I think he handled this extremely well, stressing that we need to diligently investigate the facts and expressing empathy toward the parents of the dead young man. (I'm avoiding writing "boy," but I see many people including Obama are calling this 17-year-old a "boy," presumably out of empathy, but in my mind, there is discordance with the old problem of overusing the term "boy," and I just can't write it.)
Obama didn't bring up the topic himself:
Mr. Obama was asked about his feelings regarding the case during the announcement of a new president for the World Bank in the Rose Garden Friday morning.So he knew it would be asked or at least anticipated it. (At most: his people planted it.)
The president often appears perturbed when he gets off-topic questions at ceremonial events, but on Friday, he seemed eager to address the case....
... which has quickly developed into an urgent cause in the African American community. He cautioned that his comments would be limited because the Justice Department is investigating. But he talked at length about his personal feelings about the case.He said: “When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids” and “You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
He did a much better job here than he did in the Henry Louis Gates incident, where he made assumptions and blurted out "it's fair to say... that the Cambridge police acted stupidly." It wasn't fair to say.
I was struck earlier this morning by what Glenn Reynolds wrote (before Obama made his statement):
... I am puzzled by one thing: Dem groups are flogging this because they think it’s good for them, but how can it help Obama — who ran as a post-racial figure who would help America put its racial divisions to bed, a sort of anti-Al Sharpton — to have Al Sharpton leading protests and Louis Farrakhan threatening violence?These are all good questions, and they explain why Obama needed to step in and try to take control of the discourse around this volatile topic. To my ear, his words have a calming, moderating effect, but we don't all hear him the same way, I've noticed time and again.
Sure, it stirs up the base, or part of it anyway — how Florida Latino voters respond may be different — but doesn’t it just add to the unfavorable contrast between Obama 2008 and Obama in 2012? Or are Sharpton, et al., basically tossing Obama’s interests aside to pursue their own? And is that some sort of indicator itself?
Posts
198 comments:
It's always a national news story when a black "youth" is killed. Good thing it doesn't happen very often.
He said: “When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids” and “You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
Good post, Ann, but I'm surprised you went right past this statement without identifying it for the pandering it actually is. And stupid to boot. Look like him? In what way other than non-white or non-hispanic? His nose? Skin tone? Height? Ears?
Pandering.
It's a very restrained statement. Very careful. And he was forced into having to talk about this. Relating the matter to his own personal experience, to his own children, is standard political rhetoric, and he handled it well.
The extra reference to his own race, which happened to be possible, was subtle and an example of the kind of racial unification we hoped for when he was elected.
Why does Obama think his son would look like Trayvon Martin?
Oh, I see, he's doing that racial thing again.
Never let a crisis go to waste, right Obama?
I don't doubt for an instant Axelrod sat him down and told him word for word what to say, lest we have a replay of the Gates thing, with Zero alienating half the "typical white persons" in the country.
From what little I've seen of the story, it sounds like the black people there are behaving responsibly and Fat Albert may not be able to gin this up into another Crown Heights.
It's a fake crisis in the first place, is what Obama should have said.
It's the media selling viewers for advertising dollars.
How about some post media healing.
"He said: “When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids” and “You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
Maybe Obama has laid some pipe in his past too?
But actually it a wink to the black community, and as Scott M says pandering. This "The extra reference to his own race, which happened to be possible, was subtle and an example of the kind of racial unification we hoped for when he was elected" makes no sense. "which happened to be possible"...what the hell does even mean?
the kind of racial unification we hoped for
Which will only occur when skin color is as relevant as hair color.
"He's black like me" won't get you there. Not even close.
The extra reference to his own race, which happened to be possible, was subtle and an example of the kind of racial unification we hoped for when he was elected.
His own race? He's half-white, remember? A unification would not require pointing it out. In a unified country he would just talk about a father's anguish over the loss of a son, not the fact that kid had roughly the same skin color.
Has anyone even seen a picture of the kid? Is his skin tone, in fact, the same?
I believe most of the answer was fine, but that extra little racial tidbit just spoiled the whole bowl of porridge.
I stick by my pandering assessment.
I didn't watch -- did he say Let me be clear?
This is certainly a tragedy; but is it really a national news story, let alone something that POTUS should even address?
One kid was killed. Yes, that's awful. I can't imagine what it must be like to be his parents.
But aren't there about 40 murders every single day in the US? What makes this one so much more important than the others?
I believe, Ann, you're missing the point and objective. This is merely another distraction from Obama's abject failures.
Expect more race issues to be amplified as we approach November.
It's all the left has to run on.
That and the absurdly named war on women.
Whites getting beat to a pulp by blacks in Philadelphia? Not worthy of the president's attention or comment.
But anything to energize the blacks to get out and vote will be front page and prime time.
This has all the signs of Axelrod's strategy being to run on race and race alone.
Take this and the black Florida student that lost her bearing in class and it all looks to me like this will be an ugly, ugly, ugly election.
As someone said, con man gotta con. I suspect the SCOAMF has as much empathy for Mr. Martin as he does for anybody whom he doesn't see looking back at him in the mirror every day - that is to say, none.
But WTF is he - or any president doing addressing this? He's supposed to be handling matters of state, not be some national Oprah. And I'd say that even if it were Ronaldus Maximus getting the question.
Well, since no friends of the President are involved directly, perhaps is was easier for him to not speak too rashly.
That, and he doesn't want to be seen (or wants being seen not) inflaming racial tensions.
Or both factors combined.
It's also possible that the President learned not to speak to rapidly in a situation which has lots of press coverage and an ongoing Police investigation.
I don't know what the cause is, but I do like Obama's reticence to make a bold statement about who is at fault in this situation.
lost her bearing is an interesting way to describe assault and battery. That incident begs for its own thread, though.
Yup, this will be yet another corpse the Demcorats use as a poltical prop for their pep rally.
"We will win!"
"We will win!"
"We will win!"
He shouted from atop Paul Wellstone's casket.
A restrained, careful statement would be:
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Trayvon Martin and his family. We are calling for a thorough investigation into this matter so that justice is done"
President Obama saying "“When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids” and “You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.” ... is NOT restrained or careful. It is :
A)personal (not restrained) AND
B)racial(not very careful).
He clearly wanted to make this at least partially about him and racial politics. I don't understand his inability to resist the temptation of making every issue be about himself.
Yes, distraction is the MSM obsession at the moment. Aren't we still having economic problems and aren't we still headed toward a cliff with a debt that NOBODY can explain how we will survive.
As to the distraction: I find it really disappointing how many Blacks have jumped on this regardless of the evidence. I just see a lynch mob, every bit as evil as the old ones, and with the same motivation.
I guess that proves we are all created equal - equally weak at least.
Where did Insty get the notion that Sharpton and Farrakhan have ever been out for anyone but themselves?
Who forced Urkel to comment about an alleged murder of a 17 year old? Oh, he's black. Check.
“You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
This is a brilliant line, whether it was a from-the-heart, in-the-moment commment or something that was prepared knowing he'd ultimately be asked to weigh in on the situation.
But WTF is he - or any president doing addressing this?
He was asked. If he declined to answer you would be shrieking "SCOAMF !SCOAMF!"
“You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
The more I think about this statement, the more I'm convinced it was either a planted question, or he's only got one lens to see the world through.
Probably both with acting stupidly thrown in for good measure.
While I wasn't outraged or even upset by his statement, I think ALH has it right. He simply cannot not make everything about him.
Ann Althouse said...
