President Remarks on Stand Your Ground

[BlackHorse]

So today the President came out and gave a press conference regarding the Travyon Martin case. I'm not going to get off into the specifics of his remarks regarding that case except to say that it came across sounding like a lot "blame the white folks" nonsense to me.

 

What I want to cover, however, is the remarks regarding stand your ground laws that he made.

 

 

"If we're sending a message as a society ... that someone who is armed potentially has the right to use those firearms even if there's a way for them to exit from a situation, is that really going to be contributing to the kind of peace and security and order that we'd like to see?" Obama said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/07/19/obama-addresses-trayvon-martin-case-in-briefing-room/#ixzz2ZWCRrZwp

 

 

In short, bullshit Mister President. First of all George Zimmerman was not taken to trial on a "stand your ground" law basis. The trial was based on a self defense situation, not stand your ground. So trying to say that we should look at stand your ground laws because of what happened with Trayvon Martin is both deceitful and disingenuous.

 

Secondly, this nation has had stand your ground laws on the books since as long ago as 1895 at which time it was upheld by the supreme court. In the 118 years since then the nation has not devolved into outright bedlam and anarchy so this notion that somehow stand your ground laws are going to take away from our "peace and security and order" is nonsense. It's a political ploy designed to placate the liberal voting base who want something to lay the blame on for Trayvon Martin's death. Trayvon Martin's death, while tragic, was the result of his own actions, not because of some law.

 

Stand your ground laws are on the books for a good reason and that reason is because if they were not then everytime someone was put on trial for defending their own life with lethal force the prosecuting attorney would find it very easy to play monday morning quarterback. It is easy for all of us to sit around and say "why didn't you do this?" or "why didn't you do that?". Here is a better question. Why didn't the assailant just leave me alone? I shouldn't have to run and hide just because some thug wants to assault me, rob me or otherwise try to harm me or some member of my family. We shouldn't have to live a nation where we are obliged to run from would be criminals and thugs. The notion that the police are going to protect us has never been based in any sort of reality. The police can't be everywhere at all times. The police are a reactionary body, not a proactive one. The only person that can adequately defend you is you and that is why stand your ground laws were passed. The notion that taking the stand your ground law away is going to make us safer as a nation is a lie and an excuse to placate voters who are uninformed about the law's true purpose.

[TomServo92]

Haven't you been listening to them? They want you to run away and/or shit yourself as a means of self-defense.

[BlackHorse]

Haven't you been listening to them? They want you to run away and/or shit yourself as a means of self-defense.

 

I want to wake up every morning next to a naked Jessica Biel, but that's not going to happen either.

[Langston Hughes]

So today the President came out and gave a press conference regarding the Travyon Martin case. I'm not going to get off into the specifics of his remarks regarding that case except to say that it came across sounding like a lot "blame the white folks" nonsense to me.

 

What I want to cover, however, is the remarks regarding stand your ground laws that he made.

 

 

 

 

In short, bullshit Mister President. First of all George Zimmerman was not taken to trial on a "stand your ground" law basis. The trial was based on a self defense situation, not stand your ground. So trying to say that we should look at stand your ground laws because of what happened with Trayvon Martin is both deceitful and disingenuous.

 

Secondly, this nation has had stand your ground laws on the books since as long ago as 1895 at which time it was upheld by the supreme court. In the 118 years since then the nation has not devolved into outright bedlam and anarchy so this notion that somehow stand your ground laws are going to take away from our "peace and security and order" is nonsense. It's a political ploy designed to placate the liberal voting base who want something to lay the blame on for Trayvon Martin's death. Trayvon Martin's death, while tragic, was the result of his own actions, not because of some law.

