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What is your reaction to President Obama's speech on the Treyvon Martin case?  Will it help or hinder race relations in this country?

http://news.yahoo.com/political-world-reacts-obama-trayvon-moment-1...

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I think he dwells to much on the color of skin. I am sure he had those experiences, but as a white woman, I would clutch my purse closer on the elevator if a scruffy any race got on with me.  If the guy is dressed neatly and is clean shaven, etc. And women take their chances with any man.  I know someone who was raped by a WHITE guy outside a club in NYC.  I

If he has ratty hair  and is covered in tattoos and has no teeth, I don't care what color he is, I will not get on the elevator with him. And I know I shouldn't judge on appearance, but people dressed like doctors and professors don't usually rob people in the elevator.

And a band of kids who look like they are up to no good?  Whether white or Hispanic or black, I would avoid them. Remember hoods ( not as in hoodie, but as in hoodlum). Well back in my day we had them, and I would lock my doors in Paterson if I saw a bunch of hoods of any color. Walk through a bunch of white senior boys who are feeling their oats. They are disgusting sometimes.

Think about it? Are you going to feel uptight if a black man gets on the elevator with his wife and kids?

So, I think he is working out his own stuff, which I can understand, but in some way I find his statements too concentrated on color.  It's more socio-economic status or nasty appearance that puts a person off than the person's skin color--except in cases of out and out racism, which I don't think is the NORM anymore.  It is the ANOMALY.

That's exactly the problem, Crest; Treyvon Martin WASN'T "scruffy" or "ratty" - He was a black teenager minding his own business, but Zimmerman's middle-class, All-American racism decided that in itself was crime enough.

I've never to my knowledge been a victim of racism per se, but some of my friends - white and black - have been, and I myself have been the target of religious and class prejudice - And I presume therefore to have a teeny-tiny smidgen of understanding as to what Obama was driving at. It was one of the ugliest things I've ever experienced, and I didn't get a microscopic fraction of what most black Americans have dealt with all their lives, and what most of them will continue to deal with for the forseeable future.

I think there is far more class prejudice.  I've been looked at like I was an interloper at high end stores.  I think that is far more prevalent.  I dont' see it as a problem that needs to be solved.  Water seeks its own level. We all have prejudices.  It is what it is. 

I am an anti-snob. The only time I ever had a bad time at a wedding, I was with extremely wealthy people drinking martinis, making plans for tee times the next day and talking about the wine from the Loire Valley, ugh! One man got up, did a pirouette and said, "Isn't this funzy?" I thought I would vomit.

I'm not proud of it, but I prejudge people who look like they have lots of money. I also prejudge people who look like they have no money, that's why I make my husband change his Home Depot clothes when we go out to dinner.

 

but we can't ignore the racism around us....

Marc Anthony responds to racist comments: 'You can't get more New York than me'

Marc Anthony explains that he was "born and raised in New York" following racist backlash to his All-Star Game performance.
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Marc Anthony performs God Bless America at the 84th MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York City on July 16, 2013. The American League defeated the National League 3-0. UPI/John Angelillo
Marc Anthony performs God Bless America at the 84th MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York City on July 16, 2013. The American League defeated the National League 3-0. UPI/John Angelillo 
License photo
Published: July 19, 2013 at 2:35 PM
By VERONICA LINARES, UPI.com

Marc Anthony responded Friday to the racist backlash against his performance of "God Bless America" during Tuesday's MLB All Star Game.

"To set the record straight, I was born and raised in New York. You can't get more New York than me," the 44-year-old singer said.

On Tuesday, the ASG was slammed by social media users across the United States for having Anthony, who is of Puerto Rican descent, sing the iconic song during the All Star game.

"Welcome to america where god bless america is sung at our national pastime by a mexican," Twitter user @TylerPounds wrote.

"Why is some Spanish [expletive] singing God Bless America at the All-Star Game? That's just wrong," @G_Lewis19 tweeted.

For the record, Anthony was born and raised in NYC's East Harlem by Puerto Rican-born parents.

We can't dwell on the racism around us either.  Marc Anthony said the right thing.  Throw it back at people.  Teach them.  Even the prez said things are better now.

One time a  WASPY looking lady told me to go back to my home country.  It was raining, my hair was frizzy, it was summer, I was tan, I was with a tow truck guy, accident, long story. The guy looked at me and said, "You sound like you were born in America."  I said, "I was!!"  So, did I care that she said that? No. I thought, what an asshole white supremacist she was.

