I have to say that I was wrong.

[Vattel]

My first thought when the BLM peeps protested Sanders and O'Malley at the Netroots event was: "Oh no, why are they trying to speak truth to power to an ally? This is so counterproductive."

But I was so wrong. As protests go, this has to be one of the most effective I've ever seen. They have all the Democratic candidates falling over each other to be the candidate that puts BLM concerns front and center. And their concerns are also getting more media attention in general.

My hats off to the strategists of BLM.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. I hope more people finally come around to realizing that as well. nt

[ibegurpard]

2. I would hope

That the candidates are "falling all over themselves" because it was the right thing to do and not just for political advantage. I do think that all of them are dead serious and sincere about this.

[Vattel]

3. I think they are sincere, but political advantage is prolly a factor too.

[1StrongBlackMan]

28. I, too, believe the candidates to be sincere ...

I think some did not think it necessary or did not have the language to express it.

[bravenak]

4. Yes!nt

[gwheezie]

5. I have so much respect for these young people

Our leaders are going to be coming from this group and others like them.

[JayhawkSD]

7. Um, BLM? Probably not Bureau of Land Management? nt

[BlueJazz]

9. Black Lives Matter

[heaven05]

21. no it isn't

to allegedly be a jayhawker, that response is intriguing to say the least... Do you even know what a jayhawker was?

[JayhawkSD]

50. Um, having played football for the University of Kansas,

Yes.

[djean111]

8. I was disgusted with INSTANT gleeful "Bernie was a trainwreck" bilge. That certainly affected my

feelings on the demonstration.

[Vattel]

14. I thought Benrie did pretty good in a situation that would be difficult for anyone.

[BlueJazz]

10. I still have a little problem with the BLM thing. It's great to call attention to the discrimination

...of the Black race but the "BLM" sounds to me like saying "Oh look, the sky is blue, your car has wheels".
I mean, OF COURSE dark skin people's lives matter...Why wouldn't they. Why would someone think that a black person's existence is any less important that anybody else??

What the hell are I missing?

[Vattel]

15. I think you are missing the core premise of the movement.

The idea is that, due to racism, black lives, unlike white lives, are often treated as if they don't matter.

[malthaussen]

17. I'd guess what you're missing is the distinction between "ought" and "is."

Experience would tend to indicate that there are just one whole hell of a lot of people who think black lives don't matter.

-- Mal

[heaven05]

22. the sky has been blue

and cars have had wheels just about as long as black people have been pointing to their "dark skin" and telling the privileged, This is not a reason to hate and murder me. Naw, I get what you're asking, and if you don't know that #BlackLivesMatter exclusively to "people with dark skin" and that it has to be continually pointed out to the privileged, vocally and loudly, to get through to the clogged minds and open blind eyes of the privileged, as has been necessary for 250+ years in amerikkka, then I do think you are missing the point.

[BlueJazz]

41. Maybe it's how I was raised. In Australia, my parents taught me that the Aborigines...

...have just as much right (or even more) to live their lives unfettered by nastiness.

[GitRDun]

25. BLM has meaning IMO because many in white communities

are ambivalent to the ways the white power structure (police, in particular) harms black people. The BLM movement is about waking (mostly white) people up to what's going on.

As far as statements like "all lives matter" go, while it is a true statement, it does not belong anywhere near a BLM statement or discussion because it is dismissive / dilutive to the BLM movement's core purpose.

If women started a movement WCWB, Women Control Women's Bodies, it would be terrible to say, "well, everyone should be able to control their bodies.." It's a true statement, but only women are being challenged with regard to having control of their bodies, not men.

Sure all lives matter, but whites don't have nearly the risk blacks do of being indescrimanately killed by police.

That's the best I can do to explain, hope it helps.

[heaven05]

27. excellent response

full of sanity and wisdom....

