tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post7270902594575952888..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: George Floyd is Texas' new favorite son: Small-town protests change police-politics landscape, and make history in East TexasGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-13041233228688247872020-06-15T07:51:00.190-05:002020-06-15T07:51:00.190-05:00@04:49
I can relate to what you experienced. The ...@04:49<br /><br />I can relate to what you experienced. The racism that you experienced has been alive and well here in Texas, especially small towns, ever since Texas became what is known as Texas. It's utterly disgusting to witness the lengths that these bigots will go to to make their ignorance and lack of empathy known to all who witness it. The scab of racial tension has been torn off and the active infection of racism is threatening to overcome us as a nation if we don't address the real issues.<br /><br />I grew up in a sleepy East Texas town during the sixties and seventies, Jasper. It was a segregated society -- whites had their own schools, blacks had theirs, the theatre downtown was segregated whereas whites sat in the lower section and blacks had to climb a set of stairs via an outside door to the balcony to view movies. Each year in May, we had a 4 day rodeo and it was kicked off with a rodeo parade. Whites lined one side of the street and blacks the other side. <br /><br />Blacks were expected to show deference to white folks. Looking back on it now, it's easy to see the privilege that I had that the blacks did not have, just because of my skin color. My family ran a farm and we weren't wealthy but we certainly were in a much better place than most, if not all, black people. <br /><br />Then came the integration of our school system. This was the year I started the 7th grade, 1967 I think. It was an eye opening experience to say the least. Jaspers' junior high replaced the former Rowe High school that the black people has attended for many years. There was trouble from the very beginning and fights broke out daily for quite some time and there were several days of protests/marches by the black residents around the junior high school. Rides on the now integrated school buses were filled with tension and fights as well.<br /><br />I look back on those days and I would like to think that somehow we are better now than then. However, I think we just allowed the wounds to simply scab over and never really administered the "medicine" needed for a lasting "cure". <br /><br />Before I graduated in 1974, I had made many black friends but I also knew of many whites who simply would not "allow" themselves to let go of their bigotry and hatred towards anyone who wasn't like them. <br /><br />In many ways, East Texas hasn't changed much but I hope this nationwide movement will spur most people to truly examine their prejudices and search their hearts for empathy. Only then will the long festering wounds begin to heal.Georgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-29683866054341208952020-06-15T06:01:36.939-05:002020-06-15T06:01:36.939-05:00OMG, I'm so sad that happened! Try not to let ...OMG, I'm so sad that happened! Try not to let the bigots get to you, keep going! And please come back and post a link once videos are up. :(Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-89976539109679770572020-06-15T04:49:30.680-05:002020-06-15T04:49:30.680-05:00This report from Quinlan, Texas.
I'm going to...This report from Quinlan, Texas.<br /><br />I'm going to post my videos tomorrow, but I don't want to wait to share the details of the disgusting behavior from the supposed "all lives matter" folks who countered our Black Lives Matter protest in Quinlan today.<br /><br />From the beginning, we were met across the street by the leader of the local KKK group and his wife, both of whom were proudly waving Confederate flags while shouting back and forth with us. They were joined off and on on that side of the road by many people who were supportive of their message. As the evening went on, many racial slurs were hurled at members of our group, both from cars driving by and from confrontational people face to face. Shortly after the march, some old douchebag in a Trump hat approached our group and began knocking signs out of people's hands. Another man harassed us for quite some time, chanting "all lives matter" and calling us all racist. When we drowned his stupidity out with chants, the man removed his shirt and began to repeatedly perform the Nazi salute for several minutes.<br />One particularly confrontational man attempted to start conflict with our group next to McDonald's and was sent away by the police. Later, as we were walking back to QPD headquarters, the aforementioned man was waiting in his vehicle along our path and began shouting racial slurs at our group. He called my black friend a ni**er and yelled "your skin is the wrong color". I lost my shit when I heard that and began angrily yelling profanity back at him. He then jumped out of his vehicle and challenged me to throw down right in front of a cop. I was seething with anger like never before in my life but managed to turn my back to that asshole and walk away. I don't want to hear a single word from the "all lives matter" folks about protesting peacefully, because they tried their hardest to goad our peaceful protesters into being violent. Shortly before the event concluded, some stupid Karen across the street from us began yelling at the Latino and Hispanic members of our group (which were the majority of it), calling them "spics" and telling them to "go back home to (their) countries."<br /><br />So, I want everyone who reads this to understand the nature of this evening's events. Our protest was small and totally peaceful, yet it was met with constant racist slurs, hateful gestures, threatening language and all around hatred and hostility from the majority of the people we encountered. Racism isn't just alive in Quinlan, it is THRIVING and PLENTIFUL. It was made crystal clear that it isn't violence and looting that the people we encountered have a problem with. They take issue with our rejection of their racism. I'm very proud of everyone in our group for having the courage to stand face to face with hideous bigotry and tell it to fuck off. However, I'm ashamed to share a town with so many racist idiots. I've lived here my entire life and didn't realize the extent of the racist ignorance until tonight. We have a lot of work to do in this town.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-70998059546513698012020-06-14T15:57:30.541-05:002020-06-14T15:57:30.541-05:00That is, in fact, a very substantive reason! :)That is, in fact, a very substantive reason! :)Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-20978529666210216842020-06-14T14:24:46.109-05:002020-06-14T14:24:46.109-05:00Per your "George Floyd Act" subsection, ...Per your "George Floyd Act" subsection, Grits, there's one reason that Strangeabbott ... and any GOPers who reside in the Lege ... are speaking up.<br /><br />It's called "83-67."<br /><br />Until I see more substantive reasons, I'll stick with that.Gadflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13075757287807731373noreply@blogger.com