Obama: ‘Trayvon Martin could have been me’

Hellsangel wrote:Sorry. Found it way before you posted it and was discussing it with someone:

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

southindian wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:Sorry. Found it way before you posted it and was discussing it with someone:

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

I'd call it damage control before the next elections. Need to keep the electorate in the barn.

confuzzled dude wrote:“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” Obama said in extensive remarks that were deeply personal and reflective. “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 — that doesn’t go away.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/07/19/obama-on-trayvon-martin-historical-context-important/?hpid=z1

-> Posting this here, as HA may not find this on Fox

pravalika nanda wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” Obama said in extensive remarks that were deeply personal and reflective. “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 — that doesn’t go away.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/07/19/obama-on-trayvon-martin-historical-context-important/?hpid=z1

-> Posting this here, as HA may not find this on Fox

 ** Not sure why he thought to make that speech (apparently he did it w/o a tele-prompter). And how could he, the son of a white banker be anything like Travyon Martin? Do you think he's going to lose the support of Hispanics? They did a poll several years ago and found that Hispanics were more distrustful and suspicious of African Americans than any other group of Americans. And I think that's why Zimmerman followed TM.

goodcitizn wrote:

pravalika nanda wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” Obama said in extensive remarks that were deeply personal and reflective. “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 — that doesn’t go away.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/07/19/obama-on-trayvon-martin-historical-context-important/?hpid=z1

-> Posting this here, as HA may not find this on Fox

 ** Not sure why he thought to make that speech (apparently he did it w/o a tele-prompter). And how could he, the son of a white banker be anything like Travyon Martin? Do you think he's going to lose the support of Hispanics? They did a poll several years ago and found that Hispanics were more distrustful and suspicious of African Americans than any other group of Americans. And I think that's why Zimmerman followed TM.

Obama is not the son of a white banker. His father was a black Kenyan gevernment economist.

confuzzled dude wrote:

goodcitizn wrote:

pravalika nanda wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” Obama said in extensive remarks that were deeply personal and reflective. “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 — that doesn’t go away.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/07/19/obama-on-trayvon-martin-historical-context-important/?hpid=z1

-> Posting this here, as HA may not find this on Fox

 ** Not sure why he thought to make that speech (apparently he did it w/o a tele-prompter). And how could he, the son of a white banker be anything like Travyon Martin? Do you think he's going to lose the support of Hispanics? They did a poll several years ago and found that Hispanics were more distrustful and suspicious of African Americans than any other group of Americans. And I think that's why Zimmerman followed TM.

Obama is not the son of a white banker. His father was a black Kenyan gevernment economist.

She meant his mother.

confuzzled dude wrote:“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” Obama said in extensive remarks that were deeply personal and reflective. “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 — that doesn’t go away.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/07/19/obama-on-trayvon-martin-historical-context-important/?hpid=z1

-> Posting this here, as HA may not find this on Fox

Kris wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” Obama said in extensive remarks that were deeply personal and reflective. “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 — that doesn’t go away.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/07/19/obama-on-trayvon-martin-historical-context-important/?hpid=z1

-> Posting this here, as HA may not find this on Fox

>>>>I agree with the bolded part above. I don't blame them for being distrustful of the system.

goodcitizn wrote:

Kris wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” Obama said in extensive remarks that were deeply personal and reflective. “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 — that doesn’t go away.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/07/19/obama-on-trayvon-martin-historical-context-important/?hpid=z1

-> Posting this here, as HA may not find this on Fox

>>>>I agree with the bolded part above. I don't blame them for being distrustful of the system.

I also think that there is some merit to the argument that if the kid had been white wearing the same exact clothing and looking at houses as he walked by, Zimmerman would not have called 911 or followed him. Seems like he automatically assumed that african americans were trespassers in that gated community. I haven't read anything about how many black families reside there either.

bw wrote:

goodcitizn wrote:

Kris wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” Obama said in extensive remarks that were deeply personal and reflective. “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 — that doesn’t go away.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/07/19/obama-on-trayvon-martin-historical-context-important/?hpid=z1

-> Posting this here, as HA may not find this on Fox

>>>>I agree with the bolded part above. I don't blame them for being distrustful of the system.

