The President addresses the Nation

by designs 257 Replies latest social current

Simon

It's disappointing that a sizeable number of people are willing to simply listen to, believe and repeat the cries of 'racism' that they hear. Why do I think this?
Because of Emmett Till.
I don't think many of the people saying his name probably even knew who he was a month ago if they were honest. Even if, like me, you knew his story from 30 years ago there is nothing about the TM case that would make you link the two.
No, the only reason that Emmett Till is mentioned and brought up is because Crump did it first.
Even then, people wouldn't repeat it if they bothered to look at the facts. But of course people don't.
Someone on TV tells them what to believe and how to think and they follow along. They did it in the trial and they do it with evidence - the same bogus claims of a chain of events that never happened, twisted and manufactured at every turn, repeated at every occasion and the truth be damned.
This has to stop.
There cannot be progress until and unless there is honesty on both sides.
What America needs are Truth and Reconciliation hearings where the injustices of the past can be told and documented without the lies and spin. But I think the US is too divided and 'confrontational' to allow that to happen.
What needs to happen to bring about change? Change!
When black leaders are doing the same thing and trotting out the same rhetoric as they were 30 years ago, what makes anyone imagine that there will be a different outcome?
Isn't it time, after 30 years or more of these peoples so called 'leadership' that people questioned what it has brought and what their approach has accomplished? Has the community advanced under their watch or advanced any?
No wonder they want to distract attention away from what happens within it and make everything about what is done to them and away from what is done by them.
If we are being optimistic we can see Obamas speech as an admission that this has to happen. I hope that it is. There will be those who believe that it's all only about the injustices to black people and those who will want to use it as that for their own agenda. Let's not allow them to do that.
At the same time it explains the reactions and the feelings which is good.
Do we all believe every piece of it as presented? No, there are other reasons for reactions. When a white woman clutches her purse and looks nervous or people lock their car doors it can be because of the color of someone's skin but that doesn't make it prejudice. 'Experience' works both ways and with the much higher level of crime and massively disproportionate number of murders, muggings and rapes conducted by blacks people have a right to react how they do with suspicion and distrust inevitable.
Does that justify and excuse every occurrence of prejudice? No, of course not - but understanding and feelings and beliefs about injustices go both ways and both sides need to remember that.
People looking for and shouting for one-way-addressing of issues will be disappointed if progress is to be made because there are faults and injustices on both sides. Lets make sure demands for justice are fair and balanced and don't just contribute to feelings of resentment.
Simon

Given the links to poverty, I doubt Obama's children's experiences with race at a private school for wealthy people is really a good barometer of whether progress has or is being made. But people can only talk about the experience they have.
designs

Today in cities across America Civil Rights Marches will take place.
So many cases in our judicial system highlighting imbalances and prejudices may get a second look- Maybe a young woman who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for firing warning shots will have her case reviewed.
Simon

I'd beware of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Each case needs to be considered according to the law and not based on presumptions or media spin.
More african americans used stand your ground laws as a successful defence in florida - a disproportionate number compared to other races. Is it still unfair?
People who don't get all the facts may be unaware of what they'll really be getting if they base their demands on a few well crafted lies.
sammielee24

Designs - I listened to it and watched it live.
I have said from the beginning he, as leader of all the people in the USA, should not have interjected himself into what was a criminal court case. He has been silent on many others and chose to place himself into this arena willingly and for what I believe are purely political reasons.
This President told everyone listening that you, the rest of the world, must acknowledge and accept the feelings of black America because of the injustices they have had in the past. What the President did by that - was tell every other person of all other cultures and colors, that their experiences do not really matter because he - as a black President and an American - is one of them and this IS about black American. He did not speak to the rest of American he spoke for the black community.
As has been noted on this board, if I as a white person try to show a comparison of police brutality, or poverty, or drugs, or prejudice - and how they affect the poor or uneducated regardless of the color of the community, I am told what I have to say is irrelevant. It, using previous terms, invalidated. You cannot progress toward unity and peace and reduce racism, by creating programs and avenues that benefit one part of the population at the expense of the other. In Martins school district that is exactly what they did. Stop filing charges for crimes on black youth - only allowing for one crime to be reported equal to one crime that a white/asian/aboriginal/hispanic committed. That kind of thinking breeds more racist feelings because it creates just another layer of inequality and pits color against color/culture against culture. Is there profiling in America? Most certainly. Does it make it wrong? Depends. As someone who lives in a high crime district who they deem suspicious and how they are wrong trying to keep themself safe. Many a woman will walk across the street if they see a lone male or a group of men walking toward her and the street is otherwise deserted - is that profiling? Of course. It's done as part of being aware. Ditto - those locks Obama says he hears in the parking lot. Today we grow up as women being taught to carry keys in the outward position, take awareness courses and always lock our doors and keep the windows up - don't park away from lights. Is that profiling? You bet. The color doesn't matter - and one can suppose that a 75 year old white guy pushing a cart to his car alone is far less threatening than five young men wearing baggy pants who stand and watch as people walk to their cars but that doesn't denote racism in as much as awareness.

