The "Bernie Sanders Is A Racist" talking point is comically dumb

[WilliamPitt]

...and smacks of desperation. Example:

http://www.vox.com/2015/5/27/8671135/bernie-sanders-race

No need for a wall of words in response to this. One will suffice.

[seabeyond]

1. there is nothing in there stating, implying or suggesting he is racist. no duer has stated,

implied or suggested sanders is racist. further, i bet absolutely 100% people KNOW he is not racist.

the bogus is this racist shit pro sanders keep putting up because they do not want to have the conversation that is being had

[WilliamPitt]

9. Ah...

"Bernie Sanders doesn't speak to those concerns."

-- From provided link

Seems pretty straightforward as far as accusations go.

Oh, also, the headline: "Why Bernie Sanders doesn't talk about race"

Yeah, no, nothing to see here.

[seabeyond]

12. wrong. he does not speak to them, because he believes the way to address racism, ect... is thru

economic equality and that is the way to handle racism, sexism, and homophobia.

for you, to be a reader and supporter, gather that it is being said, he is therefore racist is ridiculous.

clearly, it is saying that it means something to him, he feels that the way to address it is to give economic equality.

nowhere does that suggest he is racist.

he simply feels there are other means of going about it.

[CA4Bernie]

25. ^^ This

Yes. Sanders marched on Washington with MLK; he's certainly aware of racial injustice. Coincidentally, Dr. King led the civil rights movement through calling for practical change: economic equality, voter rights, political oppression, etc.

When the issue of race arises, Sanders will outline his agenda to ease the oppression and institutionalized racism that ethnic minorities currently face through practical changes in jobs, health care, education opportunities, etc. - including prison reform (which is also a major factor in voter suppression, a form of political oppression).

[orpupilofnature57]

162. Welcome CA4Bernie !!!

He's the only person in this race for President who will Try to keep it Comprehensive, and talks to people like citizens and not clients, which has been the case for the last 15 Yrs or longer .

[heaven05]

119. this economic equality

line that it will solve all our racial, gender and sexual orientation problems seems ludicrous to say the least about that magic bullet. People and their attitudes must change before those problems you speak of are conquered. Money just won't do it.

[seabeyond]

120. this would be the argument being made by so many of us. that does not mean we are calling sanders

a racist.

[heaven05]

174. Bernie Sanders is NOT a racist

I couldn't agree more. That's beyond ludicrous. Economic parity will go a long way toward helping level the playing field. I will give you that as ONE solution to the myriad problems facing the citizens of this culture.

[Ken Burch]

159. But that's not a line Bernie or his supporters are actually taking.

He has never said that the fight against group oppression would end the moment economic equality was achieved.

[heaven05]

177. very true

I was just responding to what I thought was the posters implication/insinuation that this is what Sen. Sanders is saying as THE solution to all the problems facing our society's citizens, in all areas of living as part of a diverse populace in america.

[marym625]

169. absolutely

And Sanders has never said it will. He advocates for, and started in his own community, community policing.

He has been very vocal in his extreme disappointment in the SCOTUS decision to dismantle the VRA.

He is well aware of the social issues that have to be changed. His only link to those and economic issues is the fact that the oligarchy, corpocracy, citizens United, etc, more than hamper the ability to change the the horrific inequality in this country. The misogyny, racism and bigotry.

I think that, somehow, people are thinking that addressing income inequality, educational inequality, etc, are what is being said as the way, and the only way, to change social issues. And that's not the case.

I don't think I am saying this well. I know I can be unclear at times. I hope that I am saying it well enough to at least get an idea of what I mean

[heaven05]

175. very succinct

and well said. Thanks for having the back....

[marym625]

185. Thank you, Heaven

[muriel_volestrangler]

164. You yourself said he only advocates for the 'white and male'

cui bono:

Are you saying that because Bernie is a white male that he is going to be fighting only for white

males?

i do not care how we tell the american people that sanders is not about white and men, when it presents itself white, men.


Bernie fights for everything. Both social and economic justice. Where have you gotten the idea that he's going to put social issues on the back seat?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6608786

you:

if his campaign is, economic populist, then yes. he is advocating for white and male. nt

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6608863

cyberswede:

Yeah, but you say it like it's a bad thing...

this author points it out as a good thing.

Economioc populism is a good thing (you feel that it ignores women; I disagree).
Fighting for the middle class is also a good thing.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6630600

i say what it is. it is a good thing. it is a good thing for middle class, white and men. lol.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6630670

[seabeyond]

179. banks, wallstreet, corporations touch middle class, upper middle class, white, men, educated youth

demographics.

that is what i said before sanders declared. what he speaks to will draw in middle class, upper middle class, white, men, educated youth.

demographics.

i do not get your point you are trying to make.

[muriel_volestrangler]

186. The point is that you say that his policies for more and better jobs are only aimed at white men

which is, by the way, an absurd thing to say. But by saying "he is advocating for white and male", more than once, you are making him sound racist.

If you listened to what he says, eg, from his kickoff speech:

The truth is that real unemployment is not the 5.4 percent you read in newspapers. It is close to 11 percent if you include those workers who have given up looking for jobs or who are working part time when they want to work full time. Youth unemployment is over 17 percent and African-American youth unemployment is much higher than that. Today, shamefully, we have 45 million people living in poverty, many of whom are working at low-wage jobs. These are the people who struggle every day to find the money to feed their kids, to pay their electric bills and to put gas in the car to get to work. This campaign is about those people and our struggling middle class. It is about creating an economy that works for all, and not just the one percent.

you'd stop thinking he's talking about "middle class, upper middle class, white, men, educated youth".

