On This Day: With lipstick on his cheek from a woman’s kiss, President Barack Obama greets people in the audience following remarks at the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) National Convention at the Orlando Hilton in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013 (Photo by Pete Souza)
Must be. How is that Damny Boy. Chips he is one beautiful dog. I Just love Labs. My son had a Yellow & a Black. Clara passed on & Kaydee is getting up in years too. Just loved those animals to pueces. Not so Megan, she tolerated them unless they tried to get too close to her Mama. ☺️
I want to know how Twitter knows what I watched on TV this evening. Talk about no privacy. Came to see what is trending in the world – and the adds come up telling me who to follow – the people who I was watching on TV!! Which is NOT connected to the internet – I’m spooked.
99ts is your Internet service provider the same as your cable TV provider (as is generally the case in the US nowadays)? If so, that might explain why your Twitter account would track your TV channel surfing, but if not then I don’t know what to say.
We don’t have cable! It’s not so popular – and expensive – in Australia (most watch “free to air” channels) – which is why this is just so WEIRD!
It’s not even my twitter – I was looking at the #ferguson tag & up came these folks “I might like to follow” – if it was just Australian guesswork – it was still weird.
Then again – I’m somewhat paranoid – living under a right wing government does that to one.
I saw somewhere there will be a Police Press conference at 10am about the young man killed in #ferguson – now I can’t find the link.
Also being discussed on “Up with Steve” shortly
Jonathan CapehartVerified account @CapehartJ
I’ll have very personal remarks on the “War on Whites” and what happened in #Ferguson at 8:40ish on @upwithsteve
There is a report around somewhere (I’m hopeless on links today) about the world being much more peaceful now than it has been for centuries – just got to say – I’m glad I wasn’t there in early times if they were less peaceful than now! Some days I just feel guilty if I happen to be enjoying life.
There is one thing – and it has taken our current RWNJ government to make clear – things move forward when there is a LW government/administration. Those on the right, literally do nothing. Our lot have been in power for over 12 months and have done nothing – other than present a budget that hates on the poor – and they can’t get it through the Senate. They have done a number of negative things on the international scene, but have basically contemplated their navels for the past 14 months (just like John McCain has done for 6 years).
As far as I can see 99ts, the sole aim of RW governments is to undo any of the progress brought in by liberal governments. So when I see RWers complain about liberals being called progressives, I smile. They truly are ‘regressives’.
It is amazing how black men can keep their sanity despite the insanity that happens to them. I remember one time I took my wife to a medical appointment at an office building, usually I drop her off at the entrance and I wait in my car in the parking lot usually listening to music or talk radio. Anyway this one time I decided to go in the lobby to use the rest room. As I exited my car this white lady was walking towards me, the look of fear she had or her face was palpable, she clutched her purse so tight her hands turned red. As usual I smiled at her to ease her fears, see I’ve discovered that when I run into white people on a one on one situation I smile just so they will feel comfortable. I’m tired of smiling; I’m tired of having to worry about some stranger feeling comfortable or uncomfortable in my presence. Why is it that when I’m the only black person in an elevator with a bunch of white peoples, nobody smiles to make me feel comfortable? Why is it that when I’m anywhere and I’m the only black person there, nobody smiles at me to make me feel comfortable? The average black man will tell you, if he’s lived long enough, that he’s discovered certain mechanisms he uses to make people feel comfortable in his presence. So now another black kid is dead under unclear circumstances, another black community is in pain, and another policeman is on paid administrative leave. By this time tomorrow we’ll know everything this young black kid has done since he left his mother’s womb, the good and the bad, the right and the wrong. I’ve got an eight year old son; I used to wonder about what college he will attend or what does he want to do when he grows up. As black men we’ve learned to focus our thinking on the present more so than on the future when it comes to our black boys.
I feel the same way, Don. I have two adult sons who have to navigate these treacherous waters every day, here in the ‘open-carry’, no insurance for the poor, Georgia.
I have gotten to the point that I worry about the time they spend with their white friends, their travel, everything. Being raised in the Jim Crow south, it’s not hard to become almost paranoid. We simply do not know who to trust, all over again.
