WH responds to petition to label Black Lives Matter a "terror" group

[TomCADem]

Source: MSN/CBS News

http://wwwAfter days of violence and heightened racial tensions in the U.S., the White House responded this week to an online petition asking the federal government to formally label the Black Lives Matter movement as a "terror group."

"Terrorism is defined as 'the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims,'" read the "We The People" petition, created July 6 on the White House website. "This definition is the same definition used to declare ISIS and other groups, as terrorist organizations."

Black Lives Matter, the petition said, "earned this title due to its actions in Ferguson, Baltimore, and even at a Bernie Sanders rally, as well as all over the United States and Canada." It asked the Pentagon to recognize the group as such "on the grounds of principle, integrity, morality, and safety."

Because the online document received at least 100,000 signatures -- at the time of this reporting, it had garnered over 141,000 names -- the White House was automatically prompted to respond..msn.com/en-us/news/us/wh-responds-to-petition-to-label-black-lives-matter-a-terror-group/ar-BBuqWxg

Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/wh-responds-to-petition-to-label-black-lives-matter-a-terror-group/ar-BBuqWxg

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In the United States, if you oppose the unjustified killing of African Americans by police, you are a terrorist in the eyes of thousands of Americans.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. You forgot the punchline:

I know the OP is usually limited to 4 paragraphs, but the following excerpt is the part that includes the White House quotes:

The "We the People" team noted that "The White House plays no role in designating domestic terror organizations," nor does the U.S. government "generate a list of domestic terror organizations."

"Therefore," the response read, "we are not able to address the formal request of your petition."

The White House then went further: Acknowledging that it was a "difficult time" for the country -- and that the debate remains a "charged" one -- the statement additionally prompted petition signers to consider President Obama's words calling for compassion towards the movement.

"I think it's important for us to also understand that the phrase 'black lives matter' simply refers to the notion that there's a specific vulnerability for African Americans that needs to be addressed," the president said last week, talking to a Washington, D.C. gathering of enforcement officials, civil rights leaders, elected officials and other activists on the issue of racial disparities in the criminal justice system. "We shouldn't get too caught up in this notion that somehow people who are asking for fair treatment are somehow, automatically, anti-police, are trying to only look out for black lives as opposed to others. I think we have to be careful about playing that game."

-- at the OP link

[George II]

2. If BLM is a "terror group", what does that make the NRA?

[Initech]

8. That is a good question.

[Nitram]

11. The NRA is a "Weapon of Mass Destruction."

[bucolic_frolic]

3. "the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims"

"I'll pay the legal fees."

Many organizations might qualify as a terror group under that definition

[Skittles]

4. only Trump supporters are that stupid

[TomCADem]

6. Well, Given That Trump Is a Fan of Torturing Terrorists...

...I am sure his supporters are looking forward to returning to pre-Civil War days.

[Nitram]

12. Don't need to go back that far. The Chicago Police Dept, for one.

[Augiedog]

5. I would agree to this if the Republican Party is also declared a terrorist group. They have brought

more pain and anguish, death and hate than any group since the Confederate States of America committed the ultimate treason. At least the BLM have a clear understanding of what they are stand for and why. The tea party and the Republican Party cannot claim the same anymore.

[TomCADem]

7. Trump All For Torturing Terror Suspects: 'He'll Talk Faster With The Torture'

Trump may not have a problem with branding the Never Trump folks terrorists.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-torture-waterboarding

Donald Trump amped up his already heated rhetoric about the use of torture to extract information from terrorism suspects, speaking via telephone interview to CNN after Tuesday's terrorist attack in Brussels.

"Look, I think we have to change our law on the waterboarding thing, where they can chop off heads and drown people in cages, in heavy steel cages and we can't water board," Trump told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "We have to change our laws and we have to be able to fight at least on almost equal basis. We have laws that we have to obey in terms of torture. They have no laws whatsoever that they have to obey."

Blitzer brought up Salah Abdeslam -- a chief suspect in the Paris attack who was detained last week and who it has been speculated might have connections to the Brussels attackers -- and asked Trump whether he would begin "torturing him right away," since Belgian authorities have said Abdeslam was already talking to investigators.

"He may be talking, but he'll talk faster with the torture," Trump said, suggesting torture could have prevented Tuesday attacks which have left at least 30 people dead.

[merrily]

9. BLM terrorist? This country has jumped the shark.

[Nitram]

13. No, NOT "this country."

Trump supporters and wing nuts.

[merrily]

15. True. Sadly, morans are too numerous and too vocal--and not only in this country!

[Nitram]

16. You got that right!

Nobody's cornered the market on idiocy yet, but Trump's giving it a try.

[still_one]

10. Fox news should be labelled a terrorist group

[RAFisher]

14. Are people this fucking stupid????

BLM wants to end police brutality. Can this morons even name one BLM related terrorist attack?

[Evergreen Emerald]

17. I cannot stand the stupidity any more.

The idiots have come out from under their rocks to take over --and have steadily rose to power. They do not consider someone who hunts down doctors or women seeking medical care as terrorism, yet protestors are?

They all need to be sent scurrying back under their rocks.