I Like Politics

How quickly we forget. Is there any justification for media double standards? While President Trump sometimes doesn't make the perfect comment the first go around, recent presidents have done worse.

Here is an example:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/12/obama-defends-black-lives-matter-protests-police-m/

President Obama defended the Black Lives Matter movement Tuesday at a memorial service for five slain Dallas police officers, saying bigotry remains a problem in police departments across the U.S.

While paying tribute to the fallen officers for sacrificing their lives to protect anti-police protesters from a sniper, Mr. Obama also called on law enforcement agencies to root out bias that he said is contributing to violence on the streets of America.

“We have all seen this bigotry in our lives at some point,” Mr. Obama told an audience of about 2,500 at a concert hall in Dallas. “None of us is entirely innocent. No institution is entirely immune. And that includes our police departments. We know this.”

SEE ALSO: Obama to cops: ‘I’m your best hope’ for healing racial tensions
The officers — Michael Smith, Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Brent Thompson and Patrick Zamarripa — were killed during a Black Lives Matter protest Thursday night by a black sniper who told police he targeted white officers.
At the interfaith service, photographs of the slain officers were displayed on the stage. Five empty seats in the arena were adorned with folded U.S. flags and duty officer hats to signify their loss.

The president, who has been criticized by law enforcement officials for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, doubled down on that theme in front of the slain officers’ colleagues and families, saying Americans “cannot simply turn away and dismiss those in peaceful protest as troublemakers or paranoid.”

[b]“We can’t simply dismiss it as a symptom of political correctness or reverse racism,” he said. “We also know that centuries of racial discrimination, of slavery and subjugation and Jim Crow, they didn’t simply vanish with the end of lawful segregation.”[b]

His speech drew immediate criticism on social media for taking an event that was ready-made for national unity and turning it into a lecture for his agenda items of criminal justice reform and gun control.

[b]“Agree or disagree, the second part of Obama’s speech polarizing. Felt like a State of the Union for a moment based on who was applauding,” tweeted Josh Kraushaar, politics editor at National Journal.

Katie Pavlich added: “Worst part of Obama’s lecture about racial bias today? He did it at a memorial for 5 officers who were killed because they were white.”

Many on social media ridiculed Mr. Obama for the specific claim that “we flood communities with so many guns that it is easier for a teenager to buy a Glock than it is to get his hands on a computer or even a book.”[b]

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Northwest · M

The President equated the Nazis with the protesters. He equated George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, flawed as they may be, but founders of this nation, with Robert E Lee, the man who wanted to rip this nation apart.

You call this a not so perfect comment?

The Washington Times, cherry picked the President's comment. For the record, here's the sentence:

"But we know -- but, America, we know that bias remains. We know it. Whether you are black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or of Middle Eastern descent, we have all seen this bigotry in our own lives at some point. We’ve heard it at times in our own homes. If we’re honest, perhaps we’ve heard prejudice in our own heads and felt it in our own hearts. We know that. And while some suffer far more under racism’s burden, some feel to a far greater extent discrimination’s sting. Although most of us do our best to guard against it and teach our children better, none of us is entirely innocent. No institution is entirely immune. And that includes our police departments. We know this. "

and for the ACTUAL speech, without your spin, or the Washington Times spin, here's the actual link:

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/07/12/remarks-president-memorial-service-fallen-dallas-police-officers

You're also equating the Nazis, with BLM, which has nothing to do with the police officers in Dallas getting shot.

There are enough videos out there, of cops shooting unarmed blacks, who were cooperating with the police. For every video that exists, you have to assume that there are plenty more incidents that were justified, because people about to get shot dead, did not think ahead to have their murders filmed.

So, we have a bias problem, that cannot be swept under the rug, and must be addressed. The fact that the President today is not doing anything about it, and in fact, he wants to steer the discussion away from it, is shameful.

jackjjackson · 61-69, M

@Northwest

Agreed. There is a bias problem. There is no justification for ANY of the bad acts (which are scant examples) that we both listed. Anyone debating which acts other than a few grossly heinous ones are worse than or better than others is simply attempting to push an agenda and not working to improve American life.

The point of looking at President Obama's words which I didn't and don't find offensive is to compare those words with the parsed paraphrased words of the current president. The man has not been given a fair shake since riding the elevator to announce his candidacy.

I far from justify every word thst had come out of the president's mouth and I personally am able to recall many words over my lifetime that would have been better left unsaid.

A hypothetical. What if a group representing all of the heads of the major media met with the president and said what can we all do TOGETHER to improve the life of the American people. My thought is that the excellent seasoned team in place (who unfortunately the President doesn't always consult and ignores their sage advice) would welcome media support with open arms and we would like what we see coming out of D.C. and benefit greatly from a collaboration seeking positive results.