My biggest concern is my 13 year old grandson. He has Asperger’s syndrome. He is intellectually gifted, but his condition makes it difficult for him to function in some social situations. Aspie’s are often given to angry outbursts. What happens if my grandson has one of these in public? We are doing all we can to keep him protected. But, we can’t protect him against reactionary, trigger-happy, often anti-black boy policemen. It’s a nightmare living in this country. But, what can we do, and where can we go? It seems that there is no safe haven from anti-black racism. Sadly, we often turn on ourselves
I wish that the MSM would allow voices like yours to be heard, without some nonsense disclaimer that “it’s not about race.”
It’s true that a person should “walk a mile” in another’s shoes to understand their POV, but so many cloistered whites have no idea what it’s like in a Black man’s shoes.
Don you echo every word I heard my parents and grandparents used to say both to my brother and to my sister and I especially when we were staying with family in the US. In turn I have tried not to burden my sons but reality bites, even here in Canada.
I had a restless night. I have a 17 year old son. We live in Florida. There is never a night that he goes out that I shut my eyes, not until I hear the garage door opens. If he is one minute late, I find myself constantly texting him. I have told him don’t text when you are driving, yet I find myself texting him because I want to know he is OK.
It is a painful existence. No one should have to live this way. Not us as parents and not our children.
Every time there is another shooting, no matter how many times, we have had the conversation, we do it all over again. Last night was no different. As soon as my son walked in the door, we began talking about the latest child gunned down in this senseless violence.
That young black boys, even those in Middle School are somehow are viewed as threats and so dangerous that they become endangered species, is unacceptable and a stain on this society.
The shootings become acceptable, because there is not wholesale condemnation. Instead, it becomes open season on the victim and families, as you alluded to. Last night I kept thinking, how do we fix this? How? Enough is enough.
I just woke up, and you’ve got me crying already. My heart aches for his family, for your family, for all that feel the way you do. I have a son. I will never have to talk to him about the things that you have to talk to your son about. We get to look to the future and dream about the possibilities for his life. I don’t even know what to say. I have feelings of rage, of guilt, of sorrow and so many others just all welling up. This keeps happening, like the one before it never happened. We never learned. Never addressed the root cause. Never saw through others eyes.Fear gets stoked and some people make money off of fear…fanning even the tiniest uncertain ember into a rage of hate and loathing. I don’t think the majority of the country feels this way toward POC, but it doesn’t matter really. There are enough of these hateful, ignorant people spread all around to make life more than difficult and scary for far too many and that’s not acceptable in my America. Hardly exceptional.Not even close, for so many reasons. This bigotry and racism being only one of many.
I’m so sorry, Don. Saying that sounds empty to my ears. It sounds like I’m throwing up my hands and saying, ” Oh, well! That’s the way some people are.” It’s not even close to what I really mean, but saying it doesn’t even come close to what you and everyone else, deserves to hear.
We must teach our children better. We must instill in all of them that they are important and an invaluable asset to the human race…no matter the race. That they can rise as high as they can envision and the only thing they need to prove is they have a strong work ethic to reach the goals they’ve set for themselves and no one will stand in their way….not only that, but all of us will help them achieve their goals. If we can teach our children this…we will be on our way to becoming an exceptional nation…. Because when you put your son to bed at night, you deserve to feel that sense of hope and unbridled possibility that I feel when you look at him snug in his bed. We took that away from you somewhere along the way and it needs to be given back.
Morning TOD. If anyone had chanted kill the cops, at this point in history, no one could blame them. Folks are fed up being victimized, as per Don’s comments above.
TOD is right to be very alarmed by the shooting and horrific coverage near St. Louis last night. All about “angry crowds,” not a dead child.
Missouri is a scary place.
Privileged white kids are taught to shoot at a very young age. (Regular TOD readers may recall my report after a recent visit to St. Louis of my 10 year old granddaughter proud of having shot and killed 3 deer.)
News reports in the past few years have told us of tanks on MO streets in drills, and further reports are of tanks traveling through MO, to where, I don’t know.
If you have any doubt that this is an unfolding nightmare just remember that militia guy flat on his stomach aiming at Federal officers. At the McBundy ranch. And the repercussions for this threatening behavior were zero. My belief is that Federal Officers understand how dangerous and close to the tipping point into chaos America is and understandably want to avoid it.
I hope one of the end results of this horrific PD-sanctioned murder is that the militarization of police forces across the country is examined (pie in the sky, no doubt, since the loudest voices in our national media appear to be those who get paid to speculate and gossip).
A few years ago (before I knew about TOD) I was stunned and appalled by use of force by LAPD — they literally sheared off the front of an apartment building to get to a suspect. Could not believe that this did not make national news.
