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60 Comments
John Beara
Na, your sponsors told you to play ;)
Imudia Osamuyi
Nice one from Naomi Osaka
skotmanforyou
So she saved some black lives now? Just stick to your guns. What's the point of your message if you change your mind within 24 hours?!
commanteer
Her Twitter subtitle is actually "how to be unprofessional 101" if that's any help.
timeon
The point is, the whole tournament was stopped for one day, which brought attention to the problem
sourpuss
She must have read my post on yesterday’s thread.
Jax
What a farce.
Peter Neil
I believe police violence has gone too far in the US. Too many people of all races are being gunned down too often. There's a police culture problem, but also an overall culture problem behind this. The entire US culture is too violent and crime ridden.
Let's look at some numbers. Statistics and facts are not biased, they're simply facts.
Blacks are far more likely to be in close proximity to police due to the high black crime rate.
If we're looking at police vs. blacks, about 250 blacks are killed every years (justified or unjustified) by police.
During the same time, black males at 6% of the population commit about 50% of all the murders in the US, including killing over 5,500 other blacks.
91% of all blacks are killed by other blacks.
Black Lives Matter and Naomi Osaka could do more to reduce the killing of blacks by bringing to attention the fact that the greatest danger to the lives of American blacks are other blacks. Don't make this about white people killing blacks, because that is statistically almost zero.
Solving black-on-black crime and murders will save more lives than trying to couch these demonstrations as about "racial justice." Every murder victim of any color deserves justice.
These are serious numbers and a serious comment based on facts. Here is the FBI report detailing the stats I've used:
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf
quercetum
Japanese comments on Twitter say “she’s not Japanese” in response to “as a black woman” as if she disowned her Asian roots.
JJ Jetplane
@Peter Neil
The highest percentage of murders by a single race is 30% which is by white males. Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians commit less. But all receive much harsher sentencing.
JJ Jetplane
Don't blame me. Blame the FBI database that shows whites account for nearly 4x the amount of crimes in the US as blacks.
Randy Johnson
In this article, the Osakas said they want change.
I completely agree.
The change comes in the behavior of the suspects.
Don't want to die? Comply.
Below is the headline of an article written by Willie Richardson. A black journalist.
Dear Black Man, Stop Resisting Arrest!
Why is it that black men keep thinking that fighting the police is a good idea?
Speed
Actually, I think she saw my comment on JT yesterday and changed her mind.
memoryfix
JJ Jetplane
What is indicated by “ Asians”? Which countries? Surely not East Asia.
Murders - Wiki: Over 50% of murders are by blacks. That means about 12-13% of pop. committing half the murders.
And as the vast majority of murders are by males, that really indicates about 6-7% of the population ( which means black males) is committing about 50% of the murders.TokyoJoe
Agree with Randy. The way to solve this problem is to educate black people to obey a police officers command.
Pukey2
I wonder what prompted O$aka to change her mind? Did her $pon$or$ $ay $omething?
WilliamJames
Hmmm ... Seems you don't get it:
"They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement. I want to thank the WTA and the Tournament for their support.”
Her single withdrawal coerced them to postpone all matches until tomorrow (today in Japan). That is a major concession by the WTA and USTA, MAJOR.
Naomi's timid personality has overwhelming power. Jacob Blake was shot 7 TIMES in the back when he attempted to enter his car where his 3 children were sitting. That is attempted murder in anyone's mind. It's not clear he even committed a crime. He said he had a knife in his car. If you wish to stop the fellow, just shoot the tires on his car. Not traumatize 3 children for the rest of their lives. This reckless racism must stop now. His mother stated that Jacob is a peaceful person, please have peaceful, intelligent, loving demonstrations in his honor. Jacob lived but will be partially paralyzed for life.
I'm 80 years old and have lived in the black ghetto. I'm white. I've seen this BS even applied to 10 year old children for doing nothing, ZERO. Putting a child in the back seat of a police car because they think he stole the 10 speed he was riding. And threatening him to admit he stole it. It was my 10 speed and he was welcome to use it whenever he wanted to. Right, the POlice let him go. Happily, his father stepped in, phoned the Chief of POlice and the latter along with the two offending cops sped by my home to apologize to the dear little fellow. His hobby was collecting butterflies and he enjoyed flying kites. Doesn't always end that way.
BRAVE NAOMI, and OF COURSE BLACK LIVES MATTER. That doesn't mean your life does not matter by the way.
Wake up America ...
TokyoJoe
@JJ Jetplane. Go ahead and break down the percentages of people per race. Black people make up 8% ish of the US population. Your comment is disingenuous to day the least.
JeffLee
@Peter Neil
Quite a few people are offended by your facts. But that's par for the course these days.
@JJetplan
And white people account for 75% of the US population. What's your point?
