BECAUSE IT ALL MATTERS…

[fishndude57]

For those that haven’t read it yet, this is the Black Lives Matter Statement posted earlier yesterday.

I'm not out to offend anyone. If I did...

...there are way more than a few things, thoughts, rants, and emotions I could address on this subject. All LIVES MATTER! Don’t even get me started…PEACE!

Edited July 9, 2016 by fishndude57
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[JoDoe27]

For those that say "All lives matter," I ask that you prove this to be the case. I can't tell you what that means as you'll need to understand the full spectrum of problems, or say that you don't already because I don't know you beyond your screen name, but I can say if you shout that out as an opposition to "Black Lives Matter" then you're not exactly helping anyone and failing to see the issue at hand. "All lives matter" could instinctively be your first gut reaction but not the first words out your mouth. 

And with that I'm out.

[fishndude57]

Point well taken. I had actually had way more to say, but felt in fairness to this forum to ask opinion/permission from the board before I submitted. I agree with their opinion that I tuned it down as I'm rather animated about the whole thing. I do believe in PEACE, and I do believe "All lives matter."

___________________________________________________

I wish I had the balls to post the original text I asked for their opinion on, but I don't. It'd really blow things up. Bottom line is Black Lives Matter...I get it, that was my actual intent, but so do Muslim lives, LGBT lives, an even white lives. I'll shout it from the highest Mountain Top.

 

On 7/9/2016 at 11:03 AM, Kaduk said:

Go ahead post your original text. I am fine with that.......

This is my original text...

It's a volatile subject right now...here's my text: This was to the Mod.

“BECAUSE IT ALL MATTERS…

For those that haven’t read it yet, this is the Black Live’s Matter Statement posted earlier today. There a wayyyy more than a few things, thoughts, rants, and emotions I could address on this subject. While all those thought processes would not contribute in a positive way, I’ll choose to keep them personal. Believe tho, I’m very internally animated about everything involved here. For example, flags at half-mast in Texas but not MN or La. Unless you’re a terrorist, rapist, murderer, etc., LIVES MATTER! Don’t even get me started. Just plain wrong…PEACE!”

 

I again did not mean to offend anyone with this thread, and I apologize to the forum in full if I have. My intent was to show the importance I felt the statement that Black Live's Matter issued. I found it quite profound. At least for me anyway. Also, Live's Matter to me, and as with all of us, we have witnessed the unnecessary loss of a life so beautiful, it's just not right. That played into my obviously feeble mind when I posted this thread as well. However I do not regret posting.

Doesn’t mean tho that I’m not going to stand up and defend my position and integrity. Your right JoDoe27, you don’t know me beyond my screen name, and we’ll keep it that way. Jos et al., a little insight into myself. I’m a Heinz 57, even some Native American in me, I only care who I am, not what I am. There is more than one member of this forum that will tell you I am far far from being a racist. In fact male and female alike will…not would…tell you, I’ll literally give you the shirt right off my back.

For ten outta the last twelve years I lived in Aurora by Cherry Crack Reservoir. Townhome, rather large community mixed bag of folk that lived there. It took me 2 years before I finally made a friend there. I was the odd duck out…I am white. I smoked a lot of cigs back then and stood in my garage puffin puffin away. I always flashed the Peace sign to anyone that went by me. Walking or driving. Finally one cat stopped and said “Man why you always flashin me the Peace sign?” I replied…wanna beer. D to this day is one of the bestest friends I’ve ever had. He’s from KC and taught me how to Q the right way, not just with charcoal briquettes. His lovely wife and 2 kids are in that circle of besties too. From there I was introduced in to a whole new life, no different, just in Aurora instead of Denver. His friends rapidly became my friends, my friends rapidly became his friends, including my mom. Our parties and dinners, fish fry’s became a block party or park event. Pool parties were off the chain.

The thing about my new found society is we are a mixed group. We are White, we are Black, we are Asian, we are Chicana and Chicano, we are Mixed marriages, we are Partners. When we broke bread together, our little society would gather in a circle and hold hands. Big circle, little circle didn’t matter. That was the way we would pray…but without words because we are Muslims, Catholic Christians, Buddhists, Jewish, Agnostic. We are young, we are old, and we are infirm. We are sooooo much more. Doesn’t matter. Get where I’m going here? We’d simply reflect and the Elder in our group would say Amen or let’s eat (my mom was famous for that). Sometimes I was the Elder in the group. The point is we all mattered.

