On Friday, President Obama briefly addressed the Trayvon Martin killing, in response to a reporter's question. Though cautious because the matter is still under investigation, Obama said, "Obviously, this is a tragedy. I can only imagine what these parents are going through. And when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids.... If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon."
The president added, in reference to Martin's family, "I think they are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves." Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, after hearing Obama's comments, decided "seriousness" wasn't his preferred option.
The former House Speaker told Sean Hannity that the president's comments were "disgraceful" and "appalling." How on earth could Obama's response be perceived this way? Well, I'll just let Gingrich explain: "It's not a question of who that young man looked like. Any young American of any ethnic background should be safe, period.... Is the president suggesting that if it had been a white who had been shot, that would be OK because it didn't look like him? That's just nonsense dividing this country up.... Trying to turn it into a racial issue is fundamentally wrong."
First, anyone outraged by Obama's comments on Friday probably didn't hear Obama's comments on Friday. Second, the president didn't turn this matter "into a racial issue"; the shooter did.
Third, given Gingrich's recent record on race -- remember in December when he said black youths should be cleaning school bathrooms so they don't become pimps or drug dealers? -- maybe he should steer clear of claiming the high ground on respect for racial diversity.
And finally, as Amanda Peterson Beadle noted yesterday, even some Republicans aren't on board with Gingrich's nonsense. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said yesterday, "We all know there's a racial component to this.... I think the criticism by our guys was a little off-base."
Only "a little"?
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Just kind of wondering why anyone's still paying any attention to Gingrich...
Oh... you mean the book tour guy.
Sick, ya beat me to it!
Let us ponder the sort of person that buys the sort of books that Newt writes.
- oh, let's NOT!
Half of me is ready to explode over Newt's slimy antics and obvious stupidity, the other half is like, "Oh, no, keep saying these things, you're just making my guy look better and better."
I personally don't think anyone is listening to this idiot, I think he knows he's lost and is just trying to make others look bad and of course everyone knows he has to have the last word.
the last word, sorry everyone just ignore this comment i fixed my mistake in my other comment
Totally not surprised. But what is surprising is why the Rightward-ho! group is more outraged by the President's so-called "playing the race card" than by the fact that some one gunned down an unarmed, candy-eating child? (Actually, that's not surprising either...)
Even Zimmerman's parents have gone out of their way to defend Zimmerman against allegations of being a racist (which they are entitled to do, in all fairness): My son shot an unarmed child, but at least he's not a racist. What has the world come to???
I've heard through the broadcasts that the neighborhood had recently been plagued with home break-ins and robberies. About 7 years ago I had a brand new truck stolen just 10 feet from my front door, and we were on the other side of that door! The feeling of outrage was overwhelming and the level of brazen gall by the criminals was unbelievable. They thought they were safe enough to break into the vehicle and completely dismantle the steering column right under our noses. Why? Possibly because the local protective services have failed us miserably.
A few days after the incident I witnessed a small white car going down our street very, very, slowly, seemingly casing the neighborhood. I got into my car, chased them down, honking my horn, and asked what they were doing and could I help them. They took off very quickly possibly more scared of me and my actions than I was of them.
However innocent their intentions, was I wrong chasing down and confronting a stranger acting suspiciously in our neighborhood in the name of protecting our property and the safety of myself and my family? Truthfully I cannot remember their nationality but I don't think they were African American and I doubt race was an issue in this case either.
My point is: I can see how someone would confront a stranger acting suspiciously in their neighborhood, no matter the race, especially after many local crimes. I just don't understand how it escalated to a fatal shooting and why there was no investigation. I guess time will tell.
I have yet to hear any description of Trayvon's 'suspicious behavior' other than that Zimmerman told 911 he was acting suspiciously. Since when is walking down the street talking on your cell phone considered suspicious? If he was walking up to houses or vehicles, peeking in windows, standing in one spot and looking around, then maybe. I haven't heard that he was doing any of those things.
There's a difference between politely introducing yourself to a non-resident who is visiting your neighborhood, and shooting them.
It ain't rocket science.
"I just don't understand how it escalated to a fatal shooting and why there was no investigation. I guess time will tell."
Adrenaline. It's why law enforcement and our military train for these situations.
To be fair to FDH I think what he was trying to say is that he was mistaken in believing that a vehicle he assumed to be suspicious was, in fact, suspicious.
