In the end, it’s not about race, it’s about people

BRACE YOURSELVES

The “Jay pulled the race card” posts are coming….

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JAY

Great column. I mentioned in other column that MLK of all people, would be vocal about the plight of the African American under the BO tenure. I’m sure it can be spun, as all other issues, as the fault of Bush or whatever.

This is a great holiday. If only we could get rid of Columbus day…

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ADAM

What would you expect? Which will come first? GOP are racists or Jay pulled race card?

Better hurry..I’m betting former..You?

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I am always amazed this was going on when I was a child in the north and I was completely oblivious to it.

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Race based on skin color is artificial. We could have divided along hair color or eye color. But skin is more apparent. There is one race, the human race. If individuals can procreate together regardless of skin color, they are of the same race.

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…something you and I see “eye to eye” on – it is about people and not color…

Now, if only we could get you to do something about your penchant to take from the rich to GIVE to the poor who are NOT helping themselves then you and I may really have something on which we can see “eye to eye”…

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Quira: Everyone who disagrees with stnadard liberal ideology is branded a racist.

Stevie Ray, you were saying?

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ADAM

I’m talking about posts in response to column not the column itself. I bet the ubiquitous comment about GOP “racists” will surface before Jay playing race card.

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Thomas Heyward Jr: How you get from paragraph 2 to paragraph 3 is extremely baffling. Are they completely separate thoughts? (benefit of the doubt here)

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At least inauguration day is warmer this year…..

I wonder what king would think of Obama

Given the amount of drone attacks Obama is using, king may have had concerns though he presumably would be a supporter

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Good morning

Great man.

While we have progress to make, we have certainly made much progress.

Today, think about that progress and how much better the country is because of MLK and many others made sacrifices to push us forward when countless forces were pulling them back.

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I think Chief Pritchett found himself in an impossible position.

If he enforced the law, he was branded a racist.

If he did the right thing, in that town and in that time period, he would have been called a ni**er lover and his life wouldn’t have been worth two cents.

I lived thru those days and the danger from the KKK was all too real, to black and white alike.

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Stevie Ray: Not a single post so far has mentioned racism being tied to the GOP. It wasn’t mentioned in the article, and most who post on here aren’t that reactionary from the left side of the aisle.

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RB from Gwinnett

January 21st, 2013
9:13 am

I’m certain King would be all over BO about the downward plight of the african americans under this regime. Of course BO can’t play favorites but…

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Stevie Ray: You mean King would advocate for more help for the poor in general? Such as extending unemployment insurance, making sure food stamps don’t get cut, increasing access to health care, stuff like that?

You mean stuff Obama has already done?

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Good column. I don’t remember ever hearing about Albany and Chief Pritchett.

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Adam and Stevie ray

I think both sides are various times use racially charged language. Personally I think it is done for impact more so than we have a bunch of racists on the blog, however we probably have a few.

There are some lefties here who throw it out regularly as well as some on the right.

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TBS: I don’t know about you but I haven’t seen anyone declare racism on the part of some poster from a simple disagreement of policy. I admit I haven’t read every single blog post ever, but…. I have seen what posts like that look like on Facebook. Haven’t seen it here.

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ADAM

How have those enablers assisted with the maintainance of a “dream” by those (white, black and purple) to move up a station? There exists a point of diminishing returns when entitlements become enablers…

He did what any president would do…unfortunately I don’t see that any of this has improved the lagging unemployment of african americans. I also feel that MLK would have expanding his platform to include other downtrodden folks..

I shouldn’t suggest that the situation is on the hands of BO..its been on the hands of every president in recent past.

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TBS

January 21st, 2013
9:22 am

Can’t disagree with that.

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I also feel that MLK would have expanding his platform to include other downtrodden folks..

Huh? He already had. This, from a speech from August 31, 1967:

We have deluded ourselves into believing the myth that capitalism grew and prospered out of the Protestant ethic of hard work and sacrifices. The fact is that capitalism was built on the exploitation of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor, both black and white, both here and abroad…the way to end poverty is to end the exploitation of the poor. Insure them a fair share of the government’s services and the nation’s resources. We must recognize that the problems of neither racial nor economic justice can be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.

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Long live the legacy of liberal agitators!

We see injustice and stand up to it.

And we change this country and the world for the better.

Occupy that.

