Obama: Trayvon 'could have been me'

It may not be a case of racial hate but it is a case of racial discrimination. I really hate how people just forget that they say ohh the court treyvons mom they all said he wasnt racist..... maybe he wasnt but he was definitly profiling a young black man walking around.

I do agree though that Obamas statement is just adding fuel to the fire, it was a very poor choice of words, im guessing he doesnt agree with the verdict either lol

I agree with Trep, the spirit of this OP does just as much - if not more - to agitate the status of race relations in this country as anything the POTUS might say. It's his job to comment on issues of national interest plus he's a Black man. What responsibility, interest or agenda do you all bring to it?

Cripes. He's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't with regard to this issue. So why shouldn't he follow his conscience? He has to look his two kids in the face everyday.

Young African-American males better not walk too fast or someone will think they're suspicious, can't walk too slow either, for the same reason. And if someone, LEO or otherwise, wants an account of their actions, they better comply or they may well end up dead...with no legal recourse based strictly on the account of their very assailant.

None of you would rollover for that.

So why should the President bow to pressure from media pundits and internet denizens and keep his mouth shut when the current national vibe is that a portion of the citizenship cannot fully exercise their civil rights? Those people would be pissed no matter what he does.

reply to post by GoldenVoyager


Did you never take provocative pics? Throw up your middle finger? Experienced teen angst?

How that picture is used to make any kind point is beyond me.

As for the topic... It could have been Obama, easily. There's no other reason George Zimmerman thought that Trayvon Martin was acting suspicious other than he was black and wearing a hoodie. Me not liking Obama doesn't invalidate everything he says.

I've come to realize over the course of this past year and a half that people who scream the loudest about the race card are simply sick of having a light shone in their face. Yes, I mean it... No, I don't care if a bunch of racist, manipulated fools hate me for it.

How incredibly inappropriate and un-Presidential!

Is he trying to say that he would have sucker punched George Zimmerman under similar circumstances, and then started beating his head against concrete?

In the first place, Mr. Obama's DNA is half white and half "African American". So, he (using all of this guilt by racial association garbage) is as much a part of the persecuting as the persecuted.

He could have taken the high-ground, and urged calm, and advocated for respect of the judicial process (the rule of law). He could have said that Mr. Zimmerman was tried and found not guilty in this case, and said "Let's move on."

If he really wanted to turn over this racial rock...he could have probably quoted a dozen other cases where race really was a factor in a murder (some black on white, some white on black, some Hispanic on Asian, etc.) - and then said, "Let's as a nation back away from this racial divide."

But no...he decided to take the low road, and to magnify the divisions that exist in the United States...and even to personalize it.

I think that some of the previous posters had it right. This is just an attempted distraction from the heat he is feeling for all of the scandals within his administration.

reply to post by kosmicjack

I agree with Trep, the spirit of this OP does just as much - if not more - to agitate the status of race relations in this country as anything the POTUS might say. It's his job to comment on issues of national interest plus he's a Black man. What responsibility, interest or agenda do you all bring to it?

Obviously I will disagree as I don't have the nation's ear, and really it is not his job to comment on local issues, we are nation of many states, many people,and many problems.

The agenda is we are a nation of 1 people 1 voice not pander to special interests to gain political control.

As this is ALL ABOUT POLITICS.

I thought the dumbest thing he said was, "drivers would lock their doors and I have seen women clutch their purses a little tighter when I walked by", before he was elected to public office.

Probably the dumbest remark ever by a POTUS.

Obama: Trayvon 'could have been me'

and with zimmerman suposedly being a mexican,
yah' coulda got shot with one of yer own guns (from fast and furious)!

now wouldn't dat be ironic!

reply to post by mobiusmale


Really? He did in fact say that the Justice system has run it's course.

You are offended because he made it personal? Why not? He is a Black man. Is he suddenly not supposed to be subject to his own background and experiences? Are you kidding?

The same sort of people were pissed because he commented as a parent after Newtown. It's really sad and unbelievable.

I think half of the country seriously has magical thinking - that you stop being human when you become President.

Originally posted by IamAbeliever
I thought the dumbest thing he said was, "drivers would lock their doors and I have seen women clutch their purses a little tighter when I walked by", before he was elected to public office.

Probably the dumbest remark ever by a POTUS.

And I would question whether or not that even happened !!

This type of tactic is exactly what I was referring to as 'subtle' remarks !!

Now I'm waiting for the announcement by the Postal Service .....

When will the Martin/Zimmerman commemorative stamp set be printed ?

reply to post by neo96


Unfortunately we have 2 1/2 years left of this Divider-In-Chief as POTUS. Just think what further damage he can cause in that time. Can't wait to see.

reply to post by tinhattribunal

and with zimmerman suposedly being a mexican, yah' coulda got shot with one of yer own guns (from fast and furious)!