(I'm avoiding writing "boy," but I see many people including Obama are calling this 17-year-old a "boy," presumably out of empathy, but in my mind, there is discordance with the old problem of overusing the term "boy," and I just can't write it.)
It's all context, If you say "boy", nobody is going to call you a racist.
This is a national story for three reasons.
1) It lets sanctimonious liberals suggest we still have horrific white on black race problems in this country.
2) It gives the black race hustlers like Sharpton and his ilk something to chew on, something they have been lacking since Rodney King.
3) The Democrats believe this is a pro-Obama story that will help to tilt the election in their favor because we must AGAIN atone for our sins by voting for BHO.
Some random white people,(perceived) will be beaten and/or killed.
The narrative must be maintained no matter what the cost.
"To my ear, his words have a calming, moderating effect, but we don't all hear him the same way, I've noticed time and again. "
Boy, ain't that the truth.
Oops, I said "boy". I meant B#y.
I guess he was "trying" to be careful - he didn't hold up a noose.
If the shooter turns out to be justified, as in he was attacked and beaten without threatening the victim first, I don't think this will end well. It might be more "calming" to just railroad him anyway. I think we would all feel better that way.
You know, don't we all long for a time to come when we can all mourn together for the young man who is now dead and for the family of the young man who are suffering so much?
Lib'tards and Democrats have worked so diligently and consistently to divide us around race, gender, sexual orientation. They have wielded the bullyHYPHEN so frequently.
Now, we have to watch a sad and disorienting situation descend instantly into the politics of our age.
And look. There is Sharpton. There is Jesse Jackson. Parasites who lurk the social waters, bottom feeding and doing their best to stir up the muck of identity politics.
From the comment instructions:
"Please prove you're not a robot"
Would a robot start swearing at having to enter captchas three different times even though they're pretty easy to read and I'm sure I got them right?
I'm not a robot and I've got the blood pressure to prove it.
This is crazy. In Florida, a young man kills a younger man under suspicious circumstances and, in response, a thousand people not wearing hoodies (but referring to themselves as a million hoodies) march on a police station in New York City.
And now the President has to make a statement.
Why?
As Sorun said first, good thing young black males don't get killed very often. Who'd have time for anything else if it were otherwise?
I think he's saying that we only care about people who look like us, and that the white male justice system won't take proper care of the incident, but that he, because he looks like Trayvon, will insist that they do their job in spite of their propensity to not want to do their job. It's a very clear set of implications. He's again saying the police and the justice system are acting stupidly, and in a biased manner. It's the same racial division thing as the Crowley case.
Not sure why this merits a response by DC. Wasn't sure in the case of Terri Schiavo either.
Florida events turn people into butt-inskys, I guess.
Were Obama's "careful" words selected because the shooter "looks like" the racial voting block he needs to have any chance of winning November's election?
We'll see if Zimmerman's culpability for this homicide dissolves instead into an attack on Florida's "stand your ground" law and law enforcement for failing to bring charges.
What I doubt will ever be considered is whether law enforcement should've brought charges but didn't precisely because law enforcement is hostile to the "stand your ground law" and wanted a backlash and used this kid's death for that purpose.
Wouldn't fit the narrative.
I would hope Obama would have told his imaginary son that because so many other young black men engage in violent crime that it is not a good idea to walk around at night through a nice neighborhood in a hoodie. It is even more dumb to get aggressive with someone who is out trying to protect the community from the plague that his imaginary son's peers have inflicted on this society.
That is reality.
Racial unification?
Then why did he bring up the victim's appearance would look like his son?
The empathy for this young teen stalked and killed by a pretend policeman and having his crime instantly covered up and approved by the Seminole County Police officials has to upset anyone.
It's not racial except in the memory of similar experiences of black men in general who are often treated as if they are guilty of something for living in poor neighborhoods.
This kid was found guilty and executed for walking around his own upscale neighborhood wearing the wrong clothes: a hoodie on a rainy cold day and brown skin.
The Police Chief says on reflection that he will take a paid leave and do and say nothing about the murder.
Huh? That is exactly what he has been doing for the last 4 weeks That's what has everybody incensed by his non-actions.
It's Florida, Jake.
He was asked. If he declined to answer, you'd be shrieking "SCOAMF!SCOAMF!"
You can't read well, can you, asshat? I wrote quite clearly that no president should be addressing this kind of nonsense, especially when it has all the makings of a lynch mob ready to hang Zimmerman, no matter what.
Had Obama said "I appreciate the question, and my prayers go out to Mr. Martin's family, it's really not a subject I should be speaking on", I'd have - for once - applauded him.
Go piss up a rope, jackhole.
Then why did he bring up the victim's appearance would look like his son?
DING DING DING DING
I'm still curious why anyone would think something so obviously divisive is unifying.
Your last paragraph is precisely the point. Obama *does* sometimes say good and right things. I thought his post-Arizona shootings speech was excellent.
The problems are (1) everything *else* he says contradicts or undermines his good words and (2) everything else he *does* {ditto}.
When you have a man who 90% of the time says and does things that are divisive, dishonest, disingenuous, and even downright stupid - it's hard to take too seriously the genuinely good and right things he sometimes says.
"... Then why did he bring up the victim's appearance would look like his son?.."
I thought that was a weird comment too. I mean aside from skin tone its an odd thing to say.
Then again it may just be classic Obama having to say look at meeeeee!
The victim's killer looks kinda like Chaz Bono. Is that significant? Shouldn't we be talking about that? What does it say about us as a society?!? (facepalm)
I've seen "SCOAMF" several times in the last couple days, always used with the assumption that everybody reading knows what it means.
I can usually figure out the various POTUS witticisms, but this one has me stumped.
What does SCOAMF mean?
I'd have - for once - applauded him.
No you wouldn't have. You don't have it in you.
Besides being black, the kid was also tall and skinny, so, yes, any son of Obama and Michelle probably would have had that in common with him.
That said, his remarks fed into the media narrative abuilding and propely he should have stayed out of it. But few people behave properly these days.
Tim: It stands for "Stuttering Clusterfuck of a Miserable Failure" (instead of POTUS) and originated at Ace of Spades, in their comments sections, I believe.
Probably that Empire of Jeff guy, but I'm not sure.
"tim maguire said...
I've seen "SCOAMF" several times in the last couple days, always used with the assumption that everybody reading knows what it means.
I can usually figure out the various POTUS witticisms, but this one has me stumped.
What does SCOAMF mean?"
This!
You should also google google
As usual, all InstaPundit cares about is spin and partisan politics.
I don't like it when people bring their own kids into another parents' traumatic experience.
Of course parents always think of their own children, but that isn't why we should have empathy for someone else. Someone without children can imagine the pain of the parents who suffered the loss/injustice just as well. No need to one-up them.
Actually, Obama is half-Kenyan. He doesn't have what I'd consider to be classic African American features, few of whom have Kenyan (or even North African in general) ancestry.
I haven't seen a photo of the victim of this shooting, but I doubt that he looks much like Obama.
Maybe to Obama's white half, all African Americans look alike.
Is it a given you have more empathy for someone of the same race?
Is that what Obama and Althouse are saying?
The reason people feel comfortable calling him "boy" is because the media kept showing a photo of him taken when he *was* still a boy.
Took me a while to realize he was actually 17.
The cynic in me says planted question, and prepared answer--Mr Obama's internal polling may tell him the black voting block may not be monolithic and he has to shore up one of his last remaining constituencies.