[seabeyond]

187. i am stating what i thought his demographics would be. which at this point, has proved out.

that simple. you can claim it means i am saying he is racist. that is bullshit. nowhere am i saying he is racist. further, i have REPEATEDLY said i do not think he is racist, i KNOW he is NOT racist, by everything he has done over his last 40 fuckin' years and who he is as a man, a GOOD man. that for him to address minority groups, showing hte passion he has on the subject, drawing them in should be a piece of fuckin' cake.

do you see how stupid it is, to say, because i discuss what i see is his demograhics, a damn good start on drawing in the votes, i say it excitedly, YET.... he needs to open that up

do you see, how stupid it is to state i am calling him a racist? no? of course not. cause it really does not matter what i say. that is actually what you and others ignore to create your argument to argue.

and even if you do not see how stupid that is. totally ignoring me say repeatedly.... i do not think he is a racist. further i KNOW he is not a racist

yet still, you accuse.

hey.... ALL that post you replied to? you stick to the same shit

white man

white man

white man

white man

that is all you guys pick up

white man.

i am tired of saying the same things. going in depth, repeating the same thing for you to ignore everything said but two words

white man

so

like i said in the previous post, that would have been nice to actually discuss, but...

go at it people.

tighten up that exclusive little club of yours.

good luck with it

[seabeyond]

13. reading comprehension is a good thing. why he does not talk race. cause it is in the numbers.

the numbers and class issue takes care of the race issue.

that is an op ed interpretation of sanders.

sanders can come out and clarify.

but sanders does say, he feels the fix is in the economics.

that is not racism

[m-lekktor]

20. exactly! THANK YOU!!

jesus they are a fucking persistant bunch.

[seabeyond]

21. i can say the same about your bunch insisting people are calling sanders racist when everyone knows

he is not from a lifetime of votes and participation.

[bettyellen]

35. You don't see a huge chasm between accusations of racism and what's actually being said?

I get that many people are sure it's some sort of orchestrated phony outrage, but since no one has actually called him a racist- well there's some phony outrage for you right there.

You know what I think- I heard his speech and felt, as a woman, left out. Went to his website, felt the same way. And I thought- this is going to look bad and he needs to fix this shit and do some outreach.
And for that in called a Turd Way paid shill by idiots who look at every fucking thing in life as a conspiracy- idiots who are lying and putting words in my mouth. People who know nothing about women's issues calling me a low info voter. Fuck them.

Way to reach out dudes! Good luck to you.

[Paka]

109. I am a woman, an old woman at that,

and I don't feel at all left out by Bernie. I've been to his website both before and after expansion and do not feel left out. Social issues cannot be separated from economic issues. They are intricately linked and simply putting emphasis on one imply he is ignoring the others. Cheery picking individual speeches to demonstrate excluding certain demographics is meaningless.

[seabeyond]

110. that is cool. people see this differently. i spent a lot of time thinking about it, discussing it,

listening and learning. i really think it is just simply different approaches. when we disagree, we can look at other candidates. choices.

[beam me up scottie]

115. Too bad.

I've had enough head patting condescension from right wing Republicans, I don't need some idiot blogger to tell me Sanders doesn't care about my issues because he isn't pandering to me.

Fuck that.

[Andy823]

57. Get a new spoon?

The whole thing was made up BS, and I think you already know that.

[George II]

90. I'm writing an article entitled "Why Bernie Sanders doesn't talk about football", with the obvious..

....conclusion that he hates football.

[beam me up scottie]

99. I'm writing one about how he's a misogynist because he didn't surround himself with women.

And he obviously hates us poor kayakers because he only featured yachts in the background.

[George II]

104. You've got it!!

[tarheelsunc]

139. More appropriate analogy...

would be that Bernie Sanders isn't talking about football, causing people to draw the conclusion that he's not making a concerted effort to appeal to fans of football.

[beam me up scottie]

156. Yeah, except Bernie did talk about football.

He talks about football a lot.

And he's been playing football for decades.

So your analogy failed.

[roguevalley]

98. this is ridiculous. After all his work and years in office people say

he's a racist now? Where is any proof? I am astounded that the word is even associated with him. Pathetic. Karl Rove tactic.

[seabeyond]

101. NO ONE has said the man is a racist. where is the proof? besides you all running around with hair on

fire claiming people are calling the man a racist.

[beam me up scottie]

103. So if someone posted a picture of racist cops in an op criticizing Hillary no one would be upset

Hillary voted for more of this:

Bullshit.

Even Hillary's supporters were outraged.

The decent ones anyway.

[seabeyond]

105. ask, answer and continue the conversation. no surprise you do not need me in the conversation.

[George II]

106. It's just another issue created by someone who wants an issue to be out there.....

....I have NO idea of what's going on here at DU these days. Hopefully it's just boredom and they don't really believe all this crap.

[seabeyond]

111. no. you are wrong. i think you saying you have no idea, is kinda a clue in,

that maybe you have no idea, of what is going on. lol. ya think?

[leveymg]

180. They don't say Bernie is racist, they insinuate it

Same thing, just sneakier.

[seabeyond]

181. i disagree. 'they' are me, if you will look at the accusations. talking about demographic

in a campaign is not saying a candidate is racist. it is .... talking about demographics.

sanders lifetime clearly shows he is not racist. no one claims or thinks he is racist. everyone... likes sanders.

[leveymg]

182. That's the same thing as insinuating he lacks minority support,

Ergo, that meme dishonestly conveys that he's a racist. Telegraph that message enough times and some will begin to believe it. It's the Big Lie approach and should be treated as a TOS violation.

[seabeyond]

184. bullshit. prosanders have it set up no one can have conversation. discussion on his demographics.

he is running a campaign. you think they are not talking demographics? you think ALL politician are not talking demographics? yet.... you all are boogey man'ing simple demographics. running a campaign, recognize the weakness (through thought and discussion) address, adjust, implement, and go kick ass.

not the fuckin end of the world.

this is beyond ridiculous, and the 'outrage' in sensitivity is so fuckin over the top.

the purpose is to GAIN votes. i know, way out there in a campaign. but, do not worry. i wont be talking sanders demographics anymore. it has been made abundantly clear i do not belong in this crowd.

checking out omalley. and you know one of the things i will be doing as i get to know the man better? looking at his demographics.

oh, here is another thing.

yesterday morning, as soon as he ran, with great trepidation, i had the audacity to state an area he missed speaking about that he needed to address. in the omalley group. ^gasp^

your know what happened?

i was not called a traitor, liar, horrible horrible person. nope. it was simply acknowledge. yes he missed discussing womens issue. yes, he needs to step up there. and then the poster gave me vast info on what he says with the issues

fuckin' like..... reasonable.

go figure

so. you all fall over yourselves yelling people are calling sanders a racist, because people talking about his demographics.

make a tight exclusive little group that welcomes no votes.

see how that works for you.

