...hadn't heard this either.

...

dire that they don't feel there is time for nuance. They are being shot and hung and strangled in numbers. Their urgency is over their very lives. Some people are dancing for their lives.

Since Obama was elected, the bigots have been coming out everywhere! The South looks better than the West in many cases! I mean NC voted for Obama in '08.... and almost did in '12. (which is why it is being punished now)

Allowing the invited speakers to talk, especially when you've been specifically told you can ask questions, is not a nuanced choice. Allowing speech is basic to Democracy and the people who organized the disruption knew this, but the opportunity for a publicized disruption blinded them to that.

In my opinion, that is.

That has always been my position, since as far back as I can remember Democrats teaching their kids to turn over black kid's school buses in OKC.

That said, I agree. People are being shot, beaten to death, murdered. There is no time for nuance. There is no time for ineffective effort. We need to be figuring out how to rid ourselves of racism, doing much more to effect the transformation that most people say can happen. (It is my own opinion, and just opinion, that it will never happen as long as the nation stands, but that's just my take. I'm fully willing to engage with others who are actually being effective instead of just shuffling signs).

I applaud those activists for trying. Right or wrong is a value judgement, I prefer to look at the effect. It got a "white lives matter" from one guy who apparently does not want to be president, and Bernie - who had previously made statements - a tweet from Bernie - who is going to be President next year - with Sandra Bland's, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and others.

That's good.

I think they missed an opportunity by not acknowledging previous statements, which is what I think happens when ego gets in front of strategy. I've seen that lots of times. It's not fatal, but it shows that they may not be as good at what they do as they could be.

If the activists take that tweet for the national gift it is and build on it, we can do something. I say we, since white folk are the ones
needing to "do" something. eh?

We shall see.

They should be targeting people who can help them now, like Obama and Loretta Lynch , IMHO.

Police targeting blacks isn't a new problem either. The Black Panthers formed to protect blacks from police abuse in the 1960s. Now in the era of camera phones, the cops are getting sunlight shone on their systematic abuse. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Who wouldn't be, after all the racially charged murders and hate crimes?

This dispair should be taken seriously. I remember how angry I was (and several more LGBT for that matter) in 2008 when marriage rights were taken away from us. So imagine how angry PoC are when their right to EXIST is challenged by lone wolfs and police corpses alike.

When you feel abandoned, you pine for someone to come out for your cause: explicitly, targetedly, unreservedly.

That's why the LGBT community was so angry with Obama in the beginning of his presidency. He was the most gay-friendly president ever, but just by being luke-warm, he angered us more than the homophobes could have: after all, he had promised to be a fierce advocate.

The PoC are asking the Democrats to do more than claiming to be a fierce advocate for them. They ask to be heard, and to be mentioned. They ask for someone to come out for them as more and more Democrats have done for the LGBT in recent years.

Look at what happened when the LGBT felt reassured again. Then try to do the same for PoC. And make sure that you decide that course of action with them, not for them.

Nothing wrong with scripted moments of political theater. But sometimes they fall flat. And often it's not the message that's responsible. In this particular instance part of the message was the medium of delivery.

That aspect of it failed, and it made the messengers look bad. Black Lives Matter wasn't affected by this, of course, as that's bigger than the attendees who interrupted and shut down the invited speakers to the event.

I hadn't heard Bernie directly address the horrific epidemic of cops murdering black Americans.

I've been listening for it too, but somehow hadn't hear it until he said it last night before
11,000 in Phoenix. So I love knowing it wasn't just BLM that inspired him to speak out
on this.

He actually has addressed racial problems for years and had a good voting record. Unfortunately there is a crowd that decided to turn his strengths into a weakness and back a candidate that is better at optics than reality.

I won't hold my breath.

They have plenty to be angry about; what, and whom, exactly, are they targeting?

Why would you heckle someone who has agreed with you, unwavering, for almost 50 years?

It defies reason.

This matter is one that points to Bernie's influence and power. It is recognized that the force with Bernie has great power. Therefore, instead of ignoring him, like they are ignoring Clinton, they are attempting to get his attention so that they know they are heard.

Of course Bernie hears and empathizes with BLM.

Bernie is BLM's best hope. They know it, we know it.

I wish I did agree. But Bernie is still very much a longshot, Hillary is by far the likely nominee. And you took from that demonstration that they recognize that Bernie is their best hope? Did you watch it all? No way, you'll need another explantion.

I have followed Bernie for quite sometime. I didn't just take on the idea that Bernie is their best hope, because his stances are the best hope for the 99%, and has always been thus.

That's why I support him 110%: He is the Real Deal.

and have also followed him for a long time.

What I didn't agree with was your analysis of why they went after Bernie. It doesn't really matter, we all have opinions, and ultimately we are on the same side. If you want to see more of my take on it you can read it here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251456257#post408

if not, no worries, I don't pretend to know what that was all about, many questions though.

Therefore anything you may state after that is to be looked at with a discriminating eye.

If Bernie had no power, they would ignore him. But they know, unlike you, that he will win this election, so they want his attention.

Is that my opinion? Duh. But just look at all the positive attention Bernie is getting compared with the negative attention Hillary gets. The BLM org folks are smart and they, unlike you, see the future quite clearly.

Feel The Bern?

An alternative theory is that they are like some of the corporate Democrat supporters on here, who side with Hillary while attacking progressives using the "we don't care about people of color, only economic issues" line of attack.

I'm definitely feelin' the Bern.

Holder did next to nothing, and so far, I've seen little action out of Loretta Lynch.

Within the US Attorney General's office is where civil rights violations perpetrated by members of law enforcement can most effectively be addressed. This is where true structural change can be made.

My personal feeling is, they were so wrapped up in planning their protest, that they don't even seriously know this man and what he stands for.

They should damned well hope he becomes President because he does take such issues seriously.

Nobody bothered doing any research on him. We do, however, see this on DU. On DU they intentionally disregard his record because it doesn't fit their agenda, which is to prop up Hillary Clinton.

Where restoring the VRA is a key priority for him?

As far as I'm concerned, the movement is a front for partisanism. They exploit dead black victims to tear down candidates who would actually save black lives. It is a self-defeating movement at this point.

Good luck getting what you want from Hillary, Jeb, or Trump, but I'm out.

I wouldn't go that far to say BLM exploits black victims to play political games, but it seems like the fringe of the movement is taking over and speaking (or hollering) over the majority of activists to get attention and not much else.

No amount of money spent to try to distort his record, is going to work. He's one of the best candidates we've ever had.

n/t

Yeah, I can see how this would tick off #BLM.



Their protest sure showed him!!