There will never be an honest discussion about race in America because it is not safe to do so. In order to do that you would have to examine all the statistics. All the government policies. All the agencies. And we would have to address the attitudes of all the people. It would have to be done with fairness and honesty - that won't happen. There was an ad for Cheerios in the USA. It depicted a mixed race couple and their child. Nobody I know blinked an eye - didn't notice the couples ethnicity. Cheerios pulled the ad from the US airwaves because of outraged people - not of one specific color. The ad should have been aired as originally intended - that would have had far more impact on all people instead of Obamas speech.
Today where I am there was a government ad on health. The family? Mixed. Nobody cared.
sw
sammielee24

The woman in Florida was sentenced to what in Florida is the mandatory minimum sentencing when using a firearm.
This is not race related.
If it is then why is Orville Lee Wollard sitting in prison for 20 years for firing his gun inside his own home, trying to scare his daughters boyfriend? Prosecuters decided he was shooting at the young man and missed - inside his house.
He also rejected a plea deal and was offered probation. He declined. He was innocent. Took his chance at trial and was convicted of aggravated assault with firearm. The circuit judge said he was duty bound by the 10-20 life law to impose the harsh sentence.
Wollard is white.
Let's attack some of the real issues.
Stand your ground? Get rid of it - doesn't make sense. Mandatory minimum sentences with a firearm? How's that working? Everyone getting a gun when and where they want? Address that issue - and when we do, lets be clear, that is not a race issue but it might attack those with criminal offenses under universal background checks.
sammieswife
Simon

Minimum sentencing is designed to make some politician look "tough on crime (hoo-rah !!)" but removes the court's ability to make compromises and use good judgement so leads to this sort of thing. The circumstances for 'firing a gun' can be so varied and yet the "crime" is always treated the same.
Stand your ground is an idiotic law - I don't think it's biased against any one race (in fact, it's the opposite) but it definitely muddies the waters and makes it difficult to decide what is and isn't legitimate self defense.
Of course we'll have the usual suspects start ranting about the government coming to take away their guns. The same ones who say Zimmerman shouldn't have used a gun in self defense want people to be able to shoot people 'in self defense' when they are not actually being attacked. Idiotic.
designs

The President- 'was tell(ing) every other person of all other cultures and color, that their experiences do not really matter'. No I disagree with that assessment, just the opposite was being proffered to the public.
'There will never be an honest discussion about race in America because it is not safe to do so'. No again, and coming from the President it gives everyone the opportunity to speak and write openly about race and culture issues just like we are doing right here and now. Millions of these conversations are taking place now across the Country because the President opened the door stepped forward and in effect said- speak about these issues and do something about them ( mentoring et al ).
As to the Emmet Till comparison- millions of people will go to reference works and look up the actual case, I would encourage anyone to also look up the life and death Medgar Evers, and draw from their tragedy's what they will. I met Medgar's daughter several years ago, what an example of grace and kindness and dignity.
Simon

The President- 'was tell(ing) every other person of all other cultures and color, that their experiences do not really matter'. No I disagree with that assessment, just the opposite was being proffered to the public.
I agree. I don't think that is what he was saying and I don't think it's reasonable to suggest that discussions about race have to be about every race all at the same time. It's difficult enough having a sensible discussion about one.
'There will never be an honest discussion about race in America because it is not safe to do so'. No again, and coming from the President it gives everyone the opportunity to speak and write openly about race and culture issues just like we are doing right here and now.
I do believe that this is a problem. We've seen it here - question or challenge someone's assertions about racism and you are immediately labelled a racist and attacked. Sadly, some people use their race as a means to win an argument and silence opinions that they don't like.
We should not allow people who would stand in the way of progress to silence people who think we need to have the discussion. Hopefully Obamas speech will now make that discussion possible.
As to the Emmet Till comparison- millions of people will go to reference works and look up the actual case, I would encourage anyone to also look up the life and death Medgar Evers, and draw from their tragedy's what they will. I met Medgar's daughter several years ago, what an example of grace and kindness and dignity.
I agree. It only takes a little reading to see what happened to Emmet and Medgar is worlds apart. I cannot understand how anyone can be anything but outraged at the suggestions they are the same as TM. It is an insult and cynical use of what they stood for.
designs

It is unfortunate that the attorney for the Martin's used the example of a teen killed by racists, he is trying to be provocative, that worked but a little study should make history clear.
The President encouraging States to reexamine their laws will be helpful. We need new, younger generations, to seek public office at the city, State and Federal levels to continue the process of societal progress.

The President addresses the Nation

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