Police departments across the country are imposing death sentences for “walking while Black” or “illegal camping” (in this case, ABQ PD shot and killed a homeless white man, something that @Lawrence covered in depth this Spring).
It is a horror in our country that we always have to worry about making white people feel comfortable first before we think of ourselves. When outside, we make sure we smile to make them feel comfortable, we put our hands out so they don’t think we’re hiding something, we make sure we aren’t dressed in threatening ways (who the heck knows what that is because apparently, a hoodie is now threatening), we make sure when walking to our cars, our keys are prominently displayed so suspicious stares stop and cops aren’t called (I’ve been harassed in that manner and now whenever I’m in a predominantly white neighborhood, I make sure my car keys are prominently displayed so that they’re comfortable that I am indeed walking to my own car. I shouldn’t have to do that, but I must so that a group of white people aren’t threatened by one black person).
We make sure we don’t run in public because that looks suspicious (yeah, apparently, running is suspicious), we make sure that we are 100% respectful to cops or your life may end that day. Yes sir, no sir, I’m sorry, sir. My hands are out, sir. I’m not holding anything suspicious, sir. I remember my shock and surprise when my white friend argued with a cop and I had to tell her to stop doing that because the person who’ll get shot first is me not her. I can’t even imagine the freedom that white people have to argue with cops and tell them loudly that they have rights. The thought that runs through my mind when I’ve been stopped by cops is the talk that my parents had with me. Be polite, make sure your hands are where they see them, say yes sir/yes m’am, never raise your voice, speak very softly, and it goes on and on and on. The prevailing thought being, good god, please let me be alive after this interaction. White people don’t understand that fear and pain where the cop isn’t there to serve and protect, but to shoot you first then ask questions later.
We make sure that we don’t raise our voice in public lest we seem threatening. I’ve been in coffee shops where white people raise their voices and everyone shrugs it off, but then a black person raised their voice while talking on the phone and a deathly silence filled the shop as people looked fearfully as though the black person was going to kill them. It’s insane.
We make sure that we never leave the house without any form of identification or company card to prove that we’re respectable and that still doesn’t guarantee your life will be safe.
The thought runs through your mind: Why are you as a white person not trying to make me feel comfortable in public? Why are you allowed to raise your voice in public and express your frustrations but I can’t? Why are you allowed to assert your rights with cops but I can’t? Am I not a human being too?
I’ll say it again. It is a horror in our country when a large swath of people can’t think about their lives and safety first, but have to think about others and making them feel comfortable just because of the color of our skin. We’re doctors, teachers, lawyers, business owners, parents, children, etc; but that doesn’t seem to matter when we’re out in public.
Nerdy, would you be okay with me using this comment for a post after R&S, along with Don’s comment? Both are so incredibly powerful, they really need to be on the front page.
ut. Your point that blacks are forced to play nice & polite extends up to the presidential level too. Just imagine if PBO had shown a rightful anger or even openly fighting with the rethugs would have wrought. They, with the corrupt corporate media abetting, would have yelled and screamed (which they do now too but it isn’t effective since he never plays their game) and would have impeached him 2010.
KUDOS to to you Nerdy for articulating in this powerful and honest commentary what so many of us experience on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. I’m shaking my head on Twitter on when I see glib responses like this:
@CoachMoChapman@yes_pancake_mix cut it out man. Trailer raised, shitty schools etc. You think I got a fair deal too, just because my skin?
I have such an upset stomach, an ache in my heart, I can hardly speak about all this. THANK YOU again for your eloquence and for expressing it here. This is why we fight for equality for all people, day in and day out. This is why we are revolted by the heartless and racist RW in our country who cannot and will not accept the fundamental political, cultural and demographic change happening NOW.
Hillary Clinton: ‘Failure’ to Help Syrian Rebels Led to the Rise of ISIS
The former secretary of state, and probable candidate for president, outlines her foreign-policy doctrine. She says this about President Obama’s: “Great nations need organizing principles, and ‘Don’t do stupid stuff’ is not an organizing principle.”
In an interview in February, the president told me that “when you have a professional army … fighting against a farmer, a carpenter, an engineer who started out as protesters and suddenly now see themselves in the midst of a civil conflict—the notion that we could have, in a clean way that didn’t commit U.S. military forces, changed the equation on the ground there was never true.”