After my wallet was stolen and my car broken into I kind've had a similar reaction. It shatters your perception about being safe and then you want to constantly judge everyone's actions as being suspicious. In my case it was especially paranoying (is that even a term?) because it may have been someone in my apartment complex who broke into my vehicle. So I kept looking at my neighbors thinking 'which one of you did this?' Now I of course have no evidence that it was a neighbor. It happened in our parking garage and there is no security staff so quite honestly someone could've just walked into the garage when the gate was open. And we live downtown and right by the public transportation train station and right by a stadium. So hundreds of people walk by this location daily. More than likely it was a crime of opportunity- but the point here is that for a little while afterwards you feel so violated that you suspect everyone on the basis of nothing.
The real issue here should be to remain focused on the police.
If the police are so incompetent that they can't even figure out how to arrest a known murderer, what would you expect them to do about burglary?
The neighbors are probably fed up with high crime rate because the local police are not performing any work in exchange for drawing payroll checks funded by taxes payed by people they are not protecting.
This is the most likely reason for the murder. Not an excuse. Just a contributing factor. The neighbors may be so mad that they are ready to start beating each other up over nothing.
Perhaps Florida will be the first state to achieve third world status under GOP leadership. Local police have been replaced with federal several times in Mexico after similar failures.
The problem is, and has been with this endless GOP primary season; bloated bigots like Gingrich are still in the race for the sole purpose of getting a pulpit to spew his mouth farts from on a weekly if not daily basis. So, of course, thank you the-void-that-is-cable-news, this will get endless play until his NEXT mouth fart comes out. So we gotta keep hearing this rubbish... over and over and over and over again.
Gee... haven't heard from Michelle Backmann in what? 5 months? Donald "Birther" Trump? Nada.
At what point will someone stop aiming a camera at the like of Newt?
I can't believe that race is still a question in this case. Am I the only one that heard Zimmerman call Trayvon a "F******g Coon"?!?!?! Check out this youtube video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNI5CA5jijw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
By making the comment, "Is the president suggesting that if it had been a white who had been shot, that would be OK because it didn't look like him?", Gingrich is showing his ignorance of what it is truly like, being black in America. The fact is that had it been a white kid from a middle class family that was walking home in the rain with a hoodie on, there would not have been anyone chasing him down. He would not have been scared for his life as I am sure Trayvon was.
If I had a dime for every time the GOP showed their ignorance to racial or other divisions in America I'd be a wealthy person ;-)
Gingrich response to finding out US park police killed a homeless man:
Listening to Gingrich's comment makes me wonder if he actually heard what the president said. He transformed this tragedy into an opportunity to trash the president. SHAMEFUL in every way possible.
Gindrich is an idiot. President is right. The cops are wrong- how could Zimmerman be afraid when Trayvon was found face down by the cops,sounds like he was shot in the back, where's the self-defense there. There were so many mistakes made that it's not even funny. My heart goes out to the parents. In the 21st century we still have to deal with prejudice and ignorance. Zimmerman should be arrested ASAP!
In the case of Trayvon and Zimmerman, it all boils down to due process. It wasn't the police job to let him go so easily without following due process. Second, if I’m walking down the street, at night and I see someone following me in a car or on foot. I'm going to look to see who's following me like Trayvon did. And my next decision is to take off running in fear of my life. Remember I'm 17, just coming from the store, talking on my phone to my girlfriend, being followed by a person in a car and on foot. and now I'm in fear running for my life, at the same time the person is also chasing me on foot with a gun in his hand, I don't know who he is, I don't know if he's planning on killing me. I'm just trying to make it home to my family. Human nature shows us that when we feel we are in danger by human nature we will fight to try to make it back home or to get away from the person that we feels trying to harm us. Trayvon probably went on the offense but he was a kid in fear, fear of a man chasing him with a gun, who was previously following him in a car. Trayvon was trap, and he felt he needed to fight his way back home to his family, and so he did. And it cost him, his life. It wasn't self-defense, he back a 17years old kid against "A Rock and a Hard Place". If George Zimmerman would have did what the police said and met up with the officers that was on their way to him, instead of going after him trying to be "Superman", which cause him to use "irrational" decision, then Trayvon will still be alive today. Racist, George may have had a little in his head at the time, but to say his killing was because of that, no. Self-defense, no, you gave chase to a person at night, with a gun, forcing to defend themselves. It's time for George Zimmerman to face "Due Process".
