To stand up and be counted
Added 2020-06-08 18:12:45 +0000 UTCAs a general rule I've taken an apolitical stance when it comes to my art. We live in a world where we're bombarded by an unending stream of opinions, viewpoints, and ideologies. As such I've used my art to create an island where folks can step away from it all for a moment and catch their breath.
However there are times when we as individuals must speak our minds. When history will not allow us to stand on the sidelines. When we cannot abstain from voting. When we must stand up and be counted.
Black Lives Matter.
The inspiration for this piece came from reading several articles about those who are acting as impromptu medics at various protests across the world. They're often risking their own lives to aid those who have been injured. For that reason I decided to depict Nurse Redheart as one of those individuals.
Comments
The brutality is the message.
fetchbeer
2020-06-09 17:59:47 +0000 UTCAre they? Not to put too fine a point on it, but that was 40 to 50 years ago. Pretty sure the people in front of the cameras now are not, in fact, the same people back then. Nor is the US exactly the same country back then. And while I'm not old enough to remember that far back... I'm pretty sure entire city blocks (plural) were set on fire back then. We've seen nothing like that this time, and so far the protestor have been getting more peaceful, not less.
ANTIcarrot
2020-06-09 16:19:14 +0000 UTCWhat really scares me - those politician who say they are going to 'Fix things'. Arent these the same idiots who were supposed to fix things back in the 70s?
MishaFox
2020-06-09 04:25:05 +0000 UTCWe seem to be back into the 1960's all over again. We haven't learned anything. Whats the old line 'Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.'
MishaFox
2020-06-09 04:09:03 +0000 UTCYeah, I guess any union can be a problem. I was already leery of unions in general but I thought police and firefighters unions were better somehow. Hurts being wrong.
Frank Oldread
2020-06-09 01:55:49 +0000 UTCFiring those that don’t serve the public. In my agency we will fire you, then charge and prosecute you. PDs however have strong unions, arbitration outlets to keep bad ones on the force. The union prez of the Milwaukee PD (a supervisor) has about 29 complaints for excessive force. How the heck is he still employed? They do it by forcing the city to back off or else. Gangsters with badges. I saw a video of their cars going somewhere and several of them sprayed pepper spray at folks standing on the shoulder! What the hell was that for! Why? Because their union will protect them. My agency is not union. I can be fired with ease for violating anyone of the 10 General Orders.
Vet
2020-06-09 01:29:55 +0000 UTCI can agree with that. I just hope it can be done without violating anyone's civil rights on any side of the issue.
Frank Oldread
2020-06-09 01:01:08 +0000 UTCWill probably post a longer journal post this week about this. All I will say at the moment is that the system is going to need some serious rebuilding and everyone is going to have place at the table.
Baron Engel
2020-06-09 00:58:44 +0000 UTCI'm afraid this not something that can be easily discussed in a chat box.
Baron Engel
2020-06-09 00:57:00 +0000 UTCYes Frank. Patreon is being super stupid. I'm trying to write you response and its gumming things up.
Baron Engel
2020-06-09 00:56:14 +0000 UTCSo what is the solution? Disband the police like people are screaming? There should be reformations, but that's not what they want. I guess this society is fucked.
Frank Oldread
2020-06-09 00:35:51 +0000 UTCI agree with Baron. This has festered for years. I know Baron is old enough like me to remember. I well remember the marches, the NG guard black kids going to school, the separate but equal crap, forced desegregation, inequality, and more. My dad was a beat cop. No car. Walked the streets day night rain snow. It was a mixed neighborhood. But he knew everyone and they knew him. We have gotten way away from those days. I see it now. Officers living out in the safe suburbs 70 miles from the city they serve and their duty station is way downtown. Always in a car or behind cool designer sunglasses. Obey me is all they say. They don’t even ask your name unless its an interrogation.
Vet
2020-06-09 00:16:45 +0000 UTCI too remember those days. I was in Trenton NJ 1972 for riot duty. Disguised as National Guard...we were Army recruits from Fort Dix. M14 with bayonet marching on rioters to clear the streets. Then into the night with 5 mags of 7.62nato with orders to shoot looters. I fired on one...missed intentionally....he dropped the TV and ran off. I felt his life was worth more than a 20 dollar TV from a pawn shop.
