CERTAIN Black Voices Matter

[FrodosPet]

The polite, friendly, well spoken ones who wait their turn.

But the loud, rude, out of turn voices need to hush up. Our guy marched with Dr. King 52 years ago, so WE get to invoke the words of MLK to prove our alliance.



No disrespect to the senator meant - even though some will automatically take it that way. But the reaction of Sen. Sanders' supporters is quite honestly proving exactly what these imperfect self-appointed representatives of BLM were saying: Even with the best of intents, some progressives just talk past people of color.

Meanwhile, mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and uncles and aunts and friends and lovers are having to say goodbye way too soon. I kinda get the impression that is getting a little old.

[virtualobserver]

1. I couldn't be more thrilled that Bernie invited BLM to open his rally....

in Los Angeles. We all need to be united on this, not confronting each other.

[MADem]

27. That was a false report. His newly hired press secretary opened the rally, not BLM.

Last edited Tue Aug 11, 2015, 09:57 AM - Edit history (1)

She told the crowd to chant WE STAND TOGETHER if any of those "disruptors" had anything to say.

His press secretary comes to him from Ralph Nader's Public Citizen. She says she supports BLM but she is not a member.

The headlines and body of this story have been corrected to show that representatives from Black Lives Matter did not open Sanders' rally in Los Angeles; it was a member of Sanders' campaign who spoke in support of the group.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/509db906ed764b6a82a087165109bead/sanders-lets-civil-rights-activists-open-la-campaign-event

Edited to correct glaring error--PUBLIC CITIZEN, not CITIZEN's UNITED!! Gaaah!! PC is trying (among other things) to UNDO CU!

[virtualobserver]

33. so I can't trust the LA Times....I'm disappointed

[MADem]

42. All the major media outlets are sketchy. And the blogs are, too. And the net news outlets.

The only thing you can do is read a lot, watch a lot, notice who screws up often and who screws up rarely, and be prepared to back the truck up if they get things wrong.

Basically, if you can't see it with your own lying eyes, be prepared to deploy the grain of salt--that works for me, anyway.

We get our news faster now, but it's less accurate It takes a day or three to shake out the mistakes and misstatements.....

[KittyWampus]

40. -we stand together- except for the black activists….

[MADem]

43. On the bright side, he hired the new PR flak....

On the less bright side, even though she supports BLM, she gave direction for the crowd to shout down protesters.

The optics are a bit sketchy, there.

There's a different vibe when the crowd spontaneously shouts down a heckler. When a campaign functionary gives directions, though, ahead of any potential disruption, that seems a bit like military school, or something....

[Travis_0004]

2. I would have the same reaction if anybody did that

They were assholes regardless of their skin color, or what cause they think they represent.

[840high]

3. Absolutely.

[hifiguy]

4. +1

THIS is the point.

[FrodosPet]

14. People are talking about it, right?

Young people are DYING because of paranoid, angry, uncontrolled cops. The people charged with PROTECTING the safety of the public.

In a mix of desperation and ego, a couple young ladies co-opt a nice little gathering of people looking forward to hearing Sen Sanders speak about social security. In doing so, they held up a giant mirror causing people to have to self reflect. That is a pretty damn frightening thing to do to people.

[truebrit71]

21. .. and called them "white supremacists"..

.... Fuck that.....

[FrodosPet]

23. If you think they are talking about you personally,

Perhaps it is time to take some time to ask "Why would they do that?" instead of launching into "How dare they!" mode.

[truebrit71]

24. They were taking about the senator and the crowd.

They did that because they're a pair of immature assholes, or very, very dense.

What is telling is that you continue to defend them.

[FrodosPet]

48. What IS it telling?

Black lives matter.

Black voices matter.

Bernie is a big boy. He'll get over it. Probably already has. But will his supporters?

Y'all need to try quick. Because if you don't, and he does get the nomination, white fragility is going to cost a LOT of necessary votes.

[truebrit71]

49. That it is okay to insult people by calling them racists...???

Funny thing is, by embracing that phrase they have simply reinforced the negative stereotypes about black protesters that are already out there.

Congratulations on pissing off a vast number of (formerly) sympathetic allies....

Brilliant strategy....simply brilliant....

[Nuclear Unicorn]

46. Like Trump insinuating Kelly was menstruating. Why yake umbrage? What else could it be?

[Betty Karlson]

8. ^This.

Exasperated expression of anguish is a voice that needs to be heard. Self-serving attention-seeking interruption? Nope.

These women were the equivalent of the gay guy who interrupted Obama - which the president countered with "no no, you are in my house".

[MADem]

28. That was a lesbian woman, not a "gay guy."

And she was at an invitation-only reception in the WH, not a public anyone-can-come rally on the street.

More to the point, Obama listened to her protest. He only cut her off when she started to get repetitive.

[Chemisse]

31. Exactly.

[KittyWampus]

41. Sure you would. Unless it was codepink, ows, greenpeace...

hell, even PETA get more support by Bernie Sanders supporters.

[TM99]

5. So black voices that bully are ok?

So black voices that are violent are ok?

So black voices that are insulting and name-calling are ok?

I fully support protests, even disruptive ones. I do not support inappropriate expressions of rage that are violent, boundary violating, and immature.

Can you tell the difference?

[cali]

6. sorry wrong. assault is not legitimate protest

And that those Seattle activists demanded he bow down is just ugly dehumanizing shit

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

7. "some progressives just talk past people of color."

Perhaps, but most people will just talk past self-serving belligerent a-holes regardless of color.

[Warren DeMontague]

9. If you're supporting people who physically bullied a politician off a stage so he couldn't give his

speech- which is what happened- I'm not sure you're really in a position to finger-wag about people "talking past" anyone.

