Obama and Race Relations

Avi · 07-25-2009, 08:59 PM

Obama apologized for his comments earlier in the week about the Gates arrest:

Obama's apology in Gates case right on target | Midwest Voices

I think it was very reasonable to make the comment that he made, and reasonable for him to later apologize. He did not have all the facts and he was acting very humanly.

I think Obama's biggest contributions during his first term are going to be in the area of improved race relations.

Avi · 07-25-2009, 09:50 PM

Just as a follow up to my comment above, many of you are too young to remember when Mike Dukakis ran for president, but during one of his debates a reporter asked him "What would you do if your wife or daughter was raped" ?

His answer was something like: "We will make sure all of the force and power of the US government will be brought against the perpetrator.....blah,blah,blah. There was no passion. It seemed like he was talking about his wife or daughter as if she was one of his law clients. Of course he made several other strategic errors and lost the election.

My point is that Obama has to use his intuition, people want to see that a leader has a gut reaction. That means sometimes he will be wrong. In those cases an apology is totally reasonable.

nativeastral · 07-25-2009, 11:20 PM

Avi
didn't know whether to mention this here or on your other Obama health care thread but l saw on our TV news about a week ago that folk in Mississippi l think who didn't have access to drinking water; these were African Americans complaining they had to travel to relatives elsewhere to get water! No private [?] water company wanted to sort out the situation. l think it rather amazing that areas in America could be like Africa. Wonder what he's gonna do about such a basic right that l for one didn't think was an issue in the US.

Netti-Netti · 07-25-2009, 11:44 PM

I used to think of Obama as a white guy with a nice tan. This little episode has humanized him and has also made my image of him a bit more realistic.

It seems he knew the professor and was assessing the situation from that perspective.

wil · 07-26-2009, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nativeastral;209233l saw on our TV news about a week ago that folk in Mississippi l think who didn't have access to drinking water; these were African Americans complaining they had to travel to relatives elsewhere to get water! No private [?

water company wanted to sort out the situation. l think it rather amazing that areas in America could be like Africa. Wonder what he's gonna do about such a basic right that l for one didn't think was an issue in the US.

3rd time someone mentioned this, however I can't find anything

nativeastral · 07-26-2009, 01:43 AM

well l do get mixed up with missouri and mississippi! Are all the states different with regard to water supplies [presumably all privately owned?].

wil · 07-26-2009, 02:29 AM

I still find none...info that is...missouri water shortage - Google Search

path_of_one · 07-26-2009, 02:44 AM

I liked Obama more after this incident. I don't agree that his comment was the best one for a President to make off-hand, but to me it showed who he really is- that he would react like most people, out of feeling indignant for his friend. And I think it brought to light something that is still very prevalent in the United States, which is racial profiling and the relationship of the police to minority communities. Although the police officer in this particular case may have acted with the best integrity possible, real cases of racial profiling occur all over the US (here in CA the slang for this is being pulled over for DWB- driving while black). This is an issue that needs to be covered periodically.

dauer · 07-26-2009, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by path_of_one

I liked Obama more after this incident. I don't agree that his comment was the best one for a President to make off-hand, but to me it showed who he really is- that he would react like most people, out of feeling indignant for his friend. And I think it brought to light something that is still very prevalent in the United States, which is racial profiling and the relationship of the police to minority communities. Although the police officer in this particular case may have acted with the best integrity possible, real cases of racial profiling occur all over the US (here in CA the slang for this is being pulled over for DWB- driving while black). This is an issue that needs to be covered periodically.

I agree with the above, but I can't say I like Obama more after the comment. Yes it did show more of who he is but it may have also escalated the situation and made this case the example that I'm not sure it should be. There may be irreparable damage to the officer's reputation that he doesn't by any means deserve.

Avi · 07-26-2009, 04:28 AM

Dauer, I know Cambridge pretty well and it will probably get the officer extra brownie points to have arrested a Harvard Prof.

. It will certainly make him more popular in Charlestown, S. Boston and the North End.

dauer · 07-26-2009, 04:37 AM

Avi,

that's the type of lashon hara that doesn't help anyone get at what happened. It's another knee-jerk reaction to one man's cry of racism. And what's more, now you're profiling.

Avi · 07-26-2009, 05:14 AM

Dauer, right, this is a new type of academic profiling, the officer would have gotten more points for arresting a Harvard or MIT prof., less for BU or Tufts or BC, and down the line

.

Anyway, I am just being silly and you are absolutely right, my joke is really not too funny

.

nativeastral · 07-26-2009, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wil

I still find none...info that is...missouri water shortage - Google Search

Wil thanks for searching, now l wish l had taken more notice of what late night news channel it was, sky or bbc, because it definitely highlighted the fact that it was blacks who were suffering this who were implying that it was not right that this state of affairs should be happening and it concerned a pipeline that no one wanted to install; US such a big country it obviously did not hit the main news only local? But why did it get aired over here.

earl · 07-26-2009, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by path_of_one

I liked Obama more after this incident. I don't agree that his comment was the best one for a President to make off-hand, but to me it showed who he really is- that he would react like most people, out of feeling indignant for his friend. And I think it brought to light something that is still very prevalent in the United States, which is racial profiling and the relationship of the police to minority communities. Although the police officer in this particular case may have acted with the best integrity possible, real cases of racial profiling occur all over the US (here in CA the slang for this is being pulled over for DWB- driving while black). This is an issue that needs to be covered periodically.

Actually, the talking heads I heard discussing Obama's comment and the incident put it well-it's not so much they thought that Obama, the professor, or the cop were so off base as the neighbor who originally called it in. They rightfully figured that neighbor hadn't gotten to know his/her neighbor very well.

earl

wil · 07-26-2009, 10:00 PM

Am I wreong or did not the neighbor call it ikn on the driver who was assisting in the breakin...

We had much fun with this one and our teens in Sunday School today....Interestingly enough the group was 80% black and thought that Obama's stupid comment, Gates, and folks like the Jackson and Sharpton and NAACP tend to incite divisiiveness and are doing the cause a disservice....smart kids.