RedEye's Racist/Racism Rundown

'Traditional' voter? You mean American Indians? Go aheard GOP. Tell us how you're not racist. http://t.co/dYV2FwiF2F  pic.twitter.com/HzXDtX5slb
— Wisdom Rocks (@GetWisdomDude) June 17, 2014

Preview of what's coming to Alabama:  Videos: Bellhaven North Carolina Hospital closing may have cost a life.

Folks should be fighting the evil governors in their state to defend their healthcare rights. It gets to a point where the constituents will NEED to overcome their ignorance and use common sense when it comes to who is really serving their own best INTEREST.

Why "Take our country back" Is Only Racist When Republicans say it,

“Take back our country” actually is only racist when Republicans say it. As my friend Ed Morrissey pointed out not long ago, the phrase has been around for a very long time, and has been used by Democrats and Republicans alike. The difference is that, ever since the Southern Strategy, the Republican Party and the conservative movement have been devoted, in word and deed, to preserving a white status quo, Even people who don’t believe in Republican racism recognize this. The Republican Party is overwhelmingly white, and stands in opposition to an ever-more-diverse coalition that includes a significant minority of white people. As Hill said, when Republicans want to take the country back, they mean back to a time when white male supremacy was codified by law, and protected from on high.

37 Percent of Mississippi GOPers Would Back Confederates in Civil War. 

A new Public Policy Polling survey found that 37 percent of Republicans who voted in the Mississippi primary runoff election between incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R) said they would back the Confederate side if there was another Civil War.

Post racial my donkey.

RedEye's Week in Review

"What's too painful to remember, we simply choose to forget", these lyrics from Barbra Streisand's Memories come to mind when I look back on the white washed commemoration of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, in which 4 little girls and 2 forgotten little boys were murdered.  Lot's of photo ops, no substance.

 The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Black folks are still being marginalized  today, tomorrow, and probably will be forever as long as  republicans control, the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the Mainstream Media.

"Let not your heart be troubled."

You should not be troubled that George Zimmerman "got away" with the killing of Trayvon Martin, you should be troubled that you live in a country that ensures that Trayvon Martin will happen. Trayvon Martin is happening again in Florida. Right now:

If there is anything black people can understand it's the loss of life without justice.

"For those of you who are tired of hearing about racism, imagine how much more tired we are constantly experiencing it." - Barbara Smith

"Johnathen Ferrell, black, beautiful, and gone to soon" Rest in Peace Sweet Child

 

 Lawyers for a North Carolina cop who shot an unarmed man seeking help after a car accident say their client's actions were "justified."

haveallittletalk said: Honestly Redeye, if I were black I don't think I'd have the courage to have children in this country. 

I wonder if they are going to delve into the background of Officer Randall Kirk to see if there is anything in his background that would make him afraid of a black man ?  I can understand the fear of the woman who called police when she opened the door late at night to Johnathan Ferrell, a large black man, but I can't understand why an armed and supposedly trained  Randall Kirk, surrounded by other armed police personnel, felt compelled to let off a barrage of bullets at Johnathan Ferrell.  Even if, and I say if, Ferrell was up to no good, he deserved a fair trial in a court of law. 

 

Jonathan Ferrell was 24 years old. A former Florida A&M football player, he recently moved to North Carolina and was engaged to be married.  Now there will be no wedding, no smiling pictures of him celebrating his milestone quarter century birthday next month.  Read more at Ebony.com

 Our men cannot run to the police for help, because most police aren’t capable of aiding them. Our men may not run from the police in fear, for a Black man with his back turned is no less dangerous. Our men can’t hold arms akimbo or search for their IDs or cell phones or freedom papers to prove that they are, in fact, worthy of NOT BEING KILLED FOR EXISTING.

"For those of you who are tired of hearing about racism, imagine how much more tired we are constantly experiencing it." - Barbara Smith

Left in Alabama's Old Prosecutor proves America does not need another 'national converstaion about race'

Today's must read;

From the very beginnings of this nation-state, America has practically done nothing else but talk about race. The whole idea and reality of race itself is enshrined in the constitution wherein black people are defined as only three-fifths human.

