I saw one clip of this in which the man was actually pulling the officers down by grabbing the clubs and pulling on them. I have no idea how they could have controlled him. I would like to see the entire footage, though, because I would like to make up my own mind versus what the news portrays.

Most often, those who shout "racism" don't know the full story. You've got a good point in saying that if a 350 lb white man were to go after the police officers, they'd take the exact same actions in defending themselves.

My husband is a Sergeant of Corrections at a state penitentiary here in Texas. He's been attacked twice in his close to 9 years on the job. Both of the assailants were black. One of them was just sentenced to 5 years time for his assault on a public servant (my husband). He pulled my husband into the cell with him and punched him several times. In the act of being pulled into the cell, my husband hit his upper back on the inmate's bunk, and he still has a scar from that incident. This inmate was well over 300 lbs, and it took 2 other correctional staff members other than my husband, to subdue him.

In the State Jail facility where I work as a nurse, over 80% of the inmates are black. This leads me to wonder that maybe all of these high-profile, police-beaten "victims" are black because there are more black offenders in this country than any other race. Hmm...makes sense, doesn't it?

I agree that the police should use the force necessary to protect themselves and our society from these drug infested and dangerous people. The End.

I firmly believe the death of the 350 lb. black man in the hands of officers was not an act of racism. The facts are that the man was 350 pounds, had a heart condition, on cocaine and pcp, beligerent, and swinging at police officers; a recipe for his own death. The officers were just responding to a call. They had a duty to control the situation and to protect the public as well as themselves. The man should have complied with officers instead of provoking a dangerous situation. By doing this, he placed the police officers in an uncompromising position. A person that is high on drugs has incredibly enhanced physical strength brought on by the adrenaline rush. Therefore, it was extremely difficult to subdue the man. The officers were responding with reasonable force.

One may argue that the man was not in his right mind when he was provoking police. I argue that he would have been in his right mind had he not taken drugs. The man had a choice: to take drugs or not. It's common sense among adults that illegal drugs do alter perceptions and behavior. His actions were a direct result of his decision.

I am tired of hearing situations like this blown out of proportion. It absolutely was not a racist situation. Had the situation been turned around in which a white man attacked 2 black officers, would that be considered an act of racism?

Lady check your heart. Maybe because the black people are the poorer people, and they feel
(even though it is wrong) that they have to take what they need there is more of them in prison. Obviously people like you are the reason they feel that way. Try to be a better person, and maybe a black person will learn not all white people see them as the enemy. Black people think that 80 percent of white people are racist, and people like you prove them right. Could it be that they feel that way because of that pesky little slavery issue? I am sure if there were more black owned corporations and more black lobbiest there would be less black criminals, and by the way I don't think the police did anything wrong either, and it had nothing to do with my thoughts on who's or whos black, or whos white. It is whos right, and who's wrong. I am sorry your husband was hurt but, if he is anything like you seem to be it is no wonder. Maybe you should find a new job, I thought nurses were supoose to be caring. Hummm?

Barbie, judgemental much?! How the heck did you conclude from this response that TexasNurse is not a caring person. "Try to be a better person..." You don't know what kind of person anyone is.

Being poor is never an excuse for crime...sorry. Most people get themselves in jail for things that have nothing to do with needing money anyway (I mean truly needing it not needing it for drugs).

Only a racist would think slavery has anything to do with anything anymore. Black people were selling each other as slaves way before the whites joined in. If you were alive during slavery times and have hard feelings about it, okay. That isn't the case though.

People are people. Nothing keeps black people from owning businesses or being lobbiests so I don't know what you are trying to get at with that argument. Suggesting that her husband may have deserved getting pounded by inmates is telling about you.

