaging doesn't work.1/N
(DIR) Post #AlSraaguqYG6lhhBSK by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-08-29T03:50:21Z
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@ricci The reality is that the portrayals of Black people in that movie were trash.The total number of times in US history that a Black student has shown up to a school with a gun and shot a white student, are astronomically low. That's not a thing that happens. It's a thing that racist 2A gun nuts pretend happens.The portrayal of Black people as violent, stupid, or hapless, is a big problem.I hated that movie, and was not surprised that it recruited more nazis.2/2
(DIR) Post #AlSrabmylUheAnXXXs by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-08-29T10:35:03Z
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@billiglarper @ricci Fascinating: my critique is 100% around the portrayal of Black people in the movie. I didn't even mention the portrayal of Edward Norton or any other white character, other than to say that his motivations were relatable given the false and disparaging depiction of Black folk in the movie. My take centered Black folk.But you read it as how relatable Edward Norton's character should be, and if he should be relatable, or clownish or a monsters. Your take centered him.
(DIR) Post #AlSracLigKUZuXnHhA by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-08-29T10:37:30Z
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@billiglarper @ricci To agree or disagree with my take, you would need to say something about the depiction of Black people in the movie. Like either: A) I think the depictions of Black people in the movie were fine Or B) I understand why a lot of Black people, especially those that have lived in Southern California and experienced LA racism first hand 🙋🏿♂️, had a huge problem with the movie.
(DIR) Post #AlY01kwIch6RnL9fmK by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-01T03:37:03Z
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Wishing Ricky Pearsall a speedy recovery. He is a 49ers rookie that was robbed at gunpoint in SF. He wrestled with the robber. Both got shot. Both are recovering.Shout out to all the SF tech folk that know absolutely nothing about reducing gun violence, tweeting right-wing nonsense that ignores decades of clear evidence about the only way that's been shown to sustainably reduce gun violence.1/N
(DIR) Post #AlY01lqJGRuEb3MP56 by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-01T03:41:22Z
1 likes, 1 repeats
I'm too lazy to type the thread again, so TL:DR; you can't solve violent crimes if the 99% of Black folk that commit no crimes at all, (and that witness these crimes), are (rightfully!) too afraid to call the cops for any reason.Read this *whole* thread before asking me any questions about how yes, more cops make the murder rate go up.🙂🙃https://hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/109785330115485502And no, this effect isn't just for Black folk. Any group brutalized by police acts the same.2/N
(DIR) Post #AlY01mYyaNdQpaG4hc by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-01T03:44:40Z
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July 10 2023 - Dolores Hill Bomb (skate event where skaters "bomb" down the hill at high speed). SFPD violently arrests ~200 people, including many kids🤦🏿♂️Many kids were zip ties and told to sit on the curb for hours, and denied access to the restroom. Some peed themselves.July 22 2023 - Carjacking near Dolores. 2 suspects arrested. Multiple people "saw it."July 28 2023 - Charges against both dropped. "No" witnesses.🤡https://hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/1107498715082591833/N
(DIR) Post #AlY01q3Zb4tNfLb3JI by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-01T03:50:36Z
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So what have we learned? We learned that you can make even a suburban white kid decide not to help the cops because they think that cops can't be trusted and are not safe, just by mistreating them in one single incident, on one day.Now imagine a Black kid 🙋🏿♂️ who's had hundreds of unsafe interactions with cops, since he was 12 years old.As a kid, I had that growth spurt that made me 6 ft tall, and I've been mistreated ever since. And my experience is not unique.4/N
(DIR) Post #AljhQfKf2ZDePcEWoK by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-06T06:32:55Z
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Oh boy. They're already starting on the "He was bullied," angle.No.If bullying or a rough home life justified or caused school shootings, we'd have Black kids doing mass shootings daily. But we don't see that. In fact, we hardly see any Black kids doing school mass shootings.Evergreen:https://hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/112788058794374923
(DIR) Post #Alo47HnbO4KjV8L1aC by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-08T02:45:53Z
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Big props to Jeremy Saulnier who wrote and directed Rebel Ridge. Recommend.The film covers so much of what is wrong with US policing, in an action packed drama movie. It also covers the evil and racism in the system vs the individual. I don't think a cop calls a Black person the N-Word once in the whole movie.*Civil asset forfeiture*Cash bail and prison violence*Why Black folk don't give statements*The power of sheriffs in small towns*Violence of the war on drugshttps://youtu.be/gF3gZicntIw?si=rn_1NYGSB1zUS8Im
(DIR) Post #Alo47Ilrm0XUW2X9W4 by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-08T02:51:57Z
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I love that millions of people will watch the movie, and go:👩🏼Wait, the civil asset part is made up right?🧔🏿♂️No, that's totally real.👩🏼OK, but they can't just like, pull you over and take your money if you can prove that it's yours, right?🧔🏿♂️No, they can.👩🏼OK, but like... that doesn't happen very often in real life right?🧔🏿♂️No, it happens a lot. Cops steal more through civil asset forfeiture than all other forms of burglary combined. Mostly from poor Black folk, as depicted in the movie.2/N