Well, his former secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, isn’t buying it. In an interview with me earlier this week, she used her sharpest language yet to describe the “failure” that resulted from the decision to keep the U.S. on the sidelines during the first phase of the Syrian uprising.
She has been undermining him since her term was over, and I maintain from long ago that she used his support of her only as a stepping stone to feed her greed for power. She was not impressive as SOS. I will not support a backstabber. Let the chips fall where they may, however I am so wanting a strong candidate to snatch her wig.
I don’t see that as her fault. That’s the equivalent of blaming John Kerry because ISIL picked up momentum. If anybody gets the blame for it it’s al-Maliki. Even Sistani is laying it right at his feet.
The Obama Diary 
GM Chips
Morning Roberta!
Aaah glad to see you came back. Thought I was all alone in this here universe 😊
🙂 They’re all snoozing, Roberta!
Must be. How is that Damny Boy. Chips he is one beautiful dog. I Just love Labs. My son had a Yellow & a Black. Clara passed on & Kaydee is getting up in years too. Just loved those animals to pueces. Not so Megan, she tolerated them unless they tried to get too close to her Mama. ☺️
🙂 He’s doing great Roberta, almost as big as an elephant!
I want to know how Twitter knows what I watched on TV this evening. Talk about no privacy. Came to see what is trending in the world – and the adds come up telling me who to follow – the people who I was watching on TV!! Which is NOT connected to the internet – I’m spooked.
That happens to me all the time. I just got rid of all that stuff w/ cccleaner. Now I have to put all my passwords on again. But well worth it.
Weird – I sure never worry about the government – they just need to check me out with google
99ts is your Internet service provider the same as your cable TV provider (as is generally the case in the US nowadays)? If so, that might explain why your Twitter account would track your TV channel surfing, but if not then I don’t know what to say.
We don’t have cable! It’s not so popular – and expensive – in Australia (most watch “free to air” channels) – which is why this is just so WEIRD!
It’s not even my twitter – I was looking at the #ferguson tag & up came these folks “I might like to follow” – if it was just Australian guesswork – it was still weird.
Then again – I’m somewhat paranoid – living under a right wing government does that to one.
This can’t be happening again this morning. I am just backing up my Laptop & iPhone binged. Whooooot!!😀
😳 Am I @ the right site? Heeellooooo out there in intents world????
GM everyone – congrats on 1st Roberta
Help 99ts another country heard from. Almost bed time for you is it? Glad you stopped by.
about 10pm in my time – I’ll be up a little longer 🙂
Good evening 99ts!
Good morning all.
Morning Don.
Good Morning Don
I saw somewhere there will be a Police Press conference at 10am about the young man killed in #ferguson – now I can’t find the link.
Also being discussed on “Up with Steve” shortly
Jonathan CapehartVerified account @CapehartJ
I’ll have very personal remarks on the “War on Whites” and what happened in #Ferguson at 8:40ish on @upwithsteve
Thanks 99ts for the heads up. G’morning Chips & TOD. A very somber way to start a Sunday morning. But this madness has got to stop.
Morning Hopefruit. What a friggin’ world.
There is a report around somewhere (I’m hopeless on links today) about the world being much more peaceful now than it has been for centuries – just got to say – I’m glad I wasn’t there in early times if they were less peaceful than now! Some days I just feel guilty if I happen to be enjoying life.
There is one thing – and it has taken our current RWNJ government to make clear – things move forward when there is a LW government/administration. Those on the right, literally do nothing. Our lot have been in power for over 12 months and have done nothing – other than present a budget that hates on the poor – and they can’t get it through the Senate. They have done a number of negative things on the international scene, but have basically contemplated their navels for the past 14 months (just like John McCain has done for 6 years).
As far as I can see 99ts, the sole aim of RW governments is to undo any of the progress brought in by liberal governments. So when I see RWers complain about liberals being called progressives, I smile. They truly are ‘regressives’.
Can’t work out why it has taken me so many years to realize this – better late than never I guess.
Aw, look at the chubby, gorgeous little sweethearts 🙂
Good day everyone!
