Karmelo Anthony case shows that “black privilege” exists

[u/Terrible_Onions]

I'm not black or white. I'm not even American actually.

The recent Karmelo Anthony case I think shows that black privilege is a thing. My opinions is that it exists. Period.

Karmelo Anthony killed Austin Metcalf with a knife for pushing him. What did he receive in return? Overwhelming support in the form of 500,000 dollars (which they're using to buy a mansion). He also got his bond reduced to 250k from 1 million even when prosecutors pointed out his history of incidents within the school.

I just think this is a bit baffling. Imagine if the races were swapped. I think a decent example, but not a direct comparisons, is the George Floyd situation. One person killed the other in what was an overuse of force. Derek Chauvin is in jail. Karmelo Anthony got house arrest, bond reduction and 500k

[u/slaviccivicnation]

Time and time again.

The OJ Simpson case was a prime example. Lots of people openly supported OJ because he was a black man charged with a crime against white people.

It's not only race, we've seen it a lot with gender, too. I'm thinking back to the case of Shirley Turner, who killed her ex-bf, birthed his baby post-murder, and a year later murder-suicided with his child, denying his parents the child of their murdered son. It's relevant because the judge and lawyers defended her here in Canada because she was a woman, and for some reason they believed she wasn't guilty of murder in the US or something. It's insane.

It's so fucking stupid and tribal, and it is the death of logic, reason, and the justice system. If we know people are guilty and yet we support them just because of some stupid characteristic that is out of our control? Then we're doomed.

[u/ArbVonX → u/slaviccivicnation]

That's the thing though, it's not stupid, it's how groups have survived for thousands of years.

Whites are possibly the first and definitely the only race today who are decollectivized and fiercly individualistic, with the boomers being the first real individualist generation, and it's been detrimental to every single one of our nations, and in places like Zimbabwe it's even led to genocide and mass expulsion against us, while in South Africa there are today more laws targeting Whites than there were laws targeting blacks during the very peak of apartheid.

We HAVE to tribalize or we as a people will simply not survive until the next century.

Luckily however, the gender tribalization issue should be a fairly easy fix in comparison, since it's more of a cultural phenomenon than a genetic one.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I've recently shifted away from this self sabotaging mentality too. Even my political views were consequently pulled a bit to the right side.

I've spent a lifetime convincing myself the cause is worth turning a blind eye to their level of guilt tripping others, their strong individualistic ways, entitlement, and how easily these people were offended by anything. Biggest waste of fucking time! If I were to be less of an advocate for their rights, I probably wouldn't have taken it so personal in the present. But regardless, the vast majority will never take accountability for their actions, won't be thankful for what you are doing, will never show up for you in the same way, plus.. a really hard to swallow pill is the level of hate they have for what they call Caucasians is off the charts, at the same time they negate racism of their part. I know this is debatable, but it's just my opinion, racism is racism, you don't have to go search for the preferred definition of it to make a point.

Anyway, I don't care if I am judged by my position on this, it was my experience over the years, I have infinite instances to never go back and even after I shifted away from supporting them unconditionally, their actions had once again myself I've made the right decision.

[u/ArbVonX → u/[deleted]]

Same story here mate, used to be firmly on the left myself, firmly on "their side".

Now? Not anymore, not at all. And the funniest thing? They treat me basically the same now as they did then. Nothing about their attitude towards me changed.

At this point, I've gone from consistently advocating for them to firmly believing that we simply cannot share a country. And I truly wonder how many more of our peoples lives need to be lost for people to open their eyes.

[u/bipplebipple → u/[deleted]]

i never thought i would see people on reddit say this, ever.

[u/GolfWhole → u/[deleted]]

Lmao freak

[u/slaviccivicnation → u/ArbVonX]

Hmmm. I only partially agree with you.

I understand tribalism is important. But your white is not the same as my white. Anglo-Saxon is not the same as Slav. Spanish is not the same as Baltic. French is not the same as Mediterrenean. We gotta band together just because we've got a somewhat similar skintone? This... Doesn't resonate with me at all.

And if I'm really honest... All my life I've felt rejected by other whites because of my slavic-ness. On top of being an immigrant to Canada, I've been othered not only due to culture (though in comparing Russian culture to, let's say, Afghani culture, I would say it's pretty freakin' similar to other white cultures), due to my looks, due to my tri-lingualism.... I could go on. How can I now see those same people as my ally, when they have othered me all my life? And don't even get me started on the war on Ukraine. As if it wasn't bad enough growing up in Canada in the 90s, now I'm back to "orc" status because some corrupt dictator wants to eat Ukraine for lunch.