[orpupilofnature57]

15. Knowing he's not a racist isn't the conversation, it's attacking

the policies of this administration and being attached to race by Pro -Hillary camp to alienate minorities .

[seabeyond]

18. sanders choice. his position is that it is in the economics. it is what he believes and how

he is running. if he wants to approach it a different manner, i am quite confident he would be successful seeing that he has always been supportive, thru bills, of minorities.

this is his approach in running the country. people decide.

[AtomicKitten]

73. Yabbut, well, except there's this

dishonestly and despicably linking Bernie to this:




here ---> http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026737025


But like Will says, nothing to see here.

[seabeyond]

77. she was not linking sanders to the picture. it was used as an example of horrible position blacks

are in with the cops. that this should be on the front burner and in all of the candidates conversation.

[AtomicKitten]

80. wink wink nudge nudge

[marym625]

170. +1000

[cui bono]

84. She absolutely was. It was a vile and despicable OP.

That was a low point for DU. It was akin to extreme RW tactics.

After so many people pointing out how it came across and her saying that was not her intention she didn't bother to edit or delete the OP. That shows it was clearly her intention or that she didn't give a rat's ass that it came across that way.

They also corrected her on the religious pic she used, no change there either. A complete disrespect for the truth bec ause she had an agenda with that OP. It's extremely clear. Especially when she didn't bother to respond to most people in the thread.

There is a clear push to paint him as - if not a racist - a person who just isn't concerned about racial equality. Nothing could be further from the truth.

[cherokeeprogressive]

93. ^THIS^

[beam me up scottie]

116. + a brazillion

Even Hillary supporters called her out over it.

[Warren DeMontague]

153. I'm with you 100% on this point.

I was fucking flabbergasted by that.

[marym625]

171. +a kazillion!

Well said. Sadly, very true. A low point for DU.

[cherokeeprogressive]

92. What a steaming pile of bullshit this is. The picture is as many as 15 years old...

The post itself, if not outright calling Sanders a racist, at the very least implied he was racially insensitive.

[beam me up scottie]

96. When you post a picture of racists and complain about Sanders and race you ARE linking him to it.

I have lost all respect for you and the op of that despicable hit piece. Instead of walking it back you're still defending it.

At least other Hillary supporters had the decency and class to call you all out.

[seabeyond]

100. that was my understanding of the OP. i did not put a lot of time into it, i did not participate

in it. that is how i interpreted what was being said in the OP.

if you find me despicable because i do not agree with you, that is your right. go at it.... i have no control over how you feel about me.

[beam me up scottie]

102. You're defending it here and you've been all over this board claiming it wan't race baiting.

That op was about as subtle as a sledgehammer, you'd have to be blind to not recognize it for what it was.

I usually pay attention to what you have to say but not anymore.

You know one of the things I used to admire about you was your willingness to admit when you were wrong.

[seabeyond]

114. i am not defending it. that is how i interpreted it. now. i am done.

i did not participate in that thread. not gonna do it days later.

[BeanMusical]

121. That OP is nauseating.

[cui bono]

78. You have implied he's a racist. Many times.

You pretend to support him and them make implications that his policy is only for white males. You even used "trickle down" to describe his policies, that minorities would get the "trickle down". If you don't understand what that implies, you are not being honest.

Then you deflect from the issue and go a dozen rounds about what you did or didn't say and who's saying what you did and didn't say rather than talk about the issues.

Stop denying it already. Me thinks thou doth protest too much.


That is the conversation being had because you and others keep bringing it up even though you have been given proof that it's just not true. You still haven't answered my question that I've posed to you multiple times, did you watch the video where Sanders speaks out about women's rights? You present yourself as a staunch supporter of women's rights and yet you refuse to watch that and refused to go to my OP that I sent you and posted links to, and you definitely did not rec it, which anyone who supports women's rights would do. You put politics above women's rights.

the bogus is this racist shit pro sanders keep putting up because they do not want to have the conversation that is being had

Sanders supporters are not the ones putting up the "racist shit". We would be happy to not have this conversation, but just a couple days ago was the ugliest most vile OP ever posted on DU that insinuated Sanders had something to do with a racist picture. The OP said it wasn't her intention yet she never edited it to change it even when people pointed out how it came across and also that the other, religious, pic was way off base considering he is from a Polish family who lost most of their loved ones in the Holocaust. I've never seen so many posts saying how ugly, disgusting, vile and despicable the OP was, let alone for the OP to not then self-delete or at the very least edit it. So she made clear her intention and it was to try to paint Sanders as a racist.

When that "racist shit" stops happening the conversation will go away. I have not seen Sanders supporters shy away from any "conversation that is being had".

[seabeyond]

79. no. i have not

[bigtree]

112. no, you have not

...and for a former teacher and writer to accuse you of this 'smacks of desperation.' Reading comprehension appears to have taken a back seat to political cravenness, in this case.

You are right on target to point out the mistake Sanders and others make (including, I think, to some degree, my own choice for president, O'Malley) that speaking about the very real and important issue of economic justice and accommodation will suffice to address, or even represents, the totality of cause and remedies for problems and issues facing people of color.

What you and others (like myself) have pointed out about Sander's announcement speech was that he relied almost entirely on economics to describe problems and remedies associated with people of color, and that he'll need to, in the future, address other problems associated with race in terms of justice, law, and morality, rather than fall back on the economic reasoning he relied on in his speech. Those issues include, but aren't restricted to, voting rights, police brutality, discrimination, the effect of the ending race as a primary factor in college admissions, and mass incarceration.