There's no way you can expect due process now that the media has begun the trial and everyone from the President to the New Black Panthers have weighed in on it.
This is a good point c. I have worried about it personally too. Catch-22 of the system I guess.... On the one hand there's no way that justice could've been brought forward w/o media attention. On the other hand so many arguments for both sides have been put forward and people have already made up their minds about the situation...
But at the end of the day, Media or no Media, the law is the law. That why the president made his statement because he is a Lawyer as well. And me being a future lawyer in the making looking at both sides of the story. Zimmerman, without knowing, turns an innocent walk home by 17 years old boy, into a young man defending himself against a stranger with a gun. Remember the listen we learn when we was young, "Stranger Danger, Stranger Danger", he just got killed trying to make it home, against an irrational man with a gun, who was trying to be a hero. Zimmerman did break the law when he, himself tried to take the law into his own hands. Open and shut case. If it was a case of self-defense it was the young man who saw a stranger with a gun and decided to defend himself because he was chase by a man at night with a gun.
Level Headed Lee,
Good point.
I believe the Martins should sue the police and city for violating Trayvon's right to due process.
Gingrich has never been an African-American man with two African-American teenaged children. In fact, Gingrich has a rather poor record in 'Family Relations', overall.
The President did a masterful job of not interjecting his opinions (if any) of guilt or innocence, which might be seen as an attempt to influence the Justice Department's investigation, while giving a heartfelt expression of his condolences, and his understanding and empathy for what Trayvon's family must be going through. As an African-American himself, who is currently the father of 2 teens, his viewpoint is obviously different from Americans who are not 'Persons of Color', such as Newt Gingrich, and I thought his (Obama's) comments were pretty much perfect, under the circumstances. Obama spoke as our Country's Leader AND as a Father, and did it very well.
Newt Gingrich is an insensitive political opportunist, who is using a tragedy for his own personal and political gain. This is NOT about politics, it's about an innocent teenager who has been killed needlessly, and the grief and suffering of Trayvon's family, friends, and neighbors.
Gingrich should have simply expressed his condolences to the family, agreed that further investigation is needed, and asked that everyone remain calm and peaceful, while the investigation proceeds and determines the facts - This tragedy should NOT be used as a Political Issue by anyone.
Newt should observe the old quote: "It is better to remain silent, and be thought a fool, rather than to speak, and remove all doubt"!
Have you seen this news story:
"During comments in the White House Rose Garden, President Obama today looked up and remarked on how beautiful the day was, and pointed out the blue sky.
Former Speaker of the House and Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich was quoted soon thereafter, saying 'It is outrageous and despicable that the President of the United States should be making a contemptible statement, claiming that "the sky is blue," which is an irresponsible distraction from the serious challenges facing our nation, like bombing Iran and cutting taxes for rich people.'"
Did you see that?
The main point is that republicans must always be in the center of attention, no matter the subject. It always has to be about THEM, and even in death, you don't count.
High time for a boycott of things Floridian (OJ etc) until this lethal lawless law is corrected. Want to bet things would change in a NY minute?
Look where he made his comments, not on CNN but on Fox, where he felt safe. He wasn't speaking to all of us but rather to the bubble people that watch that network. You know them, the ones that facts have a hard time reaching, and emotional response is favored over reason. This is the network that blamed Martin for wearing a hoodie. Maybe if he had on a suit and tie this would never have happened, or just looked a little more clean cut. Great logic isn't it?
Newt is speaking to the base that is racist at it's core, and hates Obama with a passion and zeal not seen since the civil war, so my expectation level is low with this crowd and anything said on Fox
OK now...GINGRICH made this a 'race issue'. HE is the one that twisted the words into 'what WHITE people don't matter?' AND he said it because Obama is BLACK and Trayvon is BLACK so it's 'racial'. This is the same s#$% that says a gay judge can't rule on gay 'issues' and that only the WHITE MAN is 'fair and balanced'...and he did it on FOX. When the race riots come back to the US it will be aholes like Gingrich that are to blame.