@ Tin
S tuttering
C luster Foxtrot
O f
A
M iserable
F ailure
"No you wouldn't have. You don't have it in you."
-- Conservatives have routinely given Obama credit where it is due (namely in his not-so-different-than-Bush foreign policy developments). Conservatives have shown they are more than willing to give ideological opponents plaudits when they do something they agree with. So, it is rather disingenuous to claim otherwise.
"The reason people feel comfortable calling him "boy" is because the media kept showing a photo of him taken when he *was* still a boy.
Took me a while to realize he was actually 17."
-- 17 is too young to be an adult; I guess, young man is a good compromise, especially since, now that I think about it, boy might not sound quite right. When I think of a boy, I think of someone still single digits or early teens. I think I had been using kid? I don't remember.
Maybe teenager?
If Mr Obama would show the same sympathy to the scores of young black men killed in Memphis every year, his words might have been more convincing.
He's a racial huckster, just not quite as egregious as Sharpton and Jackson.
"I appreciate the question, and my prayers go out to Mr. Martin's family, it's really not a subject I should be speaking on"
That is exactly how the president should have answered. It is not his place to inject himself into a situation like this. It would have sent a message to everyone involved to back off and let the investigation take its course with a minimum of political interference.
Presidents should not speak on legal matters that are not the direct purvey of their administration. For those of you old enough, remember when Nixon expressed his opinion of Charles Manson's guilt before Manson was tried? The media blew a gasket over that. A president should not be opining on such matters.
Here's some background and perspective.
Take away? "But there are times when the public is perfectly capable of sorting out its own feelings without being led from the bully pulpit. This is one of them."
There's also the variation "Stuttering Clusterfuck of a Miserable Tyrant", but I don't think that one really captures the essence of fecklessness and stink of flop sweat that surrounds and defines the Obama presidency.
What does SCOAMF mean?"
Acronym for weak minded losers. Used as a type of gang sign language to trumpet to other losers of your presence on loser website comment sections.
See also Keyboard Kommandos, and 101st Chairborne
traditionalguy said...
The empathy for this young teen stalked and killed by a pretend policeman and having his crime instantly covered up and approved by the Seminole County Police officials has to upset anyone.
It's not racial except in the memory of similar experiences of black men in general who are often treated as if they are guilty of something for living in poor neighborhoods.
This kid was found guilty and executed for walking around his own upscale neighborhood wearing the wrong clothes: a hoodie on a rainy cold day and brown skin.
The Police Chief says on reflection that he will take a paid leave and do and say nothing about the murder.
Huh? That is exactly what he has been doing for the last 4 weeks That's what has everybody incensed by his non-actions.
It's Florida, Jake.
3/23/12 11:12 AM
Thank you for giving us the God's eyes view of the matter thus sparing us the drudgery of waiting for the police and prosecutor's doing their jobs. Lets not waste anymore time and lets get the lynch party organized.
garage mahal said...
What does SCOAMF mean?"
Acronym for weak minded losers. Used as a type of gang sign language to trumpet to other losers of your presence on loser website comment sections.
See also Keyboard Kommandos, and 101st Chairborne
3/23/12 11:41 AM
Another progressive projecting and self describing.
And he was forced into having to talk about this.
Had to laugh at that. Good grief, Althouse! We're talking about the President of the United States here. Nobody forces him to say anything he doesn't want to say. Don't try to tell us that the press worked him into a corner, and he was forced to make the statement he did. That's bullshit of the purest ray serene. C'mon!
I go have to agree with posters who are saying that even if his answer was a sincere attempt at what he suspects is empathy, he fails at both having empathy, and sincerity.
This is a classic example of the, and I use this term with trepidation, "boy" who cried wolf.
In my eyes, because he is a politician, and a lawyer, he has 2 strikes against him for truth telling to start off. His past performance while on the national scene has merely confirmed my admittedly bias view point(against lawyers and politicians) As I told my wife, MF'er could be purple, I don't care. I hate his policies.(I loath most politicians).
Bill said...
The victim's killer looks kinda like Chaz Bono. Is that significant? Shouldn't we be talking about that? What does it say about us as a society?!? (facepalm)
The killer (alleged killer/suspect), despite the last name (Zimmerman), looks and is Hispanic.
There's a conundrum the Demos and the media don't want to deal with.
"... So, it is rather disingenuous to claim otherwise."
Heh, consider who you're responding to.
"The killer (alleged killer/suspect)"
-- He -is- the killer, by his own admission. Whether the killing broke any laws is what the debate is about.
So, you can say Zimmerman killed Trayvon, but Zimmerman is not (in a purely, AP style legalese mind you) a murderer.
The extra reference to his own race, which happened to be possible, was subtle and an example of the kind of racial unification we hoped for when he was elected.
So a white president couldn't sufficiently address the shooting of an unarmed young man and the lack of police investigation into the incident?
That's the opposite of unification.
(I'd like to point out that anybody of any race could conceivably have a son of another race if they choose the right co-parent.
Could Obama's mother have said, "If I had a son, he would look just like Treyvon Martin"? or "If I had a son, he would look just like Barack Obama"?)
Josh Earnest whispered something pre-press briefing today to the NBC reporter who asked the question.
Heh.
Planted. The "my son would look like him" was rehearsed. Gross.
Matthew said...
The killer (alleged killer/suspect)
-- He -is- the killer, by his own admission. Whether the killing broke any laws is what the debate is about.
Last I heard, we're supposed to say "alleged" until the judge says otherwise.
At least, that's what the ACLU always told me.
Acronym for weak minded losers.
My, we're a bit pissier than usual today, garage. What happened - Walker egg your house last night while the Koch brothers keyed your car?
I grant you, SCOAMF isn't as snappy as Democrat kneeslappers like "teabagger" or "BusHitler," but we try.
Kabuki race pandering.
OFCOURSE, the question was asked.
The conventional unwisdom is that this was a racial incident and that racial incidents help Obama.
OFCOURSE, Obama answered the question on a personal level (narcissists so rarely relate everything to themselves) instead of simply expressing condolences to the Martin family.
The conventional unwisdom is that he's a racial unifier.
Nothing good ever comes of Obama bigfooting into a local issue. Or any issue for that matter.
This situation is starting to remind of the Duke Lacross "rape" allegation. Probably best to let the investigation proceed, except the revs Jackson and Sharpton are down there flinging shit, and the President has commented upon it (although thankfully without rendering a judgment)
Odds are that the Holden Justice Dept will prosecute a civil rights violation regardless of the outcome of the investigation. That would be consistent with Holder's racial politics.
This case won't effect the re-election campaign in any significant way. Obama needs to carry the states won by Kerry and a couple of others. The Kerry states are filled with dupes and are probably safe for The Won. He then needs a couple of swing states where he can focus his attention and money and the efforts of the lapdog mediaswine.
Nobody cares about the post-racial myth. This president is the most divisive in modern times and the mediaswine haven't commented yet.
"Last I heard, we're supposed to say "alleged" until the judge says otherwise.
At least, that's what the ACLU always told me."
Ah, yes. He is an -alleged- murderer, if you want. The alleged is so that journalists do not have to worry about slander/libel/etc. They are merely reporting the person is accused of a crime or believed to have committed it. It is also important because people get alleged of things without it being true (see all of the Duke lacrosse players who, I'm sure, a lot of people wish they had referred to it as an alleged rape while it was in dispute instead of saying a rape did occur.)
In this case, Zimmerman has admitted to the killing, but with the claim of self-defense. Therefore, you can say he killed Martin, but not that he murdered him.