(DIR) Post #Alo47JfWR53hIeZbGa by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-08T03:05:04Z
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Forget Hollywood drama. Henry and Minh Chen are business owners in real life. They own a jewelry store. They made a legitimate purchase via cash. They mailed the cash to the seller via FedEx, because they could insure the package.The money never arrived at the seller.🤔Because police in Indiana trained dogs to sniff for money instead of drugs. They then have the dogs sniff all the packages that go through the FedEx depot, and just... steal any cash that the dogs find🤡https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/2024/08/13/marion-county-asset-forfeiture-treats-cash-transfers-as-crimes/74777122007/
(DIR) Post #Alo47KGkCgphA5zKHg by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-08T03:15:14Z
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I'm glad that Henry and Minh Chen's money was stolen by the cops, because it exposed the brazenness of the theft, and exposed that there was no pretense of this being "cartel money." The cops are just stealing from people, mostly poor, mostly Black.You might be thinking, "How could a system so cruel be put in place? How can the US government just steal billions from Black people, who are already the poorest demographic in the US? Who started this civil asset forfeiture scheme?"🙂
(DIR) Post #Alo47Llyc3PTpFbmbY by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-08T04:02:02Z
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@PJ_EvansCivil asset forfeiture in particular has been going on since Biden started it. Let me be super clear:There was no such thing as theft by cop civil asset forfeiture before Biden invented it. Then he invented it, and passed legislation making this theft possible. Now we have it and it's terrible.But yes, it's been going on for decades. Because Biden is old as dirt. He's been passing legislation like this, that's genocidally harmful for Black people for most of his political career.
(DIR) Post #Alo47N7db0Ka0ikb0S by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-08T19:13:30Z
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@feld @PJ_Evans 1) It's specified several times in the thread. But I can share it again, because you asked nicely and said please.https://hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/1131034789840575502) My issue is not with people saying "Wait... what? Biden did what now? Which bill exactly?"I'll reply to one of your posts with a good and bad response, so that you can see what I'm talking about.
(DIR) Post #Alo47OLV2x0to0FBFg by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-08T20:15:15Z
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@feld @PJ_Evans Ah. I see that you are one of those bad faith pedantic losers. My mistake for assuming good faith.Here's what I said in the post I linked to:"2) Who introduced the comprehensive forfeiture act in 1983, that was passed in 1984?"Do a diff on the language Biden introduced in 1983 and the language that was included in the Bill that passed that you linked to under the conveniently titled section "Title III: Forfeiture - Comprehensive Forfeiture Act of 1984 -"
(DIR) Post #Alo47P7i9hZuDWngOm by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-08T20:18:23Z
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@feld @PJ_Evans In particular, look for the specific language "Creates a rebuttable presumption of forfeitability of certain property."You're trying to pretend that Biden didn't both come up with this language, work with famous segregationist Strom Thurmond to get it into law, and then proudly campaign on the fact that he did all that. It's nonsense.Biden doesn't even deny that he is the origin of these policies. Why do weird dudes online try to pretend that someone else is the origin?
(DIR) Post #Alo47QRxDvMgKbHMae by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-08T21:00:46Z
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@feld @PJ_Evans 🤦🏿♂️Under the delusion?Listen. A group that I work with got the California Name, Image, and Likeness bill passed into law. Gavin Newsom signed it, but he didn't come up with the language.Before you presume to 'splain to me how laws get passed, or how the language is drafted, let me see a law that you helped get passed. Otherwise, go away.And I'm not debating you on Biden's trash "bipartisanship" that increased racist policies, and is the primary reason he is out of politics.
(DIR) Post #AluUAZwGAFPUNyNUQK by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-12T00:04:54Z
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I'm vocal about the fact that most white women voters vote for whoever the GOP candidate is.🤷🏿♂️So you might think I'd say that Taylor Swift sending her fans to register to vote, even when she endorses Kamala Harris, would result in a net shift of votes towards the GOP. But no. It is a huge shift towards Harris.Because her fans are half of *everyone*. 53% of the US population, are Swifties.🤯USA:13% Black49% menSwifties:13% Black48% menhttps://business.yougov.com/content/48990-8-fascinating-insights-on-taylor-swifts-american-fanbasehttps://www.statista.com/statistics/1372978/taylor-swift-fans-by-ethnicity/#
(DIR) Post #AluUAamj1BNT0gvOCW by mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io
2024-09-12T00:11:09Z
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Taylor Swift doesn't have about as many fans as her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.She doesn't have about as many fans as the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that her boyfriend plays for.Taylor Swift has about as many fans as the NFL.The NFL has about 140 million US fans, and more than half of the US population says they are Taylor Swift fans, which would be around 166 million people.There are levels to fandom.