I also think that there is some merit to the argument that if the kid had been white wearing the same exact clothing and looking at houses as he walked by, Zimmerman would not have called 911 or followed him. Seems like he automatically assumed that african americans were trespassers in that gated community. I haven't read anything about how many black families reside there either.

i have been watching the series "eyes on the prize" with my kids. it is quite shocking how bad things were in the southern states just 50 years ago!

Idéfix wrote:

bw wrote:

goodcitizn wrote:

Kris wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:“Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,” Obama said in extensive remarks that were deeply personal and reflective. “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 — that doesn’t go away.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/07/19/obama-on-trayvon-martin-historical-context-important/?hpid=z1

-> Posting this here, as HA may not find this on Fox

>>>>I agree with the bolded part above. I don't blame them for being distrustful of the system.

I also think that there is some merit to the argument that if the kid had been white wearing the same exact clothing and looking at houses as he walked by, Zimmerman would not have called 911 or followed him. Seems like he automatically assumed that african americans were trespassers in that gated community. I haven't read anything about how many black families reside there either.

i have been watching the series "eyes on the prize" with my kids. it is quite shocking how bad things were in the southern states just 50 years ago!

Eyes on the Prize is a fantastic series. I just got it on DVD last month and watched it again. I hope they show it to all schoolchildren in this country. When I watch the footage of SNCC's lunch counter protests and compare that to the America that I experience, I am struck by how much has changed. And then cases like this -- and the one about the Oscar Grant shooting -- remind me what has not changed.

bw wrote:

Idéfix wrote:

bw wrote:

goodcitizn wrote:

Kris wrote:

>>>>I agree with the bolded part above. I don't blame them for being distrustful of the system.

I also think that there is some merit to the argument that if the kid had been white wearing the same exact clothing and looking at houses as he walked by, Zimmerman would not have called 911 or followed him. Seems like he automatically assumed that african americans were trespassers in that gated community. I haven't read anything about how many black families reside there either.

i have been watching the series "eyes on the prize" with my kids. it is quite shocking how bad things were in the southern states just 50 years ago!

Eyes on the Prize is a fantastic series. I just got it on DVD last month and watched it again. I hope they show it to all schoolchildren in this country. When I watch the footage of SNCC's lunch counter protests and compare that to the America that I experience, I am struck by how much has changed. And then cases like this -- and the one about the Oscar Grant shooting -- remind me what has not changed.

we watched the episode covering the lunch counter sit-ins and freedom riders just yesterday - it is hard for a society to completely get rid of its prejudices in 50 years.

Kris wrote:
>>>It seems to be more of a one-step forward and two-steps backward when it comes to black rights. Still, there has been significant progress since the 60's. Of course, in light of the Zimmerman trial, the idea of a post-racial America seems to ring a bit hollow at least as it pertains to African-Americans.

confuzzled dude wrote:

Kris wrote:
>>>It seems to be more of a one-step forward and two-steps backward when it comes to black rights. Still, there has been significant progress since the 60's. Of course, in light of the Zimmerman trial, the idea of a post-racial America seems to ring a bit hollow at least as it pertains to African-Americans.

It takes two to tango. Unfortunately, black community has a lot of work to do to shed the baggage, especially parents; until then incidents such as this are bound to happen and innocent black kids will be the victims. Folks in DC suburbs are worried about metrorail expansion which is underway they feel this provides the folks in the city instant access to their communities which will make them less safe thus devalue their properties. You can't blame them as racists as there is some truth in it.

truthbetold wrote:Kris and bw,
I agree with your comments.
change management is part of my professional life.  In a highly controlled corporate world with consequences for non compliance,  change takes time. Change needs patience. Sometimes those who refuse to change hide their feelings and attack the message through code words ( an example in politics,  they use state rights to stall federal help to stop discrimination).
Even after a long time,  one can find remnants of discorded ideas in some pockets with dangerous consequences.
I put Zimmerman in a class of yet to be reformed. This group is in low double digit % of all America.