It is amazing how black men can keep their sanity despite the insanity that happens to them. I remember one time I took my wife to a medical appointment at an office building, usually I drop her off at the entrance and I wait in my car in the parking lot usually listening to music or talk radio. Anyway this one time I decided to go in the lobby to use the rest room. As I exited my car this white lady was walking towards me, the look of fear she had or her face was palpable, she clutched her purse so tight her hands turned red. As usual I smiled at her to ease her fears, see I’ve discovered that when I run into white people on a one on one situation I smile just so they will feel comfortable. I’m tired of smiling; I’m tired of having to worry about some stranger feeling comfortable or uncomfortable in my presence. Why is it that when I’m the only black person in an elevator with a bunch of white peoples, nobody smiles to make me feel comfortable? Why is it that when I’m anywhere and I’m the only black person there, nobody smiles at me to make me feel comfortable? The average black man will tell you, if he’s lived long enough, that he’s discovered certain mechanisms he uses to make people feel comfortable in his presence. So now another black kid is dead under unclear circumstances, another black community is in pain, and another policeman is on paid administrative leave. By this time tomorrow we’ll know everything this young black kid has done since he left his mother’s womb, the good and the bad, the right and the wrong. I’ve got an eight year old son; I used to wonder about what college he will attend or what does he want to do when he grows up. As black men we’ve learned to focus our thinking on the present more so than on the future when it comes to our black boys.
I don’t even know what to say Don, powerful, chilling heartbreaking words.
Chips you don’t have to say anything, I’m just so thankful that you’ve provided a place for us us to come and share our thoughts and feelings.
And I’m thankful to you Don for coming here and sharing your experience. Thank you.
I ‘ditto’ Don, Chips. This is the one place where I feel safe and accepted. Wish TOD was a country.
” Wish TOD was a country.” Made me cry again. {{{eveingeorgia}}}
You are one of my favorite commenters.
I hear you, Don.
I feel the same way, Don. I have two adult sons who have to navigate these treacherous waters every day, here in the ‘open-carry’, no insurance for the poor, Georgia.
I have gotten to the point that I worry about the time they spend with their white friends, their travel, everything. Being raised in the Jim Crow south, it’s not hard to become almost paranoid. We simply do not know who to trust, all over again.
My biggest concern is my 13 year old grandson. He has Asperger’s syndrome. He is intellectually gifted, but his condition makes it difficult for him to function in some social situations. Aspie’s are often given to angry outbursts. What happens if my grandson has one of these in public? We are doing all we can to keep him protected. But, we can’t protect him against reactionary, trigger-happy, often anti-black boy policemen. It’s a nightmare living in this country. But, what can we do, and where can we go? It seems that there is no safe haven from anti-black racism. Sadly, we often turn on ourselves
I feel you. I am tired of stories like this. So sad and tired.
Don,
I wish that the MSM would allow voices like yours to be heard, without some nonsense disclaimer that “it’s not about race.”
It’s true that a person should “walk a mile” in another’s shoes to understand their POV, but so many cloistered whites have no idea what it’s like in a Black man’s shoes.
Don you echo every word I heard my parents and grandparents used to say both to my brother and to my sister and I especially when we were staying with family in the US. In turn I have tried not to burden my sons but reality bites, even here in Canada.
Thank you so much for these powerful words.
I had a restless night. I have a 17 year old son. We live in Florida. There is never a night that he goes out that I shut my eyes, not until I hear the garage door opens. If he is one minute late, I find myself constantly texting him. I have told him don’t text when you are driving, yet I find myself texting him because I want to know he is OK.
It is a painful existence. No one should have to live this way. Not us as parents and not our children.
Every time there is another shooting, no matter how many times, we have had the conversation, we do it all over again. Last night was no different. As soon as my son walked in the door, we began talking about the latest child gunned down in this senseless violence.
That young black boys, even those in Middle School are somehow are viewed as threats and so dangerous that they become endangered species, is unacceptable and a stain on this society.
The shootings become acceptable, because there is not wholesale condemnation. Instead, it becomes open season on the victim and families, as you alluded to. Last night I kept thinking, how do we fix this? How? Enough is enough.
I just woke up, and you’ve got me crying already. My heart aches for his family, for your family, for all that feel the way you do. I have a son. I will never have to talk to him about the things that you have to talk to your son about. We get to look to the future and dream about the possibilities for his life. I don’t even know what to say. I have feelings of rage, of guilt, of sorrow and so many others just all welling up. This keeps happening, like the one before it never happened. We never learned. Never addressed the root cause. Never saw through others eyes.Fear gets stoked and some people make money off of fear…fanning even the tiniest uncertain ember into a rage of hate and loathing. I don’t think the majority of the country feels this way toward POC, but it doesn’t matter really. There are enough of these hateful, ignorant people spread all around to make life more than difficult and scary for far too many and that’s not acceptable in my America. Hardly exceptional.Not even close, for so many reasons. This bigotry and racism being only one of many.
