Your .02 is worth much more than that. It's good discussion.

I think both can have difficulty understanding each others' point of view. Especially if there are bias on both sides at play before a word is spoken.

I can only speak for me. I see people as individuals, not as part of a group. I make judgments based on an individuals values and behavior, not by superficial means. As an individual I recognize that not all people are like me and share those same values. All I can control is me.

That's my approach to my life and those around me.

Ed Latimore is a fascinating follow for me on Twitter. His perspective is one I couldn't have, but I share so many values with him. This is how we should associate ourselves - with positive people who have like values, and disassociate with those who do not. Not by superficial things like skin tone. His book "Not Caring What People Think is a Superpower" is simple and powerful. From my perspective, that's what "moving on" would mean to me. Don't waste energy on what you can't change, and focus on what you can.

My disagreement with the Starbucks incident is behavior. If I were asked to leave, I would. Solely because that's who I am. I understand why it's different for those two men for the reasons you mention. But two wrongs don't make a right. Achilles is correct that we don't know if racism was a factor and we can't know. But if I comply, I know I'm in the right even if I feel they're in the wrong. There are real battles to fight, and you choose the ones that are meaningful. Parks was right, but this is nothing like that. I think we can all agree that this has been amplified well beyond what was reasonable on both sides in this case.

IMO, the undue amplification is not due to race in and of itself. The bigger problem is the hyper-politicization and need for extremists to virtue rage about every single thing in life. Bathrooms, cakes, and on and on and on... there's a fascist mob mentality at work trying to convert or destroy those who will not comply (not unlike the Borg.)

Sanity is gone. Humanity is slipping. Emotional intelligence has yielded to virtue signaling. Couple this with the coldness of the internet and electronic media where people are electronically connected but socially disconnected: all this is destroying our true societal ties. People can hate and shout at people who aren't "real" and keep fueling their self destruction.

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