Tuesday Open Thread [8.19.14]
Some on the left expect President Obama to wade into the Ferguson protests and demonstrations and condemn the police, to excuse the violence as justified and righteous, and take sides. Some expect a new Race Speech, like what he gave in Philadelphia during the 2008 campaign during the height of the Jeremiah Wright mess. I call bullshit on that. For a couple of reasons. First, he is the President, and as such he, as the head of the Federal Government, cannot bias any coming federal investigation or intervention with his own one sided views. Second, there is every indication that the election of President Obama was made race relations far worse in this country. It is not his fault, it is the fault of the racists. But far from isolating existing racists into further obscurity, the election of a black man as President was a Batman signal for all of the racists to let their freak flag fly. Racists, once embarrassed by admitting their racism, are now proud to. Because it is a sign of opposition to Obama, and because a legitimate political party embraced racism as an acceptable form of opposition to the President early on, even before his inauguration. So, knowing that, what can the President say that will not make the situation worse?
He is doing all he really can do. He ordered a federal autopsy. He ordered a federal civil rights investigation. He is sending the Attorney General down to Ferguson tomorrow. The National Guard is already deployed.
By the way, I used to say that we should just let all the racists die off as they naturally will do. I no longer say that. Now when a racist is discovered, because of the above described pride factor, I now say that his or her life must be utterly destroyed. No more career. No more income. They must be made to lose something. Not their lives. But their livelihood, respect, basically everything else.
He has also called for an examination of the 1033 Program. That’s really late in the day, but better late than never.
Not being an Obama fan, I can acknowledge this is a tough call for him. He can’t jump in; he can’t condone the looting; he can’t prejudge the shooting.
And he damn sure should not make a “Race Speech” because (as a friend of mine said) while this is partly about race it is also partly about police militarization and civil liberties and poverty and class all rolled up into one.
there is every indication that the election of President Obama was made race relations far worse in this country.
Agreed. Although I would allocate about 15% of the problem to the perennial tone-deafness of this administration at key points along the way.
Although I would allocate about 15% of the problem to the perennial tone-deafness of this administration at key points along the way.
There are two incidents where the President did get involved previously, and I wonder if you are referring that here: The Gates arrest followed by the Beer Summit in 2009, and the Travyon Martin murder last year. I think both of those incidents taught Obama a lesson: he cannot be a healer on race because his opponents and the racists don’t want to be healed. Thus, while he has made past mistakes in getting involved, I do not attribute any blame to the President. He is not to blame for increased racism, because his only crime is being elected while black.
Crazy talk abounds. What party embraced Racism? I call B. S. on that one.
What party embraced the “southern strategy?” Or do we only speak of history when it is convenient to your point?
Anderson is pushing this idiocy over at his own blog, too. Go there for a revealing look into the mind of a loon.