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stands for decibels

January 21st, 2013
9:36 am

Good point unfortunately in his day, most of the downtrodden whites et al were the most vehemently opposed to his message and most couldn’t see past the color thing..culture is difficult to kill

Much progress made since then thankfully…

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Good article today, Jay. Is Mr Prichertt still alive? If he has passed, what was his legacy?

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Stevie:”Good point unfortunately in his day, most of the downtrodden whites et al were the most vehemently opposed to his message and most couldn’t see past the color thing..culture is difficult to kill

Much progress made since then thankfully…”

Yes but we still have a long way to go! Any parallel with today’s America? Think about it!

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stands for decibels

January 21st, 2013
9:44 am

I read all his columns when I can. He has altered or otherwise strengthen my views about civil rights and the utter waste of money on defense that serves only our imperialistic-like agenda..

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Road Scholar

January 21st, 2013
9:48 am

How many do you want to hear? Chasm of have’s and have nots. Separation of church and state. Government by the cash and for the cash. Ever increasing defense spending not congruent with threats…

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I look forward to the day when non-white people will decide whom to vote for based on content of character, not skin color.

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I read all his columns when I can. He has altered or otherwise strengthen my views about civil rights and the utter waste of money on defense that serves only our imperialistic-like agenda..

Agreed. Only in my case, “when I can” translates to “when I can handle his unvarnished, “don’t-care-who-I-upset” rhetoric, which is unrelenting and focused. It can be a bit much to digest at times, and I freely admit to sometimes not being up to facing it.

But I have never encountered Glenn indulging in dishonesty OR gratuitousness, which is more than I can say for just about any other pundit out there.

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98, look in the mirror first.

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“I look forward to the day when non-white people will decide whom to vote for based on content of character, not skin color.”

I look forward to the day when white people will decide whom to vote for based on content of character, not skin color.

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Thanks for the commentary, Jay. Some of this story is news to me, though I’m not a native of this town. Obviously, Pritchett was a good and decent man. I understand he passed away in 2000, at the age of 73.

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yes, Albany is the most racist place I’ve ever been, even today.
on both sides.

yet today, in their echo chamber bubble that the cons now
permanently reside in, with their codewords & catchphrases,
those of low information, poor intellect, and less formal education
will hear these alt-reality pearls of wisdom, such jewels as –
democrats are the reeeeeal racists
plantation liberals
Robert Byrd ad nauseum

counting on the probability that they can slip the Great Realignment,
Southern Strategy, and the Great Migration of the Dixiecrats to the
Republican pahhty in the 60’s – slip those by the rubes that faithfully
drool on their a.m. radios every day, waiting for a sign…

if I was a con (shiver, upchuck) I would lay low today, knowing
I am on the wrong side of history, about everything.
Surfs Up

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“All dogs can pro-create, that does not make them the same breed.”

All humans are the same race – the human RACE
All dogs are the same race – the canine RACE

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They buried Rodney Cook this weekend.

Andrew Young delivered the eulogy. Cook’s funeral was held at the Millennium Gate at 2:00 pm, Saturday, on a glorious day in January.

Young had beaten Cook in a race for Congress, but mention he had gained respect for Rodney Cook for his courageous stands in the civil rights movement, where he would stand along or in vast minority as the Atlanta Alderman and a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, such as to take down “Peyton Wall,” a barrier that was built to stop black citizens from moving into a white section of Atlanta.

Rodney Cook was a Republican, but first Cook was a human being. When you have your Democratic black opponent show up at a mostly rich, white, sufferablely arrogant affair to honor his life on Martin Luther King’s weekend it gives us an idea of how life could be. An arthritic and aging Young climbing painfully down a plight of very long formal stairs slowly making it to the podium with a look of determination, and resolve that this is what needs to be done.

“Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.”

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The canine race? Oooookay, whatever you say, Einstein.

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Think of all the Chinese and Saudi kids who are benefitting from the interest we pay them for them to finance our debt!

Time to quote Atrios.

“The deficit scolds don’t really care about the deficit, and if it disappears they won’t declare victory. It’ll in fact be a crisis. For some, it’ll be a crisis because they’re employed the fairly lucrative (status and money) deficit scold grifter industry. For others, it’ll be a crisis because Teh Deficit is their justification for their real policy desires which are cutting taxes on rich people and kicking the olds and poors.”

