SIR GUESTLING THORN

Day 160

Some collective nouns for you this morning

An Exaltation of Larks    A Charm of Goldfinches    A Smack of Jellyfish    Murmuration of Starlings    Diligence of Messengers and my favourite A Whoop of Gibbons

Now the rant and I am afraid this morning I am angry. I should stop reading stuff but there you are. Today brothers in America who are professional cyclists both talented and both winners. They faced prejudice, hardship, cancelling of contract etc and why because they had black skin. They now ride for a team that promotes diversity there should be no such team, every team should be diverse if your good enough regardless! I spat my egg on toast out when I read what they had experienced simply because that were good at riding a bike but weren’t white!What damn difference does it make who they were if they are good they are good. Okay if they are hard to handle or primmadonna’s thats one thing but just because they Are black , it beggars belief and it makes me mad! 

I then made the mistake of reading a long article on the various shootings of black people in America and the protests from sport stars that followed such as “taking a knee” now fairly common and a regular start to our Football when it returned. I will not reiterate the numerous shootings that the article cited, nor do I claim to know all the circumstances or facts of each case but the horror of gun culture in the US is there for all to see. It really does appear to be a question of shoot first and ask questions later! I will say this, you do not get reports of “white” citizens being gunned down. I am sure if a white person had been the object of these incidents we would never have heard about them because they would not have been treated the same way and they would still be alive! I hope the majority of Americans are law abiding and have little or no problem about the colour of your skin or ethnic background. There is no doubt that within much of law enforcement prejudice is endemic. If your black your chances of surviving if the police approach you are minimal and you were probably approached for the same reason. The “shoot to kill” policy of law enforcement in the States is an abomination and has to be changed. There appears to be little or no attempt to resolve situations in a less violent manner when it is far easier to discharge your weapon and shoot to kill. I cannot express how disgusted it makes me feel!

Stay well