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C'mon guys. It's sounding very "I'm not a racist, I swear!" in here. nossy Send a noteboard - 20/07/2013 03:32:08 PM

That isn't what he meant, and I think you know it. Seriously, if you don't, I'm confused.

There was a lot more to the speech. For example:


"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," he said.

"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."


Emphasis mine. Please don't downplay that. It's not distant enough history.

More:


"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," he said.

"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 happened 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."

He added: "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."


Do you think he's wrong? I know he isn't, because I have seen the first happen, and I have done the second two (or versions of them - call it a heightened wariness based on color) myself. I'm not proud of it; it's a reaction I can't always help, depending on where I am, what the person looks like, etc.

Please stop cherry-picking; if you dislike all he said, let's talk about that. Taking the worst possible view of Trayvon's personality and then accusing the president of sympathizing with that is disingenuous.

Reply to message
"Trayvon Martin could have been me." President Obama MrFarstrider - 19/07/2013 11:27:21 PM 1618 Views
My interpretation is that he's being incredibly racist...against blacks A Deathwatch Guard - 19/07/2013 11:52:37 PM 982 Views
I think you're right MrFarstrider - 19/07/2013 11:54:41 PM 874 Views
From the litlle I heard on NPR I had a couple real problems with it random thoughts - 20/07/2013 12:53:40 AM 932 Views
Would he just shut up about it already? *pukes a little in mouth* *NM* everynametaken - 20/07/2013 04:20:07 AM 390 Views
Yeah. As someone who voted for Obama and would do so again, this is embarrassing. Ghavrel - 20/07/2013 10:10:53 AM 792 Views
Ditto. Except I didn't vote for him a second time. everynametaken - 21/07/2013 01:34:54 AM 908 Views
Does it matter now? Martin is still dead and Zimmerman will stay free. It's over. Tom - 20/07/2013 04:24:43 AM 804 Views
It makes a great deal of difference MrFarstrider - 20/07/2013 04:40:55 AM 858 Views
C'mon guys. It's sounding very "I'm not a racist, I swear!" in here. nossy - 20/07/2013 03:32:08 PM 994 Views
I can't like your reply enough. *NM* Rebekah - 20/07/2013 03:42:00 PM 400 Views
"I am not a racist I swear it" is what we are reduced for not agreeing on race random thoughts - 20/07/2013 04:44:52 PM 867 Views
No. As I'll say to Isaac in a minute, I'll apologize for lumping everyone in nossy - 20/07/2013 08:06:49 PM 851 Views
for me his about what will work not what is fair random thoughts - 22/07/2013 06:06:13 PM 910 Views
It has to be both. Period. Nobody will accept someone else trying to change them nossy - 22/07/2013 07:29:15 PM 931 Views
sorry I don't see where he says a change in behaviour is part of the solution random thoughts - 23/07/2013 06:29:16 PM 797 Views
He did not talk about the case nossy - 23/07/2013 07:32:44 PM 814 Views
A touch over the top don't you think? Isaac - 20/07/2013 05:20:21 PM 836 Views
One comment, maybe. If anyone has taken offense nossy - 20/07/2013 09:09:45 PM 838 Views
Re: One comment, maybe. If anyone has taken offense Isaac - 20/07/2013 11:53:08 PM 871 Views
As mentioned nossy - 21/07/2013 12:18:14 AM 907 Views
Re: As mentioned Isaac - 21/07/2013 02:25:30 PM 830 Views
You just EXACTLY quoted the point I was making MrFarstrider - 20/07/2013 06:04:25 PM 914 Views
Em... not so sure I did. nossy - 20/07/2013 10:19:54 PM 757 Views
