Reply to Black boys punch and stomp on white 6th grader on bus

Forum Index » Off-Topic

Reply to "Black boys punch and stomp on white 6th grader on bus"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]"Race aside, it clearly is a violent act involving children."

There are instances of violence involving children every day.  Would you like the President to comment on all of them?  The President commented on the Trayvon Martin killing not because it was violence involving youth, but because it was a national story that proved very divisive.[/quote]

Please, he contributed to the divisiveness. He didn't just comment.[/quote]

How, exactly?  Because he made a statement of fact ("If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon") that was intended to connect with and demonstrate empathy for the family of a dead teenager?  Where ever you came down on Zimmerman's actions, surely we can agree that the family deserved our sympathy, yes?  Or was even offering that divisive, part of the "culture war"?[/quote]

Again, this was a local issue so why comment at all? He commented to create racial divide. If the President had been a white man and had commented similarly on this case, the left would have gone apoplectic. And rightfully so - because it would not be his place.[/quote]

By the time Obama responded, it had gone national.  There were protests/rallies across the nation.  The issue was simmering and went beyond a black/white thing into legitimate questions about police procedures, SYG laws, and the criminal justice system as a whole.  Trayvon was shot in February.  The President's statement was given in late March.  It only proved divisive because conservatives and white supremists were outraged that the President wasn't by default rallying to their side.  Obama made a truthful statement: if he had a son, he likely would have looked something like Trayvon.  His parents were grieving and looking for the criminal justice system, our government, which is sworn to our and their protection, to protect them.  To that point, they felt unprotected.  Obama was connecting with them to demonstrate that they were not alone in their grief and in their pursuit of justice, whatever form that justice may take.  Is seeking justice divisive?  If offering support to the parents of a dead teenager divisive?  Is making a statement of fact divisive?  Please... tell me what, exactly, what divisive about his initial statements on the matter?

And stop, STOP with the if's.  Anyone can construct a hypothetical they aren't required to substantiate.[/quote]

And he added fuel to the fire by stating that if he had a son, he'd look like Trayvon. That implied Zimmerman shot Trayvon simply because he was black, which is absolute horseshit.

Plenty of parents are grieving. The parents of the four men slain in Benghazi were grieving and they got lies and cover-ups. So don't give me the "Obama sympathy card" BS.[/quote]

If you interpret an expression of sympathy as "fuel to the fire", you are a petty, angry person.[/quote]

If you interpret the President's words as simply an expression of sympathy, you are very, very, naive.

He could have said "this is a tragic situation for all involved and I'm sorry for your loss". That' all he needed to say to express sympathy. That's not where he went....[/quote]

You recognize the difference between sympathy and empathy, yes?
Empathy: Understanding what others are feeling because you have experienced it yourself or can put yourself in their shoes.
Sympathy: Acknowledging another person's emotional hardships and providing comfort and assurance.

Obama was able to empathize with the Martins.  And he did so.

This is the definition of privilege.  "Wahhh... he was able to uniquely connect with these black parents, a group that previously was incapable of empathizing with a President over racial matters because every President before that was white... it's unfair and divisive!"

Obama said nothing on Zimmerman.  He did not weigh in on his guilt or innocence.  He saw a family grieving and was able to say, "I truly and deeply understand what you're feeling because you and I are not that different."  No previous President could have said that to the Martin.  Previous Presidents have connected empathetically with any number of white families, without getting flamed.  But god forbid the black man do it.[/quote]

Also, you haven't demonstrated HOW it was divisive.

Let's look at the issue.

Some set of people thought that Zimmerman was innocent of a crime.  Some set of people thought he was guilty of a crime.  Within these sets, people had varying degrees of intensity behind their views and different rationales for arriving at them.  But that was the primary divide.

Obama came out and said, "Hey, Martin family, I get what you're feeling.  I can understand it because I could have been similarly positioned."  Nothing about Zimmerman.  Nothing about guilt or innocence.  Nothing about the law or criminality or anything else.  So, tell me, how did he divide anyone?  How did he offend those who thought Zimmerman was innocent?

"I don't think Zimmerman committed a crime!"
"Obama's son might have looked like Trayvon!"
"Are you calling me a racist?"
You see the silliness there?

Also, if you really want to get picky, Obama never mentioned race, not in his first speech.  Maybe he thought his son would have looked like Trayvon because they'd both be tall and spindly.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics