Obama's election did not improve race relations

[Karee 4,190]

Not really. Think about it. The dude goes on tour and sign autographs. He also has famous folks on Twitter that celebrated when he was acquitted. He makes pictures and sells them for 5-6 figures on the internet. He's become almost iconic for gun owners.

Yeah OJ did the same after his acquittal. Folks celebrated his acquittal as well. BFD. Newsflash, people are stupid.

[Karee 4,190]

And yet, you can't call him a criminal. Even though he has a record and continues to have problems with the law. Hell, you got members here who were worse than TM when they were young, are they criminals?

Why would calling him a criminal make a difference? I'm not getting your point. As I stated in my post above, IMO neither of their pasts came in to play in this case. However, both sides did their best to make it an issue.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

cept the Minority report addressed things before they happened.. TM's issues of violence and theft are well documented.

Nobody here has said GZ was a Golden boy. He has issues also.

However all that really matters is, that when you are violently attacked, you have the right to defend yourself. He was not convicted or he would not be legally carrying a firearm.

How come Michael Browns well documented drug use and felony robbery by force or TM repeated expulsions, documented violence and Drug use have no bearing on the case, but GZ brush with the law does.

They all come into play. Look, you can't even call GZ a criminal, because in your mind he doesn't fit what you think a criminal looks like. Karee also. It goes against what you believe. Ray Rice beat his wife and is called a violent thug, GZ has had DV issues for years, yet that title eludes him. Why?

Why would calling him a criminal make a difference? I'm not getting your point. As I stated in my post above, IMO neither of their pasts came in to play in this case. However, both sides did their best to make it an issue.

Because we have no issue calling TM one. And he's the one without the record. What's with the double standard?

[Karee 4,190]

They all come into play. Look, you can't even call GZ a criminal, because in your mind he doesn't fit what you think a criminal looks like. Karee also. It goes against what you believe. Ray Rice beat his wife and is called a violent thug, GZ has had DV issues for years, yet that title eludes him. Why?

You have no idea what goes through my mind. Nice try though. IMO GZ did not break the law that night. As to his other escapades, I have no idea. I heard he busted his wife's Ipad and something about some issue he had with an ex.

They all come into play. Look, you can't even call GZ a criminal, because in your mind he doesn't fit what you think a criminal looks like. Karee also. It goes against what you believe. Ray Rice beat his wife and is called a violent thug, GZ has had DV issues for years, yet that title eludes him. Why?

Because we have no issue calling TM one. And he's the one without the record. What's with the double standard?

####### are you talking about? I've never personally made GZ out to be some angel. You must be confusing me with someone else here.

[Darnell 8,478]

Clarence Page

Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/page/ct-race-relations-america-obama-worse-perspec-page-20140923-column.html

Whatever happened to "Obamamania"? Recent polls suggest that race relations have gotten worse since President Barack Obama's 2008 election — or, at least, that more Americans think they have.

It didn't help anybody's feeling of sunny delight that the two latest polls were conducted in the wake of racial unrest in Ferguson, Mo., after the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer.

Either way, the polls add fuel to the conservative portrayal of Obama as more of a divider than a uniter, although when I listen to some of those conservative voices, I can't tell whether they're bragging or complaining.

For example, only 6 percent of voters in battleground election states this fall say race relations have improved under the first African-American president, according to a Politico poll. Almost half (46 percent) say they've gotten worse, and 48 percent say the dynamic has remained about the same.

One thing that we did share across racial lines is gloom, according to the poll, although more white voters, 49 percent, said relations are worse, compared with 38 percent of African-Americans.

Almost half — 47 percent — of both white and African-American voters said race relations were about the same.

Of Hispanic voters, 14 percent say relations have improved, 30 percent say they have worsened and 56 percent say they have stayed the same.

That's disappointing, but it also may be the sign of a new realism setting in after the euphoria of Obama's landmark election.

The good news may be that, compared with five years ago, a long-range national survey taken by the Pew Research Center and USA Today after Ferguson found that "overall perceptions of relations between blacks and whites are only modestly changed."

Although the number of black respondents who said blacks and whites get along "very well" or "pretty well" increased 7 percentage points between 2007 and 2009 to 76 percent, the share who held that positive view has since dropped 12 points to 64 percent.

