Large turnouts at protests held in Pleasanton to condemn racism, police brutality

Proud of Pleasanton today.

Cmon Michael. Essential workers couldn’t get where? Why? Because part of Valley, Hopyard and Santa Rita were closed for a couple of hours?

Maybe your biggest show of support for these workers is to teach them how to use their GPS.

I am so proud of Pleasanton today.

All Lives Matter

Who is DJT Mabry?

The organizers of this protest should be so proud. Astonishing turnout, well-planned and coordinated march route, positive cooperation secured from police, nearly everyone wearing a mask, 100% peaceful. The nearly 9 minutes of silence at the end of the march was profoundly moving. We have a long way to go to achieve racial equity at every level of our society, but Pleasanton showed up and spoke up yesterday. Very proud of my community.

Well done, Pleasanton. You have shown what our town is about, and it is about being able to get together and peacefully speak up. Unfortunately there are the sour personalities who will try and find fault with the beautiful congregation you have shown. Perhaps because equality and justice for all goes against their petty agenda of hate. Just look the other way at these losers and keep on. You have done everything right!

I am the mother of McKenzie Reese – Lisa Chilton. I have never been more proud of my daughter, the other young people who put on the protest, and our community as a whole. The protest was peaceful! The Pleasanton PD were amazing! No looting, no vandalism, and no arrest! The speeches were fantastic – very inspirational. Our future looks bright – the kids we are raising are ready to continue the fight for justice!

@grumpy Another emotional person who just can’t deal with the facts. I’ll type this slow. I don’t know one person who defends the cop who killed Floyd. You’re one of those people who ignore the facts instead basing your opinions on emotion. Do some research.

It’s a simple question, why crickets from the Black Lives Matter crowd over blacks being murdered at an alarming rate everyday by other blacks? And please, try to come up with something a little more intelligent than “when the victims of that know that calling the police may just get them attacked twice.” Say nothing that you can’t back up with facts.

You are 100% right Mr Jones. As a teacher at a local high school and a person of color, I try to impart in my students that it is imperative they learn the true values that our country was built on. Hard work and determination will breed success while being eternal victims and wanting a handout will do the opposite.
I am proud of our city and mostly the youth for wanting to push themselves and those around them to strive for excellence. Are there injustices around? Of course there are. Can we be better? Yes we can. But we cannot separate ourselves into tribal hatred and lose sight that we are part of the very best nation in the world.
I cannot wait yo vote in the fall, we need to continue on our path!

As a skin-tone challenged immigrant to this country, my close encounters with fellow Americans has invariably been kind, gentle and non-racist. That is why it is so bewildering and distressing to see the same tribalism that afflicts so much of the world.

Though the current occupier of the people’s house near BLM Plaza may not agree with the adjective, this quote from the best president ever may be prescient: “—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—”.

People can google their own stats on murder by race, but most are by someone from their own race. People kill people they know. Should not be used to justify inter-race killings.

Everything else aside…where are the face coverings for all of the speakers? The Police Chief – his is missing, NONE of the speakers. AND most alarming is that they all used THE SAME megaphone so very close to their lips. So…save me the BS about the new face covering requirement set to go into effect Monday which requires masks while outdoors no matter what, unless more than 30’ from each other. All of these so-called “leaders” won’t follow the guidelines, why should I? The new police Chief And others should be ashamed of themselves.

@Michael B wrote “ The response after Floyd’s death was almost universal – regardless of race. It was condemned. All of the police officers involved were immediately fired, criminal charges brought against all of them, and even Trump called for the federal government to investigate for civil rights violations.”

That would be fine if this were the first time that something like this happened – but it’s not. You’re a bit behind the curve and have a lot of catching up to do.

@Bill Jones

Your quoting of crime statistics has no relevance to the issue of the wrongful deaths of blacks while under police custody.

You can stop waving your Red Herring around.

@MichaelB wrote “ Exactly what percentage of/how many other law enforcement officers actually do what was done to Floyd?“

A very small percentage. What is your point?

@MichaelB wrote “ The officer in question (Derek Chauvin) had numerous accusations of misconduct made against him but nothing was done and he was repeatedly let go.”

So? What is your point? That the problem here is specific to the Minneapolis Police Department?

When writing your posts, please clearly state what your points are.

