People pulled the same respectability politics talk on MLK and talked about him as though he was super aggressive too. It doesn't fucking matter how respectful we act because folks are always going to treat us as disruptive whenever we talk about race in any form.
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Black Lives Matter shuts down a Bernie Sanders rally
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People pulled the same respectability politics talk on MLK and talked about him as though he was super aggressive too. It doesn't fucking matter how respectful we act because folks are always going to treat us as disruptive whenever we talk about race in any form.
Not to mention casually calling people who disagree with their disruption racists.
They have galvanized thousands of black youth and created conversation where there previously wasn't any. They have single-handedly made it "cool" to fight for black rights again. They have politicians so butt-twisted that many are now thinking of concrete ways to make their stances of black issues clear. More precincts are instituting body cams at accelerate rates.
Sure, racism hasn't been abolished, but BLM has been incredibly successful thus far.
You can probably add, "...and not against a completely counterproductive target."
Subpar Spatula
Banned
There's no real way to protest. There's more effective ways to protest, though. I don't mind them yelling, being angry, etc. but you have to know your landscape: will my way of protesting work? Obviously these protests aren't helping BLM movement. I think they would get more support (from those deeming the Bernie protests as dumb) if they targeted and got in front of candidates who, really, have done damage to minority communities during their political life.
You could say this about #OccupyWallstreet.
To be honest, the conversation has been going on for decades. It's just on social media now.
A Link to the Past
Banned
Is there like, a committee who decided this? Honestly, I'd never leave it up to Sanders' fanbase whether criticisms against him are okay.
CrocMother
Banned
It's not just black youths, either. Young people of all races.
I will say that it's true that it's silly to base an entire movement off the actions of a few people. It's also true that those actions definitely do effect the image of that movement. OWS is a perfect example of that. These kinds of popular movements will get hijacked by individuals with their own agenda.
He is the world's strongest Pokemon. Stronger even than Mew.
Not to mention the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag brought to light Zachary Hammond. Seriously. Look him up. If it wasn't for that. I wouldn't have known anything about it.
Jeevesmeister
Banned
Here's a fantastic post from earlier this year that's worth considering in the larger context of these events. The Left needs to be willing to be more self-critical of what its putting forward and get its shit together if it wants to put a stop to the Republican monstrosity as it rears its head in what could be a disastrous election cycle.
benicillin
Banned
I don't think it's counterproductive to protest Sanders - I think the previous interruption really made them rethink some of their campaign strategy and he has made racial issues a bigger part of his overall message than it was before. Like it was probably a good thing that it happened early on in his campaign. Unfortunately the media and Internet he-said she-said continue to perpetuate the idea that he's silent on the issues rather than acknowledging that he's talked about those things quite frequently since.
~Devil Trigger~
In favor of setting Muslim women on fire
MLK didn't go an "disrupt" Synagogues and Catholic Churches services
MLK didn't go and "disrupt" Black Muslim rallies
MLK march at the power structure and at the actual buildings and streets of those who where oppressing Black people.
marching for the sake of marching, protesting for the sake of protesting with no aim, no education, no plan does nothing, in this case does more to hurt the movement.
I give up. While I don't expect words to suppress the anger of the BLM movement, it's clear that words will not reach some of them on how some of their anger is being misdirected, either.
It's a shame that all this effort is being directed towards protesting the most fringe candidate most allied to their cause though. It's so inefficient.
It's a shame that all this effort is being directed towards protesting the most fringe candidate most allied to their cause though. It's so inefficient.
Ziltoidia 9
Member
This.
Makes me not want to have anything to do with BLM if they are going to target people/derail people who basically agrees with them. Its pretty clear to me that its an extension from the Hillary campaign. I know she didn't ORDER THIS or anything, but it just seems too random to keep happening.
Sanders doesn't view things like, there is THE BLACK ECONOMY, and then there is the WHITE ECONOMY. He views it as lower/middle class being screwed the last 30 years and he wants to help everyone.
that's nice.
Vicetrailia
Banned
I don't see BLM getting stopped no matter the image.
You say this like Sit ins weren't considered disruptive at the time. You say this like whistling at a white woman didn't get you killed. At the end of the day MLK got fucking assassinated for what he stood for.
It's simple, we just need to die. Then we'll get the equality we're after!
BertramCooper
Banned
The issue Bernie is facing is that for his entire political career, he has represented a state with virtually no black people.
Yes, Bernie has an admirable history of supporting civil rights and is absolutely not racist. As a president I do think he'd make civil rights a priority.
But he has no experience campaigning on these sorts of issues because Vermont is 95% white and 1% black. He cares about black people, yes, but he's never had to campaign to get their support.
Yes, Bernie has an admirable history of supporting civil rights and is absolutely not racist. As a president I do think he'd make civil rights a priority.
But he has no experience campaigning on these sorts of issues because Vermont is 95% white and 1% black. He cares about black people, yes, but he's never had to campaign to get their support.
A Link to the Past
Banned
Giving up is advised when you were one of the first people to invoke MLK in this thread
Claude Augario
Member
Black people just shot themselves in the foot.
