Black Lives Matter Protesters Interrupt Martin O'Malley/Bernie Sanders at Netroots Nation

a reply to: mOjOm

Yeah in general I'm not a fan of this style of "protesting", not unlike confronting people in diners and yelling at people and standing on the freeway etc. But apparently it's working to some degree, it's got people cowering and throwing themselves under the bus. If that's what they wanted, they're getting it.

a reply to: mOjOm

Hilary was booed by them the last time she went. She is not liberal enough for that group.

He was damned no matter how he answered that question. Who say's "black lives don't matter, white lives don't matter, no lives matter"?

originally posted by: Gigatronix

I included CNN/Times articles for some (alleged) "translations". Interesting difference between the two in what they include and leave out.

What "differences" made the difference?

I like to see all political candidates squirm when on the hot seat !!!

originally posted by: Gigatronix
a reply to: mOjOm

Yeah in general I'm not a fan of this style of "protesting", not unlike confronting people in diners and yelling at people and standing on the freeway etc. But apparently it's working to some degree, it's got people cowering and throwing themselves under the bus. If that's what they wanted, they're getting it.

I don't know if it qualifies as "cowering" but I can assure you that as this proliferates, its got a lot of people avoiding places where they may be confronted by this kind of crap. If it proliferates in a big way, it will start affecting businesses and the overall economy and that might just be exactly what they want. I can assure you one thing, they aren't winning any friends this way. Using the Hegelian dialectic in this manner just angers people; the whole "if your not with me, you're against me" theme, forcing people to side with them or be labeled and targeted as a racist is as obnoxious as all hell. People hate being forced to "choose sides" while being denied the option of remaining neutral observers.

a reply to: Gigatronix

It's funny actually everyone picking a side and fighting over BS rather than looking at motivation for the protesting and who paid off whom to disrupt the event. What you really have to look at is who has the most to gain by making sure Sanders doesn't get elected. Everything else is just fluff. It's better to find out how they baked the cake rather than fight over the crumbs.

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: Wookiep

Of course all lives matter, in that context, can you tell me from a historical standpoint, how that notion holds true.

Black lives matter, yes, all lives matter, yes; somehow people are missing the point here from someone else's perspective, on their own history in the US where all lives matter doesn't hold much water.

Now children, this is why its never a good idea to smoke a blunt before you go protest.

a reply to: Gigatronix

I understand why the protestors did what they did. Progressives, Liberals and Leftists talk big on equality... some further on the left talk big about Revolution about solidarity with various activist groups. Specifically this group of women under the umbrella of BLM are on a campaign of "Say Her Name", which seeks to call attention to black women that die at the hands of police and demand policy change.

The host of the event (I forget his name at the moment) about pooped himself but though he bumbled through it, he managed to accomplish both... acknowledging the protest (which we in the center, center-left and left should do if we're really going to walk the walk) as well as give the candidates a chance to respond to the protestors and say what they had come to say in the first place.

Both candidates handled it well at times and fumbled at times.

Martin O'Malley when asked, welcomed a representative of the protest on the stage, stood back and let her speak, he said some names as well. His fumble was saying black lives matter, white lives matter, all lives matter... which showed he didn't have any real understanding of current black activism, and he should as a candidate for President. It's not because all lives don't matter, that's not what black lives matter means... the statement calls to the front that institutionally black lives don't matter so the statement that all lives matter can't be true until black lives matter. He later in a press release apologized for not understanding that #alllivesmatter is a counter protest statement.

Bernie Sanders I was disappointed with his initial reaction but as he went on my disappointment turned to approval. He seemed almost petulant in the beginning, and he was pissed and threatened to leave... because he's not a panderer and doesn't pay lip service, he basically said what he talks about affects black people too and is a major cause for the way race factors into it all. He was able to quote youth unemployment demographically, he talked about the inequality of our criminal justice system and brought it all back to economic inequality.

I think the crowd handled it well too. I heard some booing but not a lot. I heard some crowd 'shushing' but not a lot. So while there absolutely was some stumbling and faceplanting... nothing stopped and ground was gained, not lost, in my opinion.

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

I actually had a similar thought, how is that this group of people who were likely all dressed in black live shirts allowed to simply stroll in through a side door, be invited onstage and politely given a microphone? Not to mention allowing some activist proximity to two high ranking government officials as if it were just a friendly meet and greet. Odd to say the least.

a reply to: xuenchen

The cnn article had more transcribing of hat was being shouted, which to me cast the protestors in a more unfavorable light, whereas the ny times omitted some of the more "aggressive" shouts. You get a different slant depending on which you read.

a reply to: Gigatronix

I think they were there from the beginning.

a reply to: Gigatronix

That's correct.

a reply to: Kali74

I'd say you're being a little generous on behalf of the protestors. It seems to me that people have not recognized that this type confrontation creates more opponents than allies. The only people impressed by these showings are people that are already hip to the cause, the people they need to win over are just being driven further away. I think they were more interested in being the center of a spectacle than challenging these politicians.

a reply to: Kali74 the article says they came in through a side door shortly after the event started. Maybe they were already there, in any case the incident was allowed to happen at least, perhaps encouraged, and by whom?

a reply to: Kali74 if white people showed up at the same event and started shouting about how many white people are killed and brutalized by police and chanted white lives matter, how do you suppose that would go over? Institutionally poor peoples lives in general don't matter a whole lot, regardless of skin color. But some lives apparently matter more than others depending on if you share that color.

a reply to: Gigatronix

the people they need to win over are just being driven further away

I don't think it drove anyone away here but I would say if it did, previous talking on related issues was disingenuous. It doesn't always need to be so confrontational but sometimes the initial foot in the door is and I think if we really want to solve some things we have to be willing to be confronted, made uncomfortable and expect the unexpected.

From my perspective and I know it's wildly unpopular... playing nice, conforming to politeness and manners acts as only a bandaid on a gaping wound. Race issues keep popping up because we aren't willing to do the hard work required to kill (metaphor!) the infection, get down deep into the wound and clean out the dirt and debris and sew it up.

a reply to: Gigatronix

It's true that white people are killed by police too, unjustifiably at that. But when it comes down to it, two men, same neighborhood, same economic status, same crime, first arrest... one is more likely to be arrested, one is more likely to be let go, one is more likely to get probation, one is more likely to get the harshest sentence. So what is different about the two?

One is white, the other isn't.

a reply to: Kali74

His fumble was saying black lives matter, white lives matter, all lives matter... which showed he didn't have any real understanding of current black activism, and he should as a candidate for President.

Which is exactly how he SHOULD have answered, you dont cowtow down to people like this trying to push this agenda.....

ALL LIVES MATTER, and thats exactly the response he should have had......

Blacktivism.......sounds pretty damn racist to me on their part, and its what they keep pushing....

Nope , dont put up with it, call it what it is......and all Lives Matter, no one should jerrymander to these people especially a presidential candidate......

Martin Luther King would roll over in his grave if he were to witness groups of people running around chanting this sort of drivel

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

The sentence after that is the only reply I have to give.

It's not because all lives don't matter, that's not what black lives matter means... the statement calls to the front that institutionally black lives don't matter so the statement that all lives matter can't be true until black lives matter.