Actually, Bill, I’m not being emotional. But I can see I hit a chord with you. Fascinating…

There are no crickets. Black on black crime has been well studied by the very institutions advocating for social change. But they’ve found the unsurprising: most violent crime is immediate family or thereabouts. Such as, say, domestic violence. Good luck finding an advocacy group among the black community for domestic violence. Or do you need me to link to you all the resources for victims of domestic violence From organizations that also support the tenants of the Black Lives Matter movement? How about the risk of calling the police for help? Much ink has been spilled in the press on those stories. Do you really need me to link to them here when Google already makes it easy to find?

The fact is that whites and blacks are just as violent. We’re all human, and there’s the same good and bad in each of us in turn. But you want to make some argument that blacks are unusually dangerous, it appears, so that you can claim that the police ought to be cracking down on them. And if that is your motivation, it’s disgusting. So let’s hope I’m wrong there and you’ll be able to prove your good intentions.

By the way, if you plan on accusing me of being stupid, good luck winning that argument in any satisfactory way. You just make yourself look like an even angrier person that you seem to be.

Ps, “for domestic violence” means “in support of domestic violence”.

Too bad the edit function has been removed and the text box shrunken to minuscule with this new format. Perhaps the publishers will be able to address it with their web team.

This is amazing! Its easy to think that Pleasantonians live in a bubble immune from the rest of the world but this proves that theory wrong. Congratulations to the young people that organized this event and to all of the 2000 people that attended. And to city government (who I routinely criticize) and the police that helped to facilitate a peaceful protest. As someone long involved in civic events in this town I never thought something like this could happen. I do think this is a turning point for our society and for the first time in a long time I have hope for the future!

Matt, it’s a pleasure to agree.

White on white crime is destroying our communities. Something has to be done!

Got off the original point, folks. We can argue crime another day although there’s little argument about who presents the greatest danger to communities.

Apparently “Black Lives Matter” only applies to the black killed by a white cop. Very rare occurrence. “Black Lives Matter” doesn’t apply to the 7000+ other blacks killed by other blacks. Never hear a peep about such carnage.

Matt Sullivan posting about something other than Costco or city matters, Who woulda thunk it.

@DKHSK

You write posts which are mostly filled with personal attacks and venom, and you wonder why no one takes you seriously.

@Julie of Birdland, “I am so proud of Pleasanton today”.
@Ptown mom, of Avila, “don’t be so dramatic”.

I ask both of you to please read the commentary posted by Hypocrisy, another Pleasanton neighborhood.

Then return here express yourselves regarding that incident, Hypocrisy identified.

Olorin:

D-Day is always on my mind, I prepare to remember before memorial day every year.
My family lost eight family members in that war.

For what its worth, the Police Chief was wearing a mask. He took it off when he spoke and then I saw him put it again afterward he finished speaking. I don’t see an issue here.

Perhaps I can shed some light on the divergent passions and opinions I have read so far, in regards to the killing of Mr. Floyd. I’ll try and cover some of the main points by name, perhaps to shed a little light on this subject.

Let me first give the required disclaimer that Mr. Floyd, regardless of his background and actions at the time, did not deserve a death penalty at the hands of this cop. The officer was clearly out of policy. Although it has been defined by most as an act of deliberate racism (presumably by the race differential of the kneeling officer, I believe his back up had some other ethnicities) , might I suggest that we do not know yet what was in the minds of these officers. MAYBE we should wait until the investigation is completed? I do believe that American jurisprudence requires that?

“Grumpy” , your reference to the police role being to “protect and serve” is absolutely correct. In California (despite the opinion and musings of your governor and you ) that is exactly what they do. Police officers put on the uniform and go to calls to help ALL people, regardless of color.

For you (and many on this blog) this incidence of police brutality (death) is an extremely rare event in US policing. In 2019 police officers used deadly force against whites in greater numbers than blacks. This is also where the point arises regards blacks and proportionality of crime committed. Blacks commit a very disportionate amount of the violent crimes (and murders) in this country. This is an important point because when these perpetrators are contacted/arrested, the potential for violence with the police is also disportionate. One can easily extrapolate (and it is true) that contacts and arrests of perpetrators for violent crimes is a whole different confrontation than for those persons having committed lesser non-violent crimes. The actual numbers and reality support this assertion.

Also, my experience with the issue of blacks “being afraid to call the police” does not support your comment. Maybe you are referring to the unfortunate black “victim” of the shooting/stabbing/robbery etc. who sadly all too often is unable to call the police, because they are deceased!

A quick point regards the socio-economic roots of violent crime and race. Its not that simple, there are actually more whites (in straight numbers) in poverty in this country than blacks. We can argue all the “factors”, however the numbers don’t lie, it is still blacks involved in more violent crimes and homicides than whites by a large margin. All police departments must report such statistics to the FBI annually, which is the Uniformed Crime Reports.