Kris wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:

Kris wrote:
>>>It seems to be more of a one-step forward and two-steps backward when it comes to black rights. Still, there has been significant progress since the 60's. Of course, in light of the Zimmerman trial, the idea of a post-racial America seems to ring a bit hollow at least as it pertains to African-Americans.

It takes two to tango. Unfortunately, black community has a lot of work to do to shed the baggage, especially parents; until then incidents such as this are bound to happen and innocent black kids will be the victims. Folks in DC suburbs are worried about metrorail expansion which is underway they feel this provides the folks in the city instant access to their communities which will make them less safe thus devalue their properties. You can't blame them as racists as there is some truth in it.

>>>>It is a weird dance, if you think about it. It was set in motion by the events that took place starting in slavery through the early 60's. There has been substantial progress since then, but the entrenched beliefs can't be overcome completely within a generation or two. You also have an economic angle to this. The majority can't be expected to not have resentments over amends for past wrongs which they did not commit. There is also  a higher family breakdown within the balck community which perpetuates the misery. The Zimmermans of the world and the leeway given to them by the system just add insult to injury.

confuzzled dude wrote:

Kris wrote:
>>>It seems to be more of a one-step forward and two-steps backward when it comes to black rights. Still, there has been significant progress since the 60's. Of course, in light of the Zimmerman trial, the idea of a post-racial America seems to ring a bit hollow at least as it pertains to African-Americans.

It takes two to tango. Unfortunately, black community has a lot of work to do to shed the baggage, especially parents; until then incidents such as this are bound to happen and innocent black kids will be the victims. Folks in DC suburbs are worried about metrorail expansion which is underway they feel this provides the folks in the city instant access to their communities which will make them less safe thus devalue their properties. You can't blame them as racists as there is some truth in it.

bw wrote:
we watched the episode covering the lunch counter sit-ins and freedom riders just yesterday - it is hard for a society to completely get rid of its prejudices in 50 years.

Hellsangel wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:

Kris wrote:
>>>It seems to be more of a one-step forward and two-steps backward when it comes to black rights. Still, there has been significant progress since the 60's. Of course, in light of the Zimmerman trial, the idea of a post-racial America seems to ring a bit hollow at least as it pertains to African-Americans.

It takes two to tango. Unfortunately, black community has a lot of work to do to shed the baggage, especially parents; until then incidents such as this are bound to happen and innocent black kids will be the victims. Folks in DC suburbs are worried about metrorail expansion which is underway they feel this provides the folks in the city instant access to their communities which will make them less safe thus devalue their properties. You can't blame them as racists as there is some truth in it.

Riiiiight! It is not racism when it involves us. We have perfectly justifiable reasons.

confuzzled dude wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:

Kris wrote:
>>>It seems to be more of a one-step forward and two-steps backward when it comes to black rights. Still, there has been significant progress since the 60's. Of course, in light of the Zimmerman trial, the idea of a post-racial America seems to ring a bit hollow at least as it pertains to African-Americans.

It takes two to tango. Unfortunately, black community has a lot of work to do to shed the baggage, especially parents; until then incidents such as this are bound to happen and innocent black kids will be the victims. Folks in DC suburbs are worried about metrorail expansion which is underway they feel this provides the folks in the city instant access to their communities which will make them less safe thus devalue their properties. You can't blame them as racists as there is some truth in it.

Riiiiight! It is not racism when it involves us. We have perfectly justifiable reasons.

Surprise! Surprise! expected response  FYI, it doesn't involve/affect me nor reduce my property value. I was merely saying what I heard from the folks around.

Hellsangel wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:

Riiiiight! It is not racism when it involves us. We have perfectly justifiable reasons.

Surprise! Surprise! expected response :PFYI, it doesn't involve/affect me nor reduce my property value. I was merely saying what I heard from the folks around.

Yep. It only reduces the property values of the folks around you. Not your property value.

confuzzled dude wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:

Riiiiight! It is not racism when it involves us. We have perfectly justifiable reasons.