As I said, that tendency isn't exclusive to Sen. Sanders, nor did his omission or focus in his speech mean that he hasn't addressed those issues differently in the past. I'm willing to bet that he has (as well as the other candidates). What I read from you was that you were disappointed, as a supporter of Sanders, that he relied almost exclusively on the economic argument, and that you were looking forward to him fleshing our other problems and solutions associated with race in future discussions and speeches. I share that anticipation and interest.

[seabeyond]

117. thank you big tree for listening. i didnt even have an issue with the first speech, understanding he

was talking what is the focus of the campaign. this is still just the start of the race, and he has plenty of time to address, adjust, and kick ass.

for now though, i think omalley may be talking to me more. and more readily. i am checking him out, to see how i fit.

i think this is what we are suppose to do, during the primary.

who knows where i will be next week. we have a long way to go.

thank you

[Number23]

127. I hope it's okay if I +1 bigtree's comments to you.

Not only have I not seen you call Sanders racist, I have not seen ANYONE on this web site call the man racist. Not even in this Vox link that people keep linking to screaming "see!! Someone's calling him racist!1one"

Some have decided that even discussing his record and focus on minority issues is racist. But the thing is, if Bernie's camp wants to win this is simply something they are going to HAVE to discuss and look into themselves. There is no getting around this now.

La Raza, the Urban League, NAACP, HRC, NBJC, Emily's List etc. etc. etc. all of these groups have political research arms and you can bet your ass that every last one of these groups as well as his opposition will be scouring Bernie Sanders' record -- his voting record, bills he's supported, speeches, comments, stuff he did in school, stuff he did yesterday, etc. -- along with every last one of the other individuals running for president. If this pisses some people off and they want to declare these organizations and their supporters "divisive" and scream that people are calling Sanders racist/sexist or whatever because they have the unmitigated gall to look after their own interests, then so be it. It won't stop them from doing it and it sure as hell won't stop people from reading the findings or discussing them.

[seabeyond]

129. "unmitigated gall to look after their own interests, then so be it."

It won't stop them from doing it and it sure as hell won't stop people from reading the findings or discussing them.

it just wont stop anyone and it will not go away.

[cui bono]

145. I think you missed the Scandinavian thread and another one or two from that weekend.

It was pre-announcement speech, so no, that's not at all what she was pointing out.

[cui bono]

151. I'm just pointing something out.

You seemed positive so I figured you hadn't seen all of the posts.

Not sure why you are so angry about it nor where you get that I don't give a damn about your view. I guess you don't remember any of the Ferguson posts.

[bigtree]

152. I've read seabeyond's explanations

...and I accept them.

Above I've outlined the interest some have expressed in candidates providing more than rhetoric about economics and race and hoping for some future discussion from candidates of non-economic issues related to race.

That's what seabeyond's statements said to me.

I'm not looking for a debate on this. I was just responding to seabeyond and hoping I could affirm her view and express my understanding.

Now, seriously, I don't want to continue this.

[cui bono]

155. I never wanted to start it.

But you stated something that was incorrect and I corrected it. Then you got angry with me about I don't know what and now you've self-deleted that post. I take it you see what I was correcting and wanted to get rid of it.

There's really nothing to debate.

[bigtree]

157. I deleted that post because of it's 'angry' tone

...not in agreement with ANYTHING you wrote.

[cui bono]

188. You didn't have to delete it, you could have just apologized.

But this way no one has to see that and your incorrect assertion I guess. Don't worry I'll get over it.
(there's no way for me to type that without it sounding harsher than I intend it, I'm really trying to rib you a bit, albeit along with pointing out some truth of the situation.)

But anyway, you chose to defend another against what I stated with an incorrect assertion so I chose to correct it. I don't know why that set you off somewhat. It's not a matter of agreement or not, it's a matter of facts.

I don't know what your problem is, but for the record, I have always - this odd exchange aside - enjoyed your posts and am glad that whatever was making you feel you had to leave DU after the Ferguson days - which I can't imagine what that would be - didn't take hold enough to keep you away.

[BeanMusical]

125. +1000 Well said.

[Katashi_itto]

134. +1000

[marym625]

2. k&R

[orpupilofnature57]

3. Don't say that in the Hillary or African American groups, instant block.

[bravenak]

6. .

I'm in the AA group.

[orpupilofnature57]

19. I'm talking about the hosts not the people, great group

I wish I wasn't kicked out .

[bravenak]

23. I wish you weren't kicked out too.

[orpupilofnature57]

29. I forgot to Thank you for your message, that was nice .

[bravenak]

31. No problem.

[orpupilofnature57]

28. And you were sweet for your message of condolences .

[Number23]

59. That's not even close to why you were banned from the AA group.

People can see for themselves why you were blocked. If being blocked ails you so much, you could have not made such a spectacle of yourself and according to a host that I trust, you've been doing that for a while.

And as for "notes of condolences" for being banned after trolling a thread where, among other things, you decried "good spellers" as your enemy and alluded that middle class black DUers were "the exception to the rule" as though every black person in the United States is in poverty, that is something extra special right there. But really glad it made you feel better.

[zappaman]

108. Boom.

There it is.

[Number23]

124. Hey, zap. This place lately, huh?

[geek tragedy]

122. Why are you resentful of the site's African-American community?

Fascinating.

[orpupilofnature57]

131. Resentful of two people who blocked me, African American community ?

Please, my point was that a few people shouldn't try to talk for the whole community .

[bravenak]

4. Yes

That one was hella stupid

[KittyWampus]

7. Except it never happened.

[bravenak]

14. I'm talking about the article linked

The other was a strange juxtaposition of things that really had nothing to do with Sanders, but that the writer of the piece thought would be fun to slap together to paint him in a bad light. The 'not good enough' was bullshit, his record is clear. He has a great rating from naacp and aclu for his votes in congress/senate. The way she did it was designed to evoke the exact feeling they evoked. I personally felt like she was wrong (fulla shit)in her delivery and in juxtaposing those images with Sanders.