You won't see it on TeeVee because they are obsessed with the Royal Baby and intent on rehabilitating George Zimmerman's image, but Southerners are taking it to the streets.

The lingering image of the happy-go-lucky Southerner, content with his lot, happy to get a pat on the head from the local patriarch, is being shaken to its core. Across the U.S. South, workers, activists and regular citizens are standing up to GOP right-wingers, the Koch Brothers and next-of-kin plutocrats like Art Pope, and privatizing, corporate-driven organizations like ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council).

Left in Alabama's resident Righty and legal analyst Old Prosecutor, (who has posting privileges and I don't), says the events in Florida were truly tragic, and asks was justice done in that courtroom?

Well Old Persecutor, I guess it depends on what your definition of justice IS.  Evidently the jury decided it's OK for an armed adult to profile, stalk, and shoot an unarmed African American teen through the heart and claim self defense.

I don't know what trial you were were watching but you put forth some things that are just wrong.

You said:  Was the shooting racilly (sic)motivated? That is Not Proven. I heard no evidence that Zimmerman had a hatred for african (sic) americans (sic) or that he acted out of that hatred.
George Zimmerman called Trayvon Martin a F*cking Coon on 911 audio call.  

You heard no evidence that Zimmerman had a hatred for African Americans  because this evidence wasn't presented at trial.
New Evidence-George Zimmerman used N-word in Text Message and E-mail when referring to who to look out for when on patrol in Sanford.

You said:  Zimmerman claimed prior law self defense. He maintained that he was attacked, had no chance to retreat and was justified in defending himself. He never claimed he was "standing his ground". 
Zimmerman Juror says panel Considered Stand Your Ground in Deliberations: He had a right to defend himself.

You said: Many maintain Zimmerman was the aggressor (and therefore not entitled to defend himself) because he followed Martin and got out of his truck. Following someone is not per se(sic) illegal and neither is exiting your truck.
You also said: 
In the 911 tape I heard played in court, I did not hear the dispatcher tell him not to get out of the car. The dispatcher asked Zimmerman if he was following Martin. Zimmerman said yes. The dispatcher then said we don't need you to do that and Zimmerman said okay.
Zimmerman claims that the dispatcher asked for the street address of where he was and that he got out of the truck to read the street address on the house.(Plausible to anyone who has ever tried to read an address in a subdivision)
So in my opinion it was not proven that Zimmerman followed Martin after being told not to. 


Zimmerman told the dispatcher that he was following Martin, and the dispatcher told him “you don’t need to do that.”

You said: Was Martin racially profiled? It appears that a series of crimes had been committed in Zimmerman's neighborhood by young black males and Zimmerman assumed that Martin could be one of them.

If that's not racial profiling I don't know what IS. 

You asked: But was it truly unreasonable for Zimmerman to call Police to check Martin in that situation?

Calling the police was not unreasonable, and if that's all George Zimmerman had done we wouldn't be having this discussion.  Instead he and his Cal Tech,(which he didn't tell the dispatcher who told him 'we don't need you to  do that'), he had, stalked Trayvon because he was tired of the them F*cking Coons always getting away.

Speaking of Left in Alabama,  let me address a post by PoliticsAlabama (another Righty who has posting privileges and I don't) who asks Did an Alabama State Senator Accuse Most Voters of Racism? The answer is NO, Alabama State Senator Vivian figures said Racism has played a prominent role in the republican rise to dominance in Alabama.

Specifically, Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile, said the election and subsequent re-election of President Barack Obama triggered a backlash by white Alabamians that allowed the state's Republican Party to capture overwhelming control of the Alabama Legislature in 2010 in addition to defeating the last Democrat to hold a statewide office that same year, Lucy Baxley, then president of the Alabama Public Service Commission.

There is an old saying in Alabama...if you throw a rock at a pen full of pigs the one that squeals is the one that's hit.  State Senator Vivian Figures called out racism.

You cannot prove racism to most white Americans  which is why a "conversation about race" is not needed.

What Mack Lyons said:

Until somethings done about the institutional and structural components that allow racism to maintain its existence and until more Americans acknowledge racism without diving into a rather paternalistic and/or defensive response over it, there's not much hope in changing things for the better.

It's the Racism, Stupid!  These two strands -- stupidity and racism -- are inseparable.