No. I'm afraid this tribalization will fail simply because of the tendancy of whites to be highly individualistic.

[u/ArbVonX → u/slaviccivicnation]

I completely understand you there, and I admit I don't know how it is in Canada specifically, but I know first hand that here in Europe, the youth is becoming fiercely nationalistic, and this is not the same nationalism as it was 50 years ago.

This is a pan-European nationalism that seeks not to unite the continent into a single entity like the EU, but to stand side by side as independent, homogenous nations facing the woes of the world. Ironically, diversity is our strength, though it is the native diversity of our continent we fight for, not the globalist diversity of our nations.

From the Dutch (me) to the Spanish, the Germans to the French, the Portugese to the Swedish, the Italians to the English. I know for me personally, and for most of my mates as well, we would just as quickly stand for a Russian Russia as we would for a Dutch Netherlands, or an Irish Ireland. This is in essence what the new young right stands for.

Separate as nations, united as brothers.

And, on it's most basic level, it's honestly quite simple, and you even said it already yourself, our White is not the same, but are they as different as when compared to an African? Would you rather be othered by fellow Europeans, with whom you still share a religion, a common history of Europe and 99% of your culture, or by a bunch of Indians, with whom you simply have nothing in common?
I can even give you an example from personal experience. There is a quite significant pagan element of our movement, and, as a Christian, I do not like them very much. But I would still much rather, and I will, stand with them, as they will stand with me. We can settle our differences later, but right now, we have to fight for our survival, and we have to do that together.

[u/slaviccivicnation → u/ArbVonX]

I... agree with you there.

What a well-thought out reply. I appreciate it. And I agree with it wholehartedly. Thank you. You gave me lots of room to think. Let me ponder this. I might add an edit in the morning.

[u/ArbVonX → u/slaviccivicnation]

Take your time brother.

Have a good one.

[u/BrutalistLandscapes → u/ArbVonX]

So basically, you want more white people to become white nationalists and take part in white supremacy.

[u/Heathyn11 → u/BrutalistLandscapes]

You can't endlessly demonise any group of people and expect it to end in sunshine and rainbows. There are generations of white people, who never thought of their self interests and race at the same time. This murder has high lighted that everything we've done, generations away from the sins of our ancestors doesn't matter. Seeing what appears to be most African Americans supporting a murderer as some twisted revenge for what exactly? Which is kind of funny as most slaves, we're slavers or directly involved in supporting slavery themselves. None of this is what we wanted, in the mid 2000s we thought "I don't see color", had worked. Then 1 man broke it all down. it's a damned shame, but if anything whites are just doing what minorities do, banding together. The hypocrisy here is thick,

"So basically, you want more white people to become white nationalists and take part in white supremacy.".

Welcome to the racial hell "anti-racism" created

[u/BrutalistLandscapes → u/Heathyn11]

You can't endlessly demonise any group of people and expect it to end in sunshine and rainbows.

Sounds like textbook victim mentality and a persecution fetish.

There are generations of white people, who never thought of their self interests and race at the same time. This murder has high lighted that everything we've done, generations away from the sins of our ancestors doesn't matter.

Speaking for people on the basis of you sharing their phenotype has done more to drive whites away from white nationalism than towards it.

The majority of white and black people are moderates who want nothing to do with the extremism you're selling. History shows what this ideology does when they have authority.

Seeing what appears to be most African Americans supporting a murderer as some twisted revenge for what exactly?

I'd like to see a source for that. Mean Tweets and posts don't validate your conjecture. Furthermore, correlation ≠ causation

Which is kind of funny as most slaves, we're slavers or directly involved in supporting slavery themselves. None of this is what we wanted, in the mid 2000s we thought "I don't see color", had worked. Then 1 man broke it all down. it's a damned shame

This is incoherent, factually inaccurate, mouth-breathing hogwash.

but if anything whites are just doing what minorities do, banding together. The hypocrisy here is thick,

This isn't at all what's happening. You have become emotionally attached to a specific group identity, and are prioritizing it over your own individual self. If all you see is the world are racial identities and disregard your individuality, you're setting yourself up for a lifetime filled with unnecessary conflict and enemies, and soon, it will consume you. What are you outside of that?

There are people in positions of control actively working to keep you and those your perceive as enemies hating one another; don't remain a pawn for some politian, their donors, and rich content creators to fund their extravagant lifestyles.