 

Stand your ground laws are on the books for a good reason and that reason is because if they were not then everytime someone was put on trial for defending their own life with lethal force the prosecuting attorney would find it very easy to play monday morning quarterback. It is easy for all of us to sit around and say "why didn't you do this?" or "why didn't you do that?". Here is a better question. Why didn't the assailant just leave me alone? I shouldn't have to run and hide just because some thug wants to assault me, rob me or otherwise try to harm me or some member of my family. We shouldn't have to live a nation where we are obliged to run from would be criminals and thugs. The notion that the police are going to protect us has never been based in any sort of reality. The police can't be everywhere at all times. The police are a reactionary body, not a proactive one. The only person that can adequately defend you is you and that is why stand your ground laws were passed. The notion that taking the stand your ground law away is going to make us safer as a nation is a lie and an excuse to placate voters who are uninformed about the law's true purpose.

Your just another bitter Obama hater..

 

 

I know that there's been commentary about the fact that the "stand your ground" laws in Florida were not used as a defense in the case. On the other hand, if we're sending a message as a society in our communities that someone who is armed potentially has the right to use those firearms even if there's a way for them to exit from a situation, is that really going to be contributing to the kind of peace and security and order that we'd like to see?

And for those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these "stand your ground" laws, I'd just ask people to consider, if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened? And if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws.

[Langston Hughes]

Here's the whole speech...As if Blackhorse actually read it. That thought makes me laugh...because he sure the fuck didn't.

 

President Obama's statement in the White House briefing room on July 19, as released by the White House:

I wanted to come out here, first of all, to tell you that Jay is prepared for all your questions and is very much looking forward to the session. The second thing is I want to let you know that over the next couple of weeks, there's going to obviously be a whole range of issues — immigration, economics, et cetera — we'll try to arrange a fuller press conference to address your questions.

"The reason I actually wanted to come out today is not to take questions, but to speak to an issue that obviously has gotten a lot of attention over the course of the last week — the issue of the Trayvon Martin ruling. I gave a preliminary statement right after the ruling on Sunday. But watching the debate over the course of the last week, I thought it might be useful for me to expand on my thoughts a little bit."

"First of all, I want to make sure that, once again, I send my thoughts and prayers, as well as Michelle's, to the family of Trayvon Martin, and to remark on the incredible grace and dignity with which they've dealt with the entire situation. I can only imagine what they're going through, and it's remarkable how they've handled it."

The second thing I want to say is to reiterate what I said on Sunday, which is there's going to be a lot of arguments about the legal issues in the case — I'll let all the legal analysts and talking heads address those issues. The judge conducted the trial in a professional manner. The prosecution and the defense made their arguments. The juries were properly instructed that in a case such as this reasonable doubt was relevant, and they rendered a verdict. And once the jury has spoken, that's how our system works. But I did want to just talk a little bit about context and how people have responded to it and how people are feeling.

You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago. And when you think about why, in the African American community at least, there's a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it's important to recognize that the African American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away.

There are very few African American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me — at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven't had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.

And I don't want to exaggerate this, but those sets of experiences inform how the African American community interprets what happened one night in Florida. And it's inescapable for people to bring those experiences to bear. The African American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws — everything from the death penalty to enforcement of our drug laws. And that ends up having an impact in terms of how people interpret the case.

Now, this isn't to say that the African American community is naïve about the fact that African American young men are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system; that they're disproportionately both victims and perpetrators of violence. It's not to make excuses for that fact — although black folks do interpret the reasons for that in a historical context. They understand that some of the violence that takes place in poor black neighborhoods around the country is born out of a very violent past in this country, and that the poverty and dysfunction that we see in those communities can be traced to a very difficult history.

And so the fact that sometimes that's unacknowledged adds to the frustration. And the fact that a lot of African American boys are painted with a broad brush and the excuse is given, well, there are these statistics out there that show that African American boys are more violent — using that as an excuse to then see sons treated differently causes pain.

I think the African American community is also not naïve in understanding that, statistically, somebody like Trayvon Martin was statistically more likely to be shot by a peer than he was by somebody else. So folks understand the challenges that exist for African American boys. But they get frustrated, I think, if they feel that there's no context for it and that context is being denied. And that all contributes I think to a sense that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario, that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different.