Something about Gingrich's statement has been bugging me since I read it. It finally occurred to me what it is. Gingrich said "Is the president suggesting that if it had been a white who had been shot, that would be OK because it didn't look like him?" Would it not have been better to say "Is the president suggesting that if he had been a white [man] who had been shot, that would be OK because he didn't look like him?" I don't agree with Gingrich's comments; however, I'm just wondering why Gingrich refers to another person, clearly a black person, as "it" rather than "he?"
in three sentences, Gingrich took a comment out of context, asked a hypothetical, "does he mean..." question AND THEN attacked the president for (hypothetical) thinking like that.
That's talent! It's amazing how good these Republicans are at creating news like this, and it's amazing how stupid conservatives are to keep on buying it.
Obviously a complete, thorough and impartial investigation must be conducted in order to determine the facts of this case. That said, it will be a very bad day for justice if it is determined that it is acceptable for an individual to target another human being based entirely on race and, possibly, manner that person was clothed, follow that person, initiate a fight and then kill in "self defense" because he "stood his ground." I'm sure that would go beyond what the vast majority of people consider the spirit of these NRA and gun manufacturer driven laws.
Since President Obama has weighed in on the Trayvon Martin case due to the questioning of a member of the mainstream media, I wonder if:
- a member of the media would dare ask the President his thoughts on the $10,000 bounty for the capture - and killing - of George Zimmerman by members of the New Black Panther Party....
http://www.ajc.com/news/new-black-panthers-offer-1398575.html
- ....and, assuming President Obama would even respond to the question, - bring, yet again, his children into the discussion.
Nah...I didn't think so, either......
johiorican
I believe that your opinion about President Obama's comments might be more than a little biased. I am perhaps biased in the opposite direction from you, but I believe that when President Obama said that his son "would look like Trayvon" he was identifying with the parents in sympathy for their grief.
There is absolutely no question that if asked about the "bounty" President Obama would say that the Black Panthers are wrong in no uncertain terms.
President Obama did not "bring his children" into the discussion except to attempt to relate to the grieving parents as a parent himself.
This is a red herring argument. Rather than discuss the issue at hand John is attempting to divert the conversation to a position that he feels is more defensible. This is John's attempt at showing hypocrisy. As I've stated several times before a red herring argument does not point out hypocrisy. It simply shows that John is unable to formulate a cogent response to the argument presented.
johnlorican,
Bringing up the black panthers like this makes you sound racist.
That was not what you were going for. Yes?
Hold it a second. I think John-l's comment is a pointless attempt to deflect the argument and has no validity. But that doesn't make him a racist. I think we all agree we are talking about race. Would Martin still be alive if he were walking while white?
People that are arguing that this isn't a racial issue are the same people that argue that reverse racism is more of an issue than regular racism. Zimmerman had a habit of calling 911 specifically to report African Americans. He claimed Martin looked "suspicious" and "might be on drugs or something," he claimed "these as#### always get away," he ignored official orders from authorities to disengage from pursuit and of course there's the racial slur.
If someone, anyone, ever calls 911 and claims they're suspicious of and going to confront a white guy because they think he's a serial killer or a corporate criminal because he's talking on a cell phone, and then attacks and/or kills him well then the right wing haters will have just cause to be outraged.
Zimmerman made this about race by using white supremacist insults on a 911 call.
It is also glaringly obvious that the police in florida failed to make an arrest for white on black crime, but that the same police department has no problem making an arrest when it is the other way round.
Gingrich failed to recognize Zimmerman's language as racist, and is focusing on making the situation worse by saying things that increase the racial hatred that is already turning ugly.
That makes it increasingly difficult to ignore that Gingrich is probably white supremacist.
The obvious solution to this is to fire the whole police department and replace them with national guard while replacements are trained.
I disagreed with you about john-l, but agree with you about Newt. Newt is very careful where he directs his insults.
Note that the current police chief, the guy who just stepped aside, had been the chief for 10 months and said that he hadn't had enough time to turn the department around. I don't know how much credence to give that.
*** Attention *** *** Attention***
Let not stir away from what is right, if you take for away all of the racist this and racist that out of the picture, because everyone in the world have a little racist in them, for there’s something about somebody or some group of people we don't like, so take that out of the picture, and let’s stick to the truth. Our laws need to be upheld by everyone regardless of who you are or what you are. We must uphold our laws or there will be chaos in the community, the states, and worldwide. Don't let our country "rule of law" fall apart because certain law official do not want to do their jobs.
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You may just be surprised at what you see......stay tuned.