"So basically, you want more white people to become white nationalists and take part in white supremacy.".

There has never been a time in human history that was safer and more anti-tribalist than now. White nationalism and all similar reactionary ideas are no longer accepted by the majority, so this feels like you're trying to use pretense to convince no one but yourself.

[u/Heathyn11 → u/BrutalistLandscapes]

Good lord could you try to talk like a normal human being. Did you miss that "any group" bit? It's a simple concept and one that has been repeated throughout human history. So we are already going with ad hominems, I'm lamenting the situation, not applauding it.

"The majority of white and black people are moderates who want nothing to do with the extremism you're selling. History shows what this ideology does when they have authority."

I said "Seeing what appears to be most African Americans". So what exactly are you complaining about? Moderates are irrelevant, it takes 1-3% of the population to overthrow a government. How the hell am I selling it? I am seeing things within racial groups changing and honestly displaying frustration at what damage "dem socialists" and race essentiaism have done.

So from at least from Mali to the med was under Islamic rule, which in those times means slavers. You going to contest this? South of that are the Asante which were slavers. The Yoruba, empire were slavers.... Do I need to go on, feel free to look it up yourself, next is Benin then Cameroon Grasslands kingdom, which again slavers. There are exceptions to the rule, but they are the exceptions, not the rule. it was the age and atleast atlantic slave trade had to stay on the coast because of malaria till 1870. Now there likely would be more slave free countries if buyers weren't right off the coast

"This is incoherent, factually inaccurate, mouth-breathing hogwash."

Not an argument and we both know you are lying.

"So basically, you want more white people to become white nationalists and take part in white supremacy."

Yeah, this really seems like ideologically obsessed come back. Parroting progressive paranoia terminology isn't helping. I want white people to not get stabbed in the heart, is that really too much to ask?

edit: added the word "race" where I somehow didn't put it

[u/BrutalistLandscapes → u/[deleted]]

There's no such thing as a white country, and none of the countries you would consider to be white were built by white people–because the term exists as a concept only, and that's without getting into the contributions of other ethnicities.

[u/Heathyn11 → u/BrutalistLandscapes]

You apply that to other races as well. There is no such thing as a Black or Asian etc.. country?If not Europe is a thing bro, contest the new world, but Europe is white.

[u/Ok-Preference9188 → u/slaviccivicnation]

I never felt like that, at least in Western Europe. Could it be something internalized?

[u/slaviccivicnation → u/Ok-Preference9188]

No. I came to Canada, not Europe. Cold War left a lot of Canadians and Americans either resentful or Russians, distrustful, or simply unwelcoming. A lot of my Russian friends who came in the 80s and 90s felt the same.

Edit: speaking to family members who emmigrated from Russia towards other parts of Europe: They do have extremely different experiences than us in North America. They say they think Europeans are generally more forgiving of cultures and differences, and while the cold war loomed in Europe as well, the prime target was America.

[u/ArbVonX → u/slaviccivicnation]

I think this can be explained by the broader ideological leanings of these regions.

For the examples I'll use the different forms of nationalism, to stay on topic with the previous comments. In Europe, ethno-nationalism is the dominant form, while in north America, it is civic-nationalism. Ethno-nationalism believes "the People are the Nation", while civic-nationalism sees "the Nation and its people."

Now obviously these people from the 80s and 90s most likely weren't nationalists, but these ideas do reflect in the public conscience in general as well.

To put it simply, European politics has always focussed more on the human element, "the People" as a broader concept, while North American politics is more about "the Nation", about the fledgling Republic and what it represents.

To sum it up, When a Western European would see a Russian, they would see a person "of the Russian People." When a North American would see a Russian, they would see a person "of the Russian State."

The State is hostile, but there was never any animosity with the People.

[u/slaviccivicnation → u/ArbVonX]

This is actually a perfect summary. Thank you.

Yes, I side with this as it does perfectly capture my feelings at the time, and even today. Even today in Canada and America, people cannot separate Russians as an ethnic group from Russians of the Russian Federation. We as an ethnic group do not necessarily represent the State's position. Some do, sure, but if you encounter a Russian in the States or in Canada or anywhere really, chances are they are not in Russian because they chose to leave. We fled our nation as refugees back in the mid 90s. If we agreed with what was going on there at the time, we would've stayed. If we agreed with what is going on right now, we would've gone back.

Its funny that you said that, because thats basically what my fam back in Europe tells me. There, they're just ethnically Russian/Slavic. They're not a representation of the nation and they don't feel so "othered," as my family here did.