Surprise! Surprise! expected response :PFYI, it doesn't involve/affect me nor reduce my property value. I was merely saying what I heard from the folks around.

Yep. It only reduces the property values of the folks around you. Not your property value.

DC metro area is of decent size, average commute is about 25-30 miles each way. In the city itself there are certain pockets that are booming, so don't take it literally and assume I was talking about subdivisions around me.

MaxEntropy_Man wrote:i thought obama's reflections were borne out of deeply felt personal experiences. he spoke without notes, though he was very measured. he was speaking as a black man, and not necessarily as a president or even a politician for a good part of his remarks. only the most hardened partisan would put a political spin on this.

confuzzled dude wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:

Hellsangel wrote:

Riiiiight! It is not racism when it involves us. We have perfectly justifiable reasons.

Surprise! Surprise! expected response :PFYI, it doesn't involve/affect me nor reduce my property value. I was merely saying what I heard from the folks around.

Yep. It only reduces the property values of the folks around you. Not your property value.

DC metro area is of decent size, average commute is about 25-30 miles each way. In the city itself there are certain pockets that are booming, so don't take it literally and assume I was talking about subdivisions around me.

Rishi wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:
DC metro area is of decent size, average commute is about 25-30 miles each way. In the city itself there are certain pockets that are booming, so don't take it literally and assume I was talking about subdivisions around me.

 I was surrounded by whites 15 years ago. Then when blacks started moving in, almost all the white families moved within a couple of years. The irony is that now there are only two white families in my neighborhood. And they are both Christian fundamentalists!

nevada wrote:Why look at only the negative? The reality is that Travyon Martin could have been Obama, whose race didn't stop him from ascending to the highest political office in the US.

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:

nevada wrote:Why look at only the negative? The reality is that Travyon Martin could have been Obama, whose race didn't stop him from ascending to the highest political office in the US.

Trevon is NOT Obama...

Obama had a white mother and brought up by a white grandma...and his own black father was a PhD. Obama is black ???? yep...50% but he is also 50% white. he may be CONSIDERED black, think and feel like a Black, but he was brought up in a white environment - away from slums, drugs, and gangs.

Simply put Zimmerman stood his ground and had the right to. But what about Travyon ? doesn't he have a right stand his ground, and did not he "feel" threatened ? If Zimmbo had stayed in his car and Trayvon had approached the car, there is reason for Zimmbo to feel threatened.

If Zimmerman had been black and Trayvon had been white the verdict wld hv been different.

White won over black in this case. plain and simple. If I had been a juror, this could have ended in a hung jury at the minimum or Zimmbo would have been in the slammer.

Rishi wrote:

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:

nevada wrote:Why look at only the negative? The reality is that Travyon Martin could have been Obama, whose race didn't stop him from ascending to the highest political office in the US.

Trevon is NOT Obama...

Obama had a white mother and brought up by a white grandma...and his own black father was a PhD. Obama is black ???? yep...50% but he is also 50% white. he may be CONSIDERED black, think and feel like a Black, but he was brought up in a white environment - away from slums, drugs, and gangs.

Simply put Zimmerman stood his ground and had the right to. But what about Travyon ? doesn't he have a right stand his ground, and did not he "feel" threatened ? If Zimmbo had stayed in his car and Trayvon had approached the car, there is reason for Zimmbo to feel threatened.

If Zimmerman had been black and Trayvon had been white the verdict wld hv been different.

White won over black in this case. plain and simple. If I had been a juror, this could have ended in a hung jury at the minimum or Zimmbo would have been in the slammer.

 Saamiyaar,

Obama Sr. was not allowed to finish his Ph.D He was kicked out of Harvard.


http://www.mediaite.com/online/report-documents-suggest-barack-obamas-father-was-forced-to-leave-harvard/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/8481779/Barack-Obamas-father-forced-out-of-US-in-1960s.html

nevada wrote:Why look at only the negative? The reality is that Travyon Martin could have been Obama, whose race didn't stop him from ascending to the highest political office in the US.