But, this is all just being overly picky about words.
Not saying that this justifies the killing but the deceased was out on suspension for fighting and from an inner city school where gangs and fighting are not unheard of. Maybe Zimmerman went too far playing cop and gotten a beating from a Miami kid who isn't used to being questioned on anything.
Florida has a death penalty and if Zimmerman did indeed commit a capital crime he has a realistic probability of facing the death penalty. In the meantime lets wait for the facts to be disclosed.
The extra reference to his own race, which happened to be possible, was subtle and an example of the kind of racial unification we hoped for when he was elected.
It is the opposite that if he needed to unify, he should not have recognized the race aspect of this at all. Personalizing it to that extent almost makes it us (and I am one of you) versus them.
"Not saying that this justifies the killing but the deceased was out on suspension for fighting and from an inner city school where gangs and fighting are not unheard of."
-- That's new. As of yesterday, the only thing we had learned of Martin's school-related punishments involved excessive tardiness... which is really not that big of a deal in the grand cosmos. Got a link for this new allegation?
It is a sad fact that the "hoodie" has become the de facto uniform of the criminal class in this country and even abroad. They choose this garment for the same reason street thugs, foot-pads, highwaymen and stickup artists favored some form of hooded garment since time immemorial -- anonymity. It is also a sad fact that many young people have adopted the "thug" look even though they may have no untoward intentions whatsoever. Maybe this killing will take a bit of the glamour off the thug chic look.
Zimmerman would have likely challenged Martin no matter how he was dressed, though Martin did himself no favors by fitting the thug profile at least as far as wearing the uniform. From all accounts Zimmerman was a vigilante who phoned in dozens of spurious calls to the police about "suspicious characters" in his neighborhood, often abusing the 911 emergency system in the process.
To me the incident seems to be a kind Munchhausen by proxy event. Zimmerman wants to admired by the cops as a crime fighter. He wants disparately to catch a wanted criminal, a burglar or home invader, in the act, and thereby gain the respect and admiration he feels he deserves. So he challenges Martin, who rather stupidly in this case, stands on his rights to freely walk the streets of a gated community where he is an invited guest. One or both use some charged language. Fists fly. Zimmerman draws a pistol and shoots. A clear case of murder in the 2nd degree. Martin was the better balanced of the two, and as such ought to have tried to defused the situation as much as possible because Zimmerman was evidently inclined to ramp it up.
"Zimmerman would have likely challenged Martin no matter how he was dressed, though Martin did himself no favors by fitting the thug profile at least as far as wearing the uniform."
-- Hoodies are the new short skirts.
Could Obama have a son who looks like Darun Ravi?
Is his situation worth a presidential comment?
Holder's Injustice Department is on the case? Well then punctilious objectivity is guaranteed.
He has to tread lightly here because, horror of horrors, one of his constituents killed another of his constituents. Oh, and the killing constituent's cohorts do not much like the killed's cohorts. Actually they don't like them at all. This is a problem you should be aware of because you will not read or hear about it, the two being constituents and all.
It is a sad fact that the "hoodie" has become the de facto uniform of the criminal class in this country and even abroad.
Bill Belichick did get caught for cheating.
A cerveza summit wouldn't hurt.
It is IRRESPONSIBLE for a sitting President to weigh in on a case like this. Presidents of the past knew this. This one is looking to keep the white-hot fires of hate burning, to sow division and keep us at each other's throats. Divide, polarize - and offer soothing words on camera, knowing full well he is having the opposite effect.
It's really a remarkable skill. It always SOUNDS so good.
Someday, the full story of what is going on here will be written, by insiders who were part of the think-tanks and messaging teams, who calculate the response and help 'control the debate.'
It will be too late.
We now have a President who defends law-breakers - from Black Panther thugs, to illegal immigrants, to #Occupy. Who is standing up for law-abiding people?
CubanBob...The reason we have statutes for Manslaughter/Second Degree Murder and for Negligent Homocide is to make some allowances for stupid murders done by not totally bad guys, which seems to be what we have here.
But the lynch mob you cite arises when the Law Enforcement takes the month off and hides instead of risking doing the job that they are sworn to do by arresting and charging the Zimmermans and the Zantzingers of this world.
And lawyers need jobs too. That's what we do. The legal procedures over several years create a Tar Baby everyone is stuck in, and that alone stops vigilante actions.
The community in Florida is acting like Floridians act. They bond together against outsiders trespassing on what little they feel is theirs. The arrogant wealthy tourists and newcomer retirees taking over are hated, stalked and dealt with.
The black teens that are dressed as if they don't belong inside the gates are also hated, stalked and dealt with. Such conduct only wins approval from the local Floridians, as this Police Chief understands well.
OK, important question.
I've got a lot of hoodies. I love them. Maybe I should cut off the hoods, so as to avoid getting dead?
Wait, does this hoodie thing apply to white folk?
Holder.
OK, so the bigot of an attorney general is "on the job."
But who does he see as the bad guy? Is it the black guy or the latino? Yiiii. THIS is a conundrum (great word that) or even a dilemma.
Ah, another self-rationalization/deception post on the way to voting to re-elect Obama . . . .
Oh, he's so "careful" and "thoughtful."
Must have "dreamy," "cool," and "hip" scribbled on the Trapper Keeper.
Garage...The Jets need to hire Zimmerman and tell him that his job is to Watch The Neighborhood in Boston.
Bill Belichick will soon be found shot dead for attacking Zimmerman's sense of style. The Jets then get to the Super Bowl and this time Tebow humbles Tom Brady.
What Rose said--a great opportunity to shift, at least temporarily, the reality of high gas prices. Will be interesting to see how long this tedious story plays out. Its great fodder for cable news, and hyper partisans, but at the end of the week gas prices will still be rising. Shelf life of this story probably 72 hours.
Given the track record of the mainstream media,e.g. the revelations that the Journolist provided, there is not the tiniest doubt in my mind that this moment was staged with the complicity of NBC.
Tank:
Heh-I have a bunch of hoodies too and I am old white guy!
Thank you Pastafarian.
Curious George: Thank you for your input, but no, I will not google it, I will not research it, and I definitely will not go watch a video about it. When you take an inside joke outside, it is your responsibility to be clear to the outsiders.
It's not clear to me that he says "It's imperative to understand how this tragedy happened."
It's pretty clear. Suspicious guy with a gun confronts kid, kid mouths off to the guy (or worse), suspicious and angry guy shoots him.
I'm not saying the shooting was justified, that would depend on the "or worse" part and what the or worse was.
But presumably it didn't happen because guns are easy to get. Or because latinos have a deep seated hatred of black youth.
Unless you can show the shooter in question was always chasing away black kids with his gun or always raving about black kids, etc. then it's not a racial issue, but two scared/prideful/suspicious people confronting each other in the dark.
If you want to prevent things like this incident from happening you'd be better off having a curfew enforced... not saying we want to go there. But strangers in the night is more of a culprit than racism at this point.
The blogospheric fetishization of the black male body continues apace: black men are allegedly packed with fast-twitch muscle, have superior athleticism, and excellent street fighting skills.
I detect much homoerotic envy.
Hispanics make up 16.3% of the population, blacks 12.6%. Obama's counting votes. The son reference turns me off. He wasn't Obama's son. Trayvon was someone else's son and for better or for worse, they're the ones suffering, not Obama.