Jos, I get it I really do. I am being selfish tho. JH, I’ll admit I’m a stupid American, and proud of it. JoDoe, I’ll go the top of any fuckin mountain I want and scream at the top of my lungs LIVES MATTER! Question is will anybody hear me. Ahhhh at last…

…That’s My Story and I’m Stickin to It…PEACE!

[Just Jos]

I just cannot stand anyone who screams "All lives matter" 🙄 as a way to shut down the BLM supporters. Duuuuuhhhhhhh! We know that ALL lives matter. The BLM movement is to say that Black lives matter TOO. Not any more, not any LESS. We are focused on the black lives at the moment bc it is CLEAR that law enforcement and our justice system does not value black life. Why is it that when a black man is unjustly shot by the police the media automatically looks up his criminal record? But when a white man rapes an unconscious woman we look up his SWIM STATS?! If you can't relate, fuck, be THANKFUL for that. But kindly sit your ass down if you can't stand the fuck up! And never forget that "If you are silent at times of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor!" #BLM #StopTheMadness 

[Lucy Kitten]

There is an invisible "only" in front Black Lives Matter for some. And why would their statement be offensive? Saying BLM is not saying that other lives matter less but to remind society that black people matter and their lives have value.

Americans and especially Black Americans have had a very trying week. Emotions were already boiling over Alton Sterling and less than 24 hours later we have more video and another senseless death of a black man, Philando Castile.  Emotions are raw and the problems are real.

If all lives matter then I would think one would easily embrace Black Lives Matter.

[Just Jos]

I feel if you have to add the "but so do blah blah blah" you're still not getting it bro. But thanks for the half ass support. LOL

[Lucy Kitten]

8 minutes ago, fishndude57 said:

I wish I had the balls to post the original text I asked for their opinion on, but I don't. It'd really blow things up. Bottom line is Black Lives Matter...I get it, that was my actual intent, but so do Muslim lives, LGBT lives, an even white lives. I'll shout it from the highest Mountain Top.

Why now? After the week we've had it's time to embrace Black Lives Matter more than ever. When you saw black lives matter and then follow it with a but you're still missing the point. Nothing about Black Lives Matter implies that anyone else matters less. It's rubbing salt into a fresh but already festering wound.

[Lucy Kitten]

Just now, Just Jos said:

I feel if you have to add the "but so do blah blah blah" you're still not getting it bro. But thanks for the half ass support. LOL

jinx

[Kaduk]

57 minutes ago, fishndude57 said:

I wish I had the balls to post the original text I asked for their opinion on, but I don't. It'd really blow things up. Bottom line is Black Lives Matter...I get it, that was my actual intent, but so do Muslim lives, LGBT lives, an even white lives. I'll shout it from the highest Mountain Top.

Go ahead post your original text. I am fine with that.......

[Laci French]

I have so many thoughts on the devastating violence that has taken place the last week. I  am saddened in my soul over humanity as a whole right now.

I am going to collect my thoughts and post after I enjoy the day. 

Just for today go out of your way and show others compassion and kindness. 

[geecue2]

The root cause of all these recent problems- ERACISM.

[Just Jos]

23 minutes ago, Laci French-2940 said:

I have so many thoughts on the devastating violence that has taken place the last week. I  am saddened in my soul over humanity as a whole right now.

I am going to collect my thoughts and post after I enjoy the day. 

Just for today go out of your way and show others compassion and kindness. 

My soul hurts over all of it too Laci. Over every man, woman and child (black, white, brown, purple or green) who has been taken too soon by these trigger happy officers-- for every person who truly doesn't see what's going on as a HUGE issue for all of mankind--for every officer killed so fucking senselessly in Dallas or elsewhere. It especially hurts for any stupid fuck celebrating the cops being targeted bc that's the closest thing to "justice" the black community will get. What the fuck! It's all incredibly screwed up and to be honest, I'm sincerely having a hard time processing it all. Where is the LOVE?! 💜 Where is the humanness? I just can't. 😢 

[Buddy Glass]

3 hours ago, Just Jos said:

I just cannot stand anyone who screams "All lives matter" 🙄 as a way to shut down the BLM supporters. Duuuuuhhhhhhh! We know that ALL lives matter. The BLM movement is to say that Black lives matter TOO. Not any more, not any LESS. We are focused on the black lives at the moment bc it is CLEAR that law enforcement and our justice system does not value black life. Why is it that when a black man is unjustly shot by the police the media automatically looks up his criminal record? But when a white man rapes an unconscious woman we look up his SWIM STATS?! If you can't relate, fuck, be THANKFUL for that. But kindly sit your ass down if you can't stand the fuck up! And never forget that "If you are silent at times of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor!" #BLM #StopTheMadness 

I can't agree more. The level of oppression used specifically against black people in our country is disgusting. Apartheid isn't dead; it just wears a badge now. Sure, all live matter, but not all lives are in jeopardy when meeting a cop. 

[Laci French]

I hope this discussion builds bridges, grows empathy for others, opens eyes to different views and stand united.

Jos, I absolutely love how genuinely you are sharing yourself in this thread. 

I am a transplant from Dallas and my feelings are still raw. I do hope I can express myself later as genuinely as you have.

[jhooker]

How about no one's life matters.

What some people here in America need is to get out of their protected little fish bowl world and go see the world, go see real hunger, see real war, see real oppression, see real disease, see how cheap life is, see life from inside a damp putrid prison cell in southern Mexico and convince them how much your life matters. 

The truth is your life only matters to you and no one else. All you have to do is cut off your food and water and then you will see how much your life really matters. 

Tend to your own life, in doing so RESPECT THE LIFE OF OTHERS. But all this business about forcing others to act like your life matters, when everyone knows it doesn't is bullshit. 

Only in America could such a stupid idea be taken seriously.

And for you haters that will reply snidely, I'm not white ok, so blow it out your white privilege ass.

[Scarlett Dayne]

4 hours ago, fishndude57 said:

I wish I had the balls to post the original text I asked for their opinion on, but I don't. It'd really blow things up. Bottom line is Black Lives Matter...I get it, that was my actual intent, but so do Muslim lives, LGBT lives, an even white lives. I'll shout it from the highest Mountain Top.

You should post your original text.

It's when people stay silent that NO positive change is ever brought about.

I tell all the people I know...

Use your mind to change people's minds. Violence and destruction of property only make the haters hate you even more. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King were obstinate as all get out BUT they were never violent, abusive or destroyed any property/lives/etc. They were zealous, passionate and enthusiastic like no other BUT they were never violent, abusive or destroyed property/lives/etc.

The African American population is exhausted and overwhelmed with how we as a society look down upon them for simply being a darker color than we are. The ironic part of the whole story is that white people forced them to come to America to become slaves when they had no desire to come to our continent. God always prevails with justice finally freeing them from their slavery (bondage), and now because white people can't use, abuse and control them anymore they just want them to all go away like a bad case of acne.

African American people, even if you choose to blind your eyes, are consistently treated extremely poorly on a day to day basis. They walk into a store, and are followed around because store owners assume they are going to steal from them. They drive by a crooked police officer, are then followed, pulled over for some bogus reason they would never pull over a white person for and them somehow bullied into letting LE search their vehicle. They get into a little scuffle with the police, and are shot multiple times where as a white person would simply be handcuffed or tasered for the same situation.

You try living under that kind of pressure, oppression, fear and resentment every day of your life, and see if at some point the volcano does not reach a breaking point.

Mount Vesuvius ain't got nothing on these African Americans who are sick and tired of being treated like criminals before they have ever even committed a crime. 

All Lives Matter.

Our Lord, the Creator of all things Good (people are inherently good by creation), made everyone from the same damn thing: Divine Universal Energy.

We are all worth the same. We are all born the same way from a mother. Our souls are the same color on the inside.  We all bleed and feel pain the same when injured. We all experience the same ebbs and flows of daily life. We all experience love, hurt, deceit, joy, success and failure the same way. We all have the same bank of emotions, sicknesses and goals in life. We all die the same way. And... We are all are gifted/granted the same eternal Life after this ludicrous Earthly life is over (if we choose that path).

There was a young boy in school whose parents told him daily he was a bad kid, worth nothing and had no place in their home. He went to school every day acting out a bit to possibly get some sort of positive attention because love was bankrupt at his home. Not being as educated in the game of life he had no clue that this tactic rarely works. The teachers and the other students told him he was a bad kid, worth nothing and had no place in their school. No one believed in him, not even himself because all Hope had been lost in his life. So he dropped out of school, committed his life to a criminal life and ultimately ended up on death row for murdering someone he got in a fight with at a bar one night because that person told him he was a bad person, worth nothing and had no place at that bar. 