He is not Mexican....

Peace

"Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago," Obama said ..

No Mr. Obama. Sure, both of you smoked it up and both of you had racist attitudes (you still have yours) but Martin had tons more street cred then you. He and his daddy 'juice' had a little gun running thing about to take off. Martin would have kicked your half cracka' butt .... (apparently I can say 'cracka' but can't say the 'N' word.
Full Text of Obama's Speech on Trayvon Martin Today

You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot I said that this could have been my son.

No Mr Obama you said that if you had a son he would have looked like Martin. Big difference.
What you said first was racial in intent. This 'could have been my son' is you covering.

I think it's important to recognize that the African American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away.

How about they look at it in the here and now instead of pulling out the 'great great great granddaddy was a slave' card?

his isn't to say that the African American community is naïve about the fact that African American young men are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system; that they're disproportionately both victims and perpetrators of violence.

'Mr. Obama, why didn't you take this opportunity to say it straight and tell those young black men to stop with the criminal activities?? Especially the ones where they beat the heck out of each other?? Ya' know?

Now, the question for me at least, and I think for a lot of folks, is where do we take this?

I'm sure I know where you want to take it .... end laws that allow citizens to defend themselves and force them to count on the government for 'protection' .... and you won't ever say it but to take away gun rights would probably tickle your fancy as well ... and I'm sure you'd like to sneak in some 'redistribution of wealth' ...

When I was in Illinois, I passed racial profiling legislation, and it actually did just two simple things. One, it collected data on traffic stops and the race of the person who was stopped. But the other thing was it resourced us training police departments across the state on how to think about potential racial bias and ways to further professionalize what they were doing

So in other words ... punish cops who arrest or pull over black people if they pull over or arrest more than what you think the percentage should be?? Really?? Free pass to black people breaking the law if the quota has been filled for the month on the number of black arrests allowed?

if we're sending a message as a society in our communities that someone who is armed potentially has the right to use those firearms even if there's a way for them to exit from a situation, is that really going to be contributing to the kind of peace and security and order that we'd like to see?

Great. So if someone defends him or her self using a fire arm and because they don't see any other way ... and then some prosecution lawyer decides that there may have been a way to not use the fire arm they'll go and prosecute the person who protected him self or her self with the fire arm. This is a round about way of disarming the public and punishing those who have fire arms to protect themselves with. Bad.

we need to spend some time in thinking about how do we bolster and reinforce our African American boys

.. tell them to stop shooting each other; to get off the drugs; to stay in school; that there is no such thing as 'talking white', it's called speaking correct English; and don't let them get hooked on an entitlement society mentality.

am I wringing as much bias out of myself as I can? Am I judging people as much as I can, based on not the color of their skin, but the content of their character?

You first, Mr. Obama.

And those of us in authority should be doing everything we can to encourage the better angels of our nature, as opposed to using these episodes to heighten divisions.

If you really believe that then you'd better have a talk with Holder, Mr. Obama.
The dude literally has his 'race card' in his wallet.
I'm a black man first - wallet card

HERE IT COMES ....
FLAME AWAY ....

Originally posted by jam321
reply to post by tinhattribunal

 

and with zimmerman suposedly being a mexican, yah' coulda got shot with one of yer own guns (from fast and furious)!

He is not Mexican....

Peace

You're right, he's not Mexican. His mother is Peruvian.

Originally posted by kosmicjack
reply to post by mobiusmale

 

Really? He did in fact say that the Justice system has run it's course.

You are offended because he made it personal? Why not? He is a Black man. Is he suddenly not supposed to be subject to his own background and experiences? Are you kidding?

The same sort of people were pissed because he commented as a parent after Newtown. It's really sad and unbelievable.

I think half of the country seriously has magical thinking - that you stop being human when you become President.

Then why didn't he make the hundreds in Chicago, and ever other city in the country 'personal' thousands of African Americans are killed every day.

Why wasn't dialog about his own back yard as important as Sanford,Fla?

Originally posted by Kali74

There's no other reason George Zimmerman thought that Trayvon Martin was acting suspicious other than he was black and wearing a hoodie. Me not liking Obama doesn't invalidate everything he says.

He was young. I was profiled like hell when I was young and I'm white as snow. Still I can hear old biddies click their door locks at intersections where I'm waiting for the little green crosswalk man to appear and I'm nearly 40.

Even racist geezers dont yell "hey, negro get off my lawn!!" they yell "hey, kids get off my lawn!!"

Not one comment on all of his "brothas" out in the streets causing non-sense about this?

Not one comment on all of his "brothas" out in the streets causing non-sense about this?