[daybranch]

34. It is not a white power structure but a need to elect politicians who support their rich donors

BLM less is a necessary ingredient in the stew to continually divide and rob the people of this country. Where is the say the name that blacks announced with derision in the sixties when black Panthers and others spoke of the man. They knew then as many do now that those who control the institutions of society through our government institute the racism, the violence, and the division.
The Man is simply an older word for the oligarchs who continue to control the economics and social justice in the country.
Black men and black women and black children are easy prey in this society and creating conflict between the races serves a purpose.
It is only with support of white people that that purpose can be fought.
Tomorrow one of the lesser known victims of police murder, John Crawford III, is being remembered in the parking lot of the Walmart in which he was killed 1 year ago tomorrow. I am due to health reasons unable to attend. The open carry group not coincidentally has s planned demonstration in the same parking lot. I fear what might happen, when black people, expressing loudly their frustrations and anger, meet right wing white gun toters. I pray , it does not escalate as I am sure gun toters intend. If possible liberal white people need to stand between the groups to protect our black brothers and sisters.
If any of you reading this are white liberals, call the Beavercreek, Ohio police to see if they plan to enforce separation between the groups in order to prevent possible violence. If they are not, please consider standing in to protect those in support of memorializing John Crawford III.
We White people may be able to stop some racist killings tomorrow if we show up in great enough numbers and help to maintain separation and calm.
As far as men having control of their bodies, the usual intent of restricting mens control are laws which forbade sex between the races , and certain sexual acts which could be performed by men with men. The purpose of the first was to prevent affection understanding and unification of poor white indentured servants and Blacks from joining together and rising up against the rich. The second was obviously religions wish to impose their will on everyone.
I thank women for their control of their bodies. Their wise use of birth control has avoided much tragedy within families and society. While no man has the right to tell a woman what she should do with her contraceptions, men should recognize we are considered in her actions. In any case , a man's actions rightly speak more than his words and if we want to influence the decision, we can do that best by working on ourselves.

[GitRDun]

38. I apologize, but I'm not sure I am getting your message to me.

I don't believe BLM is a tool to divide people. Seems like that is what you are saying, perhaps I misunderstand.

To me, "white power structure" is the same as "rich donors", and yes, they are all collectively, "the man". They, it needs to lose power.

Agree also white people need to participate in events like John Crawford's memorial.

As far as the womens' bodies comments goes, there are ever increasing attempts by conservatives to further restrict women's rights to contraceptives, abortion, family planning and other health services. It seems like you are saying there is no problem here, but again perhaps I'm not getting the message.

[Vattel]

40. nicely done

[BlueJazz]

42. I understand more now. (see post #41

[Prism]

37. Too often, law enforcement and the justice system treats black lives as subhuman or disposable

The disproportionate ease with which officers pull their weapons and start firing on people of color is well-documented and revolting. Time after time we've seen white yahoos with guns brandishing and creating threats, and officers do everything in their power to restrain and control the situation. But when people of color even move the wrong way - unarmed - they're gunned down by trigger happy cops who do not value their lives or dignity as human beings.

That is why the mantra, black lives matter.

[BlueJazz]

43. Thanks for enlightening this poster.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. Don't be too hard on yourself, such tactics are almost always soundly rejectd by almost everyone

outside the group using the tactics until the dust settles a bit. I've been involved in such political actions for years, and DU has had many, many occasions to discuss these disruptive tactics in the past when used by Code Pink or by LGBT activists.
DU has largely opposed any and all disruptive political activism. Strongly and in absolute terms. None of the people who used to say 'anyone who interrupts a political speech for any reason is an idiot' who are now supportive of interrupting political speeches have done as you have, and said 'I was wrong then'.
So I applaud your honesty. It is refreshing.


Here's Bill Clinton addressing an ACT UP heckler in 1992. The activist did not have a year to live at this point. Compare Bill to Martin and Bernie.....

There is a boat load of hypocrisy around this issue and DU. Many claim righteousness that they really do not own.

[L0oniX]

12. +1

[Ed Suspicious]

19. Interesting.

[Vattel]

20. Thanks, and I agree that such tactics tend to be rejected by most.

I did defend Gutierrez when she spoke out at the Whitehouse celebration a few months ago. She was trying to make the point that the executive branch had an obligation to either ensure the safety of LGBTQ people in INS detention centers or else not detain them. She was absolutely right, and so and I respect her for speaking directly to chief executive on that issue.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

32. I was one that cringed when BLM challenged Bernie.

I have always thought social intercourse should be civil. However, upon reflection, I completely understand why they did it, and why they NEED to do it.

NOBODY is being CIVIL to them - they are killing them!! They were driven by feelings that, try as I might, probably aren't experienced or understood the same way, although I'm disgusted beyond words at the state of racism in this country, the lying killer cops, and their lying accomplices.

Yes, I believe #BLACK LIVES MATTER!