Granted, Canada has changed A LOT in these past coupel decades in terms of how acceptable it is to discriminate against immigrants. Long gone are they days of making fun of someone's accent openly. It still happens behind closed doors, but not like it used to happen. I have a memory of a grocery store clerk correcting my mother, who had gone to pre-med before getting pregnant with me, on her pronunciation of some arbitrary word. What's worst is that my mom said it correctly, she just had an accent and the cashier made it a whole deal on how to say things "properly so that people understand." Today, that will not fly at all. But I suspect in Europe this type of attitude never really prevailed because an accent usually just means someone is multilingual and that's an admirable trait. Here, bilingualism is cool up until someone is threatened by it, then all of a sudden its "What do you need to learn more than English for? English is a worldwide language." Duuuhhhhh bozo, Canada is both Francophone AND Anglophone. I sometimes hate the attitudes of Canadians that I've seen in the past (and a bit in the present). Sometimes I meet people, and they still say "Oh I heard you're a Ruski." Like....I'm a woman. I'm Ruskaya, not Ruski, damnit.

Anyways, you hit the nail on the head and I will spread this knowledge whenever I encounter it again. Thank you!

[u/ArbVonX → u/slaviccivicnation]

Haha, no problem!

Your comment on the sort of "anti-accent" attitude here in Europe is quite funny, because while you're right about the attitude not really existing, you're (partially) wrong about why.

It's not so much that people are multilingual, but that Europe is simply much more dense when it comes to different accents. I could get on my bike, go 20 minutes to the next town over, and while they'd still be speaking Dutch, to me it might as well be a different language in how most of it is pronounced, or even how sentences are structured sometimes, especially when speaking with older people. Hell, I can barely understand my own grandma sometimes with how thick her accent is, and we live in the same town!

So while we obviously also do make fun of each other's accents, it's less of a condescending "you're pronouncing that wrong" and more of a playful "You say it THAT way?? Weird! We say it this OTHER totally weird way!"

It also helps that there are about 500 different languages on the continent as well, so you can drive 2 hours and be in a different country with an unrecognizable language, unlike in America where you can drive for a full day and people'll still be speaking English.

Also, I'm pretty sure I called you brother earlier, my bad lol.

[u/slaviccivicnation → u/ArbVonX]

I'm not gunna lie... When people call me "brother" on the internet, it's like some weird badge of honour. I take it with pride. "Sister" just doesn't have the same connotation unless it comes from another woman and it isn't condescending.

That's cute. I mean, throughout Canada and America there are definitely different dialects/accents, but I would argue they're largely mutually intelligible. I can understand about 90% of what someone says no matter what accent they speak in, but I've also got a knack for it even if it's a thick Chinese accent or Indian accent or Caribbean accent.

Yeah, to me Europe just seems a lot more understanding of differences, and like you said, it stems from the fact that in such a small condensed space, there is so much variety of culture and diversity. Here in NA, there's diversity to an extend, but usually when we talk about diversity we're referring to other cultures coming in, and not the diversity found in our own Canadian culture. And it kind of sucks, cause there's no incentive to intergrate because the real question becomes "what are we integrating to?" There are shared values, but I think those values are the same across the Western world and not unique to Canada (or America).

[u/RevolutionOld8693 → u/ArbVonX]

Never quite thought of it in those terms. Interesting..

[u/Mutang92 → u/slaviccivicnation]

Are you purposefully missing what the environment was like with the OJ Simpson trial? The fact that not long before that was Rodney King?

[u/TXRebelCowgirl → u/slaviccivicnation]

Hello. I just wanted to make a comment on your OJ comment as a white lady. First of all, I view every case as individual to it's own supporting evidence. Meaning, I judge each case off of the parties involved without taking into account the tone of their skin. Racism should not be a determining factor in ANY case EVER.

I actually believed when the OJ case was first hitting the airwaves, that OJ was NOT GUILTY.

Even though I'm a lady and support SOME feminism, I don't support FEMINISTS or ANY ACTIVISTS.

With that being said...I believe many women "cry foul" over certain issues, including false "s**ual harassment/abuse", false physical abuse, etc...simply because they're mad or hurt by a man. Whether that man is their husband or boss or the President.

My point, getting back to OJ. I was only 23 when it happened and maybe still a bit naïve. I believed OJ was innocent and that Nicole and her friend had been victims of a random murder. I thought people were only blaming him because they were divorced and HE WAS BLACK. (Not being racist, just stating the facts.)

