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I hear you, in one sense. But those who are prone to thinking the man looks like an ass already think so. So, to Professor Obama (and he is a teacher by background), this is a teachable moment where maybe he hopes he can help people understand one another a little more. So some of the grump old white men who use terms like "crumptards" confused can understand black people better, and so some of the more outraged black people (and my liberal white friends) can understand why some are not all that surprised by the verdict. But I dunno. EDIT: A fine and mostly appropriate speech, IMHO. Golf clap. I liked the ending in particular, and largely agree about "kids these days" when it comes to race relations.
I don't need to see the speech. He is pro Martin and anti gun ownership. This was not a crime. it was a tragedy. Race has nothing to do with it. Gun control have nothing to do with it. Obama is a divider, not a unifier. A unifier would keep his mouth closed on a radically divided topic instead of further politicizing it. See: Beer summit.
As the first black president I think he should give a speech since this verdict has caused such a stir in the African American community. It's the message in the speech that matters.
So in other words, you've already prejudged it and and actual reality doesn't matter to you. Good to know.
Yeah, it's too bad, because it's actually a very unifying speech. But it's just like I said, people like Space Ghost think Obama "looks like an ass" when he approaches a podium or exits a helicopter, so them criticizing the act is literally without meaning. As for guns, well, it's interesting to ask America what they'd think if Trayvon had had a gun and "stood his ground" when approached. That's a valid question. Are our laws encouraging people to form a peaceful society or are the laws in some cases inadvertently making us slightly more dangerous? It's fine to ask that.
I don't have major issues with most of what he said. Basically that I know how the AA community feels but this was a fair trial. Don't expect much from a Federal standpoint in regard to putting GZ on civil rights trial. We need to do things to change the perceptions of AA. Some of with it involves systemic change and some cultural change via education. Likely all smoke up all our collective asses but the right thing to say. The Trayvon standing your ground analogy was weak because there would have been no evidence to support that claim. TM was trying to kill and or injure GZ which isn't a perceived visual threat like he referenced with TM. That part of the speech was to appease his political base which consists of largely TM supporters.
I don't have a problem with most of your post, but then you come forward to admit that *you* are the long-sought-after lone witness to the TM-GZ encounter. You should get a book contract.
I briefly read over the transcript for you. It was about racism. No shocker there. Now I know you and the media and most of the liberals out there will disagree with me, but Z did not profile him simply because martin was black and Z hated blacks. This wasn't racially motivated. Z isn't running around with the Stars and Bars on his vehicle with a burning cross decal on his window. This was a tragedy. It was an innocent teenager sauntering in the rain who looked like a thug. He could have been mexican or white. If it was a well dressed black guy who was trying to get to his destination, then Z would have never thought twice about it. The color wasn't the problem. It was the perception.
And you are actually Stevie Wonder if you didn't see the injuries to GZ which were supported by witness testimony. I tried to find common ground with liberals and in typical fashion you have to be an ass about it. What matters is the jury decided TM was trying to kill or injure GZ.
It has more to do with anytime there is a racially motivated event in the news dealing with blacks, Obama feels the need to interject and give a speech on racism. Im not denying racism exists, but it doesn't help when the leader of our country feels the need to interject on a speculative case of racism. Now if Zimmerman was a racist or the cop in the beer summit was racist, Im ok with that. Neither of these incidents had any strong ties to racism.
I read Obama's speech and I thought it was measured, thoughtful, and helpful. I generally have tuned him out, but these remarks were appropriate. Had he retried the case, questioned the process, or gone on a gun control tirade, I would have not finished reading it. But, he didn't, and I did.
Glad to see you have an open mind. You are the reason why America is great. We should stick our heads in the sand and ignore things. You are an amazing human being.
It's great when Obama addresses race. I understand that he has addressed race less than any President in decades. I understand why. But when he does, he's usually spot on. He's got a great perspective, so I'm happy to see it.
And the problem was... ? Nice, but irrelevant. Obama never claimed there was racial profiling in his speech. Nothing in Obama's speech contradicts this. Same. In fact, Obama speciflcally addressed that there are perception issues within the AA community. So, again, what is the divisive stuff that Obama said?
