Survival Skill

/ rothpoetry

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Survival Skill
     The past few weeks have brought the Black Lives Matter issue to a head with the deaths of black men at the hands of white Police Officers. I believe that Black Lives Matter, and I think what happened is inexcusable and should never have taken place. The TV News Media and the Press have had feeding frenzy over all that has happened, which I believe stirred up the racial tension even more.
     It seems everyone focuses on the end result of the incidents, and little attention is given to what led up to them. In many of the cases, when persons were confronted by police, the situation escalated when the victim began arguing, refusing to do what was asked of them. In some cases, the victims actually physically confronted the police officer. As a result, things ended up very badly for all involved.

If they had co-operated, I believe, most of them would be alive today.

Someone once said, “You can be right and still be wrong!” I believe this is one of those times.

Too many lives lost

Respect needed on both sides

Co-operation is a Survival Skill!

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

23 thoughts on “Survival Skill”

  1. I love the painting and the poem. I agree that cooperation would save lives.

    I do feel, though, that it is the job of the police to de-escalate crisis situations and they should be better trained to do that. It might also help if police were part of the communities they serve.

    Police officers are expected to be social workers and marriage counselors and deal with violent, inebriated, drugged, and mentally ill individuals. That may be too much to expect for the amount of training they receive. I think the idea of having more social workers and paramedics on hand to assist police in dealing with such situations is appropriate.

    Sometimes rogue police officers instigate confrontations with peaceful, unarmed people. Those officers should be weeded out.

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    • I agree, this does not excuse the police actions that were deadly. I think there needs to be more police from the neighborhoods who know the situations much better. Training is definitely needed to de escalate the situations.

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  2. I agree with all you’ve said in your post, Dwight. This has all been blown way out of proportion and has upset the whole country. A lot of people don’t differentiate between peaceful protest and “activism” which often is a precursor to lawlessness and anarchy. There are better ways to make a point than to smash and burn and de-stabilize your own country.

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  3. Do you think battered wives might be better off if they co-operated fully with their violent partners … there is never an excuse for violence or murder!

    If you were terrified for your life would you submit quietly ….

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      • sorry Dwight that doesn’t cut it for me … those particular cops, not all by any means, seemed like they were out to kill … their victims sensed the hatred and fear arose …

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      • just grateful that you are listening to my points Dwight and that we can disagree in a mature manner … the best kind of conversation!

        A fish struggles for breathe when taken out of water … guess we will never know the fear that we are about to be killed …

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      • You are so right about that! I can’t imagine living like that. I keep wondering what if the police had simply called a cab and sent the man in the Wendy’s parking lot home to sleep it off rather than trying to criminalize everything. They do that on New Years eve. He could have come back the next day and picked up his car and all would have been well! So sad!

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