I actually have 2 sons. Whenever I hear of kids getting shot, killed, mutilated, etc, I am saddened and hope it never happens to one of my kids. I tell my big football player son to never threaten or get in a fight with someone because no one's going to "fight" him unless they have a knife, gun or other deadly weapon.
Overall, Obama did a respectful job on this. Sharpton, et al want a lynching. They couldn't care less about justice. As I pointed out yesterday, 93% of all blacks murdered are murdered by other blacks and blacks are 6 times more likely to be murdered than whites. Racism is a miniscule part of this particular problem.
in my mind, there is discordance with the old problem of overusing the term "boy,"
The 17 year old black man was killed by the 28 year old white boy.
The extra reference to his own race, which happened to be possible, was subtle
He couldn't have been less subtle if he'd said "Like me, Trayvon had one of these", and then whipped his dick out on live tv.
Peter: This is the second thread here where... you're the only one talking about that.
"I appreciate the question, and my prayers go out to Mr. Martin's family, it's really not a subject I should be speaking on"
Bingo. Instead he injects race into a homicide that may (or may not) involve race. It's horribly prejudicial.
All of his teachable moments sound like "you people need to improve."
And even if it is a racial crime, why highlight it? Why upset people and pound the racial drum?
People have killed each other over fucking tennis shoes.
"I wear tennis shoes. If I had a son, he would wear tennis shoes."
And of course that comment is utterly insensitive, right? I am mocking Obama and his narcissism, not to mention his racial politics.
But since he has tied himself to the victim, via skin color, now I am commenting on a homicide case in Florida.
Against my will! I couldn't help it!
By injecting himself into the controversy, Obama makes himself part of the controversy. So now, if I'm mocking Obama, I'm also being insensitive to a dead kid down in Florida. Great.
The blogospheric fetishization of the black male body continues apace: black men are allegedly packed with fast-twitch muscle, have superior athleticism, and excellent street fighting skills.
I detect much homoerotic envy.
How many different threads do you intend to post this comment in, Peter?
Can Obama ever avoid mentioning a racial issue? I think not. He panders to his most solid, racial, voting block. Obama's claim that he would move the country away from racial divisions was just one more lie.
He couldn't have been less subtle if he'd said "Like me, Trayvon had one of these", and then whipped his dick out on live tv.
That comments wins as far as I'm concerned.
Could Obama have a son who looks like Darun Ravi?
George Zimmerman is the child of parents from two different cultures, one of his parents was born outside the United States, and a lot of people are extremely angry with him right now.
I wonder if he reminds President Narcissus of anybody.
"And he was forced into having to talk about this."
I truly wonder about this assertion. He answered a shouted-out, "unsolicited" question from the press. These shouted questions happen all the time and he normally ignores them. Now I'm not saying there is any conspiracy theory but his answer was certainly better crafted than the "police acted stupidly" one and that one came at a press conference!
Concerning the statement, I agree with others who have said that it was pandering and over-reaching. He shouldn't have made it so personal.
Odds are that the Holden Justice Dept will prosecute a civil rights violation regardless of the outcome of the investigation. That would be consistent with Holder's racial politics.
I doubt it. Perhaps if Zimmerman were more of a stereotypical white guy.
I think it more likely that Holder will use the findings to support more restrictive gun control laws. That would be more in character.
For those asking about a setup:
Ed Henry, White House reporter, said the asst WH communications guy, Josh Earnest, came out before Obama took the podium and whispered to the NBC reporter who later asked the question.
Obama and his advisors must be absolutely terrified at the thought of the Hispanic community entering this controversy on the side of Zimmerman.
This death is a tragedy. Unspeakable.
There are innocent kids shot and killed on their front porch on the South and West sides of Chicago every week. Last week a 6 year old girl.
Does this not warrant the Presidents Bully Pulpit? That's his home turf. Why does Sharpton not protest in Chicago?
These poor children are so often over looked. It's not about what child was killed, but who killed them.
This is a difficult situation, and I think Obama would have preferred not to get involved. I would have preferred for him not to get involved, too. A homicide in Florida is no business of the President, just as Terry Schiavo was no business of Congress. What is it about Florida that turns small internal affairs into national priorities?
But, obviously, Obama's Justice Department is now involved and the story's [I think non-existent] racial angle gives it national importance for blacks, so eventually Obama would have to say something. It's easy to be cynical by saying Obama is manipulating the case to avoid talking about the economy, Obamacare, or gas prices, but I think Obama recognizes this case as a delicate situation in which taking sides will cause far more harm than good. He probably prefers a discreet investigation by the DoJ to Sharpton's egregious and public race-bating.
One thing I am cynical about though is Obama's insufferable habit of invoking his children without provocation into everything. I don't read stories about sixty-year-olds and think of my parents; it's absurd that Obama reads stories about 17 year old black guys in Florida and thinks, "Oh, dear Sasha. Dear Malia. Come hither and hug me, for that could have been you." This is his way of appealing to women with children... while turning around the next instant to appeal to women without children by praising abortion and contraception. He doesn't invoke his children then. How could he? "When I read about abortions, I immediately think of my own children." That doesn't work. So knock it off.
Obama and his advisors must be absolutely terrified at the thought of the Hispanic community entering this controversy on the side of Zimmerman.
Yep. As I said, Obama's counting votes. Florida is a big state with a strong Republican presence in the Hispanic community (Mark Rubio for starters).
I was actually wondering what Allen West was going to say about this incident.
The death of this young man is a tragedy. If Al Sharpton succeeds in starting a race war between latino and black gangs, tragedy will be insufficient to describe the result
“You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
Not so sure he was speaking completely literally. Black, yes, but more in the tall, lean, athletic, well behaved, good student sense of look like his son. It could well be the same comment I might have made (if, of course, I was tall, lean, athletic, and well behaved.)
George Zimmerman poses a problem for Liberals, especially the race centric Liberals. Immediately he was described as a white racist apparently because of his name. But, he turned out to be Hispanic. For Liberals, this has to be a race crime, but the killer is Hispanic, but only whites are racists, but Zimmerman committed a race crime, but it can't be a race crime because he's Hispanic and only whites can be racists. It's a variation on the 'everything I say is a lie' conundrum. There is no way out for Liberals except to say anyone can be racist, or Hispanics are white.
Petard...
Obama never mentions race.
What do conservative commenters hear?
Obama is injecting race into this! Blacks. Hispanics. IT'S WAAAAR!
There he goes again:
To argue that justice must be done because the purported victim looks like oneself is the very definition of prejudice.
For discussion purposes, what is the politics of Trayvon's treatment?
The Hispanic vote in swing state Florida is looming larger than the locked up Black votes for Obama.
Therefore, Obama will be empathetic. He is very talented there. But he will not go out and condemn the favoritism shown to the Hispanic guy like GOP Rep Alan West did.
West properly jumped the police here. There is no excuse for their dereliction of duty except ethnic favoritism to the Hispanics.
That is probably why the African American Leaders have reacted so quickly.
To analyze this, the State of Mississippi would never see such Police dereliction of duty. They elect Black Sheriffs and the whites and blacks get along well at most levels today.
The odd factor must be the politically organized Hispanic voters.
Most non-agricultural jobs here all went away as NASA wound down and then abandoned the Kennedy Space Center a few miles down the road.
Of course the GOP guys Mitt and Newt will imitate Obama here. Other than my friend Herman Cain, that is what the GOP usually does.
But what about Santorum? He is the authentic man?
"And they explain why Obama needed to step in and try to take control of the discourse around this volatile topic."