JULIE, I think the above paragraphs speaks to your comments as well. Additionally when you refer to “systemic racism”, the system we are talking about is the police department. I have acknowledged the Minneapolis officer was wrong and out of policy. In California policing, I have not seen the “systemic racism” you refer. In fact I have seen huge progress since the 60’s, in hiring, training, policy and implementation. I can tell you that California Police Officers are some of the most open mined people I know, willing to do a difficult and dangerous job in ALL minority communities, for all the right reasons. Please note I am speaking of those that “actually do the job” not sitting (as some of our politicians and others do) behind their gated communities, while criticizing the very people that ensure their status and safety. Do bad things happen, yes they do. As long as we recruit from the human race, mistakes and bad things will happen. To believe the hype (by regular and social media) is to be ignorant of the true scope of this problem.

“Someone who cares” , you made the point about more “white on white crime”. I don’t know if you are including crimes such as littering on your neighbors yard, but in terms of “Violent Crime” (Homicide, Assault, Rape, Robbery), you are not correct. The numbers are available if you do your research. With respect to the mass shootings you make reference to, bingo, you are absolutely spot on. Most have been committed by “whites”. While I cannot explain that phenomenon, I will readily own that one and we all should. The numbers sadly do not lie. If we can own that crime and admit its source perpetrators, why cannot we do the same with violent crime and blacks? I give no excuse or pass to the first, why do we the latter?

“Wombat” I think I laid out the relevance of the black relationship to violent crime above, since you were asking “what is the point”? Perhaps the other incendiary prong of the concern is the whole “BLM” issue. I get the semantics argument about why “BLM” should stand alone and the “All lives matter” comments are considered irrelevant. Let me talk about that point. Putting aside the issues of supporting violence, death to cops etc. espoused by “BLM”, which is their message also, consider this: People (including many blacks) see the carnage in this country occurring within the black community and beyond, NOT committed by the police, but instead (to use a popular term bantered around these days)”systemic” violence in the black community, literally destroying them from within. They ask as do I, that claiming the term “BLM” against the backdrop I have just mentioned, where VERY (comparatively) little is being done, is grossly hypocritical. Not to mention that it seems to dismiss the other victims of homicide, particularly those at the hands of blacks!

So what should we do? My suggestion is to first trully educate ourselves to facts and reality. Not be swayed by hype, politics and social media. Understand what our police departments and officers are actually doing on the streets of our communities. That’s not to say we can’t always improve, but let’s acknowledge the tremendous progress that has been made and the great work done every day. Let’s teach our kids as “David” mentioned in his contribution to this blog, the ethics and values he is passing to his students, bravo David.

When Colin Kapernick, took his knee, he was allegedly doing so against police brutality. I remember quite well the socks he wore while kneeling, that depicted police as a “Pig caricature”. I don’t think that if Tim Tebow took a knee with a caricature of a badly drawn black man he would have been given a pass, I think they would have called him racist. Im sorry, I digress. Heres my point, one of the local police departments offered to Colin, the chance to come to their station, witness and participate in training and go on ride-a-longs. Transparency at its best, he declined. Let’s not exhibit the cowardice and hypocrisy of Colin, but instead get involved with your local police, learn , observe, maybe even participate in the “citizen’s academy” (offered by many departments) and I believe you will begin to understand that what happened to Mr. Floyd, was tragic and an anomaly.

I will close by saying, I don’t mean to sound harsh against our black brothers and sisters, I am just giving a reality check to the current events. I always hear “we need to have a discussion about race”. I have had many! I have stood up for ALL people in my career as a law enforcement officer in a major police department, shoulder to shoulder with MY brothers and sisters (of all races) to defend and speak for all people including Mr. Floyd….

what are you doing besides talking?? …….Stay safe….

Chris Sanchez,

Good post.

Grumpy, Wombat and the rest of the white liberals posting here will not respond in the way you think they should.

They don’t do reason when it comes to the sacred cow of racial politics.

They’re stuck in their faux paternal plantation manager role and they have everything to lose by letting anyone roam free from their policies and old ways of thinking.

Truth.

Dan

Dan,
Your insight is quite succinct and spot on. Glad to hear the voice of reason amongst all of the virtue signaling that has overrun our communities.
Well said.

some lives matter and aome dont.

yea but not one of you who continually post on here have mentiined Mr Dorn. Thank you Mr Dorn for serving our xountey and defending are liberties. RIP Mr Dorn.
Will any of you organize a protest against the perp when he/she/it is identified. I doubt i. Will the “students”? Do they even know who Mr. DORN IS ?
NOW YOU ALL GO ON HER AND WAX POETIC ABOUT HOW WONDERFULL YOU ALL ARE IN THIA FIGHT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE. BUT NIT INE OF YOU HAVE MENTIONED THIS MAN WHY? I will let you answer or remain silent. WOW

Trump’s response to the George Floyd incident has (together with Trump’s behavior for over the past three years) has resulted in a stunning announcement by Colin Powell, a former US Army general, US Secretary of State, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

“Colin Powell: Trump has ‘drifted away’ from the Constitution” -CNN

“We have a Constitution. And we have to follow that Constitution. And the President has drifted away from it,” Powell, a retired general who served under President George W. Bush, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”
The comments from Powell, the first African American secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, add to a growing list of rebukes made in recent days by former top officials who have expressed discontent with Trump’s strongman approach to the protests sparked by the death of Floyd, a black man who was killed in late May by a white police officer in Minneapolis.”

CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/07/politics/colin-powell-donald-trump-protests-cnntv/index.html
– – – – –

@Bill Jones wrote “Where’s the outrage?”

No, Bill. Let me remind you of what you wrote concerning black on black violence. You wrote “ Never hear a peep about such carnage”. I pointed out that that’s not true. Now you want to change to “Where’s the outrage?” even though you still haven’t responded to my request for you to show the relevance of black on black violence to the subject of race-related wrongful deaths of people while under police custody.

Colin Powell Presidential Endorsements:

2008: Obama
2012: Obama
2016: Clinton
2020: Biden

Yeah, let care about what this “Republican” says.

Dan

@wombat First, hilarious you citing CNN as a source.

You just can’t answer the question, can you? I’ll narrow it for you a bit. Where are the BLM thugs in Chicago every Monday morning after another weekend of black on black mayhem and death? Black lives don’t really matter to the BLM thugs, does it?

Bill Jones,

“You just can’t answer the question, can you?”

Not directly. He never does.

He also calls himself an “Ivy league-trained ‘scientist'”

LOL!

So full of it.

Dan

@ Chris Sanchez

You stated that it is the job of law enforcement to help people.

So why didn’t PPD help Jacob Bauer?
PPD was contacted numerous times by the family & his employer.

No help given.

Yet, when Raley’ s calls to report a man in crisis, and acting erratically, PPD arrives, Torture him, and the put him into a wrap so tight he cannot breath and then denies him medical attention as he is visibly turning blue, not to mention not following numerous PPD policies (btw, if followed, Jacob Bauer would still be alive), your OK with that.

Maybe not if you took the time to know the real truth.

However, I doubt it.
See, the problem is the “wall of blue”, which you’ve addmitted you are part of.l

It’s easy to admonish the actions of PD in Minneapolis, but when something similar happens on your own turf, there is no limit on the lies the wall of blue will tell to protect their own.

Why can’t the idea of “systemic racism” incorporate into its argument the cultural practices of various communities? When 72% of Black children are born to single mothers, without the emotional and financial assistance of the men who fathered these children, poverty is more often than not the end result. The influence of a father in the home cannot be underestimated. It is the strong bond created by Jewish families that has held that culture together for centuries during their incredible history of discrimination and persecution. Black children were over represented in the family court and juvenile court systems. As a school counselor I never encountered ONE Jewish child in foster care.

As I worked in education and counseling for years, the statistics were glaring. Many incarcerated males did not have strong father figures and most did not have fathers in the home. We cannot have an honest discussion about race in America or anywhere else for that matter, without asking tough questions about culture. How about this, we all are responsible for our own lives and what happens in them. Work hard and strive for success, and more importantly, strive to respect the law and never get involved with the police.

“I do think this is a turning point for our society and for the first time in a long time I have hope for the future!”

I agree.

So called “progressives” will be exposed for all to see for the rationalization of lawless/uncivilized behaviors and their subsequent silly ideas on how to “fix” it (defunding police departments, confiscation of guns from the law abiding, no bail, etc.). People of color living in cities and poor neighborhoods (that these same people claim they are trying to help) will suffer when criminals realize they can get away with whatever they wish.

@Chris Sanchez
Kudos Chris. Well put and well said.

@Bryant Annenberg

Bryant, you just got schooled. Take his advise.