Oh, and Puppet, if you’re going to go off topic and start wailing the mating cry of the Deficit Scold, at least know enough not to introduce “the interest we pay” as a discussion point. Because the interest we pay is well below the rate of inflation. People are actually,effectively, PAYING US to take their money.

Jeez. I can only imagine what kind of tart commentary Dr. King would have for the deficit scolds. I mean, after he’d stopped laughing at them.

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“that day has already passed”

and so it has for non-whites as well

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Sorta ironic that most everything those “racist segregationists” said about black people turned out to be true.

Brilliant analysis. Absolutely brilliant.

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stands for decibels

January 21st, 2013
9:57 am

His book titled “Liberty and Justice for a Few’ is my favorite political read of 2012.

He is one of the most unbiased writers on the scene. His columns fly at an altitude of perspective not found in typical left v right forums..

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We talk about the segregated South and forget about the de facto segregation in the North. How many on here recall the race wars in Boston, Detroit and Cleveland, Ohio. Far worse than anything that occurred in the South during desegregation.

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They are dancing in your heads again, the big bad *racists* whose comments you anticipate. The debates you Bookman buddies have with yourselves are amazing. You imagine more vile race opinions than any I have ever heard from those whose thoughts you pretend to divine. Sure, you heard some awful old white guy make a racist comment at the next table at your neighborhood burger joint. Sure you did. One of my kids mistakenly put the garbage out for pickup this morning. Realizing what holiday the sanitation department employees are marking, he rushed to remove it from the curb and asked if he might have offended anyone by forgetting what day this is.

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Stevie Ray

Black America is in the same situation under Obama as it was under every president between Dr. King’s death and today. I don’t think MLK’s outlook would be any different for Obama as it would have been for Bush. If anything, Dr. King’s attention would likely be focused on the GOP’s concerted effort to scrap the social safety net.

If it helps you to sleep at night thinking that he would be upset at Obama, then do whatever floats your boat.

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They are dancing in your heads again, the big bad *racists* whose comments you anticipate.

Well, downstairs we had Kayaker telling us “We’ve been subsidizing black America to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars/yr since 1964.” and here we have something calling itself “Lee” perverting MLK’s laudable strategy as being merely about “antagonizing the other side until they lashed out.”

I don’t think either of these guys are big or bad, though. Just mostly pathetic, really.

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Someone mentioned de facto segregation up north. South Boston. Bussing. Louise Day Hicks: *you
know where I stand.* Bobby Kennedy and Jackie: Let’s all sing Southie is my Home Town.*

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he really took BO to the mat on telecom

as have I. And Glenn’s absolutely right about how horrifying it is for a President to have a “kill list.” I’m assuming the next guy (or gal) will just ramp that one up a notch.

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Hey Jay,

It’s always been about people! It’s the Dems that have made “race” an issue.

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Brosephus™

January 21st, 2013
10:12 am

As I mentioned in subsequent post, my comment was not intentionally limited of suggestive that the situation is/was unique to BO, its a problem that has existed for decades. MLK would have been equally critical in prior adminstrations but the same beat continues…

As much as things have changed, they remain the same…

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We talk about the segregated South and forget about the de facto segregation in the North. How many on here recall the race wars in Boston, Detroit and Cleveland, Ohio. Far worse than anything that occurred in the South during desegregation.

Why do you think what happened in those cities in the north was far worse than anything that occurred in the South during desegregation? and what years did desegregation occur?

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Stands, you are so ignorant it is astounding. Yeah, keep believing that interest rates will stay at ZERO.

Go argue this nonsense with someone who cares, Deficit Scold. You’re off topic, I’ve called you out, and Jay can clean up your mess if he’s in the mood. Meanwhile, I’ll repost this for anyone foolish enough to believe your claptrap.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/8-facts-prove-our-govt-not-going-broke?page=0%2C1&paging=off

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It was about antagonizing the other side until they lashed out.

So its okay to deny civil rights to a race, then when they peacefully protest, rather than provide them equal rights, it’s “their” fault for causing “white establishment” to act out against the “uppity”.

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Oh, Krugman….you’re a disciple of that hack. Nobel laureate and mouthpiece for the government spendthrifts. Sure, lets just spend ourselves into oblivion. Great idea.

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95% of black people voted for Obama. The white vote was split almost evenly. Black people vote based on skin color, white people do not, and the facts support this notion.

If this inconvenient truth makes people uncomfortable, so be it. Reality must be accepted at some point, shouldn’t it?