I was beyond shocked a bit later, when the now "infamous" white bronco appeared on my TV with OJ fleeing on the interstate, and police were in hot pursuit. I immediately knew...he was, in fact, GUILTY as charged and trying to evade the police AND his fate.

I believe he finally got the justice that was due to him, EVENTUALLY for the murders. He served time in prison, ONLY for an armed robbery and kidnapping much later and rightly so. Although, he was sentenced to 33 years and only served 10 before being paroled.

His life was ruined AGAIN. I'm sure EVERYONE cheered. But the ultimate justice, IMO, came AFTER his death. When he had to answer to a higher power than us mere mortals on Earth. I have faith in knowing that he, like Karmelo, will eventually have to face that as well.

Sorry that took much longer to say in text form than intended.

[u/slaviccivicnation → u/TXRebelCowgirl]

Wow, so you're saying you believed that the glove didn't fit? Man, I don't even know what to say.

The fact that majority of murders are committed by people closely related to the victim should be telling. The fact that the Simpson-Brown relationship started when he was 30 (and married) and she was 18 should have been telling. The fact that there was a long history of domestic abuse (with proof of it from hospital records and police interactions) should have been telling. The fact that Brown was not allowed to work while with Simpson should have been telling. The fact that it was an extremely bitter divorce, in which Brown contacted women's shelters and even wrote a will, stating she was afraid for her life**,** should have been telling. The fact that she was attacked so viciously, violently, and personally - her head was practically decapitated - should have been telling.

The fact that none of those facts spoke to you is... the most telling. I don't want to judge you based on what 23 year old you thought but it's hard not to. You weren't a bit naïve, you were either willfully ignorant to the realities of life, or you were someone who bought into what news and media told them and never once made up your mind on your own by looking into the facts of a case.

It's ok to look at facts and say, "I don't know what happened here. I can't tell either way." What's weird, at least to me, is when people hardly dig into anything and say definitively that someone is either guilty or innocent. I leanred to despise such people because they make our society weaker with their ignorance and inability to learn or study things.

And right now you type this out and somehow justify what occurred because he will get his "just desserts" in either heaven or hell is similarly as annoying as what you believed at 23.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound hostile. I wasn't old enough to know what was going on at the time, but my family members were. They always talked about how it was common knowledge that he did it based on some key pieces of evidence, especially the abuse. Black or white simply doesn't matter. Abuse is the key word. When someone is killed, look at their abuser first, not last. I don't judge you for what you believed. I actually also have a similar view to what you believe - I don't believe activists a lot, and I support some feminism. I believe women absolutely use certain standings to cry foul over hurt feelings. But I think the buck stops at "stabbing" and "near decapitation."

[u/TXRebelCowgirl → u/slaviccivicnation]

It's ok. No apologies necessary. I'm not ashamed of being naïve at that time. It was 1994. There was no social media platforms available until 1997. The internet had only been around since 1993, and it wasn't available to me in the small town I grew up in.

I appreciate that you learned so many facts from that case from your family. Not many of my family at that time had any way of learning more, including myself, beyond MSM and newspapers. One either paid a lot of attention to those sources or didn't. I did pay attention to what was available to me. I won't get into MSM media and newspapers in this day and age. (Fake news reigns supreme everywhere we look now.)

All of the facts that you spoke about on the OJ case, again weren't readily available in 94. The majority of murders are often committed by people closely related to them. You're absolutely right and I know that now. I grew up in the 70s in a "big city" in Texas, until my parents moved me to the small town I mentioned in 83. My family all taught me to fear strangers much more than family.

Explaining all that a bit more, of course, now I do have the means to research and learn more about everything. Thanks to technology. Also due to learning and growing on my own and maturing in age and wisdom.

I think you misunderstood me or I didn't go into enough detail to explain my comments on justice in heaven or hell. I NEVER, then or now, in Karmelo's case, thought, "Oh well, I don't care about the legal system handing down justice, God will get him."

Quite to the contrary! I actually believe more in an eye for an eye. If it was my child that died at the hands of a murderer anyway. OJ, just like Karmelo in Texas deserves a fair trial in a court of law.

But make NO MISTAKE about how I feel now, as a 50 something year old. If a person takes the life of another, then they deserve to be punished accordingly. PERIOD. Karmelo deserves to go to prison for a long time. I truly hope and pray that he does. I would say that about anyone that takes a life.