I dont know how much the rest of you know about black culture (Im an expert), but MLK and respectability are huge parts of it. Its not like it is in the GOP where you can become successful by being an asshole. If you screw over Bernie Sanders, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is respectability.
What this means is the American public, after hearing about this, is not going to want equal rights, nor will they tolerate your dehumanizing stares. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but three black people have aggressively alienated an entire country with this move.
Black people, publicly apologize and abolish #Blacklivesmatter or you can kiss your black lives goodbye.
I dont know how much the rest of you know about black culture (Im an expert), but MLK and respectability are huge parts of it. Its not like it is in the GOP where you can become successful by being an asshole. If you screw over Bernie Sanders, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is respectability.
What this means is the American public, after hearing about this, is not going to want equal rights, nor will they tolerate your dehumanizing stares. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but three black people have aggressively alienated an entire country with this move.
Black people, publicly apologize and abolish #Blacklivesmatter or you can kiss your black lives goodbye.
wait till they re-release the Black Dragon.
What are you getting at?
A Link to the Past
Banned
It's probably not a good thing to say What MLK would do if he were here. But we do need an actual movement like BLM. Material conditions have in some ways gotten worse since MLK. Unemployment for black people is as bad as ever, the income disparity got worse, there are more black people in prison today as a result of tough on crime policies supported by people like Clinton and Reagan. But they're not attacking the establishment; they're not going after literally the only person set to win the presidency. They're not even attempting to make the republicans the slightest bit uneasy about their very blatant racism.
PhoenixDark
Banned
There's been a conversation on race and police brutality for quite awhile; there may have been a galvanization but it hasn't resulting in anything yet. And I'm not sure I'd give BLM credit for body cams either.
A Link to the Past
Banned
Oh come now. Body cams were pretty strongly influenced by protesting. I doubt it just so happened that they coincidentally decided to do it around the time of high-profile shootings/protests.
The only thing that makes Republicans uneasy about race is the fear that giving blacks more power and societal benefits means they are stealing them from whites.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
Weekend at Bernie's 3: Malcolm in the Middle
gutter_trash
Banned
that argument is rubbish
it's not Vermont's fault that is wasn't a former slave State and it's not Vermont's fault that it doesn't have a big city where many soutehern black decided to move to during industrialisation.
Vermont is like one the most Canada-like States in the entire USA in terms of liberalism.
Sanders is born in New York City and studied in Chicago FYI
lol
If they'd target Trump I think we could all be together on this. But they choose a candidate operating on a shoestring budget who's not screening for BLM protesters at the door the way republicans probably are. The Right is laughing their assess off.
why is Bernie not a good target? He's in the running, he's in the fight, he gets press, he should be involved in the subject matter already anyway. Seems like he's a good target. He should be welcoming them up with open arms and scheduling a special open townhall series just for them. Instead he's awkward old man and should he really even be up there Bernie instead of saavy politician on top of things Bernie.
If you could get them within a quarter mile of Donald Trump's stage, I'll help you do it.
A Link to the Past
Banned
Choosing Trump is about as effective as not protesting at all. Trump won't change his mind, he won't lose supporters (in fact, it would probably bolster support because "race baiters!!"), and we won't have this realization that maybe Donald Trump is actually racist.
BertramCooper
Banned
Why the fuck do you think I'm blaming Vermont for something?
All I'm saying is that it's an undeniable fact that Vermont is monolithically white. Therefore, Vermont politicians like Sanders aren't going to have much experience campaigning for the black vote. Sure, they know black people and, in Sanders' case, absolutely care about black people. But they don't know how to campaign for black support.
It's probably a lot more effective to rally where people will actually listen to what you're saying and to some extent sympathize with racial inequality. "The Right" wouldn't care.
all these posts are making me think they were probably right to choose Bernie's rally after all :^)
So, what does Bernie Sanders have to change his mind on in the issue?
That Black Lives Matter?
Doesn't his entire voting history in the government pretty much show that he already understands that and has actively worked to ensuring racial equality?
Wait I thought this latest event involved him giving them mic time even though it was meeting centered around Social Sercurity and Medicare?
Thank god.
gutter_trash
Banned
the guy was born in New York City and graduated in Chicago. Two multicultural cities.
Saying that he doesn't have experience with blacks because Vermont has no blacks is ridiculous considering his city of birth and city of graduation
I'm not sure what you are trying to imply here. That Bernie is actually racist? I'm asking so that I don't misinterpret you.
A Link to the Past
Banned
The protesters want to see him go ham on combating the issues of black people.
My point is that there are various reasons to protest someone - to get them to change their mind, to make that person's fanbase think more about their choice in President, to expose something about the President, etc. The protests are most likely aiming for the first two.
MLK was very disruptive though. His marches often shut entire sections of the city down and many people felt he,and his supporters, intensity was aimed at the wrong targets since they weren't "real racists" like the Klan. Being disruptive to people who agree with you, but aren't doing much, is an effective use of time and energy when protesting. often more so than spending the time and energy on someone who disagrees with you. It's easier to shift someone from mild interest in your cause to series interest tahn it is to convince a completely disinterested person that your cause matters.
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