IMG_1202 by yousuf.fahimuddin
Last Friday, President Obama, apparently responding to pressure, made an unexpected statement about the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial. He expressed understanding that Black people feel "a lot of pain around what happened here." He promised no systemic remedies, saying that such decisions are left up to the states, and putting the responsibility of "each of us to do some soul-searching."
Cornel West, on Democracy Now! Monday, went right after Obama's statement:
"President Obama has very little moral authority at this point, because we know anybody who tries to rationalize the killing of innocent peoples, a criminal--George Zimmerman is a criminal--but President Obama is a global George Zimmerman, because he tries to rationalize the killing of innocent children, 221 so far, in the name of self-defense, so that there's actually parallels here."
It's well worth watching, or reading the whole exchange. Immediately Dr. West caught all kinds of criticism, for criticizing the President -- a situation I personally identify with. I heartily support and agree with Dr. West's comments. I would like to hear what you think.
Food for Thought & Action:
Expanded U.S. Targeted Killing, Drone War & Secret Operations.
See the leaked Pakistani document detailing many more civilian deaths in US drone strikes in Pakistan, released Monday by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
"Drawn from field reports by local officials in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the document lists over 70 drone strikes between 2006 and late 2009, alongside a small number of other incidents such as alleged Nato attacks and strikes by unspecified forces.
"Of 746 people listed as killed in the drone strikes, at least 147 of the dead are clearly stated by the leaked report to be civilian victims. Some 94 of these are said to be children."
A Promise Two Months Ago to Release Prisoners & Close Guantanamo.
No prisoners released since the President said he would relax restrictions on cleared Yemeni prisoners. Federal court decisions in favor of the prisoners' rights against the government practice of force-feeding and genital searches have brought no relief. Joe Nocera, noticeably anguished, wrote Tuesday morning in The New York Times:
"There is one person who could get them out tomorrow -- if he chose. That same person could stop the military from force-feeding the detainees. I am referring, of course, to President Obama. Yet despite decrying the Guantà ¡namo prison, the president has refused to do anything but stand by and watch the military inflict needless pain and suffering, much of it on men who simply shouldn't be there. Indeed, in many of the legal briefs filed on behalf of Guantà ¡namo prisoners, the defendant is Barack Obama."
An Expanding System of Mass Incarceration in the U.S.
In the Democracy Now! interview, Dr. West said,
"we're talking about legacy of the white supremacy. We're talking about a criminal justice system that is criminal when it comes to mistreating poor people across the board, black and brown especially"I just never forget Brother Carl Dix and others"we protested [stop-and-frisk by NYPD] and went to jail and then went to court and was--had a guilty verdict, right? That week, the president came to New York and said, "Edward Koch was one of the great mayors in the last 50 years," and then said, "Michael Bloomberg was a terrific mayor." Now, this is the same person saying we've got to care for black boys, and black boys are being intimidated, harassed, humiliated, 1,800 a day. It's just not a matter of pretty words, Mr. President. You've got to follow through in action. You see, you can't use the words to hide and conceal your mendacity, hypocrisy and the support of criminality--or enactment of criminality when it comes to drones, you see."
Prosecution and Persecution of Whistle-Blowers
"Will you press for the justice of Trayvon Martin in the same way you press for the prosecution of Brother Bradley Manning and Brother Edward Snowden?" So you begin to see the hypocrisy."
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