Peter Neil
False. You should show your sources. Here is the data from the Department of Justice/FBI data report:
Total crimes:
Total: 7,710,900 (100%)
White: 5,319,654 (69%)
Black: 2,115,381 (27.4%)
Native American/Alaskan: 164,430 (2.1%)
Asian: 92,737 18,698 (1.2%)
Murder:
White: 44.1%
Black: 53.3%
Native American (1.2%)
Sevenseas
Well, she certainly got the attention of the tournament’s organisers, the WTA and the USTA. Good for her. In originally conceding the semifinals she was also giving up her chance at the final.
Mods: Please steer the conversation back to Osaka and her actions. Most of the above thread has been a repeat of many previous ones, which never resolve anything. It’s getting tiresome.
Peter Neil
These comments are entirely relevant to story and is the crux of the issue.
She said: "...continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police"
That is patently false.
Police kill about 1,200 white people and 250 blacks per year.
Black people are committing genocide on their own race. 91-93% of all murders of black people are committed by blacks.
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2016/crime-in-the-u.s.-2016/topic-pages/tables/table-21
ohara
Shes just another hypocrite.
Fighto!
Well done Naomi-chan. She got the organizers to change the scheduling to acknowledge her protest that Black Lives Matter. Naomi-chan took a stand against the racist and violent police in the US, good for her.
Now good luck in this warm-up hitout (basically a training run) and win that Major in just over 2 weeks, ganbare Naomi-chan!
Hiro
Most comments here think she was force to change her mind after her protest, but what if her first decision was actually the one that was force? I mean there were many cases when celebrity were force by fans to make statements concerning political views. They should not mix sport with these things anyway. In the end she might only be interested in playing against a worthy opponent and her previous statement was said to pacify some of her fans. Just my own opinion on this.
Peter Neil
There is nothing racist about facts. You cannot solve any problem without factually understand the problem. More Black lives will be saved by addressing the Black-on-Black murder rate, but police killings need to addressed, too. I, too, want less killings by police, and some are simply murder.
5,500 Black people killed by Black people
250 Black people killed by police (white and black police)
Let's get serious about saving lives.
drlucifer
Wiki is not a reputable source of information.
memoryfix
Wiki is opinionated. But it’s unlikely they are wrong on stats. You can takeaway what you want. Do you dispute these numbers?
Randy Johnson
THEE bottom line is a behaviorial issue. Once that addressed and applied, all else will take care of itself.
Well behaved lives matter.
drlucifer
Peter Neil
You cannot justify and make light the attempted murder of the police with the warped excuse that far more blacks are killed by blacks. If you were black you won't be making such heartless comments.
Randy Johnson
drlucifer
Many conservative blacks will wholeheartedly disagree with you. Where do you think those comments come from?
drlucifer
Let's get serious about saving lives but not black lives because they are killing themselves.
Randy Johnson
If the Osakas really truly cared about black lives, because they said that they want change, they would get following message out to the public.
The following is from Rev. Dr. Frank Thomas.
If you don't want police officers to shoot you, don't resist arrest.
10 Rules of Survival if Stopped by the Police
1. Be polite and respectful when stopped by the police. Keep your mouth closed.
2. Remember that your goal is to get home safely. If you feel that your rights have been violated, you and your parents have the right to file a formal complaint with your local police jurisdiction.
3. Don’t, under any circumstance, get into an argument with the police.
4. Always remember that anything you say or do can be used against you in court.
5. Keep your hands in plain sight and make sure the police can see your hands at all times.
6. Avoid physical contact with the police. No sudden movements, and keep hands out of your pockets.
7. Do not run, even if you are afraid of the police.
8. Even if you believe that you are innocent, do not resist arrest.
9. Don’t make any statements about the incident until you are able to meet with a lawyer or public defender.
10. Stay calm and remain in control. Watch your words, body language and emotions.
Dango bong
I guess "social justice" only matters on certain days?
Peter Neil
You should read my comments more carefully before writing such a blatant misrepresentation.
Blacklabel
found out their martyr wasnt such a martyr after all and the 3 people that were shot also have really long criminal records for sexual violence, assault and battery and even strangulation.
So time to flip flop and go make some money.
Randy Johnson
The following video is hosted by Candace Owens on "The Candace Owens Show". The guest is Larry Elder.
Larry Elder will always have the facts and figures to open some eyes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ3fMaS9Q6k
cleo
Very sensible, important rules that could save your life.
If you live in a scary repressive backward police state.
kurisupisu
It is good to see that Ms Osaka made her point and is now back
to playing tennis again...
NOMINATION
Very true but would like you to give me a list of countries here that it is ok to run away from police without consequences. Do me a favor and try today to see what the police reaction will be and post the results here.
Daniel
Funny all these comments about how it's all black people's fault.
It's almost like there was no event that could cause people to exhibit distrust or outright hatred for authority and those perceived to be supporting said authority.