Similarly, white respondents who thought blacks and whites got along well increased 3 percentage points from 2007 to 2009 to 80 percent, but fell 5 percentage points from 2009 to 2014.

Significant as those differences may be, they look modest compared with the dramatic differences between the races in their view of police.

Seventy percent of black respondents thought police did a poor job of treating racial and ethnic groups equally, compared with only 25 percent of whites.

That reminds me, unfortunately, of the dramatic racial gap that followed the not-guilty verdict in O.J. Simpson's double homicide trial.

The possibility of a positive answer to that question fueled much of the euphoria surrounding Obama's election. But the Ferguson riots and other racial eruptions during Obama's terms reveal the limits of what any single person, even one with Obama's eloquence, can do to heal this nation's historic racial divide.

He's learned that the hard way, as in the "beer-gate" fiasco. By saying the Cambridge police behaved "stupidly" in arresting a black Harvard professor for breaking into his own home, he opened up an O.J.-like divide that led to a "beer summit" photo-op at the White House to smooth ruffled feathers.

The president's My Brother's Keeper program, aimed mostly at connecting young black males to mentoring and support networks, is a worthwhile effort to join government help with conservative self-help values. But the urgency of such hot-button issues as crime and allegations of police misconduct continue to drive wedges between the races.

Democracy, wrote journalist Walter Lippmann in his 1922 book, "Public Opinion," "has never seriously faced the problem which arises because the pictures inside people's heads do not automatically correspond with the world outside."

We're still trying to face it.

A lot of voters may have had it in their heads that Obama's election would heal our racial divide and inaugurate a "post-racial" America. Instead, it has only revealed our racial divide to be deeper than many, perhaps even Obama, thought it was. That's the new reality.

ah.. now that's change I can belive in. Thanks, Barry !

But seriously - since Barry is half-white - he should really refocus his efforts on appeasing the white population. Why? He's spent 6 years FAILING at appeasing the black populace - tis time to shift and focus on his OTHER racial heritage group.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

You have no idea what goes through my mind. Nice try though. IMO GZ did not break the law that night. As to his other escapades, I have no idea. I heard he busted his wife's Ipad and something about some issue he had with an ex.

####### are you talking about? I've never personally made GZ out to be some angel. You must be confusing me with someone else here.

And yet, calling him a criminal is still so hard to do. Why is it so hard to say? He's a violent criminal. And it doesn't cross a few people's minds that he could have started the altercation. No, because TM is the thug and GZ is the wannabe cop.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Not really. Think about it. The dude goes on tour and sign autographs. He also has famous folks on Twitter that celebrated when he was acquitted. He makes pictures and sells them for 5-6 figures on the internet. He's become almost iconic for gun owners.

But I was talking about the folks here that hate thugs, but seem to love him, even though he's proven time and time again that he's violent and thuggish.

But I should have clarified. Thanks for the catch.

How about Tupac? Dude was a criminal and still has millions of black fans and still makes millions of dollars.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Teddy B

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

How about Tupac? Dude was a criminal and still has millions of fans and still makes millions of dollars.

I'm going to hurt some feelings here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur

At the age of twelve, Shakur enrolled in Harlem's 127th Street Repertory Ensemble and was cast as the Travis Younger character in the play A Raisin in the Sun, which was performed at the Apollo Theater. In 1986, the family relocated to Baltimore, Maryland.^[31] After completing his second year at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, he transferred to the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting, poetry, jazz, and ballet.^[32] He performed in Shakespeare plays, and in the role of the Mouse King in the ballet The Nutcracker. He began attending the poetry classes of Leila Steinberg in 1989

He set him up as a roadie and backup dancer with the hip hop group Digital Underground in 1990.

Don't believe the hype, next thing you know, folks will be talking about how gangster Rick Ross is...

Edit: Many so called gangster rappers are not the criminal masterminds they say they are. It's what they say to sell records. If Eminem was to be believed, that dude should have been locked up a long time ago...