So I take it he'll publicly slap down Dem strategist Karen Finney for recklessly linking Gingrich, Santorum and Limbaugh to the tragedy? I can't wait.
I'm pretty sure that hispanics can be racist against blacks.
Obama had better be very careful here. The hispanics are not crazy about the african americans. Quite the opposite. If this gets out of hand and becomes more of a lynch mob than it already is then the patient and stoic hispanics will retaliate. In the quiet of the voting booth.
If I had an hispanic son he might look like the killer. Or like a greyhound if I were a racing dog.
Obama professes to care about THIS one kid - How about the list of daily Chicago depravities?
What about THOSE kids? In his hometown. Where he was in charge - WHAT DID HE DO THEN?
It'll take a little time, but I will bring you back a list. Or you can check the crime reports in the Chicago papers.
I call Bullshit on his #caring.
To argue that justice must be done because the purported victim looks like oneself is the very definition of prejudice.
Exactly!
We need a society who believes justice should be done even for those very very different from us.
Obama did well here. He handled the question appropriately, I think, just as Althouse thinks.
It is pitiful in some ways that we, America, still have to work through our racial issues. Yes, the night this young man was murdered other black men were murdered across America... and likely by other black men. Yet, that's not a story or an issue to have a great public discourse on because it is uncomfortable. It also ties into this particular murder because perceptions of young black men at certain times and places is effected by the other non-reported on nationally murders.
It's really akin to Michelle's statement during the last election that Obama was black enough to be in danger when he went to a gas station.
We need a society who believes justice should be done even for those very very different from us.
Exactly. To paraphrase George Clooney: I can tolerate racism and bigotry in individuals, but not in the elected leaders. They're supposed to be better than that.
He couldn't have been less subtle if he'd said "Like me, Trayvon had one of these", and then whipped his dick out on live tv.
Time to watch Blazing Saddles again.
this is the comment about the shooting by Cong. Alan West
You can read it if you want to see how this should have been handled by Obama.
The dems thought that a white guy (i.e. Zimmerman sounds like the name of the white guy) killed a black kid. The dems hoped to railroad the "white" guy, demonstrating that dems are the party that will protect minorities.
When the dems found out that Zimmerman is hispanic (damn lucky for Zman), they immediately backed off. Obama had to speechify so that sincere dems (aka dim dems or dum dems) would know to back off, once more demonstrating how much work it is to lead a top down monolithic party of mostly stupid people.
The smart dems (i.e. corrupt, cynical, insincere) already knew that of course a hispanic killing a black kid is no big deal (they don't even need a journo-list heads up for something that obvious) and were already backing off.
By the way, I want to comment on Obama's statement.
Am I the only one here outraged that Obama went straight for the race card?
"If I had a son, he would look like ..."
You know, if I had a son he would look like the dead young man: two eyes. Two ears. A mouth. A nose. Hair.
Please help me here. Isn't the sadness of this tragedy that a young male HUMAN BEING is dead? Repeat: HUMAN BEING.
And what Obama can find to grieve about is that the young man is black?
Can someone point to a more venal, despicable race monger than Barack Hussein Obama?
It's a very restrained statement.
The "if I had a son" statement was anything but restrained.
And he was forced into having to talk about this.
No, he wasn't forced to say anything. He choose not to say "no comment".
Just curious, but has Obama commented on any of the murders of the hundreds of black teenagers killed - mostly by other black teenagers - since he's been prez?
Pastafarian said...
This is certainly a tragedy; but is it really a national news story, let alone something that POTUS should even address?
Obama may well have planted the question. Certainly he anticipated it. But unless he ducks the press for months on end (he wishes), he's going to get asked the question. He could say "It's a matter for local law enforcement" but that is callous and not necessarily true in this case anyway.
It was a terrible event--an innocent kid lost his life. That does not mean that the shooter was guilty of any crime, but once the media have picked up on it and made it a national story, Obama can hardly duck it.
Perhaps he learned something from the Gates incident?
"has Obama commented on any of the murders of the hundreds of black teenagers killed - mostly by other black teenagers - since he's been prez?"
If he hasn't, he should. Not incident by incident, but as a general topic. But what should he say, other than "stop it?"
“You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
Shasha will cry herself to sleep tonight.
And, you try to say we're injecting race into the issue because Obama tiptoed around it and didn't utter the word "race."
Yes. 1+0=1
As others, including me, far too many black teens die every day in the United States. And the sad fact is that most of these deaths result from black on black violence. Mr Obama nor his AG, have chosen to make this an issue. He really should make it an issue, much as Bill Cosby has done. If Mr Obama gave a damn for dead black teens, he needs to use the bully pulpit on that continuing problem. Insead, I suspect, his advisors have told him this is a winning issue so make a statement. The same criticism goes for the two slimy race hustlers, the rev Sharpton and Jackson. They, and Mr Obama, use blacks as a means to an end. Shame on all three of them. They are scurrilous political opportunists. And the black teen body count continues to mount.
Shame on Mr Obama--Sharpton and Jackson are beyound shame.
Yep, its man's bites dog. Middle-aged Hispanic/white shoots young black man.
The use of "White/Hispanic" is funny though. When's the last time Obama was called our first "white/black" president or any famous Hispanic with one white parent was called "White/Hispanic"?
1+0=1
I see you got the Great Zero (Obama) in there. Yes, lets look at it through a toilet paper tube so we don't see the whole picture.
Continue with your stupidity so those who have a brain will see the complete ignorance of left wing thought and avoid it. Dumb ass.
I have to give it to Obama. He knows how to reel his voters back in. He knows the swoon buttons.
What's wrong with the President's statement is what it's missing. There is no call for people to not judge a case before all the facts are in. No caution that the criminal justice system is a process, and the fact that Zimmerman has not yet been arrested does not mean that the case is over. He could have told everybody that it's too soon to judge what happened.
Heck, I would work in a reference to Richard Jewel, who the whole country was convinced was the Olympic Bomber, until, you know, it turned out that he wasn't.
He also could have said that the killing of a young black man is a tragedy no matter what the race of the victim is, that the very fact that this is such a huge news story is an indication of how rare this type of crime is. He could have reminded people that black-on-black murder is far more common than white-on-black murder, perhaps, and that any general outrage over the murder of black young men should be aimed in a different direction.
In other words, his statement did not do anything to actually try to calm down the anger that is currently bubbling up, and it should have.
Roger J is absolutely right. And, Garage, this is a topic of news ONLY because of race. Surely you understand that.
I don't see how Ann can hear Obama's implied reference to race as "the kind of racial unification we hoped for when he was elected." To me, it is exactly the opposite. I think he should be saying I don't want to make this tragedy about race - the tragedy and sadness for the parents and the family would be the same no matter what the race of the boy." That would be the type of black president who could help on racial unification.
Judging the statement is so subjective. It seemed to me that he was trying to remember talking points. Regardless, I was slightly put off by the statement, but I'm not sure that my reaction is not colored by my anti-Obama political bias. My substantive criticism is that he enlarged the perception that it was race related and I don't think a president should do that.
And, Garage, this is a topic of news ONLY because of race. Surely you understand that.
The issue is Zimmerman was not apprehended, and is still walking around with a gun, and probably still stalking people with that gun.
I loved the fishing in FL, but I'm glad I got out of that hellhole.
Tank:
Heh-I have a bunch of hoodies too and I am old white guy!
Aw, man. Me too.
We're so boned.
I hope nobody mistakes us for a gang bangers.