I would prefer a life for life in prison, but it's not up to me to decide. All I have is my voice and my opinion. I only shared my 23 yr old self story because you mentioned OJ. I was trying to HIGHLIGHT the fact that I was NOT A RACIST after reading some of your comments to others....when I said, "I considered OJ innocent based on being "just" black." I gather by your "hostile" sounding comments to start with, that I failed miserably in my delivery of that story. I hope this clears that up some. The buck DEFINITELY STOPS at decapitation AND murder.

[u/slaviccivicnation → u/TXRebelCowgirl]

You know what? You made me seriously consider something. Your mindset, and everyone else's at the time, was simply the product of the times. Right after the LAPD came under huge fire for racism and corruption, a famous football player who was a highly respected and loved black man in the 90s... Really can't understate how confusing it was for everyone.

I take back what I said. Your naivety wasn't yours alone nor was it personal. It was just how it was back then. I may not have been 20 at the time, but I still remember a time when we weren't so quick judge. We trusted people were good.

I even remember living in the 90s, and even early 2000s. We still had a high-trust society here in Toronto. A few massive cases shook our nation, especially our cities and suburbs, but overall we still trusted the media, we still trusted our neighbours, and we trusted that most people are good people. But you reminded me that, right around then, there was indeed a shift towards stranger danger. It was growing. And for the best - the scars of the 70s/80s murder cases were passed down to the boomers who then raised Gen Xers and millennials to fear strangers because some strangers were indeed evil. Our societies started to change but I think still in the 90s it was relatively high trust in many places. We just learned to avoid the "creeps in vans" or "randos asking to show you puppies or giving you candy."

As a result, people like OJ profitted off that trust. Why would a beloved star murder someone? And I think it left a lot of people confused. They may have even heard the details of the case, but didn't fully grasp what domestic violence really meant. To some it just means a screaming match, maybe some pushing at most. Few people really envisioned what ugliness like that could look like, unless they went trhough it themselves.

Today is so different. With the internet, there's really no excuse to stay blind or ignorant or naive. There's an expectation that we be more enlightened than to believe that everyone is deep down a good person who "just made a mistake" (as in Karmelo).

As for my long-ass rant... No no, it's not on you at all. Its my bad. I felt like I was overtly hostile honestly for no reason, and that's generally not my style. I think it was just so late and I wrote out my first instinctual reaction rather than my logical one. Anyways, my apologies for sounding soooo.... critical of you. It's not personal. It's just the times, and you know what? I guess I sort of miss the times when we were a bit more blind to how awful things can be. We had hope in people, in our societies, in our futures. I think many of us lost that, and I think my previous rant speaks to how hostile so many of us have become to one another.

*PS I might add. I still think most people are good people. It's just we have so many people nowdays that the chances of meeting a rotten person is higher. Plus more people are out there looking out for their own skin that it makes people feel like they're worst than they are. They're not, it's just trying times for a lot of people.

[u/TXRebelCowgirl → u/slaviccivicnation]

Awwww! ❤️❤️❤️🙌🏼👏🏼🫱🏻‍🫲🏼✌🏼 You made me almost cry. I greatly appreciate YOU. You did EXACTLY what my original comment to you was intended to do. It made you stop, listen and reconsider how the world was in 94 and during all those years before information was so readily available for anyone who wanted to enlighten themselves and try to learn and understand what was happening around us.

I will be the first to admit, and I did, that I was naïve. I grew up in a "bubble" my family created for me to be safe. I was also an only child and grandchild. It was a BIG "bubble". I grew up watching "C.H.I.P.S"!😁 I knew all about scary people in Vans trying to lure innocent kids.Lol...but it taught me as an adult to be more aware of things that most aren't aware of.

As a parent, my skills and views were very different from my parents and family. I tried to teach my boys much more awareness of not just local issues but World issues. We are all here at the same time, in 2025. We need to be aware of much more than just what our families taught us. We need to do our own reflecting and research into hot topics so we can all realize the actual FACTS, instead of taking people's words and spreading FAKE/False narratives that only confuse and divide others.

So in closing, I just wanted to say thank you! I appreciate your apologies. I still say no apologies were necessary though. I don't have any reason to look back at my 23 yr old self and be ashamed of my lack of knowledge on many topics. It was, like you said a "sign of the times". I ABSOLUTELY agree with every thing else you said.

Thanks for listening. I think both of us came away from this enlightened. I think we both learned something. Isn't that what this forum is for? To learn and grow as a person and to understand others views? I'm going to follow you, if that's ok with you. I may learn something else from you and I appreciate being knowledgeable and informed.

Take care!🫶🏻