[marym625]

33. and don't forget his bill on education

The fact he wants to demilitarize the police and have community policing

[bravenak]

38. i was very happy to see that

Police are getting out of hand. Dangerous instead of helpful.

[marym625]

65. extremely dangerous

Hell. A pregnant woman can't even drop her kid at school

[bravenak]

69. Cops seem to see black and think bad.

It goes from there. It's not just them, they take their cues from our society. Just regular old American racism.

[marym625]

70. True. But I do believe that the kkk intentionally

Purposely and, unfortunately, skillfully, infiltrated the police departments. I watched it happen in Kentucky

[bravenak]

72. Of course.

The Sherrifs used to all be kkklan. Might still be.

[marym625]

85. disgusting that we allowed it to happen

And very sad

[Jackpine Radical]

52. Why would anyone like Bernie want to go to community policing or demilitarize them

or want to address police brutality or want to vastly reduce prison populations?

I guess there must be a lot of white people that are being killed and brutalized by cops and imprisoned in vastly disproportionate numbers in Vermont. Wow, I never knew!

[marym625]

67. You're just not paying attention!

Shame on you!

[orpupilofnature57]

163. He was talking about the CIA as a Mayor years ago,,

I don't think he thought it was a Vermont problem .

[JustAnotherGen]

167. Here's something we can do now

I can't wait until January 2017. We had State Police on the corner across the street from our House a few weeks ago - because of a drug bust gone wrong.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) re-introduced the bipartisan Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2015 (H.R. 1232) that would place restrictions and transparency measures on the Department of Defense (DOD) Program that transfers excess military equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies.

http://hankjohnson.house.gov/press-release/rep-johnson-reintroduces-bipartisan-bill-de-militarize-police

He brought it up again this spring - 14 pages - a quick read and a good start

Full text of the 2015 version - he first brought it to Congress as a bi partisan measure in Fall 2014.
http://hankjohnson.house.gov/sites/hankjohnson.house.gov/files/documents/Stop_Militarizing_Law_Enforcement_Act_2015.pdf

The 1033 program as it stands today sucks - and Obama agrees with us.

Now - not later. Not - when. Now. We have a Federal Government that needs to get off their asses today - and just enough IndieTeaPublicans in the House to push this up to Booker, Sanders and Paul.

[marym625]

168. Excellent post

I would rec it if I could.

I don't have the number but there is a sister Senate Bill as well.

I agree that it cannot wait. I don't think that the bills or the Executive Order go far enough. But they're sure a good start!

You should do a post on it. Get the momentum going

[JustAnotherGen]

173. I've got momentum in my own town

http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2015/05/flemington_council_reacts_to_swats_manhunt.html

Councilman Brian Swingle expressed his "unwavering support for our men and women in blue," but said that during the manhunt, as far as he knows, the council and the public were kept in the dark "with regard to what was going on."

He said, "As a former police commissioner and a current council member, many (residents) approached me with complaints about this high-profile operation and the concerns residents had about the lack of communication and direction during and after the incident."

He said since then he has repeatedly asked the mayor for more information "to no avail." He wants better lines of communication established with the borough, and said, "I do not believe the tough questions are being asked, and I think that an answer as to why such a high-profile unit such as the SWAT team was deployed in our community should be answered." Responses like that "should always be justified and measured as they do have a psychological impact on the residents of our community."

Later, resident Tony Previte, a retired New Brunswick police officer, agreed that the SWAT manhunt reflected an inappropriate "militarization" of the police.

Greiner said, "It's not our job to second-guess when SWAT should and should not be used." But Swingle said, "It is our job to express the opinion" of the public on such matters.

The back story:
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2015/05/flemington_manhunt_follows_cocaine_arrest.htmls

FLEMINGTON — An intensive manhunt was staged last night in Flemington as law enforcement personnel searched in vain for two men suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

The operation involved the county SWAT team, the county prosecutor's Gangs, Guns and Narcotics Task Force, the Readington police K-9 unit and police officers from the borough and the townships of Readington and Raritan.

Tabussi - Republican
Swingle - Libertarian
Me - Democratic

Those two aren't scoring political points - and neither is Novick (D up for election this fall)

My point in sharing this - is to show how local government can act now. I know Booker and Menendez are with us - but our Congressman will never support this bill.

And it's not just a Fed Gov problem - its a state Gov problem.

The only place I would do an OP on this is in the NJ group. Because they know the lay of the land.

We can't wait for "the one". The solution exists now - and no Presidential candidate should be relied upon to fix this problem.

Next time - we aren't going inside. We aren't shutting our doors. And our local P.D. Knows it - as does the Mayor.

[Jackpine Radical]

178. The insanity of our murderous police forces has to stop now.

If the notion of "zero tolerance" means anything anywhere, it should describe the public's response to abusive police actions, not to some 7 year-old with a squirt gun.

I am literally sickened, nauseated, when I hear of the Eric Garners, the Freddie Grays--You know the list. I feel enraged by the silence of the majority culture in the face of this. It is as if the lynch mobs of old have outsourced their work to the police and then turned a blind eye to the whole scene.

I am sure you're right; we have to fix it ourselves, everywhere and at the local level.

It sure helps to have a compatible soul in the White House--just imagine where the Civil Rights movement would have been with a Reagan in office instead of LBJ.

But the entire civil rights movement would not have happened without a MLK, and without the masses of people whom he inspired to rise up with him.

[marym625]

189. Don't know how I missed this

I think you can do a post in GD. I know how scary that is anymore but we all have the same problems with this. I'm in Chicago so you KNOW it's a huge problem here.

I agree that no President can entirely fix this. But SCOTUS, the President and Congress can sure as he'll do a lot more than they have. Starting with the rules under which the DoJ can get involved and actually charge an officer, keeping track of all police related shootings, passing a bill that won't allow deadly force just because a cop says he feared for his life, they have to prove that.