I think he's wrong for continuing to talk about it, and doing so in this manner A Deathwatch Guard - 21/07/2013 06:59:11 AM 953 Views
We will also have to agree to disagree. nossy - 21/07/2013 10:25:13 AM 975 Views
There are more important things for him to be focusing on, I think. That said, I think you're right. *NM* Ghavrel - 21/07/2013 08:16:34 AM 397 Views
There will always be something "more important." *NM* nossy - 21/07/2013 10:25:46 AM 368 Views
That's specious reasoning. Ghavrel - 21/07/2013 12:02:17 PM 791 Views
It is if you sidestep my point. nossy - 21/07/2013 05:15:19 PM 752 Views
I am of two minds on the issue. *edit* Avendesora - 21/07/2013 02:04:48 PM 881 Views
Well, that's good. I feel like I'm working on 3 or 4 at this point. nossy - 21/07/2013 05:41:21 PM 885 Views
People do forget that he's only half black - and more importantly, not "African American" at all. Legolas - 21/07/2013 07:08:28 PM 779 Views
I'm one of those annoying people who corrects others with "biracial". Avendesora - 22/07/2013 08:03:10 PM 901 Views
That's not appropriate. Obama identifies as black. *NM* Ghavrel - 23/07/2013 06:22:06 AM 427 Views
So do lots of white kids. nossy - 23/07/2013 08:50:12 AM 739 Views
It is the truth, though. Ghavrel - 23/07/2013 06:30:53 PM 806 Views
I do not agree. nossy - 23/07/2013 07:06:33 PM 826 Views
Because he has publicly said that he has lived the life of a black man. Ghavrel - 24/07/2013 06:12:27 AM 733 Views
I'm not saying he hasn't. In fact, I've said too many times in this thread that he has. nossy - 24/07/2013 08:21:04 AM 920 Views
Re: I'm not saying he hasn't. In fact, I've said too many times in this thread that he has. Avendesora - 24/07/2013 02:22:58 PM 859 Views
I know, and I find that weird. Avendesora - 23/07/2013 12:57:39 PM 854 Views
This is a complex issue. Avendesora - 23/07/2013 01:09:00 PM 776 Views
Because he looks black, he's been treated like a black person. Ghavrel - 23/07/2013 06:28:41 PM 761 Views
Yes nossy - 23/07/2013 07:11:54 PM 918 Views
Re: Because he looks black, he's been treated like a black person. Avendesora - 23/07/2013 11:31:03 PM 745 Views
Yes, Obama was raised by white people. Wikipedia says so, so it must be true! *NM* Macharius - 24/07/2013 04:16:31 AM 408 Views
Perusing. Avendesora - 24/07/2013 04:02:53 AM 869 Views
That makes sense. Generally, though, one should go by whatever the person in question identifies as. *NM* Ghavrel - 24/07/2013 06:13:28 AM 384 Views
I noticed the press wasn't aboard with idea when it came to Zimmerman random thoughts - 24/07/2013 12:49:00 PM 802 Views
Which is silly, because anyone can be racist. You are right, though. *NM* Ghavrel - 24/07/2013 10:32:55 PM 375 Views
No, only white people can be racist. /sarcasm Macharius - 25/07/2013 04:38:13 PM 837 Views
No, not really. Ghavrel - 26/07/2013 07:40:45 AM 743 Views
I've thought about this a lot recently (prejudice + power = racism). nossy - 26/07/2013 10:36:16 AM 1003 Views
so some liberal ivory tower racist redefined the word to mean they were no racist random thoughts - 26/07/2013 01:16:48 PM 821 Views
My reply to Nossy above. Avendesora - 24/07/2013 02:25:49 PM 794 Views
As always, the voice of reason when I am about to discount the US as fucking mental. *NM* ironclad - 21/07/2013 03:17:15 PM 366 Views
That's not very nice. MrFarstrider - 21/07/2013 09:03:55 PM 900 Views
No, probably not. ironclad - 21/07/2013 10:01:36 PM 818 Views
Its unfortunate you see us the way you do MrFarstrider - 22/07/2013 06:05:30 AM 860 Views
So Obama smoked weed, punched school bus drivers, and got arrested for theft? Anonymous2000 - 21/07/2013 05:10:26 AM 790 Views
No, but he could have. jh - 21/07/2013 01:08:26 PM 747 Views
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