Now, the question for me at least, and I think for a lot of folks, is where do we take this? How do we learn some lessons from this and move in a positive direction? I think it's understandable that there have been demonstrations and vigils and protests, and some of that stuff is just going to have to work its way through, as long as it remains nonviolent. If I see any violence, then I will remind folks that that dishonors what happened to Trayvon Martin and his family. But beyond protests or vigils, the question is, are there some concrete things that we might be able to do.

I know that Eric Holder is reviewing what happened down there, but I think it's important for people to have some clear expectations here. Traditionally, these are issues of state and local government, the criminal code. And law enforcement is traditionally done at the state and local levels, not at the federal levels.

That doesn't mean, though, that as a nation we can't do some things that I think would be productive. So let me just give a couple of specifics that I'm still bouncing around with my staff, so we're not rolling out some five-point plan, but some areas where I think all of us could potentially focus.

Number one, precisely because law enforcement is often determined at the state and local level, I think it would be productive for the Justice Department, governors, mayors to work with law enforcement about training at the state and local levels in order to reduce the kind of mistrust in the system that sometimes currently exists.

When I was in Illinois, I passed racial profiling legislation, and it actually did just two simple things. One, it collected data on traffic stops and the race of the person who was stopped. But the other thing was it resourced us training police departments across the state on how to think about potential racial bias and ways to further professionalize what they were doing.

And initially, the police departments across the state were resistant, but actually they came to recognize that if it was done in a fair, straightforward way that it would allow them to do their jobs better and communities would have more confidence in them and, in turn, be more helpful in applying the law. And obviously, law enforcement has got a very tough job.

So that's one area where I think there are a lot of resources and best practices that could be brought to bear if state and local governments are receptive. And I think a lot of them would be. And let's figure out are there ways for us to push out that kind of training.

Along the same lines, I think it would be useful for us to examine some state and local laws to see if it — if they are designed in such a way that they may encourage the kinds of altercations and confrontations and tragedies that we saw in the Florida case, rather than diffuse potential altercations.

I know that there's been commentary about the fact that the "stand your ground" laws in Florida were not used as a defense in the case. On the other hand, if we're sending a message as a society in our communities that someone who is armed potentially has the right to use those firearms even if there's a way for them to exit from a situation, is that really going to be contributing to the kind of peace and security and order that we'd like to see?

And for those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these "stand your ground" laws, I'd just ask people to consider, if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened? And if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws.

Number three — and this is a long-term project — we need to spend some time in thinking about how do we bolster and reinforce our African American boys. And this is something that Michelle and I talk a lot about. There are a lot of kids out there who need help who are getting a lot of negative reinforcement. And is there more that we can do to give them the sense that their country cares about them and values them and is willing to invest in them?

I'm not naïve about the prospects of some grand, new federal program. I'm not sure that that's what we're talking about here. But I do recognize that as President, I've got some convening power, and there are a lot of good programs that are being done across the country on this front. And for us to be able to gather together business leaders and local elected officials and clergy and celebrities and athletes, and figure out how are we doing a better job helping young African American men feel that they're a full part of this society and that they've got pathways and avenues to succeed — I think that would be a pretty good outcome from what was obviously a tragic situation. And we're going to spend some time working on that and thinking about that.

And then, finally, I think it's going to be important for all of us to do some soul-searching. There has been talk about should we convene a conversation on race. I haven't seen that be particularly productive when politicians try to organize conversations. They end up being stilted and politicized, and folks are locked into the positions they already have. On the other hand, in families and churches and workplaces, there's the possibility that people are a little bit more honest, and at least you ask yourself your own questions about, am I wringing as much bias out of myself as I can? Am I judging people as much as I can, based on not the color of their skin, but the content of their character? That would, I think, be an appropriate exercise in the wake of this tragedy.

And let me just leave you with a final thought that, as difficult and challenging as this whole episode has been for a lot of people, I don't want us to lose sight that things are getting better. Each successive generation seems to be making progress in changing attitudes when it comes to race. It doesn't mean we're in a post-racial society. It doesn't mean that racism is eliminated. But when I talk to Malia and Sasha, and I listen to their friends and I seem them interact, they're better than we are — they're better than we were — on these issues. And that's true in every community that I've visited all across the country.

