Current BLM Protests are a disservice

[Ragnarohk]

I was invited to a peaceful protest today but refused to go.

I can't believe people are doing this right now. Yes, it is an important topic and I support the movement (hell, I'm even from a minority group that sometimes suffers discrimination as an immigrant), but due to the current pandemic it's just irresponsible to do these kinds of demonstrations.

This is just a disservice to all of the medical personnel and people at the front-lines of this pandemic. I'm a medical doctor, but due to current personal circumstances I can't help


A friend of mine is doing her internal medicine residency, we Zoom often and she just cries and tells us how horrible everything is, how all the patients are just dying and all her collegues are getting sick. Another resident and 2 nurses that I know are in critical condition at an ICU. People are giving up their lives to save others and this is how we respond....

This actually makes me sick:




I was doing the impossible (bureaucratic paperwork) to be able to get myself at the frontline and help at a local hospital. Didn't manage to do it, and considering the stupidity of people, I'm somewhat glad it didn't go through.

There is a time and place for everything.
Mod Edit: This thread is closed.

[PC2]

@Ragnarohk, it's true that these gatherings can easily cause extra infections and deaths however that doesn't trump their right to leave their house and do whatever they want. If they feel it's best to gather and protest this issue, well then society has to let them do so. *shrug*

[JohnBrown1917]

Maybe the countries should not have created the conditions that made this necessary.

[Sunseeker]

The "disservice" here is the abject failure of American leadership to properly handle the pandemic. The "disservice" here is the obscene rise in racism over the last 4 years thanks to that same not-leadership. The "disservice" here is the country's long-term complicity with increasingly aggressive, militarized and violent police.

The "disservice" is NOT the people who just can't stand that anymore.

So lay the blame where it fucking belongs.

[Ragnarohk]

@Ragnarohk, it's true that these gatherings can easily cause extra infections and deaths however that doesn't trump their right to leave their house and do whatever they want. If they feel it's best to gather and protest this issue, well then society has to let them do so. *shrug*

They have all the right to do it, that doesn't mean it's the correct thing to do.

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Maybe the countries should not have created the conditions that made this necessary.

Yes, the country failed. But the way people are responding (due to current circumsatnces) is idiotic.

[JohnBrown1917]

Yes, the country failed. But the way people are responding (due to current circumsatnces) is idiotic.

Its more how idiotic that the government is not willing to change without people protesting. If the gov wants people back inside, they need to actually fix shit instead of beating up/killing the protestors.

[Ragnarohk]

The "disservice" here is the abject failure of American leadership to properly handle the pandemic. The "disservice" here is the obscene rise in racism over the last 4 years thanks to that same not-leadership. The "disservice" here is the country's long-term complicity with increasingly aggressive, militarized and violent police.

The "disservice" is NOT the people who just can't stand that anymore.

So lay the blame where it fucking belongs.

You can have "disservice" from many sources. The government failed the people, and the people are failing themselves. I protested against violence against women in my country (more deaths per year than what BLM are protesting against) but we decided to stop and not go out on march the 8th (women's day) because of the obvious current circumstances.

They are marching against more people dying, when they themselves probably just caused various deaths (of those involved and those that aren't involved).

Also, the image I linked is from Europe and Austrtalia. It's even worse, it's not their country. Showing "solidarity" by acting this way in a pandemic.

[JohnBrown1917]

Also, the image I linked is from Europe and Austrtalia. It's even worse, it's not their country. Showing "solidarity" by acting this way in a pandemic.

Those countries also have problems, you know.

They are marching against more people dying, when they themselves probably just caused various deaths (of those involved and those that aren't involved).

The only ones causing any deaths are the police.

[BigToast]

It's too bad those cops went and murdered George Floyd. That is the "disservice."

[PC2]

They have all the right to do it, that doesn't mean it's the correct thing to do.

Maybe, maybe... The death rate of the virus doesn't seem very high so I have a hard time telling other people that a given cause(BLM protest) isn't worth the risk of breaking social distancing rules.

[Ragnarohk]

Those countries also have problems, you know.




The only ones causing any deaths are the police.

These marches however were in solidarity to the US. Every country has issues, but these protests aren't addressing local ones.

And I disagree with your 2nd point. If anybody from these protests gets infected and they die (or infect others that eventually die), then the protesters are responsible for those deaths.

[Kumorii]

US having protests I understand, but why people in europe are risking it in covid times makes no sense. It's irresponsible tbh.

[Ragnarohk]

Maybe, maybe... The death rate of the virus doesn't seem very high so I have a hard time telling other people that a given cause(BLM protest) isn't worth the risk of breaking social distancing rules.

Maybe because the people that are more at risk aren't the ones protesting (Elderly, immuno-comproimised, health-care workers). How many black people get killed by police-offciers per year in the US? It's not even comparable to the amount of people that have died to the virus in these few months.

You can flip your argument around and say, the death rate of black people by the police isn't very high and it doesn't justify protesting at the moment.