I’m so sorry, Don. Saying that sounds empty to my ears. It sounds like I’m throwing up my hands and saying, ” Oh, well! That’s the way some people are.” It’s not even close to what I really mean, but saying it doesn’t even come close to what you and everyone else, deserves to hear.
We must teach our children better. We must instill in all of them that they are important and an invaluable asset to the human race…no matter the race. That they can rise as high as they can envision and the only thing they need to prove is they have a strong work ethic to reach the goals they’ve set for themselves and no one will stand in their way….not only that, but all of us will help them achieve their goals. If we can teach our children this…we will be on our way to becoming an exceptional nation…. Because when you put your son to bed at night, you deserve to feel that sense of hope and unbridled possibility that I feel when you look at him snug in his bed. We took that away from you somewhere along the way and it needs to be given back.
Tears streaming down my face as I read this, Don!
I know this pain – i see it in my father’s eye’s, on my brothers shoulders, and in the faces of my nephews, uncles and cousins.
So desperately wish I could make it stop.
could it be that the initial AP headline about the killing of the unarmed teen was also wrong about what the community was saying?
Morning TOD. If anyone had chanted kill the cops, at this point in history, no one could blame them. Folks are fed up being victimized, as per Don’s comments above.
Good morning BFF and TOD.
I applaud his stance, but maybe he should get elected first then change it from the inside.
Don, as I was just asking Nerdy, would you be okay if I used your earlier comment for a post after R&S? I really want everyone to see it.
GM, JER.
Your 10 Things to Know About Dogs post last night was so poignant, and should be provided to anyone who has or will have a dog.
What got to me was the (paraphrased) statement that ” You have your friends, family and hobbies. I only have you.” Sniff.
I thought it was good. Was thinking about Danny.
These vicious religious nuts are worse than aq.
TOD is right to be very alarmed by the shooting and horrific coverage near St. Louis last night. All about “angry crowds,” not a dead child.
Missouri is a scary place.
Privileged white kids are taught to shoot at a very young age. (Regular TOD readers may recall my report after a recent visit to St. Louis of my 10 year old granddaughter proud of having shot and killed 3 deer.)
News reports in the past few years have told us of tanks on MO streets in drills, and further reports are of tanks traveling through MO, to where, I don’t know.
If you have any doubt that this is an unfolding nightmare just remember that militia guy flat on his stomach aiming at Federal officers. At the McBundy ranch. And the repercussions for this threatening behavior were zero. My belief is that Federal Officers understand how dangerous and close to the tipping point into chaos America is and understandably want to avoid it.
I hope one of the end results of this horrific PD-sanctioned murder is that the militarization of police forces across the country is examined (pie in the sky, no doubt, since the loudest voices in our national media appear to be those who get paid to speculate and gossip).
A few years ago (before I knew about TOD) I was stunned and appalled by use of force by LAPD — they literally sheared off the front of an apartment building to get to a suspect. Could not believe that this did not make national news.
Posted this last night:
Police departments across the country are imposing death sentences for “walking while Black” or “illegal camping” (in this case, ABQ PD shot and killed a homeless white man, something that @Lawrence covered in depth this Spring).
Congrats Roberta!!
Happy Sunday TODers
Heeeeeeeeeya Chips!!
Happy Sunday morning!
Thank you for your truthful commentary, Don.
It is a horror in our country that we always have to worry about making white people feel comfortable first before we think of ourselves. When outside, we make sure we smile to make them feel comfortable, we put our hands out so they don’t think we’re hiding something, we make sure we aren’t dressed in threatening ways (who the heck knows what that is because apparently, a hoodie is now threatening), we make sure when walking to our cars, our keys are prominently displayed so suspicious stares stop and cops aren’t called (I’ve been harassed in that manner and now whenever I’m in a predominantly white neighborhood, I make sure my car keys are prominently displayed so that they’re comfortable that I am indeed walking to my own car. I shouldn’t have to do that, but I must so that a group of white people aren’t threatened by one black person).