[Bluenorthwest]

48. And I defended her as well. And Obama, he's usually very good with that sort of thing and he wasn't

that time. He was in full 'Shame on you' mode. And I get that. It is rude to interrupt, except that it is an emergency so you do it anyway.
And that clip of Bill Clinton, he looks very confrontational but that was the intent, to confront him and make him engage. Bill Clinton, whatever else one thinks of him, turned the tide on US AIDS policy while in office and he has done great work in Africa with AIDS since he left office. You can look at that clip and think the activist is out of line, or that the politician is arrogant or you can say look, candidate and activist actually speaking to each other with passion about something of enormous importance which the activist spent his last days talking about, which the politician is still working on.
Thank all that is holy for those who raise their voices in room which should not be quiet.

[heaven05]

23. +1000

[Stellar]

13. WOW, to acknowledge that.

My hat's off to you.

[blackspade]

16. K&R!

My feelings as well.

[brer cat]

18. K&R

[heaven05]

24. Sanity, at last

[Gothmog]

26. The BLM movement is being very strategic in this campaign

I have been impressed with this campaign

[Armstead]

29. I still agree with your first assessment

I'm all for protests, but there are ways and there are ways. And you don't embarrass your allies.

Yes it raised the issue, and yes politicians are now addressing it.

Bu it also created the totally false impression that Sanders is something he isn't and raised a false narrative about him that sticks. And now there are people are suspicious of him -- or outright hostile -- as a closet racist or at best a clod when it comes to issues of social justice. And it created a needless schism on "the left."

(I don't know as much about O'Malley, but I'd say the same thing about him in terms of creating negative impressions needlessly.)

IMO if they had gone to Sanders, met with him and gave him a good "talking to," he would have realized that he needed to address it more directly.

If he didn't respond to less embarrassing pressure, then he'd be a dolt and I'd say to BLM "go for it"

[Vattel]

33. I will concede that insofar as the protest fed false narratives about Bernie,

that is an unfortunate cost. Of course, that false narrative was already out there, and the protest seemed to help Bernie to realize that he needed to do more to communicate the true narrative about himself with respect to race. You suggest that Bernie could have been made aware of this by meeting with him privately. Maybe you are right. It is hard to tell. Be that as it may, collective movements rarely manage to adopt ideal strategies, and I would say that what they did was good even if it wasn't perfect.

My now positive view of the protest is also partly based on the premise that positive social change tends to percolate up from below. It was because enough people came to believe that marriage equality was a good thing that things changed, for example. So if the protest brought greater attention to the concerns of BLM, then that is a BIG benefit in my opinion, one that can outweigh significant costs.

[Comrade Grumpy]

30. I didn't like the way they went about it, but it's good that the issue is front and center.

[Jester Messiah]

31. Yes, they advanced themselves by sliming a good man. Very laudable. [nt]

[lark]

35. I did exactly the same.

At first I was horrified. How dare they confront Bernie when he's been involved with civil rights for longer than lots of the BLM folks have been alive? Then I listened and thought some more and realized they actually did the right thing. The discourse has been improved by their efforts, an important issue is now getting more attention. Good for them.

[Prism]

36. They turned the candidates' heads

That was the intention. That was the result. Bernie is speaking more directly to their concerns while still wrapping it in his core message.

I have zero problem with what BLM did (I'm a Sanders or O'Malley supporter at this point).

[jwirr]

39. I honestly don't think a protest that is okay with the people outside of it is going to get much

attention from anyone. Both positive and negative responses bring attention to the protest as much as the actual protest. How many times have you watched a dull protest and just shrugged your shoulders?

I was upset because I did not want Bernie hurt in his race against Hillary. And he and Martin were the only candidates being hurt. But even at that time I understood that this issue had to be kept to the forefront any way it could be. Regardless of the methods. And now I think they chose the right time and place. Bernie understood even if we did not. He has been keeping it up there at the top ever since.

[Vinca]

44. So are they going to show up at any GOP events?

[JoePhilly]

45. Why? The GOP has already written them and all minorities OFF.

They want the eventual Dem nominee to WIN, and to have their issue as a central part of their administration.

The GOP would never do that. No reason to waste time pushing them on it.

[Vinca]

51. This is not an Obama year and the GOP might well win.

They should be going after ALL the politicians, not just the ones who support them already.

[Ken Burch]

46. Bernie's response to the Netroots protest proves that he gets it.

It should totally put the "Bernie doesn't care about racism" thing to rest.

[Vattel]

47. If the world were a rational place, it would.

[scarletwoman]

49. Well done! nt