What say you?

An open response to a reader from North Carolina

I would like to share an email from a reader in response to Why I carp and whine and why I wish I didn't have to, a very personal diary, and my response.

Hello,

I like what you have to say. You have a wonderful background rich with history. A hard, tragic, emotion filled history, but you stood up for something and made a difference.

I am white, grew up in North Carolina and know nothing of such discrimination, except sexual discrimination. However, I can say that I am angry that I did not learn about the hardships of the civil rights movement, the deaths, marches and fights until much later in my life. I am angry that no one taught me about the Harlem Renaissance while I was in school or college. Someone decided that it was not important enough for me to learn. I am angry that I was not allowed to know about the church bombing, dynamite hill, the freedom riders, Rosa Parks until I went to college a second time. I went to school in the 80's and I did not learn of any of this until the 2000's. I am angry that these things happened, and I am proud that people stood up for what was right.

My point is that I am begging to be a part of a group that stands up for what is right. I thought that becoming a democrat would start me on that path, but all I got was volunteer to help a candidate. A candidate for governor that I only supported because I was trying to do what the party wanted. I saw Republicans standing on street corners, on the radio, really doing something, and all I saw democrats do was have "get to know you" parties. Maybe I haven't met the right people, maybe because I am a student my time is limited; all I know is that I wanted to do something that made a difference, like the group of people from the civil rights movement, and I thought democrats were the group that did things like that, I was sorely mistaken. I will NEVER vote Republican again, but right now I am disillusioned with our President for caving to the Republicans. I cannot believe that our country is headed down a path of such narrow-minded ideals that are driven by complete lies.

I am so glad that people from your generation stood up and made a difference, and I am thankful for all you did. Your age group is getting older, and I don't see, at least in Alabama, people standing up to take your place. I fear for our future when I see people getting elected that are completely improper such as our new Lt. Governor who lost education money, and the county coroner who doesn't even have the facilities and know how to do the job. In the meantime, I keep hoping, while looking out of the corner of my eye for a way out of this state into a more progressive area. Thank you for all you do and have done.

Dear Reader from North Carolina,
Thank you for reading and thank you for your response. It's gratifying to know my thoughts and words touch people. I love my county, city, state, country. In my own way, I'm trying to make this world a better place for everyone.

You are correct, my age group is getting older and people aren't standing up to take my place. I'm beginning to believe it's because they are afraid. Afraid of being ridiculed, marginalized, convicted, or worse. If that's true I fear for future generations. Like you I still believe in a place called Hope and will continue to HOPE for CHANGE we can believe in.

I share your disillusionment with President Obama and the Democratic Party. I'm still shocked the GOP infused, media-enabled, Tea Party was able to regain control of the House of Representatives and gain seats in the Senate. As I watch the Talking TeeVee Knucklehead's fall over themselves gushing over the goppers today I want to hurl. I sincerely hope President Obama and the Democratic Party wake up and smell the damn TEA before it's too late and stop trying to negotiate with Sharks.

Unlike dolphins, sharks are not known for their intelligence. They are basically lethal eating machines with fins. They have no grand strategy. They don't look toward goals in the future. They just live to prey on other living organisms.

That's pretty much what President Obama has to deal with in terms of the GOP. They are now, reportedly, going to try and destroy the modest gains in health care reform, even though their proposed dismantling would increase the federal deficit. Then, when it comes to the destruction of our economy, the Republicans are going to prescribe more of the same toxins.

You are not alone in your lack of knowledge about African American History, I believe it should be a stand-alone required course along with American History. There are still some who are trying to whitewash history with censorship. Knowledge is power, shared knowledge makes us powerful, which is why I believe republicans are so anti-public education. They want to keep the people dumb so they can keep them in line. So far, they're doing a pretty good job.

Some rays of HOPE, President Obama is still the President, Democrats are still in the majority in the Senate, and the remaining Democrats in the Congress are progressives/liberals. If the GOP minority could obstruct the President's agenda, the democratic minority should be able to obstruct the Tea Party agenda. I said should, because it depends IF President Obama and the Democrats have the will to obstruct the Tea Party agenda. Time will tell the truth.

Again, thanks for reading, and please keep HOPE alive!

Redeye