THANK YOU for clarifying and making that distinction. As a private citizen (thankfully) my first thought was the same as President Obama's: that could have been my kid. But I try to be a fair person, and didn't sign any of the Facebook petitions demanding Zimmerman's arrest or condemn him in conversation. I wanted to wait and see what the investigation showed. The man or woman leading our country should do no less and, in fact, should do more, as you noted. I'm hoping he will show the leadership to condemn the Black Panthers and their bounty. Hoping but not holding my breath.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 7:31:00 pm
I understand why looking at a picture of Tryavon Martin could cause President Obama to instantly think, ‘that could be my son’.
But his campaign and election compel on him a higher responsibility than reacting that way.
Everyone has jumped all over this with their assumptions and in fact if this guy is actually charged he might escape by the impossibility of a fair trial because of massive pretrial prejudice.
All we have to do is think back on the the abortion bombings in Atlanta, and the Duke Lacrosse squad to estimate the pointless damage being done, right up the New Black Panther Party issuing a dead or alive warrant, and Jesse Jackson claiming blacks are under attack in America.
President Obama should have warned off Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and others seeking to gain advantage (Tawana Brawley, anyone?) from this horror. If they did not heed the warning to avoid incitement in the face of a shortage of facts (a definition of prejudice, btw) he should have called them out.
We need better.
Obama should have promised we would get to the bottom of it all, and warned against pre judging, AND against incitement which would lead directly to acts which might actually ensure a guilty man goes free, or lead to other crimes.
But that was all lost in , ‘that is what my son would look like’.
There is no doubt that is true, and there is no doubt that is a natural and proper reaction …
FOR A PRIVATE CITIZEN
3 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formObama's little speech was calculated. Planned carefully.
He seeks more division in America so that he can win in 2012.
Sunday, March 25, 2012 4:47:00 pm
Well said Epa!
Sunday, March 25, 2012 7:00:00 pm
THANK YOU for clarifying and making that distinction. As a private citizen (thankfully) my first thought was the same as President Obama's: that could have been my kid. But I try to be a fair person, and didn't sign any of the Facebook petitions demanding Zimmerman's arrest or condemn him in conversation. I wanted to wait and see what the investigation showed. The man or woman leading our country should do no less and, in fact, should do more, as you noted. I'm hoping he will show the leadership to condemn the Black Panthers and their bounty. Hoping but not holding my breath.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 7:31:00 pm