Let the fucking man speak. What they did was not helpful, productive, or right.

[cui bono]

10. Well a prominent black DUer thinks that any blacks who don't agree with him are "outliers"...

so... and he's most definitely NOT a Bernie supporter.

Your point is simply incorrect as others have already pointed out.

[Waiting For Everyman]

11. Those who are abusive to others SHOULD NOT be supported

or listened to, or respected. I don't give a fuck what color they are.

Glad to see many more DUers have caught on to this crap, than were standing against it a year or two ago.

[TheFarS1de]

12. Um ...

How about no ? Anyone who carries on like a cut snake and screams at another person deserves no attention , regardless of their skin colour . If they were genuinely concerned then where was their plan ? What was their main driving point ? The truth is they had none . Other than attacking the crowd and insult a contender for the white house .

At NRN however while similar in approach not once did I begrudge them their stance . Seattle however can pull their collective heads in and grow up . Maybe that way they can be an effective voice for their community instead of being grandstanding narcissist's .

[Shankapotomus]

13. Do you think it's liberal police officers

who are killing African Americans? Or liberal politicians like Bernie Sanders?

Why sabatoge and attack an ally in public?

If a friend or someone I care about and who is largely on the same side is fucking up I would pull them aside privately and explain where i thought they were going wrong. Not expose them to the world in an important campaign against Repulicans as some tone-deaf racist loser. (Republicans care much less for black lives.)

What kind of ally and friend is BLM?

Talk about talking past people.

[RiverLover]

16. +1 /nt

[dsc]

39. In fairness given who is in charge of many of the cities where this has happened

it isn't unreasonable for them to have problems with liberals. Cleveland (last GOP mayor 1989), Baltimore (last GOP mayor 1967), Seattle, San Francisco, all of them have had high profile police problems. That doesn't acrue to Sanders,of course, but it does to white liberals.

[Matariki]

47. Exactly. Seattle has a police problem serious enough that the Feds intervened

It's not that caucasian liberals are committing the violence but the fact that the issue doesn't effect us/them enough to prioritize a solution.

[Adrahil]

15. I wish people here would handle it the way Bernie has....

Without rancor and doing a lot more listening than telling.

Many here could learn from that, IMO.

[Shankapotomus]

17. The BLM point could have been made

just as easily in private rather than publicly throw sand on Bernie's campaign.

It's funny how rancor suddenly becomes an issue when it's directed back at BLM but not when they are using it against fellow liberals.

Yea, rancor. It sucks, doesn't it?

[Adrahil]

18. Sure it could....

But that easn't their point, was it.

Now let me say I do not support their approach. I thought it was rude, and probably did more harm than good. But I can understand it. Bernie DID name his new press secretary after the BLM incidents. Would that have happened without them?

And frankly, I think the knee jerk reaction reaction of some here highlights their point.

It's been fucking nuts here the last couple days, over something Bernie handled with grace and without even a hint of anger. There is a point in there if you are willing to see it.

[Shankapotomus]

22. Sure there's a point in there

But does BLM see it? No.

You're talking out of both sides of your mouth.

On one side you're saying "Look what BLM achieved by being rude and harmful."

And on the other side you're saying "The way to handle things is with grace and without anger."

Do you notice any disconnect there between advocating those two approaches at the same time?

Detecting any cognitive dissonance there?

[Adrahil]

26. Ah... More anger....

You are entirely missing the point here. Their experience is not your experience. I'm not saying the ends justifies the means. I'm saying Bernie LISTENED. He didn't shout. He didn't didn't get righteously indignant. He listened, and responded. He did something positive instead of displaying privilege-fueled self-righteous rants.

That's how you repsond, IMO, and I think his campaign is stronger for it. Frankly, I respect him now more than I did before the Seattle event.

[Shankapotomus]

30. Of course he listened...

he's a Liberal for a reason. That's not the point.

He was treated by BLM like he would have never have listened otherwise, as if he was another GOPer. That's the point.

And how is that anger? I pointed out facts about how you phrased your reply and asked you questions.

[Adrahil]

44. Okay.... You keep going on.

I've had enough of the histrionics on this subject.

Lots of folks making it all about them, IMO.

[Shankapotomus]

45. I'm glad they seem to be working it out now

But I just don't think the Sanders campaign should have been publicly jeopardized, especially given the alternatives out there, when he could have been taken aside privately and explained why it was very important to get this right.

[n2doc]

19. Blah blah blah

Whine whine whine. Act like an ass, ruin an event for thousands, and expect everyone to respect you? Talk about privilege.

[FrodosPet]

20. Did they cause you to start hating black people?

If not, what's the problem?

Getting killed, losing a loved one, and then being told in essence, "get to the back of the bus, we got this covered, we're your FRIENDS, and don't you forget it!" ruins a lot more than an event that was suddenly made famous and interesting.

Bernie Sanders has many opportunities to speak. Missing one is not a huge deal, and ultimately, this may do a lot more to help him than hurt him.

[MADem]

29. Good job staying on point and not rising to the bait.

I agree with your observations.

[melman]

35. You call that baiting?

This is baiting.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027065100#post23

[MADem]

37. Obviously you didn't listen to the radio podcast before you came to that determination.

That comment in that post was directly related to the conversation in the podcast.

[ProfessorGAC]

36. What If They Actually Are Friends?

What if they aren't saying "get to the back of the bus"?

Then your hyperbole fails to make a point.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

25. If you treat everyone like an enemy don't act suprised if they are.

[cali]

32. yes. speaking only for myself, I give more credence and respect to the voices of some

over others.

[alcibiades_mystery]

34. Yup

[ismnotwasm]

38. Well I knew this wouldn't end well

Nice try