[Elegiac]

This is just a disservice to all of the medical personnel and people at the front-lines of this pandemic. I'm a medical doctor, but due to current personal circumstances I can't help.

Hullo, medical personnel at the front lines of the pandemic, here. My badge:



1) Don't speak for me.
2) How about you direct some of that rage at the police officers using tear gas (helping to make transmission of COVID more likely), attacking medical staff who are attempting to treat the injuries the police caused, or...I dunno...the police for making these protests necessary in the first place?

"People could die" is not an intelligent response to people protesting that they are being killed. They get it. What y'all don't seem to get is that the US is not the only country with a police problem, or a racism problem.

[Deadite]

Maybe, maybe... The death rate of the virus doesn't seem very high so I have a hard time telling other people that a given cause(BLM protest) isn't worth the risk of breaking social distancing rules.

Yeah but how does people possibly spreading the Coronavirus in Scotland stop American cops murdering people? Cops killing people bad is pretty much everyones default setting. Take it to social media or some other way under the current situation imho.

[Elegiac]

Yeah but how does people possibly spreading the Coronavirus in Scotland stop American cops murdering people? Cops killing people bad is pretty much everyones default setting. Take it to social media or some other way under the current situation imho.

Dunno, maybe you should be asking your government why you are in a situation where gatherings of that sort are potentially so lethal rather than casting stones at the people *least* able to effect immediate change.

Christ and Allah.

[Ragnarohk]

Hullo, medical personnel at the front lines of the pandemic, here. My badge:



1) Don't speak for me.
2) How about you direct some of that rage at the police officers using tear gas (helping to make transmission of COVID more likely), attacking medical staff who are attempting to treat the injuries the police caused, or...I dunno...the police for making these protests necessary in the first place?

"People could die" is not an intelligent response to people protesting that they are being killed. They get it. What y'all don't seem to get is that the US is not the only country with a police problem, or a racism problem.

Well I won't speak for you but I will for most of my friends and collegues that can't even see their families and some that might not come out alive of this. They plead every single day that people should take social distancing and current meassures seriosuly, just to get bombarded by events like this.

To those new cases that arise from this (because there will be), and to those people that die, how can you just say "Sorry, your friend of loved one died for a cause that could have been fought for before or after this world-wide emergency"

[tehealadin]

Whilst I get the solidarity with people in the US, I see the protests in the UK and planned ones where I live in Scotland. And I think it is stupid. If they think Trump will see protests here and think "right, enough is enough, the people of Scotland are pissed, we best fix this mess", then they have another thing coming. Cops killing people here is fairly rare, and when they do the papers are all over it. We have spent months in lockdown, things have been getting better, there is a real chance that this could make it worse, for something that is essentially symbolic and will have no impact other than making people feel a bit better. A lot of people are going to be angry, given the sacrifices that have been made till this point, if it all goes out the window over this.

I get the anger at the injustice in the US, I get the desire to show support and solidarity, and won't pretend that things are perfect here (though I would say on the race front they are much better in Scotland than in England, mainly by virtue of there not being many black people) but it is certainly a lot better, we don't have cops murdering black men in the street here, and I don't think it is worth the risk to health. People can put things on social media, it will show support and solidarity, it will have the same impact (e.g. none at all) and won't put public health at risk. Risking a second wave and potentially filling up ICU beds to try and fix a problem in another country, an act that will be ignored by the government of that country, an act that is purely symbolic and in a practical sense meaningless is misguided, at best.

[Elegiac]

Well I won't speak for you but I will for most of my friends and collegues that can't even see their families and some that might not come out alive of this. They plead every single day that people should take social distancing and current meassures seriosuly, just to get bombarded by events like this.

To those new cases that arise from this (because there will be), and to those people that die, how can you just say "Sorry, your friend of loved one died for a cause that could have been fought for before or after this world-wide emergency"

The same way we've been telling families of victims of police brutality "Sorry, your friend or loved one died for entirely preventable reasons but we don't because it might ruffle too many feathers." Easily, apparently.

Again, why don't y'all ask your government why the situation was allowed to get to a point where COVID-19 is such a danger? Why don't you take a minute and rather than assume that all these people are being ignorant, you actually try to understand their viewpoint?

And why don't you ask why, if all these being equal these protesters are aware of the risks, they deem this important enough to risk their lives despite being half a world away.

But nah, "me me me me me how does this make me feel how does this reflect on my profession me me me me".

[Themius]

They have all the right to do it, that doesn't mean it's the correct thing to do.

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Yes, the country failed. But the way people are responding (due to current circumsatnces) is idiotic.

Ah yes, let's lecture those brown people on how they should behave as they are being killed for going to the store to buy something. Or for sitting in their cars... or for driving away... or for being told to get their ID then being shot after the person already told them it was in their pocket before they even asked. Or being thrown in the back of a van handcuffed and roughed up until they die from a severed spine. Yes they should just stay home, and watch as other brown people die trying to go about their daily lives if they know what's good for them right?

What's idiotic, what's a disservice are the slew of people more concerned with the protests than the damn systemic problem.