Garage: None of which would have made the local paper if the person killed had not been a young black male and if the killer had not been (thought to be) a white male.
“You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
Why? Because all black people look alike?
I'm not trying to be offensive, but isn't this filled with racial divisiveness?
So far this year, there have been 100 homicides in Chicago, ostensibly the hometown of our president.
Has he commented on even one of them? No. Not at all. He comments about homicides only when there is a advantage he may gain by pitting one race against another.
That is racism.
Maybe we need some Hoodies that are inscribed "Retired Gangsta"?
Haz- that is Obama's most glaring failure IMO. He does not have the balls to speak up against lifestyle mistakes that are repeated over & over and doom some families for generations. He could do that easily & regularly yet he refuses to do it.
"I loved the fishing in FL, but I'm glad I got out of that hellhole."
What did Florida think?
When the week began, one of the stories we discussed was how the Obama administration tried to suppress new stories of how the President’s actual daughter was travelling to Mexico on Spring Break out of supposed concern for her safety. On, Friday the same President is talking about how he’d feel if something were to happen to a hypothetical son.
hmmmm--florida a hellhole as compared to wisconsin. LOL
Peter the Projecter at 12:53.
Amartel said...
Peter the Projecter at 12:53.
It is a little racier than Peter's usual Pubic Service Announcements, but I wouldn't read that much into it--especially in a hall of mirrors.
"Obama never mentions race.
What do conservative commenters hear?"
**
"You lie."
Maureen Dowd: I heard "you lie, boy"
"Obama never mentions race.
What do conservative commenters hear?"
**
"You lie."
Maureen Dowd: I heard "you lie, boy"
And, thank you. We learned how to listen for these things from the liberals. If it weren't for you guys, we never would have heard it.
hmmmm--florida a hellhole as compared to wisconsin. LOL
Wisconsin is God's Country. Florida is a hot, miserably humid, seemingly lawless state full of mentally ill transients, drugs, and violent crimes. Like I said I do miss the fishing a lot though.
Has he commented on even one of them? No. Not at all. He comments about homicides only when there is a advantage he may gain by pitting one race against another.
Haz, Illinois is in the bag come November. Florida's a swing state.
"Hispanic" is an artificial race invented by two Jewish lawyers tasked in the LBJ Administration to label people to track "civil rights progress" of groups under EEO-Form1. Which the two men created.
So they invented Hispanic, "Native American", and most ridiculously, Pacific Islander.
1. Hispanic refers to anyone who had an ancestor born south of the Border - except certain English-speaking Islands. 100% Spaniards born in Spain or the USA or China, for that matter are white Europeans. Native Americans born South of the Border, of mixed blood, blacks...can all claim to be hispanic as well. Mitt Romney is technically hispanic by the two Jewish lawyers rules.
2. Native Americans only exist North of Mexico by EEO rules the two lawyers agreed on. And they hatched the 1/32nd blood argument. Concerned that a 10th generation American could say they were bona fide NA's if they had 1/1024ths NA blood from some pioneer hooking up with a Mohawk squaw.
3. A Japanese, Filipino, Australian, or white person born in Hawaii is NOT a Pacific Islander by the lawyers creation back in 1966. They are white or Asian. Galapagos islanders are Hispanic. Aleutians are Native American.
Only CERTAIN people on CERTAIN islands qualify.
Kirby Olson said:
There he goes again:
To argue that justice must be done because the purported victim looks like oneself is the very definition of prejudice.
Bingo. But only for sharp ears.
"There is no call for people to not judge a case before all the facts are in. No caution that the criminal justice system is a process... He could have told everybody that it's too soon to judge what happened."
What are you talking about? He absolutely did do all these things and I praised him for it in the post.
Here's case in Florida where a 69 yr old black man killed a white man in front of his 8 year old daughter because a kid was skateboarding in a park across the street from the black man's house.
They only charged him with manslaughter. When you go into your house, get a gun, conceal it and then go across the street to a public park and shoot someone, that sounds premeditated to me.
But, you never heard about this case, did you?
http://www.aleksandreia.com/2012/03/23/whats-behind-all-the-misinformation-surrounding-the-trayvon-martin-killing/#more-53483
@DADvocate: The 69 year old black man probably didn't look much like Obama's dad or something.
@C4 - until recently Hispanic was a check in the box for "race". So its understandable that people still use it. Latino is the word you want to use.
It's pretty clear. Suspicious guy with a gun confronts kid, kid mouths off to the guy (or worse), suspicious and angry guy shoots him.
You left out the part where Zimmerman loses sight of the kid, goes back to his truck to wait for police, is jumped from behind by the kid, is struck in the head hard enough to cause bleeding, is taken down to the ground, wrestles with kid, gets his nose broken, shoots kid.
But yes, other than that, its "pretty clear" what happened. Another angry white man executed a boy in cold blood for his skittles....
garage mahal said...
Florida is a hot, miserably humid, seemingly lawless state full of mentally ill transients, drugs, and violent crimes.
It's a lot like Wisconsin in the summer only more so.
"Hispanic" is an artificial race invented by two Jewish lawyers tasked in the LBJ Administration to label people to track "civil rights progress" of groups under EEO-Form1. Which the two men created.
"Hispanic" does not refer to race.
And WTF difference does it make if LBJ administration officials were Jewish? o_O
"Hispanic" does not refer to race.
For some it refers La Raza; for others, a monolithic voting block. I prefer to think of them as people.
Staged question, ridiculous comparison to hypothetical son, and I'm so bitter that I bet Axelrod said "too bad this didn't happen mid to late October."
Ok, he might not have said it, but you know he thought it.
with obama's history of frequently referring to himself as a president who "doesn't look like the others" and who "doesn't look like the other guys on the money",etc.,it's no great leap to assume, when saying that the teen who was shot looks like he could be his son, that he was was not referring to his big ears but rather to the color of his skin. if that's not a racial comment, then i don't know what is. not letting this tragedy 'go to waste', he's exploiting the story to fit into his constant theme of america's being a racist society wherein those with the darkest skin tones are the most victimized.
i believe that it's called 'critical race theory'.
I'm so bitter that I bet Axelrod said "too bad this didn't happen mid to late October."
Cynical, not bitter.
Else, they'll marginalize your opinion by tagging you with the angry white male label.
Else, they'll marginalize your opinion by tagging you with the angry white male label.
Oh shush! Angry white men are a healthy majority at Althouse.
Another unforced error!!
Oh shush! Angry white men are a healthy majority at Althouse.
Says the libtard sockpuppet on his 4th incarnation....
So brave.
@Fen
Lucky for me, I'm just one of those chicks stupid enough to vote Republican, I am, however, raising two future angry white men, so thank you for the pointers.
Obama thrives on class warfare. Not very presidential...
For heavens sake ... this isn't law or logic ... it's emotion.
When the president says “You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.” he's also implying the emotion of: "You know, that man killed someone who looked like MY son."
That's not restrained. It's calculated to fuel the fire being stoked by others. It's clever ONLY in that it appears sympathetic ... But it's not especially subtle. And Al Sharpton and others will know how to use this kind of statement.
We have a real problem on our hands here ...
Between invoking his daughters for the Fluke incident and describing his non-existent son, he's gettin some major Daddy points as of late.
"if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
Really?
More proof he is the smartest president ever...and so "post racial" too.
As post racial as having a race based section a sitting president's campaign site:
http://www.barackobama.com/african-americans/
Being Irish/German etc-American, I'm not sure if I would be flagged in violation if I signed up to "Join In". Yes..I know..this is not news to anyone else. And that speaks volumes to how post racial things really are.