Well lets see Jilluser, 80% of people in prison are black, that may be. But what in the world does that have to do with the big man who died while being apehended by the police? That nurse went on about an incident involving her husband and a black man, has he not had any problems with white inmates. I think you should try to be more attentive to what people are actually saying, instead of jumping to your own conclussions. Do you know that nurse personally? I thought not, you formed your opinion about her from her comments, just as I did. At what point did I say "it was good thing her husband was attacked"? I did not say that at all. She made her statement, I replied. I am sorry if my opinion is not up to par with yours.
As for being racist I am black, my husband is white, so dont you try and tell me anything about discrimination, I get it from all fronts. You dont know me. I am intitled to my opinion, and if that nurse can say 80% of inmates are black and that explains the cries of police brutality, I have a right to answere back to that. As I said, I do not think that crime is the way to reach your goals, (did you not read my statement?) but the poor who see no other way out for them selves see it that way, and that is sad. Black people only comprise less than 16% of the population, so I have to say, no not many blacks can be lobbiest or Corporation heads, when 80% of prison inmates are black. I think we need more programs to get people back to work, (all people of any color) especially minorities. Also we need to help build their sense of self worth through education and work programs, more earned incomes, and less handouts are needed to accomplish this. I also think we need less judgemental people, you and that nurse included hummmmmmm. I will continue to read your comments, they are insightful, but you are wrong sometimes, and this is one of those intances.

I saw the tape and as I said previously, I do not think the policemen did anything wrong!
I am afraid my veiw got lost in my attempt to defend myself.
The policemen could not get the man to stay down, he was attacking them, and they were actually very professional with the use of their batons, I saw no hits to the head, or face of the man. It was just a sad incident. I know if my husband was a policeman, I would want him to defend himself, when being attacked regardless of the color of the assailant. He was a big guy, he was on drugs, he was fighting the police. He died due to his own actions. Had he not been on those drugs which increase heart rate, and had he not been strenuously resisting arrest, he would still be alive today. I am sorry, but that is the truth as I see it.

Jilluser, Unaware Much?? You asked Barbie how she could have concluded that TexasNurse was not caring... just the way i did i suppose... her comment -"I agree that the police should use the force necessary to protect themselves and our society from these drug infested and dangerous people. The End."- You dont see anything wrong with that... you must not with your comment -"Most people get themselves in jail for things that have nothing to do with needing money anyway (I mean truly needing it not needing it for drugs)."- that sounds pretty darn uncaring to me. WHy dont you take your Know-it-all attitude into a jail and ask those "drug infested dangerous" black people how they got there instead of just concluding that they were involved with drugs? Why dont you ask them why they arent lobbiest or CEO's of gigantic coorporations and hear their stories... Martin Luther King Jr was killed in 1968... hun, that isnt something that has "nothing to do with anything anymore". My mom was born around then and if racism like that, which killed a Civil Rights Leader was around, how in the world would a black man (or woman) go out and get a good job?? HMMM?? And tell me Jilluser are you black or of any other ethnicity that would be affected by racism... from your comments i think not. Early leaders of this country (white men of course) have always been wrong, whether it be slavery, or keeping those Japenese AMERICANS just like HItler kept the jews... If you dont see anything wrong with you and texas' nurses pathetic comments... than that just shows how this world hasnt gone anywhere...

Barbie, you are making up quotes for me. I never quoted you saying that it was a good thing her husband was attacked. You were being hypocritical by not paying attention to what I said while tell me to do just that. I never made any statment about TexasNurse one way or another. I just said that you didn't know what kind of a person she was. I don't either. As I don't know you and you don't know me.

Lauren Tree, you also don't know me from Adam. I have done a bit of educating myself on reasons of minority incarcerations in Detroit following a stint as a juror on a murder trial. I lot of them were violent crimes. A lot of them were black on black crimes. Most were drug related. The case that I was a juror for was a case of two young black men who were high and just thought it would be a good idea to rob a used car lot (just thought it was a good idea was their explaination not mine). The owner didn't have any money on him because he hadn't sold a car that day. So they shot him dead in front of his brother who was able to shoot back. It goes much deeper than being poor. Respect for oneself and others has a lot to do with it.

I didn't say that racism didn't exist. MLK Jr was about racism. There is a difference between saying there are some whites that are racists and that all white people need to prove themselves to blacks because of slavery. Also, if you think keeping the Japanese Americans in camps during WWII was comparable to Hitler's treatment of Jews, you need a History lesson.

I think you both need to reread the comments and compare hostilities. Asking if I am an ethnicity that would be affected by racism is a poorly thought out question since all people are affected by racism. Barbie says whites need to prove they aren't racist to blacks. If blacks make a prejudgement about whites, that is racism also. Again, I say people are people. Until everyone thinks that way and judges people on their merits and stops making excuses, there will be racism.

I will go as far to say that people shouldn't be judged by race, sex or age but they are. I also don't forsee a day when they won't be.