I know that this is much more of a State, local level thing but across the board, things HAVE to change

[JustAnotherGen]

190. Posted to

My Town United!

I seriously believe we all have to manage this from the grass roots level up. Washington is too broken to really fix and address this. We have to work with our neighbors, elect Mayors who believe in Civil Liberties, and hold our police commissioners feet to the fire.

Chicago is radically different than the make up of my town of 4K. However, there are a lot more people who should be pummeling King Bullshit out there every single day to change the policies of the police force. The closer we are to our police forces, the more our property taxes can be used as a bludgeon.

I've not seen Clinton's stance on 1033 - I'll look for it - but that's all they are going to be able to do at the Federal level. We simply can't trust them to do right by us anymore.

[bravenak]

46. I'll make sure to keep an updated photo up.

Don't wanna get into that battle. Or Jihad.

[libdem4life]

56. Stereotyping the Stereotypers has a kind of ring to it.

[myrna minx]

133. Bravenak, I find it to be a cynical dog whistle tactic used against a true lifelong ally.

Notice, NOW, the chorus of "no one said Sanders is a racist!!" rejoinders - but we all heard the whistle, loud and clear. The memes, associating Sanders (a Jewish man from very ethnically diverse Brooklyn, who's family was destroyed during the Holocaust) with WASPy racists, exploitive Slavery era DC paintings and disturbing racist Chicago PD trophy photos.

Oh my, did anyone mention that there's white people and boats in Vermont? I guess the white people in Iowa and New Hampshire who are pandered to for every caucus are more diverse.

Sanders has spent his whole adult life as a fighter for social and economic justice. The idea that his record needs to be defended here - against the person who in 2007 was "fighting for hard working white Americans" is astonishing.

It's really disturbing that the Nixonian tactics are now deployed here in the name of "social justice" by a few white lady bloggers. I guess everyone learns effective tactics, but I expect more from Democrats.

[BeanMusical]

143. +1

[bravenak]

148. That blogger was wrong to present it that way.

Asking questions is fine, I have no problem with asking any candidate where they stand on social issues, but not that way. The juxtoposition was strange and upsetting. I personally feel that any Democratic candidate will be good on social issues at the very least, if not, they would not be in the running.

[Puglover]

176. Yup and coming from a few of them

Last edited Sun May 31, 2015, 10:13 AM - Edit history (1)

( who would be THE FIRST to scream for some ones head for doing the same) it raises the bar for rank hypocrisy. Just unbelievable.

[KittyWampus]

5. And yet no one is making that point. Using a strawman argument is even stupider.

[Cali_Democrat]

8. Who said "Bernie Sanders Is A Racist"? nt

[Rosa Luxemburg]

44. probably those who don't support him

it's not going to work

[seabeyond]

45. if you do not even know that it happened, why would you reinforce the negative? nt

[Kalidurga]

11. I put it a different way...

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaarg!!!

[olddots]

16. I would call the talking point shallow

and be concerned about peoples desire to go with the "sure thng "

[4now]

17. Here we go again

lol.

[fadedrose]

22. Derp bears a striking resemblance

to the guy who shot about a dozen people in a Colorado theater.

[Nye Bevan]

24. Nobody has accused him of being a racist.

It is, however, undeniably true that as a senator from a state that is 95% white he has never had to figure out how to earn the votes of African Americans, and that is one thing he will need to figure out as a presidential candidate (especially a white man seeking to become the 44th white male president). Which is in no way a criticism of him.

[gollygee]

32. Agree 100%

No one has called him racist. And the rest.

[L0oniX]

75. Wow ...good thing he isn't from Alaska ...right?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

123. Don't fret, the Republicans will be assuring their Base that they hate black people....

I half expect one of them to use the "ship em all back to Africa" line to thunderous applause.

[Fumesucker]

26. No one has actually outright said that I think, usually just a wall of text that implies it

They don't quite have the guts to come out and say what they want to so badly it seems to cause them pain.

[cui bono]

88. There's a definite push to paint him as one, as exemplified in sheshe's VILE OP.

That was the worst thing I've ever seen on DU. How anyone allowed it to stay is beyond me. I understand it getting by a jury because so many on here don't act impartially as a juror should, but when mods don't lock and admins leave it sitting there it is a really ugly thing. Principles be damned when it comes to trying to get your person into the WH I guess.

[Fumesucker]

128. I think leaving it for all to see is a good thing

Let people draw their own conclusions as to the agenda and the honesty of the respective participants.

[pa28]

27. Attacking your opponent's strength is a tactic straight out of Rove's playbook.

A very special group of people out there decided to use race as a tactic to divide Democrats and attack Bernie. Primaries and caucuses are made up of motivated and informed Democrats so this will backfire.

Like you said. Derp.

[Prism]

30. There is a point in there when you scrape off the B.S.

Sanders is going to have to run a campaign unlike those he has run in the past. The Democratic Party is a broad coalition nationally. He will have to speak to the concerns of all the communities who are members of the coalition. Not everyone agrees with his assessment about economic justice. He is going to have to assuage their concerns and convince them that he has their best interests at heart and that he will make their priorities his priorities.

The man's record is impeccable on social justice issues. Let no one say any different.

What should be discussed is political strategy. We're still very early here, and he will certainly have to address issues of racial injustice, women's rights, LGBT discrimination, etc, just in order to familiarize everyone with his record. I follow politics fairly closely and knew who he was, but I had no idea about his civil rights work.

Now imagine what people who don't follow politics closely know about him.

Like or not, social justice/identity politics are at the core of the Democratic Party in this day and age. Sanders has been somewhat fortunate in that his political campaigns haven't really had to thread too many needles in balancing everything.

I don't doubt his commitment. I don't doubt his record. I don't doubt he will address social justice should he be elected President.

But if he neglects things in the campaign in favor of economic populism, if he doesn't get very bullish on social issues, he'll be in trouble. He'll leave a vacuum that Clinton and O'Malley will exploit the hell out of. We'll spend months watching his poll numbers among minorities go absolutely nowhere.