Let's be honest, if your tribe, family, etc. were taken from your homes, enslaved, treated like dirt, forced to make your captors and abusers rich, have your agency taken away so completely that you could not even choose your mate, you would not be so keen to bow down to authority and lick their boots.
Even after being freed, they continued to be treated like dirt in the only home they knew. Their rights trampled on. Till the government invents a "war" on drugs to criminalize your and other groups.
Don't forget the systematic barriers and violent mobs that would keep you in "your place", look up the massacre that happened in Tulsa, OK in 1921 in the Greenwood district that was called "Black Wall Street."
But it's okay all you have to do is cite some stats twisted in just the right way to put all of the blame on them. Doing so makes you feel better about yourself and dismiss any rightful grievances they have.
cleo
'Don't run' is only number 7 on the list of *how to survive an encounter with the police*. Lookit the other 'rules'.
You have to be polite and worry most about getting home safely? In a civilised country the police are there to help you do just that.
You kinda make the argument for me. Here in Japan or the UK, or any other country where the police are public servants not a dangerous oppressive force, I could 'run away' and still be confident that I would be here and able to tell you what happened - I would certainly not be lying on a slab in the morgue perforated with multiple police bullets fired into my back.
ohara
Cleo,
I have two friends in the New Zealand police force. Those ten rules are pretty much spot on with the advice I got from them re how to act when dealing with police in NZ.
Probably any cop in any country would agree with those ten rules.
therougou
If I were to stick my hands in my pocket after being told by the police to stop, I'd expect to be shot. So digging into a car (where a knife was indeed found according to reports) should be no different.
That said, 7 shots (seems they all came from the same officer) seems excessive. It'll be interesting to hear the officer's explanation. Did the officer see Blake grabbing for the knife before opening fire? Seems possible, I guess.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/08/26/kenosha-protests-jacob-blake-what-we-know/3441684001/
Ego Sum Lux Mundi
"Defund the police!" vs. "Call the cops!"
Pick one, and only one. If you select option 1, you must man-up and be personally ready and willing to deal with the chaos. Select option 2, you shut up and respect the police.
Dango bong
First of all, it is silly to say that walking away from the police deserves a death sentence of seven shots in the back. The police should have just jumped him and cuffed him. A white person shoots up a black church but he gets escorted to McDonalds by the police. Another white guy shoots up a movie theatre in Colorado and is still alive. But black people who resist arrest should be shot? If you do not see racial injustice you are blind.
That being said, millionaires taking a day off work in the name of social justice is silly.
wraither
Naomi Osaka should have a big asterisk on her name:
Black Lives Matter* (But My Sponsorship Matters More)
Peter Neil
No stats are twisted. Everything you said in your comment was about things that occurred 100 years or more ago and nothing about life in 2020. You think this is about "grievances" from 100 years of more ago? That is twisting the conversation.
Osaka's comment was, "... continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police."
If people are going to make a statement about a problem in society, at least make it the truth based on facts instead of fiction. 91-93% of Black murdered are murdered by Blacks.
Facts are facts.
cleo
Do your friends advise you to follow those rules in order to survive an encounter with NZ police? Or just as a way to enable the encounter to go as smoothly as possible?
How many unarmed people have been shot dead by NZ police this year?
Invalid CSRF
Gobshite
Nothing like true conviction to a cause eh? Just another to jump on a bandwagon
Dango bong
That goes for all races. Whites and Hispanics are more likely to kill their own as well because they mostly live close together in communities.
This regurgitated talking point does not justify unequal treatment of blacks and whites by the police. Walking away from a cop should not be bullets in the back for a black man while whites who mass murder are still alive.
Raw Beer
Osaka supports racial injustice and police violence!!!
ohara
Nothing like true conviction to a cause eh? Just another to jump on a bandwagon.
That sums it up.
ohara
Walking away from a cop should not be bullets in the back for a black man while whites who mass murder are still alive.
Uh, he was hardly just walking away...
Paul
I find it all so stupid! All these gestures of unity! Blacks keep killing each other at higher and higher rate, so black lives matter to them? Realy? I don't see that!
If you watch the video of the incident, he was told to stop and put his hands up, but no! Instead he goes around the car, opens the door and then tries to get something from the car, and he gets shot. I am not surprised! If the police tell you to stop while pointing a gun at you, you stop! And you do what the police tell you to do! You do not argue or wave your arms about or try to get something from the car if you want to get home in one piece that is! The police officer also wants to get home in one piece... You leave all the arguing to the lawyer which WILL be provided by the state.
Paul
She really did it this time! She called herself a black woman, that will cost her a few million Japanese funs. Because they thought she is Japanese!!! Like someone who I know, I asked him last year "do you see her as a Japanese or black" Japanese he said. I will ask him again next time I see him...