Vet
2020-06-09 00:06:28 +0000 UTCAnd status quo is allowed to continue. This is not a few bad cops or couple greedy politicians. This seems to be at the very core of our community, and unless we address this it will only get worse.
Baron Engel
2020-06-08 23:09:22 +0000 UTCI agree that there needs to be more accountability for police officers, it just seems to be so unfair that now all cops are being depicted by certain politicians as inherently murderous thugs that can't wait to crack black skulls. Let's see them try to live in a nation without police. In any case Baron, I respect your views even if I can't completely agree with the politics surrounding the issue. The bad cops were arrested and are facing trial after universal justified condemnation. All these riots will devastate the cities and if there are no cops because they feel they can't respond without being considered racists people will see even more chaos. I bet we're going to see a lot of police drop their badges and quit . Crime will skyrocket as a result. It's just going to be a bad situation all around.
Frank Oldread
2020-06-08 23:02:28 +0000 UTCThe politics are a mess. But Redheart and her allies here make this personal, a matter of individuals, not causes. I'll stand with her.
McClaw
2020-06-08 22:05:18 +0000 UTCI'm done preaching. Sorry. All lives Matter.
MishaFox
2020-06-08 21:41:48 +0000 UTCNo one is thinking clear on this anymore. I see people trying to march peacefully. But mostly now i see is looters burning and stealing. I see people screaming and throwing rocks and molatov cocktails. The most disgusting are the politicians taking advantage of it all. Last month the police were their heroes and now they talk of disbanding the police department. I understand the rage but how is burning and looting going to help things? I am old enough to remember the rioting in the 60's and 70's. I also remember how they destroyed some areas completely. I know the one city center in NJ didnt recover for decades. It took 25 YEARS to get a supermarket to open there.
MishaFox
2020-06-08 21:41:12 +0000 UTCThey can and do bounce. While some did fire at the face others used the bouncing technique. They should have never been used to begin with. I was on the line when a PD shot a bean bag past my ear at a retreating protester. He laughed. My gas mask blocked my outrage. My teammate pulled me back.
Vet
2020-06-08 21:32:20 +0000 UTCI choose to believe Nurse Redheart is treating one of the eight people who lost an eye during the protests—most likely due to “rubber bullets” that were never meant to be fired into people’s’ faces. https://www.reddit.com/r/ABoringDystopia/comments/gz3xie/eight_people_have_lost_an_eye_so_far_from_the/
jeffh4
2020-06-08 20:46:52 +0000 UTCI had to push a man. Didn’t want to but orders were to move the crowd. I tried just to move him. Asking several times. He held firm...not knowing what laid behind me. Proper tactics is to rake the person back to the “team”. I knew what that meant. Finally I had to shove him....hard. No strikes. A hard shove though. He looked at me surprised. I told him to run they’re coming.....and they were. We stood as the crowd raged and shouted. I conversed with the few in front of me. Reminded me of the hatred I got coming back from Vietnam. The order came over my earpiece. Prep for gas. I stepped back putting on the Vader headgear. Three young ladies looked at me, one wearing a Celestia t shirt. What’s going to happen they asked? I smiled. They’re preparing to drop gas. I strongly urge leaving. We finished masking. The gas was dropped. The crowd fled. All over a stupid bridge. A stupid F’ing bridge. I voiced my displeasure over our usage in this ops..... others agreed. We realigned our purpose.....we stand now between the protesters and the PD. We make sure they can march and be heard.....just don’t destroy other folks property....it cheapens what you march for. We good officers are splattered with the blood of innocents.....but I must still serve as that standing between the good and the evil. 40 years I have done that....not one complaint on my use of force....many complaints from my own that I was too soft. There is my side of this. Funny....in the late 60s I was a protester chunking things at cops.....now 40 years later....I’m the cop they’re chunking things at.
Vet
2020-06-08 18:58:04 +0000 UTCI wanted to create a image of humanity and compassion in the midst of brutal situation.
Baron Engel
2020-06-08 18:32:03 +0000 UTCThat's a great picture, Baron. Bravo!
TiChall
2020-06-08 18:27:59 +0000 UTCI love most of your work, but this one is extra special. As a rule, I generally dislike it when politics mix with ponies — that’s not the case here. This is a moving piece and beautifully done. Thanks.
TheJBW
2020-06-08 18:27:54 +0000 UTC
