Police chief's anti-racism sign lauded, criticized

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

http://news.yahoo.com/police-chiefs-anti-racism-sign-criticized-222646730.html

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh's new police chief is being praised by the mayor but criticized by a police union president for being photographed on New Year's Eve holding a sign that says: "I resolve to challenge racism @ work."

The sign also has a Twitter hash tag that says "# end white silence." Chief Cameron McLay was photographed holding up the sign

that someone had brought to the city's annual First Night celebration.

Mayor Bill Peduto said he saw the picture on social media and liked it so much he re-posted it on his own Facebook page.

"I thought, 'What a great way to begin the new year,'" said the first-year mayor, who hired McLay in September.

Peduto said he believes the chief was simply recognizing that racism exists and acknowledging there's work to be done restoring trust between the city's police and the black community.

But Fraternal Order of Police president Howard McQuillan said the sign paints city police as racists and violates a policy governing police participation in social media. McQuillan took issue with the mayor's previous comments criticizing the police and saying departmental reforms were needed, and fired off an email to the mayor, which the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Sunday.

"By Mayor Peduto labeling us 'corrupt and mediocre' and now our current Chief insinuating that we are now racist, merely by the color of our skin and the nature of our profession, I say enough is enough!" the email said.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I think cities are free to experiment to see what approaches works and which ones do not. Police Chiefs and Mayors from around the nation meet at least annually and compare notes. This is a good thing and the way things should work. Eventually all the butthurt will go away.

San Francisco Police Shooting: White Man Shot And Killed After Charging At Officers With Air Gun

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I think cities are free to experiment to see what approaches works and which ones do not. Police Chiefs and Mayors from around the nation meet at least annually and compare notes. This is a good thing and the way things should work. Eventually all the butthurt will go away.

San Francisco Police Shooting: White Man Shot And Killed After Charging At Officers With Air Gun

Suicide by cop?

[Teddy B 17,252]

Just my opinion, but I think it would go a long way in curbing the racist hysteria that surrounds these stories by eliminating the race/color/ethnicity of the persons involved from the headlines.

The headline from the linked story above would be much better and less controversial if it were written like this, but of course it wouldn't get the racist blood boiling quite as much.

San Francisco Police Shooting: White Man Shot And Killed After Charging At Officers With Air Gun

Edited January 5, 2015 by Teddy B

[JohnR! 5,495]

I'd say at this point our country has shown there is still a need to keep the talks going. The events in Fergusson and NY alone are indicative that we must continue the dialogue - 50 years later and we're not out of the woods yet...

On a positive note, lauded or criticized is good - reaction in any direction is better than the apathy chosen by many who'd rather sweep racial matters under the rug as though everything has been said and done about the issue.

Maybe in another 50 years or so our future society will have learned how flimsy the construct of race actually is, but not just yet...

http://news.yahoo.com/police-chiefs-anti-racism-sign-criticized-222646730.html

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh's new police chief is being praised by the mayor but criticized by a police union president for being photographed on New Year's Eve holding a sign that says: "I resolve to challenge racism @ work."

The sign also has a Twitter hash tag that says "# end white silence." Chief Cameron McLay was photographed holding up the sign

that someone had brought to the city's annual First Night celebration.

Mayor Bill Peduto said he saw the picture on social media and liked it so much he re-posted it on his own Facebook page.

"I thought, 'What a great way to begin the new year,'" said the first-year mayor, who hired McLay in September.

Peduto said he believes the chief was simply recognizing that racism exists and acknowledging there's work to be done restoring trust between the city's police and the black community.

But Fraternal Order of Police president Howard McQuillan said the sign paints city police as racists and violates a policy governing police participation in social media. McQuillan took issue with the mayor's previous comments criticizing the police and saying departmental reforms were needed, and fired off an email to the mayor, which the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Sunday.

"By Mayor Peduto labeling us 'corrupt and mediocre' and now our current Chief insinuating that we are now racist, merely by the color of our skin and the nature of our profession, I say enough is enough!" the email said.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The headline from the linked story above would be much better and less controversial if it were written like this, but of course it wouldn't get the racist blood boiling quite as much.

It only seems to get the racist blood boiling if the white guy was not killed by the police.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Precisely, but it would severely impact readership and ad sales....

Just my opinion, but I think it would go a long way in curbing the racist hysteria that surrounds these stories by eliminating the race/color/ethnicity of the persons involved from the headlines.

The headline from the linked story above would be much better and less controversial if it were written like this, but of course it wouldn't get the racist blood boiling quite as much.

[Teddy B 17,252]

It only seems to get the racist blood boiling if the white guy was not killed by the police.

Either way, if the race of the persons involved were not plastered in the headlines, I think it would help to diminish the hysteria that follows.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I'd say at this point our country has shown there is still a need to keep the talks going. The events in Fergusson and NY alone are indicative that we must continue the dialogue - 50 years later and we're not out of the woods yet...

On a positive note, lauded or criticized is good - reaction in any direction is better than the apathy chosen by many who'd rather sweep racial matters under the rug as though everything has been said and done about the issue.

Maybe in another 50 years or so our future society will have learned how flimsy the construct of race actually is, but not just yet...

I believe we can take Pitcairn Islands as an example.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Either way, if the race of the persons involved were not plastered in the headlines, I think it would help to diminish the hysteria that follows.

But wouldn't that be racist not to acknowledge whether or not certain problems do exist?

[Teddy B 17,252]

But wouldn't that be racist not to acknowledge whether or not certain problems do exist?

I don't think that eliminating the race of a person from a headline in the news has much to do with acknowledging whether or not a problem exists. The problems that do exist can be talked about, but in my opinion it does more harm than good to continue putting that info in the headlines, doing so only incites more problems.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

I don't think that eliminating the race of a person from a headline in the news has much to do with acknowledging whether or not a problem exists. The problems that do exist can be talked about, but in my opinion it does more harm than good to continue putting that info in the headlines, doing so only incites more problems.

Just my opinion, but I think they included the ethnicity of this victim because they're trying to indicate that police shootings of this type aren't exclusive to black people.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Just my opinion, but I think they included the ethnicity of this victim because they're trying to indicate that police shootings of this type aren't exclusive to black people.

Absolutely the case and that's my point, we're keeping score in the headlines. That doesn't help anyone, imo.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Absolutely the case and that's my point, we're keeping score in the headlines. That doesn't help anyone, imo.

Perhaps it is not about keeping score, but rather, if the problem of perceived police brutality is not just a problem concerning people of color, then something may change. I know in my younger days when I engaged in activities not exactly within the four walls of the law, I perceived the police as the enemy. Now that I am a property owner and less inclined to engage in reckless activities, I have developed an appreciation of those that enforce the laws.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Absolutely the case and that's my point, we're keeping score in the headlines. That doesn't help anyone, imo.

It doesn't. But when something has racism attached to it, things like this will happen.

Perhaps it is not about keeping score, but rather, if the problem of perceived police brutality is not just a problem concerning people of color, then something may change. I know in my younger days when I engaged in activities not exactly within the four walls of the law, I perceived the police as the enemy. Now that I am a property owner and less inclined to engage in reckless activities, I have developed an appreciation of those that enforce the laws.

If there was a town that had the body count of Chicago, Baltimore, or Oakland, and the residents were white, something would have been done a long time ago.