You can't keep filling someone with only negative thoughts and feelings, and expect positive things to flow from them. After a while they become that "bad" person, and will be extremely successful at doing all the bad things everyone just expects them to do anyway because all Hope has been lost in their lives.

It's about Changing the way we view others, view ourselves, and view ALL of our places here on earth working as an intricate web of relationships to create the entire Universe we live in. We all need each other whether we like that concept or not. It is the truth, and we all need one another.

When we leave Earth we will be absence of skin color because we will no longer need our Earthly bodies to house our souls. You may not believe this, but you not believing does NOT make it untrue. 

I'm not saying you have to have sex with different races, enter into a mixed couple relationship and have mixed babies to prove you are not racist.

I am saying... Allow everyone to have their rightful place here on Earth equally, and let them know how much you appreciate their existence, presence and energy each and every day. God made us all for a reason. We all have a purpose, and a destiny. He did NOT create us to fight, kill and emotionally/verbally/mentally/physically destroy one another. 

All people bring something different and positive to the table of Life. Just because we don't necessarily like or agree with how certain races act, dress, believe, talk, etc does not automatically mean their way is bad. It just means God enjoys variety an awful lot so He made many different types of people who like many different types of fashions, foods, environments, languages, education levels, careers, personalities, etc.

You never know the very person you trash and burn may be the very person that saves your life one day. It's funny how things happen that way sometimes.

When we don't like or understand a way of living we automatically want to shut that person down or shut them out of existence.

I know from experience.

I went to one of the hot springs the other day. Afterwards we all went out to a nice dinner. There was this obese, filthy clothed hillbilly/mountain man type guy with an enormously hairy beard with his belly hanging out under his t-shirt there sitting at the next table over. I was so disgusted because I didn't understand why someone would want to look so gross, dirty and hairy. I began to talk about this man at our table, and I am sure he heard me. (I am such an Ass!) God tapped me gently on the shoulder, and asked me "Why do you care what this man looks like if you have no desire to be his friend, help him in anyway or date/marry him?" I sat back for a moment pondering why I had belittled him so much. Tears filled my eyes when I took a step back to think about the situation at hand. I had realized that I was hurting deep inside because I had been rejected recently once again by my dysfunctional mother, and was simply attempting to make this person hurt like I was. I wanted him to feel not worthy, not good enough, and ultimately rejected so that my ego and self-esteem would some how be boosted after treating him so poorly. (I am such an Ass!) I had verbally torn this poor man apart who had done absolutely nothing to me or my family all for nothing more than to make my own self feel better about who I was (or "who I wasn't" for that matter). It was gut wrenching when I fully came to understand where the place of my unjust judgement had come from, and how I had projected my hateful and hurtful thoughts/speech onto another innocent human being due to my own lack, insecurities and momentary weakness.

Not everyone is able to look deep within themselves to see the root to many of their problems. Thankfully God has allowed me the ability to be able to do this so I was able to slap myself back into reality very quickly that night. I immediately sought forgiveness for my horrific wrong doing towards this man. I have proceeded to spend every day since that incident focusing on naming all the good qualities about this man, and acknowledging how God created him so who was I to judge him solely based on his outward appearance.

This is a very embarrassing story to tell everyone because it makes me look like a terrible person, but I find it extremely topic central to my post.

I like to be painfully honest with people because honesty brings about positive change in my opinion.

I am not perfect, and I have days where I completely blow it. Thankfully God's Grace is more than enough, and his perfect Love brings positive change within my soul so I can be more and more like the person He has created me to be. A Loving individual who Loves all people.

I think we all bring our prejudices from a place of hurt, pain, fear, past experience and misunderstanding.

Example: My grandmother was robbed, beaten badly and permanently damaged by three African American men when she was walking home from the bakery that worked at during her younger years. My grandfather and my grandmother instantly hated all African American people believing they were all violent. Consequently they raised all their children with these same beliefs. Moving forward in life my mom tried to raise me the same way. Thankfully I became aware that her misconceptions were not the standard for all African American people, and I defied her demands to not associate with African American people. My mom revolted, and demanded that I cease having any non-white friends. We disconnected, and have never been close to each other because of her hatred towards the African American race. See it's not her hatred that drives the wedge... It's her unjust fear of them that causes her to hate them. To this day, as far as I know, there has been zero African American people who have ever done any harm to my mother yet she continues to stay firmly planted in hate because of her ingrained fear that all black people are somehow rotten.