And so we have to be vigilant and we have to work on these issues. And those of us in authority should be doing everything we can to encourage the better angels of our nature, as opposed to using these episodes to heighten divisions. But we should also have confidence that kids these days, I think, have more sense than we did back then, and certainly more than our parents did or our grandparents did; and that along this long, difficult journey, we're becoming a more perfect union — not a perfect union, but a more perfect union.

Thank you, guys.

[Langston Hughes]

Haven't you been listening to them? They want you to run away and/or shit yourself as a means of self-defense.

 

Jesus, not that shit yourself bullshit again. Why? You know it wasn't suggested as a first defense yet you bring it back up.

[BlackHorse]

if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened? And if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws.

 

 

If George Zimmerman had assaulted Trayvon Martin and Martin used lethal force to defend himself then absolutely he would have been justified. What the President has just implied is that Martin would have been convicted because he is black and that's just a lie.

[Langston Hughes]

If George Zimmerman had assaulted Trayvon Martin and Martin used lethal force to defend himself then absolutely he would have been justified. What the President has just implied is that Martin would have been convicted because he is black and that's just a lie.

 

The president did not say that. Your bullshit take and belief that Martin started the altercation said that. What he said does not involve knowing who threw the first punch.

[BlackHorse]

The president did not say that. Your bullshit take and belief that Martin started the altercation said that. What he said does not involve knowing who threw the first punch.

 

No worse than your bullshit belief that George Zimmerman started the altercation. You don't know what happened, why don't you quit acting like you do?

[TomServo92]

Jesus, not that shit yourself bullshit again. Why? You know it wasn't suggested as a first defense yet you bring it back up.

 

My apologies. They actually told you to PISS on yourself. That's a COMPLETELY different thing.

 

Source

[BlackHorse]

"There are very few African-American men in this country who have not had the experience of being followed when they are shopping at a department store. That includes me," the president said.

 

 

Really? How would he know if he was followed? How does he know that most Black males are followed around department stores? This is just an accusation without any basis in fact. It's just perception, not reality. What he is implying is that "You white folks don't have to worry about being followed around department stores." when in point of fact plenty of white people get arrested for shop lifting too. If I was the owner of a chain of department stores I'd be pretty offended. The President of the United States just accused you of racially profiling black males without a shred of evidence to back it up.

 

 

"There are probably very few African-American men who have not had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me - at least before I was a senator,"

 

 

Again, this is an accusation without any basis in fact. It's an accusation and the accusation is that "You white males don't have to endure this." or worse the implication is that it's white folks in the car locking the door. As if there aren't any white or hispanic guys out there that might cause someone to lock the doors of their car because they have a menacing look.

 

"There are very few African-Americans who have not had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had the chance to get off. That happens often,"

 

 

There are plenty of women who will do this regardless of what color the man is that gets on the elevator. Again, this is an attempt to imply that white men don't have to contend with this kind of response from people which is a load of horse shit.

 

He talks about this stuff as if there isn't a whole other side to the racial issues in this country. Frankly all three of these statments by him were insulting and racist.

Edited July 19, 2013 by BlackHorse

[Langston Hughes]

My apologies. They actually told you to PISS on yourself. That's a COMPLETELY different thing.

 

Source

 

Your not really going to list the site that calls it this are you?

 

The list of 10 tips by the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs was billed as "last resort" options to deter a sexual assault.

 

So once again you make the stupid claim that people want you to do this, when it was listed as a last resort. Your not that dumb why do you have to play it on the internet.

[napfirst]

Here's the whole speech...As if Blackhorse actually read it. That thought makes me laugh...because he sure the fuck didn't.

 

President Obama's statement in the White House briefing room on July 19, as released by the White House:

I wanted to come out here, first of all, to tell you that Jay is prepared for all your questions and is very much looking forward to the session. The second thing is I want to let you know that over the next couple of weeks, there's going to obviously be a whole range of issues — immigration, economics, et cetera — we'll try to arrange a fuller press conference to address your questions.