We make sure we don’t run in public because that looks suspicious (yeah, apparently, running is suspicious), we make sure that we are 100% respectful to cops or your life may end that day. Yes sir, no sir, I’m sorry, sir. My hands are out, sir. I’m not holding anything suspicious, sir. I remember my shock and surprise when my white friend argued with a cop and I had to tell her to stop doing that because the person who’ll get shot first is me not her. I can’t even imagine the freedom that white people have to argue with cops and tell them loudly that they have rights. The thought that runs through my mind when I’ve been stopped by cops is the talk that my parents had with me. Be polite, make sure your hands are where they see them, say yes sir/yes m’am, never raise your voice, speak very softly, and it goes on and on and on. The prevailing thought being, good god, please let me be alive after this interaction. White people don’t understand that fear and pain where the cop isn’t there to serve and protect, but to shoot you first then ask questions later.
We make sure that we don’t raise our voice in public lest we seem threatening. I’ve been in coffee shops where white people raise their voices and everyone shrugs it off, but then a black person raised their voice while talking on the phone and a deathly silence filled the shop as people looked fearfully as though the black person was going to kill them. It’s insane.
We make sure that we never leave the house without any form of identification or company card to prove that we’re respectable and that still doesn’t guarantee your life will be safe.
The thought runs through your mind: Why are you as a white person not trying to make me feel comfortable in public? Why are you allowed to raise your voice in public and express your frustrations but I can’t? Why are you allowed to assert your rights with cops but I can’t? Am I not a human being too?
I’ll say it again. It is a horror in our country when a large swath of people can’t think about their lives and safety first, but have to think about others and making them feel comfortable just because of the color of our skin. We’re doctors, teachers, lawyers, business owners, parents, children, etc; but that doesn’t seem to matter when we’re out in public.
Nerdy, would you be okay with me using this comment for a post after R&S, along with Don’s comment? Both are so incredibly powerful, they really need to be on the front page.
Ok, Chips. Thank you for reading.
Thanks Nerdy.
ut. Your point that blacks are forced to play nice & polite extends up to the presidential level too. Just imagine if PBO had shown a rightful anger or even openly fighting with the rethugs would have wrought. They, with the corrupt corporate media abetting, would have yelled and screamed (which they do now too but it isn’t effective since he never plays their game) and would have impeached him 2010.
KUDOS to to you Nerdy for articulating in this powerful and honest commentary what so many of us experience on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. I’m shaking my head on Twitter on when I see glib responses like this:
– which illustrates so well why this country cannot move on when so many people are choose to remain willfully ignorant about their privileged status.
I have such an upset stomach, an ache in my heart, I can hardly speak about all this. THANK YOU again for your eloquence and for expressing it here. This is why we fight for equality for all people, day in and day out. This is why we are revolted by the heartless and racist RW in our country who cannot and will not accept the fundamental political, cultural and demographic change happening NOW.
I keep fighting.
Her term was clearly unremarkable. WILL NOT VOTE FOR HRC.
“2014”!!!!
Mine either….this is the last straw.
Hillary Clinton: ‘Failure’ to Help Syrian Rebels Led to the Rise of ISIS
The former secretary of state, and probable candidate for president, outlines her foreign-policy doctrine. She says this about President Obama’s: “Great nations need organizing principles, and ‘Don’t do stupid stuff’ is not an organizing principle.”
In an interview in February, the president told me that “when you have a professional army … fighting against a farmer, a carpenter, an engineer who started out as protesters and suddenly now see themselves in the midst of a civil conflict—the notion that we could have, in a clean way that didn’t commit U.S. military forces, changed the equation on the ground there was never true.”
Well, his former secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, isn’t buying it. In an interview with me earlier this week, she used her sharpest language yet to describe the “failure” that resulted from the decision to keep the U.S. on the sidelines during the first phase of the Syrian uprising.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/08/hillary-clinton-failure-to-help-syrian-rebels-led-to-the-rise-of-isis/375832/
She has been undermining him since her term was over, and I maintain from long ago that she used his support of her only as a stepping stone to feed her greed for power. She was not impressive as SOS. I will not support a backstabber. Let the chips fall where they may, however I am so wanting a strong candidate to snatch her wig.
I will. But then again I’ll do that for any Democrat that wins. Right now however as Layla reminds me it’s all about 2014.
I don’t see that as her fault. That’s the equivalent of blaming John Kerry because ISIL picked up momentum. If anybody gets the blame for it it’s al-Maliki. Even Sistani is laying it right at his feet.
Iraq specifically I mean.
R&S
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/08/10/rise-and-shine-the-week-at-tod-23/