We are ALL guilty of judging people solely by their book cover (outward appearance) from time to time.

Fortunately I came to my senses by asking God to help me be a different person that evening at dinner to begin searching only for the good qualities in people instead of being a judgmental asshole who focuses on all that is not perfect with them. It sickens and saddens me that I try to be a woman of excellence every day of my life for Christ, and yet even still I fail at my daily tasks of Loving other people equally :-(

How much worse can others around the globe be hurting and being abused because the ones seeking to destroy them have no moral turpitude keeping their attitude and actions in ethical check? It's a scary world out there, and we are living in dangerous times.

Love, Equality, Justice and Peace Seeking are the Answers to all our problems :-)

Edited July 9, 2016 by Scarlett Dayne

[pfunk]

4 hours ago, jhooker said:

How about no one's life matters.

Do you think that your life doesn't matter? 

[Johnboy#1]

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-"

Many people have forgotten these words.

I also believe that the authors of this document implied that women were included too.

[Just Jos]

Just now, Johnboy#1 said:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-"

Many people have forgotten these words.

I also believe that the authors of this document implied that women were included too.

Except at the time the Declaration of Independence was signed many blacks were still slaves. 😂 I know what you mean here, but I thought it was kinda funny. Anyone else? LOL 

[Johnboy#1]

Abraham Lincoln realized that some people didn't completely understand. He corrected that by proclamation.

[contrails]

It's interesting there are no BLM protests or demonstrations against the thugs that participate in black on black murders or gang killings.

 

[Kaduk]

2 minutes ago, Johnboy#1 said:

Abraham Lincoln realized that some people didn't completely understand. He corrected that by proclamation.

I need to again go watch the Movie Lincoln with Daniel Day-Lewis......

AnD read the biography by Doris Kearns Goodwin---> Team of Rivals:

[Johnboy#1]

6 minutes ago, contrails said:

It's interesting there are no BLM protests or demonstrations against the thugs that participate in black on black murders or gang killings.

 

Unfortunately, some people have agendas.

[gr8owl]

3 minutes ago, Just Jos said:

Except at the time the Declaration of Independence was signed many blacks were still slaves. 😂 I know what you mean here, but I thought it was kinda funny. Anyone else? LOL 

Virtually every group that came here early in the history of this country was fucked over in one way or another and each successive group looked down upon by the previous groups already here.  The only way the "patriarch" on one side of my family got here was to sell himself into years of indentured servitude in order to escape the hell hole of his native land.  Many that left what is now Germany with him did not survive the crossing of the ocean and were tossed over board.  The ancestors on the other side were duped into coming over to work in the death traps that were the coal mines and live in company housing,  be paid in "script" that was only good at the company store, work long hours 7 days per week, etc.  Look up the song 16 tons ... " I owe my soul to the company store"  White privilege my ass!

That being said there are two groups that stand out as having endured the most persistent and unrelenting persecution and bullshit - African blacks and native american "indians".  To pretend that all the crap and hatred heaped upon them magically went away some how in the 1960's is myopic at best and simply prolongs the time necessary to undo it.  A lot of progress has been made, but much remains to be undone.

The great mystery to me is why when virtually every group has been the target of bigoted hatred at some point and felt the consequences, why does each in turn do the same or worse to the next group through the door??  Do we collectively never learn shit?? Racism and bigotry in any form practiced by any group toward another is pure and simple fucked up.

[JoDoe27]

@contrails and @Johnboy#1

I mean, I see what you're trying to say here but you're way off base. The difference, and I don't know why I have to state this, is THE POLICE ARE ENTRUSTED TO PROTECT CIZITENS NOT MURDER THEM. They are there for a reason. It's to help ensure order in a world of chaos NOT be the cause of it. Serve and protect NOT harass and murder.

But you're right that it's an agenda to think that we shouldn't have to fear cops and demand their respect. Shame on me for ever expecting that. <- Fucking sarcasm if you didn't understand it. 