It's just something to think about it, and it is in no way intended to besmirch the man, his character, or his intentions. I'm speaking purely in terms of what makes good campaign politics.

[bettyellen]

42. I've said the same, but was treated to phony outrage about playing a race card....

At this point I'm hoping his campaign people are smarter than these people pretending anyone actually called him a racist. And I hope they do better with outreach. Lots of his supporters seem committed to berating the Dem base.

[Prism]

55. There's a distinction I noticed

There were two things being said during that maelstrom, and they're so close together that the kinder characterization got blended into the more malevolent one.

1. Bernie Sanders not including minorities in his speech is politically problematic.
2. Bernie Sanders not including minorities in his speech indicates he doesn't care about their concerns.

Two different thoughts that are so close to each other logically, they're almost kissing. But #2 is what started the ruckus. And by that point, no amount of clarifying #1 was going to calm things.

[bettyellen]

62. I don't think a lot of his supporters understand what it is to be marginalized....

So they could not understand the genuine reactions
of dismay to his kickoff and website- and so somehow concocted this bullshit that the reactions are phony, from paid shills (!) or at best women and POC are unwitting rubes of the Hillary-Industrial complex.

At no time did any of these reactions seem anything but disrepectful of POC and women, and then it was compounded by the hair on fire baloney that people were claiming Bernie was a racist. I've never seen so many threads about something that did not happen.

I'm embarrassed by the lengths some people are willing to go to in order to avoid looking at campaigns outreach. The phony meme here is there are accusations of racism- the truth? A lot of people
have an issue discussing any errors the campaign might have made.

[hifiguy]

49. He has given ONE major speech.

I think people need to cool their goddam jets and have a little patience.

[Prism]

53. I agree

I'm not one of those bothered by his announcement speech in the slightest. As I said, super early.

[NYC_SKP]

36. Well, my dear Will. One look at the author and you can see she speaks for that demographic...

You know, the dispossessed white women with too much makeup speaking for POC.

[hifiguy]

51. Oh how I wish I could buy you a beer for that one, SKP!

[romanic]

136. I've seen beige paint

look darker than her.

[Oilwellian]

146. LOL...oh my!

[99Forever]

37. DERP, INDEED.

Says it all so well.

[pangaia]

39. What in the world is this entire thread about, anyway?

I mean the entire thing...

We, some of 'we,' anyway, need to get a grep. Bernie is for HUMAN BEINGS!

[sabrina 1]

40. That talking point was this week's contribution from the inevitable smear campaign.

No doubt about that. I tried to tell anyone who was jumping on that particularly false bandwagon, not to do so as they will have to eat those words as this campaign progresses.

I have a feeling we won't see it again after another week or so. But there will be another.

[seabeyond]

41. pro sanders smeared anyone discussing social justice as calling sanders a racist. i agree sabrina.

i do not think we have ever agreed.

[NaturalHigh]

48. Aren't you "pro-sanders"? I could have sworn you said that somewhere.

[TheKentuckian]

50. Epic whopper!

[hifiguy]

47. The snide, passive-aggressive bullshit

and half-concealed insinuations regarding Senator Sanders are absurd and it should not be tolerated here. The people who are posting this shit should be ashamed of themselves, but I doubt they have any shame.

[frazzled]

54. And yet pretending that there is such a talking point is even dumber!

I wish people would stop these comically dumb assertions that Bernie has been accused of racism. It's not helping him. And it makes people who say this (especially when linking to an article that absolutely does NOT accuse him of racism) seem ... well, comically dumb.

No silly cat picture needed.

[MohRokTah]

68. ^^ This right here. eom

[jtuck004]

58. Deep discussion about racism on boards and blogs owned by white folk. Lol. n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

60. If you go to the bottom of that article and vote it down,

a box appears asking what they can do to improve it. I wrote them a modest critique. Perhaps others will choose to do the same.

This article is a blatant hit job. Sanders has been involved in civil rights since Selma in '64. His voting record in Congress is far better than that of any other candidate, with a 97% positive rating from the NAACP. As _Time_ noted in a somewhat fairer article, "as a college student he organized sit-ins against segregation, worked for a union, protested police brutality and attended the 1963 March on Washington.…Sanders threw himself into activism—civil rights, economic justice, volunteering, organizing. “I received more of an education off campus than I did in the classroom,” Sanders says. By his 23rd birthday, Sanders had worked for a meatpackers union, marched for civil rights in Washington D.C., joined the university socialists and been arrested at a civil rights demonstration."

Bernie announced in Vermont, in the city where he was once mayor. That was very natural. Vermont is 94% white. What was he supposed to do, bus in paid minority people for the optics" like so many other candidates might have done? It's a nice Gotcha, no? Ship in people for the sake of appearances and be criticized for that, or draw a typical Vermont crowd of mostly white people and get nailed for that.

[DFW]

61. To date, I have seen or read.....

Absolutely NOTHING whatsoever to cause even the slightest suspicion that Bernie Sanders holds any racist views whatsoever.

Why is there even a discussion over this?

[bettyellen]

71. Because people were concerned he had said little about social

Issues on his campaign website, and in his long kickoff speech. And so a few of his supporters lied and said pointing out the (glaring) omissions is calling him a racist. Then loads of his supporters started repeating it as if it happened- some claiming women and POC were planted here to destroy Bernie, lol. Yep- the wheels came off very fast!

[DFW]

76. All that went completely by me

I don't obsess about a lot of that stuff when I see it. I get enough "gimme a break" crap to wade through as it is.

[cui bono]

89. Because people are saying his policy is for white males only and also posting vile OPs with racist

pics in a despicable attempt to associate him with it.

[DFW]

91. I pay attention to that stuff....

About as much as I pay attention to a gnat in California while I'm in France.

i.e. not at all.

