@Jolenealaska What happened at the Mayflower?

Also, Trump's threatening to bring in the army?

@Stephie Ooooh, winter provisioning?

@Mithrandir24601 Elderflower. Four and a half use cases.

From left to right: in apple juice for jelly, with lemons for cordial, with water and a pinch of sugar to capture the wild yeasts, two kinds of flavored vinegar.

Not yet started: Champagne.

I possibly have to start a second batch of syrup/cordial tomorrow, when I free up one jar.

@Jolenealaska - Turns out that this is bigger than America. Parisians are now protesting as well

@Stephie Looks great!

@Mithrandir24601 I said that to more or less mean forever, but if I'm going to name a ship I suppose the Nina, Pinta or Santa Maria would be somewhat more appropriate.

@Mithrandir24601 there's a mural of George Floyd on the Berlin Wall. This is definitely a worldwide phenomenon. Or at least it's on everybody's world news.

@Jolenealaska Oh, I see, I thought that there was some event to mark the 400th anniversary and something in particular happened. But yup, racism was inherent since the start. Since before the start - even the Irish potato famine that brought a load of Irish to the US was largely the fault of the British

I did some real soul searching asking myself how far I would go if I were out there and healthy and strong.

I would have participated in the burning down of the police station I believe.

Of the violence motivated by sincere rage, I can only be largely in support. Looting, of course, is a totally different animal.

@Jolenealaska Yeah, the UK's officially passed 50k covid deaths, the actual number is yet higher, Mogg got a horrific law passed today. It's also Pride month (which is normally a huge deal here). Yet, I'm getting e-mails about BlackLivesMatter-ing and the like and seeing much more news about that than all the other stuff

It's odd, because here I am, in the UK, sitting at home, unable to really do anything other than read and watch

In the US covid is hardly worthy of mention at the moment. Three weeks from now is going to be ugly.

@Jolenealaska You don't believe in the justice system at all? That it isn't capable of improving things without violence and people gathering in large groups during a pandemic?

@Cerberus Not in a number of states in the US at the minute... Considering the justice system is what's causing the problem(s)

I would hope they can improve things with demonstrations rather than violence, and while keeping the appropriate distance.

'White Police officer murder black man... Again' isn't something that should make you have faith in the police

It happens 1000 times a year in America.

We have a pandemic now that has killed enough people in America for a century of police violence.

@Cerberus They've tried that before and they got ignored

And now they will be repressed harder than ever before.

And potentially cause a major new outbreak of the pandemic.

The pandemic is certainly extremely unfortunate timing, but I do believe that the time for some violence in the protests has arrived. This is not unlike the era of my birth. 1967. For everything there is a season, including making things go boom.

Why would they think burning down a police station helps the cause at all?

And why can't they burn down police stations next year? Three people are killed each day by the American police, so plenty of opportunity later...

I absolutely agree that the timing is unfortunate. It also probably has something to do with things coming to a head with this particular case. We have a whole bunch of young people that have been going a bit stir crazy.

More than a bit.

But I don't see that as the same issue as why it was necessary to burn down the police station.

@Mithrandir24601 And now? Will their requests be fulfilled now?

Like, reverse the question: How did it get to the point where people actually thought/felt that burning down a police station is the appropriate thing to do?

I don't see how violence can help at all, unless you are strong enough to defeat your enemy by force.

@Mithrandir24601 I would say that is a different question?

@Cerberus Only time will tell. But the first step is making your voice heard. It required burning down a police station to do that

How do you mean?

This problem has been well known for many decades.

@Cerberus Different, yes, it's the reverse

Only now the protesters are losing public support.

@Cerberus What? You're saying that just after the day where a number of corporations have declared a blackout in support

I think the American police are horrible. I just don't see how this strategy will work at all.

@Cerberus Well known and ignored. They're trying to make it as hard as possible to ignore

@Cerberus So what would you do?

Only now are they getting even close to the attention the cause deserves.