 

i'm hopeful that racism will gradually die out as time goes on..tho you will ALWAYS have some people making excuses for themselves as it was racism whether it is a not getting a job or being mistreated etc etc and that goes for ALL races and cultures and colors....but we are making progress.

Since the president has had some experience with it and he is of both races I thought he did a good job and didn't go too far. I would imagine he got a lot of comments growing up since he lived with the white side of the family. I do think he believes the country can and should do better.

I grew up in a Detroit suburb, I took the bus many times downtown by myself and I don't remember ever once feeling any fear from any person no matter how they were dressed. The one thing I do remember questioning is at the upscale department stores I asked my mother why all the elevator operators were black ladies and why they wore gloves. My mother (who was a racist) didn't answer me at the time. Odd the things that stick in your head, that must have been around 1955 when I was about 10. Those were the days when after each purchase you were asked delivered or take with? The purchase was in a sturdy box and if you wanted delivery it was free.

The President is also at one level a citizen just like the rest of us and entitled to his freedom of speech. Perhaps the nation as a whole has imposed the issue of race a little too much on some of these issues. Recently a 76 year old white guy shot a black youth of 13 or so in my state whom he claims was involved in stealing his guns (apparently not all of them). Whether it was racial or not I don't know but some imply that. Zimmerman who may or may not have had racial issues seemed to me to have issues that would have made him dangerous to anyone. He seemed to crave authority, wanted to be a law enforcement officer, wanted to exercise authority and went out of his way to do so.

Not all justice comes from the Judiciary Branch. Some quiet evening Zimmerman may hear footsteps approaching and closing in on him. Perhaps it will be some self-appointed neighborhood watch. He is young and perhaps he will have 50-60 years to worry about it.

well just my 2 cents .. i think obama was tryin to be as diplomatic as he could .. he knows the black communities are upset about the verdict of not guilty but at the same time he don't wanna try to say the system is broken or fixed . he wants to try to keep calm here .. he don't want a rodney king incident on his watch so i think he did the best he could tryin to appeal to both sides .. if what i've heard here said is true that black people don't wanna call 911 then that should be at the top of his agenda to fix .. cause if treyvon had done that instead of attackin zimmerman none of this would have happened .. and from what i read about zimmerman from people who knew him he wasn't the yahoo cop he's been labeled as in the media .. nor did he have any racial issues .. and in all the time he did neighborhood watch he never exercised any authority .. he called it in like he was supposed to .. and on that night he did too ..and you can check the record on that .. i will agree tho that all justice don't come from the judicial branch and thats what zimmerman will have to live with for the rest of his life .. he had a choice that night .. he could die there if he allowed treyvon to keep beatin him ( and nobody knows for sure how that would have come out ) or do what he did and take his chances later on .. he's like cain now in the bible with the mark on his head and thats how he'll have to live .. but there's a good chance if he does get murdered the person that does it probably won't know the real story of what happened that night .. and thats the real tragedy of this whole affair .. i just hope a lot of other innocent people don't get killed over somethin that they were misinformed about from the getgo ..    

No comment about that man in Office because some of ya would burn me a new a hole if i did .

Racism will always be around us when there's always someone to stir the pot . Way too many people are two quick to judge before the facts are known . I have no problem walking with a black man or woman if they act civil . I feel much like Joanna feels .

Myself, I felt it was inappropriate for the President to make a speech that seemed to carry the message that the Trayvon Martin verdict was a miscarriage of justice.  The case was heard, and judgement rendered by a jury, as is the system in the country he heads.  We may not agree with the verdict but, for a President to weigh in on that outcome and demonstrate his own bias, just seems wrong. I don't care how many say they are not prejudiced, of course we are.  If a young black man knocks on my door, I am much less likely to open that door than I would to a white person. It works both ways. I grew up in a country where those of darker skin were a rarity.  I shall never forget, working in a school in the South Bronx, sitting down at a table in the cafeteria occupied by an all black group and they all got up with one accord and moved to a different table.  How do you fix that?

What's the difference between Obama pointing out on Friday that a miscarriage of justice had occurred a week ago, and JFK's speechifying about George Wallace's failure to prevent Vivian Malone and James Hood from walking through the front door of Alabama University in 1963 ? When EXACTLY is the President of the United States ALLOWED  to address an uncomfortable national issue, an issue that the people most responsible for keeping it going keep trying to sweep under the rug ?

 

That last question was heavily sarcastic, of course.

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