"The reason I actually wanted to come out today is not to take questions, but to speak to an issue that obviously has gotten a lot of attention over the course of the last week — the issue of the Trayvon Martin ruling. I gave a preliminary statement right after the ruling on Sunday. But watching the debate over the course of the last week, I thought it might be useful for me to expand on my thoughts a little bit."

"First of all, I want to make sure that, once again, I send my thoughts and prayers, as well as Michelle's, to the family of Trayvon Martin, and to remark on the incredible grace and dignity with which they've dealt with the entire situation. I can only imagine what they're going through, and it's remarkable how they've handled it."

The second thing I want to say is to reiterate what I said on Sunday, which is there's going to be a lot of arguments about the legal issues in the case — I'll let all the legal analysts and talking heads address those issues. The judge conducted the trial in a professional manner. The prosecution and the defense made their arguments. The juries were properly instructed that in a case such as this reasonable doubt was relevant, and they rendered a verdict. And once the jury has spoken, that's how our system works. But I did want to just talk a little bit about context and how people have responded to it and how people are feeling.

You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago. And when you think about why, in the African American community at least, there's a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it's important to recognize that the African American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away.

There are very few African American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me — at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven't had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.

And I don't want to exaggerate this, but those sets of experiences inform how the African American community interprets what happened one night in Florida. And it's inescapable for people to bring those experiences to bear. The African American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws — everything from the death penalty to enforcement of our drug laws. And that ends up having an impact in terms of how people interpret the case.

Now, this isn't to say that the African American community is naïve about the fact that African American young men are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system; that they're disproportionately both victims and perpetrators of violence. It's not to make excuses for that fact — although black folks do interpret the reasons for that in a historical context. They understand that some of the violence that takes place in poor black neighborhoods around the country is born out of a very violent past in this country, and that the poverty and dysfunction that we see in those communities can be traced to a very difficult history.

And so the fact that sometimes that's unacknowledged adds to the frustration. And the fact that a lot of African American boys are painted with a broad brush and the excuse is given, well, there are these statistics out there that show that African American boys are more violent — using that as an excuse to then see sons treated differently causes pain.

I think the African American community is also not naïve in understanding that, statistically, somebody like Trayvon Martin was statistically more likely to be shot by a peer than he was by somebody else. So folks understand the challenges that exist for African American boys. But they get frustrated, I think, if they feel that there's no context for it and that context is being denied. And that all contributes I think to a sense that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario, that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different.

Now, the question for me at least, and I think for a lot of folks, is where do we take this? How do we learn some lessons from this and move in a positive direction? I think it's understandable that there have been demonstrations and vigils and protests, and some of that stuff is just going to have to work its way through, as long as it remains nonviolent. If I see any violence, then I will remind folks that that dishonors what happened to Trayvon Martin and his family. But beyond protests or vigils, the question is, are there some concrete things that we might be able to do.

I know that Eric Holder is reviewing what happened down there, but I think it's important for people to have some clear expectations here. Traditionally, these are issues of state and local government, the criminal code. And law enforcement is traditionally done at the state and local levels, not at the federal levels.

That doesn't mean, though, that as a nation we can't do some things that I think would be productive. So let me just give a couple of specifics that I'm still bouncing around with my staff, so we're not rolling out some five-point plan, but some areas where I think all of us could potentially focus.

Number one, precisely because law enforcement is often determined at the state and local level, I think it would be productive for the Justice Department, governors, mayors to work with law enforcement about training at the state and local levels in order to reduce the kind of mistrust in the system that sometimes currently exists.

When I was in Illinois, I passed racial profiling legislation, and it actually did just two simple things. One, it collected data on traffic stops and the race of the person who was stopped. But the other thing was it resourced us training police departments across the state on how to think about potential racial bias and ways to further professionalize what they were doing.

And initially, the police departments across the state were resistant, but actually they came to recognize that if it was done in a fair, straightforward way that it would allow them to do their jobs better and communities would have more confidence in them and, in turn, be more helpful in applying the law. And obviously, law enforcement has got a very tough job.