Edited September 26, 2014 by Su and Marvin

[Teddy B 17,252]

I'm going to hurt some feelings here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur

At the age of twelve, Shakur enrolled in Harlem's 127th Street Repertory Ensemble and was cast as the Travis Younger character in the play A Raisin in the Sun, which was performed at the Apollo Theater. In 1986, the family relocated to Baltimore, Maryland.^[31] After completing his second year at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, he transferred to the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting, poetry, jazz, and ballet.^[32] He performed in Shakespeare plays, and in the role of the Mouse King in the ballet The Nutcracker.

He set him up as a roadie and backup dancer with the hip hop group Digital Underground in 1990.

Don't believe the hype, next thing you know, folks will be talking about how gangster Rick Ross is...

What does that have to do with his criminal background? Tupac was convicted of numerous crimes and served prison time.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

What does that have to do with his criminal background? Tupac was convicted of numerous crimes and served prison time.

Give me a second.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

And yet, calling him a criminal is still so hard to do. Why is it so hard to say? He's a violent criminal. And it doesn't cross a few people's minds that he could have started the altercation. No, because TM is the thug and GZ is the wannabe cop.

I don't think he started, neither did a jury that heard weeks of actual evidence in the case.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

How about Tupac? Dude was a criminal and still has millions of black fans and still makes millions of dollars.

Hey leave 2Pac out of this. That kid had some genius in his music. Dear Mama is one of my Favs of all time

[Karee 4,190]

GZ is a criminal. All better now?

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

What does that have to do with his criminal background? Tupac was convicted of numerous crimes and served prison time.

From what I am reading he was only convicted of one crime.

As a result of the trial, Shakur was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse, and acquitted of the weapons and sodomy charges.

I had to go digging since I'm not a fan of his music. I just thought it was funny that folks thought he was some scary thug when he was acting.

But, he does have a criminal record, so that makes him a criminal. But if that's the case, then folks like Chris Brown AND Charlie Sheen are violent criminals.

GZ is a criminal. All better now?

Admitting it is the first step.

Hey leave 2Pac out of this. That kid had some genius in his music. Dear Mama is one of my Favs of all time

Told you some feelings would get hurt...

I don't think he started, neither did a jury that heard weeks of actual evidence in the case.

Of course you don't...

[Teddy B 17,252]

From what I am reading he was only convicted of one crime.

As a result of the trial, Shakur was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse, and acquitted of the weapons and sodomy charges.

I had to go digging since I'm not a fan of his music. I just thought it was funny that folks thought he was some scary thug when he was acting.

But, he does have a criminal record, so that makes him a criminal. But if that's the case, then folks like Chris Brown AND Charlie Sheen are violent criminals.

According to this site (below in bold), Tupac did 3 separate stints in prison for 3 different crimes. Whether it was one or three really doesn't matter. fact of the matter is you're getting on white folks for defending a criminal in GZ, but you fail to see how blatant it is on the other side with Tupac.

On November 18, 1993, Tupac "2Pac" Shakur was arrested for sexually abusing a 19-year-old woman, who he met in a New York nightclub, and allegedly sodomized and sexually abused with three of his friends. In 1995, he was sentenced to prison for up to four and a half years, but received an early release after a few months. In September 1996, the 25-year-old Shakur was shot four times in the chest and died from the wounds.

Previous Arrests

• 1992 - Tupac was arrested after being involved in an altercation in which a stray bullet killed a child, but the charges were later dismissed.

• April 5, 1993 - Tupac spent 10 days in a Michigan prison for beating another rapper with a baseball bat.

• October 31, 1993 - Tupac allegedly stopped to help a black motorist who he felt was being harassed by the policemen. A fight broke out and Tupac shot one policemen in the leg and the other in the buttocks. When it was determined that the policemen were intoxicated and carrying guns taken from the police evidence room, the charges were dropped.

• November 18, 1993 - Shakur was arrested on the sexual abuse and sodomy charges and weapons charges in New York City. The sodomy and weapons charges were dropped.

• November 10, 1994 - Tupac, slated to star in the movie Meance II, punched the director Allen Hughes. He spent 15 days in prison and was replaced in the movie by Larenz Tate.

• November 30, 1994, Tupac Shakur was ambushed by three black men in the lobby of a recording studio in Times Square in New York City. The men robbed him of over $35,000 in cash and jewelry and shot him five times - hitting his head, groin and hand.

http://crime.about.com/od/famousdiduno/ig/mugshots_rap_hip_rb/tupacmug1.htm