But I do appreciate he didn't say the "police acted stupidly". That might have required another beer summit.
Prof. Althouse, you skip the threshold question, which is whether the President of the United States has any business commenting on an ongoing state-law criminal investigation.
You may think his words are calming. I think they're inappropriate, and because they evidence his extreme narcisism, they're frightening (although nothing new).
Or in Prof. Reynolds' words: You're self-identifying again.
Says the libtard sockpuppet on his 4th incarnation....
Uh oh, the angry white guy is angry! I never saw that coming... o_O
So brave.
And you too, sir! Posting insults on teh internets requires a special kind of bravery. I salute you, my anonymous friend!
The Unabomber wore a hoodie but he lived in Montana. You'd think Florida would be warm enough that people wouldn't need to wear a hoodie. Not that there's anything wrong with wearing a hoodie.
Not that there's anything wrong with wearing a hoodie.
DMV disagrees. Apparently, they won't allow you wear one when being photographed for you ID.
I wonder why. Maybe DMV is racist.
It's too bad Trayvon Martin wasn't packing heat. Then there could have been a shoot out.
Mr. President. What in the heck is wrong with "It would be inappropriate for me to comment on this case at this time. Next question."
Last weekend in Chicago, the president's adopted hometown, 10 people were killed and at least 39 others were wounded in gang-related gun fire across the city. The victims were black and Hispanic. One of the dead was a six-year old girl who was playing on her front porch when she caught a stray bullet. Much of the carnage took place in neighborhoods Barack Obama once organized.
I wonder if any of the dead and wounded looked like Obama's son if he had one. I wonder, if Obama had another daughter, would she look like Aliyah Shell?
Chicago is home also to Jesse Jackson who, instead of tending to business in his own back yard, rushed down to Florida to join in the race-fest.
SukieTawdry,
Were the perpetrators of those shootings that you referenced arrested?
I know they've arraigned two teens with Spanish surnames for the Shell girl's murder, but I don't know about any other arrests.
SukieTawdry said...
"I know they've arraigned two teens with Spanish surnames for the Shell girl's murder, but I don't know about any other arrests."
SukieTawdry,
Thanks for the information. My understanding of the issue with case in Sanford is that Zimmerman has not been arrested or charged with any crime unlike those incidents in Chicago that you referenced.
So the real tragedy here is not that Martin is dead but that Zimmerman still walks free? Is Aliyah Shell's family's loss and grief mitigated because arrests have been made?
“I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this,” Mr. Obama said. “All of us have to do some soul searching to figure out how does something like this happen.”
“I think [Trayvon's parents] are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves, and we are going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.”
Obama expressed no opinion about whether Zimmerman should be arrested. He said he was speaking strictly as a parent.
Why should "all of us as Americans" search our souls to "figure out why something like this happens"? Why is it "absolutely imperative" that every aspect of this particular case be investigated? Why is this so worthy of our serious attention while 10 dead and 39 wounded in Chicago is not even worth mentioning? Why should I care about this one black teenager when hundreds of black teenages are mown down every year? Why is this one death a tragedy while 10 are merely a statistic? What is it that makes Trayvon Martin so much more special than Aliyah Shell? I would like very much for Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan and all the rest to explain it to me.
"he was forced"
lol. Keep apologizing for your boyfriend you voted for in 2008.
I'm not sure if it's the blond, the woman, or just the stupid in you that keeps you providing cover for the clown.
SukieTawdry said...
“So the real tragedy here is not that Martin is dead but that Zimmerman still walks free? Is Aliyah Shell's family's loss and grief mitigated because arrests have been made?”
As I stated, my understanding of the issue with the case in Sanford is that Zimmerman has not been arrested or charged with any crime. Not that there isn’t grief being felt for Martin, Aliyah Shell or any other family of someone who has been killed.
“Obama expressed no opinion about whether Zimmerman should be arrested. He said he was speaking strictly as a parent.”
Yes, of course, he should not comment on the specifics of the case while an investigation is underway. That is to be expected.
“Why should "all of us as Americans" search our souls to "figure out why something like this happens"? Why is it "absolutely imperative" that every aspect of this particular case be investigated? Why is this so worthy of our serious attention while 10 dead and 39 wounded in Chicago is not even worth mentioning? Why should I care about this one black teenager when hundreds of black teenages are mown down every year? Why is this one death a tragedy while 10 are merely a statistic? What is it that makes Trayvon Martin so much more special than Aliyah Shell? I would like very much for Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan and all the rest to explain it to me.”
Not all those cases in Chicago that you mentioned have been elevated to the national level so I wouldn’t expect Obama to comment on each individually.
Why do you point out that the victim was black? What does his race have to do with the crime?
As far as your question as to why this one death is a tragedy while 10 are merely a statistic, who stated that the other 10 deaths are not tragedies? Obama made no such claim.
Just curious, but has Obama commented on any of the murders of the hundreds of black teenagers killed - mostly by other black teenagers - since he's been prez?
Aye, the rub.
Why do you point out that the victim was black? What does his race have to do with the crime?
Are you kidding me? The victim's race has everything to do with the furor over the crime, if indeed a crime has been committed, which the Panthers (who have offered a $10,000 reward for Zimmerman's "capture"), Farrakhan, Jackson, Sharpton and any number of others assure us had everything to do with the victim's race. The president was more subtle, but he, too, injected race when it was unnecessary to do so. None of this would be going on if Martin weren't black.
And if any of the above actually cared to concern themselves about what went down in Chicago last week, they would talk about it. It would have been elevated to the national level. So, why hasn't it? Because Hispanic and black gang-bangers shooting each other up doesn't fit the narrative of black America under attack by white America which is the narrative that must be served and includes the proposition that "stand your ground" and voter ID laws are by their very nature racist and must be repealed.
"Our disparities are great," said [Jackson]. "Targeting, arresting, convicting blacks and ultimately killing us is big business."
SukieTawdry said...
“Are you kidding me? The victim's race has everything to do with the furor over the crime, if indeed a crime has been committed, which the Panthers (who have offered a $10,000 reward for Zimmerman's "capture"), Farrakhan, Jackson, Sharpton and any number of others assure us had everything to do with the victim's race. The president was more subtle, but he, too, injected race when it was unnecessary to do so. None of this would be going on if Martin weren't black.”
I’ve read over the transcript of the 911 call Zimmerman made before shooting Martin. He stated that Martin looked like he was up to no good and that he was on drugs or something. What did Zimmerman mean by this? How did he know if Martin was on drugs or not?
The 911 dispatcher asked Zimmerman if he was following Martin to which Zimmerman replied that he was. The 911 dispatcher told him not to do that. Why did Zimmerman elect to continue pursuit and engage? Was he looking for a confrontation?
Don’t you think if the Sanford Police had done an actual investigation that these questions would have been answered? And if these questions had been answered do you really think this case would have been elevated to the national level and involved Obama?
“And if any of the above actually cared to concern themselves about what went down in Chicago last week, they would talk about it. It would have been elevated to the national level. So, why hasn't it? Because Hispanic and black gang-bangers shooting each other up doesn't fit the narrative of black America under attack by white America which is the narrative that must be served and includes the proposition that "stand your ground" and voter ID laws are by their very nature racist and must be repealed.”
Have the names and the life stories of the 17 people who were murdered in Afghanistan by the U.S. soldier who went berserk, many who were children, been discussed in the news? Why not I wonder?
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