So that's one area where I think there are a lot of resources and best practices that could be brought to bear if state and local governments are receptive. And I think a lot of them would be. And let's figure out are there ways for us to push out that kind of training.

Along the same lines, I think it would be useful for us to examine some state and local laws to see if it — if they are designed in such a way that they may encourage the kinds of altercations and confrontations and tragedies that we saw in the Florida case, rather than diffuse potential altercations.

I know that there's been commentary about the fact that the "stand your ground" laws in Florida were not used as a defense in the case. On the other hand, if we're sending a message as a society in our communities that someone who is armed potentially has the right to use those firearms even if there's a way for them to exit from a situation, is that really going to be contributing to the kind of peace and security and order that we'd like to see?

And for those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these "stand your ground" laws, I'd just ask people to consider, if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened? And if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws.

Number three — and this is a long-term project — we need to spend some time in thinking about how do we bolster and reinforce our African American boys. And this is something that Michelle and I talk a lot about. There are a lot of kids out there who need help who are getting a lot of negative reinforcement. And is there more that we can do to give them the sense that their country cares about them and values them and is willing to invest in them?

I'm not naïve about the prospects of some grand, new federal program. I'm not sure that that's what we're talking about here. But I do recognize that as President, I've got some convening power, and there are a lot of good programs that are being done across the country on this front. And for us to be able to gather together business leaders and local elected officials and clergy and celebrities and athletes, and figure out how are we doing a better job helping young African American men feel that they're a full part of this society and that they've got pathways and avenues to succeed — I think that would be a pretty good outcome from what was obviously a tragic situation. And we're going to spend some time working on that and thinking about that.

And then, finally, I think it's going to be important for all of us to do some soul-searching. There has been talk about should we convene a conversation on race. I haven't seen that be particularly productive when politicians try to organize conversations. They end up being stilted and politicized, and folks are locked into the positions they already have. On the other hand, in families and churches and workplaces, there's the possibility that people are a little bit more honest, and at least you ask yourself your own questions about, am I wringing as much bias out of myself as I can? Am I judging people as much as I can, based on not the color of their skin, but the content of their character? That would, I think, be an appropriate exercise in the wake of this tragedy.

And let me just leave you with a final thought that, as difficult and challenging as this whole episode has been for a lot of people, I don't want us to lose sight that things are getting better. Each successive generation seems to be making progress in changing attitudes when it comes to race. It doesn't mean we're in a post-racial society. It doesn't mean that racism is eliminated. But when I talk to Malia and Sasha, and I listen to their friends and I seem them interact, they're better than we are — they're better than we were — on these issues. And that's true in every community that I've visited all across the country.

And so we have to be vigilant and we have to work on these issues. And those of us in authority should be doing everything we can to encourage the better angels of our nature, as opposed to using these episodes to heighten divisions. But we should also have confidence that kids these days, I think, have more sense than we did back then, and certainly more than our parents did or our grandparents did; and that along this long, difficult journey, we're becoming a more perfect union — not a perfect union, but a more perfect union.

Thank you, guys.

Thanks for wasting a page.......

[Langston Hughes]

Thanks for wasting a page.......

swing and miss...woo woo you've been striking out lately.

[Langston Hughes]

Really? How would he know if he was followed? How does he know that most Black males are followed around department stores? This is just an accusation without any basis in fact. It's just perception, not reality. What he is implying is that "You white folks don't have to worry about being followed around department stores." when in point of fact plenty of white people get arrested for shop lifting too. If I was the owner of a chain of department stores I'd be pretty offended. The President of the United States just accused you of racially profiling black males without a shred of evidence to back it up.

 

Again, this is an accusation without any basis in fact. It's an accusation and the accusation is that "You white males don't have to endure this." or worse the implication is that it's white folks in the car locking the door. As if there aren't any white or hispanic guys out there that might cause someone to lock the doors of their car because they have a menacing look.

 

There are plenty of women who will do this regardless of what color the man is that gets on the elevator. Again, this is an attempt to imply that white men don't have to contend with this kind of response from people which is a load of horse shit.