Jilluser,
I guess we will never really understand the others point of view. Whose comments should I reread? Also should I be comparing my hostilities, with LaurenTrees, or the nurses, or yours.
I guess life experiences make us who we are, yours with what you know of the black experience, from books and jury duty etc., and mine from actually being a black person. I try to be an open minded person, and your right it goes both ways with racism, unfortunately I know first hand, from both sides as I stated before in regards to my situation. I dont remember saying whites need to prove anything to blacks, but yes a hostile comment from a white person does make a black person jump to the conclusion the person is racist, and maybe it is the same for whites.
Statements that have the words "these people", and "those people", are not good statments to make if you dont want to be judged as a racist. I do get your point about not knowing the nurse, but when all I have is her comment to go on, as I said before life experiences take over. But hey we get new experiences all the time, and chatting with you about this subject is a learning experience for me. Once again you do make some good points, I am all for listening to others points of view and taking their comments into consideration, I truly dont think I am as closed minded as you seem to think I am, and maybe your not as open minded as you seem to think you are.
It is hard work to be politically correct these days, because in the end we are just human.

It's been my personal experience that african americans, generally, are much more racist than other ethnic groups I've dealt with including whites.

I think that is the reason african americans are so quick to play the race card -- they are so racist themselves that they assume everyone else is too.

That term"playing the race card" is a racist term, but Draginol your possibly right. It is all about your experiences, and I am sure that any blacks that feel that way, have had an experience, or more than likely have had experiences, that led them in that direction. Vice versa with whites who feel that way I am sure they have thier reasons whatever they may be. You can only hope that in the future people wont have preconcieved notions about others because of how they look. It is what you are taught by the adults in our lives that color our views without personal experience on certain matters. But as we grow and learn, and have our own experiences, we can truly form a solid opinion of our own. If your experience is that most black people are racist because of the ones you know, well I hope that in the future you meet a less angry crowd of blacks, and can form a better opinion of blacks. I learned to not prejudge since I left home, and I am the better for it. I have not lost out on love, or good friends because of preconcieved notions from my family. I take people at face value now, regardless the color of the face. I dont think your being very open minded though by saying blacks are so racist. Is that what you were going for? Just making a negative statement about blacks in general? If I misinterpreted your statement I apologize.

I'm not black....but I and many of the rest of us Caucasians, are victims of racism too. Every time a black person makes a comment about whites making mistakes, ruining the world, promoting slavery and on and on and on, WE are victims of racism. We whites, in your opinions, are the ones who are keeping you from making a life. I am sorry. I hate slavery, hated the race riots and the way things were in the south for your race. I have black friends, have worked with blacks always. Some I like a lot, others I can't stand. I base it on the kind of person they are and hope they do the same for me. Every time a black person messes up, the first thing you hear is RACISM. I am sick of that, just as you appear to be sick of it too. The 350 pound man who ws killed by police was wrong. He was messed up and fighting. It doesn't matter if he was white or black. But the first thing we heard was.....RACISM.

Bonnie believe me, sometimes it is embarrassing the way the first thing out of people mouths when the issue is black person v/s white person is racism. But when our so called black leaders hop on every gravey train that comes around with a civil suit against a police department
what else could possibly happen. I do not believe this is what Dr. Martin Luther King had in mind.
He wanted all to be seen as people not black, not white, not yellow, or brown. Almost 30 years after his death the news is still only in black and white. How sad for all people. I blame the Media
as well. It would have been a ticker across the bottom of the screen if the man had been white.
Why stir up the muck, I guess they want it to remain a us against them issue, makes for better
news I guess. I am disgusted, policemen doing their jobs called out in front of the nation, and a man who made bad decisions that cost his life, used as a tool to pull people further apart.

Barbie, I agree with you about Dr. King. I have the utmost respect for the man and the bravery of those who stood up against what was very wrong in our society. The black people were treated very badly in the south and I was happy to see that their civil rights were finally given to them. I know it was at a terrible cost to the black race, just as it was terrible the way the Indians were treated in this country. Societies are not always right in the way they behave. Look at Iraq. Terrible things happened there. I am totally in agreement with the fact that the blacks were unfairly treated in this country's history. Each person now has the opportunity in America to make a decent life and it doesn't matter what color they are. The nation has flaws, but it is still the greatest nation on the planet. Someday maybe Dr. King's vision will come true....when blacks AND whites can let go of the racism cry and begin to work together. Will we ever see that day?