[cui bono]

94. That's fine. But it is happening. You just don't pay attention to it.

[stonecutter357]

63. Clickbait.

[MohRokTah]

64. "Bernie Sanders Is A Racist"

Said nobody EVER.

[treestar]

66. It's comically non-existent.

[MannyGoldstein]

74. Time to choose sides, Mr. Pitt

Economic justice?

Or social justice?

One, or the other. Not both.

Time for each of us to choose.

[TerrapinFlyer]

81. or at least no more cat photos.

I will settle for that.

[WilliamPitt]

82. I choose both.

They ride in the same applecart.

[Paka]

113. Amen to that.

[sheshe2]

144. For once I agree with you.

They are entwined.

[Rex]

83. Considering he helped start the Congressional Progressive Caucus

It would be really stupid to say he doesn't care about minorities.

http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/caucus-members/

This kinda proves it too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Progressive_Caucus

The founding CPC members were concerned about the economic hardship imposed by the deepening recession, and the growing inequality brought about by the timidity of the Democratic Party response in the early 1990s. More importantly, on January 3, 1995 at a standing room only news conference on Capitol Hill, they were the first group inside Congress to chart a detailed, comprehensive legislative alternative to U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich and the Republican Contract with America, which they termed "the most regressive tax proposals and reactionary social legislation the Congress had before it in 70 years." The CPC's ambitious agenda was framed as "The Progressive Promise: Fairness."

[iamthebandfanman]

86. you see,

when minorities are a part of the vast majority of the poor and a candidate is directly addressing those inequalities in pay and the extreme amount of poverty... one doesn't have to bring up race.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

87. That is truly fucked up! Thanks, Will!

[cui bono]

95. That is a weird oped piece.

On the one hand it's painting Sanders as not being concerned about racial equality, and on the other hand, when they bring up Clinton they say she is but only because she has to in order to win.

Of course, unlike Sanders's decades-long record of economic progressivism, Clinton is moving to the left on issues that she hasn't historically been a progressive leader on (to say the least). But she's doing so because she appears to recognize that the party has changed since she was a first lady or a senator, and because she wants to win the nomination and the presidency, she needs to move to meet it.

Is it a RW site just trying to dis all Dems?

[beam me up scottie]

107. And yet people are still quoting it like it's the gospel.

It's an opinion piece people are using to misrepresent Sanders' position on social justice.

Looks like it hooked its target audience.

[Nye Bevan]

97. Calling respected Democrats names such as "racist" or "piece of shit used car salesman"

simply should not be tolerated on DU. And there should be consequences for those who engage in such name-calling.

[BeanMusical]

142. Derp!

[RandiFan1290]

160. lol

[yuiyoshida]

118. K&R

[WillyT]

126. I Tried To Point That Out Too... Not Much Luck...

[neverforget]

130. In the literal sense no one said "he's a racist" and that's they're defense.

However, from that post about Bernie Sanders:

Alana Massey writes about how the Apotheosis of Washington - which was painted in 1865 by Constantino Brumidi and adorns the ceiling of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda - points to the white protestant roots of American racism.

WTF does that have to do with Bernie Sanders?

and then:

Of course, Brumidi’s fresco only features white faces.

WTF does that have to with Bernie Sanders?

And then it's all related to Bernie Sanders:

That photo would be horrifying at any time. But coming on the heels of all the incidents of police shooting unarmed black men and the Department of Justice report detailing the outlandish racism that permeated the Ferguson Police Department, City Hall and Court system, it is nothing short of soul-crushing.

It is due to all of the above that I have to say that when Sen. Bernie Sanders kicks off his presidential campaign with a suggestion that he is launching a "political revolution to transform our country," and yet makes zero mention of any of the issues that burden people of color in this country, my response is simply..."Not good enough, Bernie."

So yeah, it wasn't about race at all because no one said "he's a racist", just the blazing insane insinuation is there.....

If a Republican had done this, all of DU would be up in arms about it.

[beam me up scottie]

132. If someone had posted that pic with a caption saying "Hillary wants more of this:"

and linked to her quote “We need more police, we need more and tougher prison sentences ..." what do you think all of those defending that vile piece of race baiting garbage would have to say about it?

You shouldn't need to point out the obvious but thank you anyway.

[neverforget]

138. Notice how they don't defend the use of that picture or the language in that post?

Just that "no one said he's a racist".....

[beam me up scottie]

140. The Republicans have perfected that kind of smear tactic.

Someone actually questioned whether poc were welcome at Bernie's rally.

Nothing like so-called liberals swift boating the potential Democratic nominee to make you feel like you need a shower after visiting DU.

[neverforget]

147. smear tactic is correct.

[beam me up scottie]

149. Love your sig line!

Big fan of Phil!

[neverforget]

183. Thanks! I've had that sig for a long time. It seems to capture

how I feel about the anti-science crowd.

[RandiFan1290]

161. Great point

It also makes Hillary and her supporters look bad.

It's Operation Chaos Pt.2

[beam me up scottie]

165. It's too bad because I respect many of her supporters.

The ones who posted these revolting ops are another story, they make me want to kick and rec every single nasty Hillary thread I come across.

But I'll leave the Karl Rove style campaigning to them.

[Pooka Fey]

172. +1

[romanic]

137. Vox is tainted garbage

infiltrated by faux-concerned hipsters trying to be progressive. *vomits*

[Warren DeMontague]

154. "wall of words"

[CTBlueboy]

158. Issues that affect my community

I want a HRC supporter to answer these with real policies she supports, because as an African American these issues affect my community

What is she going to do with these cops that are killing my brothers and sister every 28hrs ?
How is she going to get the black youth unemployment lower ?
What is her stance on legalization of Marijuana if so does she support a law that will help Black Farmers cultivate the plant (since a lot of black farmers are left out)
Does she still support the 3 strike rules ?
Will she call to end all private prisons ?
how does she plan to address income gap between black and white ?
What is her stance on Predatory loans, and foreclosures ?
How will she address the trillion dollar student bubble ?

[joshcryer]

166. No shit.