The way things are headed is that 18th century "slaveholding" presidents will be trashed within the next few years. While I agree that Robert E. Lee statues on public display do no one any good at present. The reading I have done over the years uniformly describes General Lee (I refer to his status asa UNITED STATES general) as a good man torn by terrible circumstances. The facts since his death have not changed, the media fueled characterization had changed based on an agenda.

We are all United States citizens and should be seeking the common good of all and not fixated on the tearing down of some.

Northwest · M

@jackjjackson

[quote]The point of looking at President Obama's words which I didn't and don't find offensive is to compare those words with the parsed paraphrased words of the current president.[/quote]

Which is why I quoted his entire speech, rather than the carefully selected sound byte. It may have been carried by the publication you referenced, but it came from Breitbart, and we know how accurate they are.

[quote] The man has not been given a fair shake since riding the elevator to announce his candidacy.[/quote]

And I wanted to do that, but he's been one blunder after the next. There's a reason why the Presidency is NOT an apprenticeship. To use his own standards, the host would have yelled "you're fired" long ago. He also promised that he had a solution for all this:

- Healthcare: the biggest, most beautiful healthcare plan. Nothing. Instead, he's now asking McConnell to come up with a healthcare plan.

- Taxes: same, big, beautiful, etc. Nothing. He had no plan. He's now bullying McConnell, to come up with something.

- ISIS: he knew more than the Generals, and he had a secret plan. Nothing. The secret plan is to continue executing the Obama plan.

- The Wall: his conversation with the Mexican President was leaked. Need I say more?

Would you like more?

[quote]
I far from justify every word thst had come out of the president's mouth and I personally am able to recall many words over my lifetime that would have been better left unsaid.[/quote]

My question is, why don't you want to hold him accountable?

If your car broke down, and you took it to mechanic, who promised to make it big and beautiful again, but instead he calls you back up, and says "hey, what should we do here", but still wants the job. What would you do?

[quote]A hypothetical. What if a group representing all of the heads of the major media met with the president and said what can we all do TOGETHER to improve the life of the American people. My thought is that the excellent seasoned team in place (who unfortunately the President doesn't always consult and ignores their sage advice) would welcome media support with open arms and we would like what we see coming out of D.C. and benefit greatly from a collaboration seeking positive results.[/quote]

The media's job is NOT to legislate, or execute. It is to report, and be vigilant in doing so. What you're describing, is something Congress should be doing. I am encouraged that some Senators and Congressmen are crossing political lines to work together. Trump is NOT encouraging that. Check out his tweets. He wants the Republicans to come up with something.

[quote]The way things are headed is that 18th century "slaveholding" presidents will be trashed within the next few years.[/quote]

That's a hyperbole. The statue in question, is no more part of history, than if I had bought a statue from Walmart and placed it on my lawn. It was put there 60 years after the fact, in a place that did not see any action during the civil war. The ONLY objective of these statues and monuments, was to intimidate blacks, along with Jim Crow laws. You know that, and I know that. There's no equivalency with "history" here.

[quote]While I agree that Robert E. Lee statues on public display do no one any good at present. The reading I have done over the years uniformly describes General Lee (I refer to his status asa UNITED STATES general) as a good man torn by terrible circumstances. The facts since his death have not changed, the media fueled characterization had changed based on an agenda.[/quote]

Perhaps, deep down, he's a misunderstood guy, but the generals under him, started the Klan and continued to oppress blacks. From what I read about him, he fit the description of a gentleman, bu the same thing can be said about most of the officers in that war. That only applied to the way they behaved externally, but it does not say much about the cruelty inside, and how they treated everyone else.

Bottom line: he was the lead actor, in trying to undo the nation. That's enough for him to dislike him, not to mention that my great, great grandfather was a Union soldier.

[quote]We are all United States citizens and should be seeking the common good of all and not fixated on the tearing down of some.[/quote]

I agree, but this means ALL. What's offensive to black Americans, and was designed to oppress them, should be offensive to all, NOT heritage and history.

Also, it should be up to the city to decide what to do, not outsiders.

jackjjackson · 61-69, M

@Northwest

LOL that's way too long to bother to respond to inasmuch as you haven't rebutted even remotely any of the points I made. Using the quote tool and writing a lot of words is meaningless when in this particular case of yours lacks content. Generally your responses are responsive and thought provoking. This Brothers Karamasov like run on is not.

Northwest · M

@jackjjackson Apparently too long for you to even read, because you clearly have not read it. Hint: my response was about as long as your original post. How else do you respond to EVERY single point?

jackjjackson · 61-69, M

@Northwest

Read every word just not up to your usual standards. I think you're bored of this topic.