 

He talks about this stuff as if there isn't a whole other side to the racial issues in this country. Frankly all three of these statments by him were insulting and racist.

 

I think your projecting again. Poor ole Blackhorse, everyone who doesn't agree with him that there are no racist whites is a racist bigot.

[BlackHorse]

I think your projecting again. Poor ole Blackhorse, everyone who doesn't agree with him that there are no racist whites is a racist bigot.

 

 

lol, Oh hell yes there are racist white people. But guess what, there are plenty of racist blacks too. There are also plenty of racist hispanics and racist asians. What I object to is the narrative in this country that only white people are racists. It's so full of shit. There is plenty of racism to go around from every side. That's my point. Are you actually going to try and say that this is not the case?

[TomServo92]

Your not really going to list the site that calls it this are you?

 

 

So once again you make the stupid claim that people want you to do this, when it was listed as a last resort. Your not that dumb why do you have to play it on the internet.

 

Did they or did they not state that as a method of self-defense? Yes or no?

[Langston Hughes]

Did they or did they not state that as a method of self-defense? Yes or no?

 

They stated as a last resort. That doesn't fit your narrative and you know it. Your better than that.

[TomServo92]

They stated as a last resort. That doesn't fit your narrative and you know it. Your better than that.

 

That's not relevant. They state it as a self-defense method. That's exactly what I said.

[Langston Hughes]

lol, Oh hell yes there are racist white people. But guess what, there are plenty of racist blacks too. There are also plenty of racist hispanics and racist asians. What I object to is the narrative in this country that only white people are racists. It's so full of shit. There is plenty of racism to go around from every side. That's my point. Are you actually going to try and say that this is not the case?

 

I'm certain that there are plenty of prejudice people, but I don't find that many actual racists among minorities. They may not like other races but very few actually think they are superior to other races. That's always been a very majority white tradition within the US.

 

See you call me a racist and yet i don't believe in the superiority of any race, let alone am I prejudice of any race.

 

I see you choose to ignore the thread I started today questioning why elected republicans spoke at a rally organized by a man who opposes interracial marriage/sex, and suggest Hispanics are less intelligent? I was very specific about what conservatives I painted and still no response from you. Why would you as a Hispanic not wonder why conservatives are attending his rally's, especially Sen. Cruz.

[TomServo92]

UCCS was roundly criticized and ridiculed by victims rights for offering such stupid suggestions for self-defense. But of course, you think it's just fine.

 

It's also worth noting that UCCS has since removed those suggestions.

Edited July 20, 2013 by TomServo92

[BlackHorse]

Also he misused the word your, . . . again.

[Langston Hughes]

That's not relevant. They state it as a self-defense method. That's exactly what I said.

 

No this is what you said.

 

Haven't you been listening to them? They want you to run away and/or shit yourself as a means of self-defense.

 

and they, who ever they are, do not want you to do this as a means of self defense, they, again whoever they are, want you to do that as a last resort. Again your better than this.

[Langston Hughes]

UCCS was roundly criticized and ridiculed by victims rights for offering such stupid suggestions for self-defense. But of course, you think it's just fine.

 

It's also worth noting that UCCS has since removed those suggestions.

 

It was stupid. It sounds like a logical thought at first but when you think about it, the likely outcome is getting beaten much worse.

 

But is UCCS the they you are talking about, or are you blaming all gun control advocates for their (UCCS) idea?

[BlackHorse]

I'm certain that there are plenty of prejudice people, but I don't find that many actual racists among minorities. They may not like other races but very few actually think they are superior to other races. That's always been a very majority white tradition within the US.

 

 

:hysterical: :hysterical:

 

 

Oh my God you are so full of shit. Either that or extremely naive. I especially love the part about how minorities may not like other races but somehow those people aren't racist or prejudiced because supposedly whites have some superiority complex or some shit. What a clown. If a person doesn't like other people based on race what they are is a racist. Go look it up dumb ass.

 

 

White folks were in caves while we were building empires…. We taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and those Greek homos ever got around to it. -- Al Sharpton

Edited July 20, 2013 by BlackHorse