[JoDoe27]

@fishndude57: I really don't have anything to add to your statement and won't offer a rebuttal because it's not necessary. We might not agree entirely, and that's ok, but still thank you for your honesty. 

[Devilsindetail]

We are just now seeing videos pop up of police abuse. I believe if cameras were more readily available sooner, like in cell phones, this would have happened sooner. Think of all the shit that hasn't been seen over the years. You heard about it but never had a play by play. Even to have a disagreement on this topic is crazy. We all know life matters. If you felt you had to create a movement to get anyone to pay attention is appalling. This is a world that needs to catch up with what's really happening 

[sparkey600]

On 7/9/2016 at 11:03 AM, Kaduk said:

Go ahead post your original text. I am fine with that.......

Against my better thought I was REALLY going to stay out of this one. Really. REALLY. I have a unique perspective. I'm not too fond of it as a result....

So, here I go. Damn another rant......I really don't like to rant....Crap Here I go......

The cop that shot the man in Minneapolis should be, in my humble opinion, charged with murder, plain and simple. That's just the facts. It was very ugly indeed. There is no way to explain what happened. No way. He needs to go to jail. Period.

I'm a believer that all lives matter, black, white, yellow, brown, blue and whatever color you connect to. We are all people with families and lives, lovers and kids.

My Dad was a State Trooper (I'll not name the State) for over 40 years, and boy did he have some tales to tell. Life and death tales, tales about being on patrol in the middle of no where with no back up when stopping a person who had a gun or a knife and he was only relying on his own experience to stay in one piece. By the way he never had to shoot anyone, I thought I'd add that. He never took a life. One thing he told me that I've remembered for all these years was "if you disobey a lawful order" (stop, keep your hands up, don't approach me, lay down on the ground etc etc) YOU ARE NOW TAKING YOUR OWN LIFE IN YOUR OWN HANDS. PERIOD!! PERIOD.. That's all there is. If you decide not to comply you might be a dead man (or woman) That is just the cold hard facts. I'm not sure everyone in our PC society understands this. Mostly because most of the people now days have really never had to do what they've been told..( oh God I'm showing my age)  LOL! . I'll repeat for those that don't get it : "if you disobey a lawful order" (stop, keep your hands up, don't approach me, lay down on the ground, etc etc) YOU ARE NOW TAKING YOUR LIFE IN YOUR OWN HANDS! Do you get this? I hope so.

We've really become very pampered in our society, thinking that we are all the good guys but LE doesn't have a clue between us and the bad guys. I''ts a shitty job and for the life of me I really don't know why anyone would do it without being drafted!  LOL, but that's another rant for another time!

So what am I going to do tomorrow? I think I'm going to ride my Harley, probably going to speed (yes most likely, a big 103 with a  race tuner) and if I get pulled over?

I'll say I was speeding and I'll pay the ticket with no argument because that's what I'm due. You? Yeah I thought so, but that's how you were raised.

Respect, ownership. That's what everyone needs to remember.

I'm now done,

Thanks for reading my rant, even if you don't agree.

 

_____________________________________________________-

They don't know you, what you've been up to or where you've been. They all have family's like the rest of us and they'd like to get back to them in one piece at the end of the day. 

OK, here's the weird part, growing up around LE as a kid..... I loved my Dad very much. I had a deep respect for him and still do even after his passing (RIP)

I'm really not fond of LE for this one reason. All of them that I've met over 30 years plus have one thing in common, they think they are the law or worse yet, ABOVE the law. But that doesn't give you the right to not do what you are told to do. (see taking your life in you own hands)

So, if you happen to be stopped or contacted by LE, BE POLITE....Did you read that? BE POLITE. Your life may depend on this, although I doubt it would be so if you were caught for speeding...But it never hurts. 

So my rant ends here. It all really comes down to one thing. Respect, or manners. I like to think of it as manners. 

[fishndude57]

Sparkly, not a rant by any means. Couple of long thought out comments on this thread. Ummm perhaps that's what this OP's idea was when he started it. Obviously I'm rather passionate on the subject matter as well. Thanks, not a rant. 

[2Big]

Shrug, dunno why everyone is so upset. NRA has been saying for years that we should all by semi-automatic rifles and sniper rifles with military scopes, so when the guvment starts oppressing us, we can all don our camouflage suits and start shootin' shit up. The guvment is oppressing and killing black folks.....seriously, do I need to spell this out here?????