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Sfd

Good post about drones and MLK

But I disagree with ou on the debt

We are going broke

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Black people vote based on skin color, white people do not

Mind readers like ‘98 are awesome, aren’t they?

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98, more brilliant analysis. That could be easily countermanded by a precocious fifth grader. One without a racial agenda like yours.

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Words of wisdom from Celia Green:

In an autocracy, one person has his way; in an aristocracy a few people have their way; in a democracy no one has his way.

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Any answers to the Albany question I posted yet?

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MLK would be in horror if here today! His ideals are corrupted by the likes of Jesse, Al, Rangel, no more than racist extorsionist! The so called leaders of cities like Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, DC!

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ONLY ONE is an outlier.

Take a wild guess which one that is, meat.

The NBA?

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josef

When you speak of Sharia, etc are you implying that if given the opportunity those who ran the south would have been more objective and honest to how it really was?

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Stands, well they could have just said that it was “tyranny” to be denied constitutional rights and then they would have had “2d amendment remedies” according to our scholarly posters these days. Funny how the same people who panic over the New Black Panthers seem to have no problem with groups on the right having guns. The NBP just need to yell “tyranny” and “freedom” more and then the cons will no longer be afraid.

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Good morning, hypocrites. Feeling all good and fuzzy about the virtues of teaching human rights and equality?

How come the character assassination of good moral people like Mitt Romney didn’t take away your understanding of piety and equality of man? How come the class warfare against people who have more wealth than you do seems ok? How come taxing ONLY the rich seems fair to your dogma?

You liberals, you Progressives, you community organizers, you old hippies, and you Democrats always talk a good game but in the end you are lip service hypocrites that hide behind the politically correct pontificators. Is it any wonder you all need to have a survey group before you proceed to do anything?

Nice try, but half the country knows your game of divisive tactics. Stop hiding behind children and slain civil rights leaders.

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How, tell me, do you address a situation like Albany positively, without calling those who recognize the deterioration “racist” etc.? This is (believe it or not) a sincere question.

Any answers to the Albany question I posted yet?

Skipper, it is possible that nobody’s answered this because a) it’s an incredibly loaded question, and difficult to address calmly AND in the kind of brief internet shorthand we deploy, here, and and b) one might need to be from Albany, or very familiar with Albany, to answer it.

I’ve never set foot there, myself.

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Ha! Good one heathen!!

Even so, I’d bet that even there the percentage of whites is larger than the percentage of ALL minorities combined in the GOP.

Where membership is voluntary, not based on superior athletic ability…

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My favorite quote referring to the Black Panther’s..

“I’m sorry I ruined your Black Panther party…”

Forrest Gump

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Stands, do you have an original thought in your head? Do you really think, Krugman and Bookman are giving you the truth? I don’t go to Hannity and Limbaugh looking for the truth, they are in bed with the same folks that are funneling all of our money to the bankers. And I think it is important to bring up on MLK day, that those that are in debt are the TRUE slaves.

What happens when the inevitable happens and the government can’t pay the bills? Who will bear the brunt of the pain? The rich? No, the poor as always. Liberal ideology provides scraps for the masses while those in power live in largesse. WAKE UP!

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Ever notice that every president ultimately succumbs to the position that just because we have this ridiculously big and overkilling military, each feels a need to use it?

Yes, I have. I also notice nobody since Ike has been willing to deal with us like grown-ups about it, either.

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Donovan, go hug a black friend.

LOL…

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TBS

“When you speak of Sharia, etc are you implying that if given the opportunity those who ran the south would have been more objective and honest to how it really was?”

I’m not saying that at all. I’m saying that once we move beyond the broad sweep of those in control and the big names and events of those challenging that control, there is another story, the one Jay has presented to us today for contemplation. It was the small people and the small events which speak to the reality of the time and place. The Shariah versions of history have no place in their paradigm for that. Because they do not, the real lesson, “In the end, it’s not about race, it’s about people” is lost.

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When you vote for someone because of their race that is racism

How about when you ASSume that someone has voted for someone because of their race?

What do you call that?

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Class of ‘98

January 21st, 2013
10:21 am

95% of black people voted for Obama. The white vote was split almost evenly. Black people vote based on skin color, white people do not, and the facts support this notion.

If this inconvenient truth makes people uncomfortable, so be it. Reality must be accepted at some point, shouldn’t it?
+++++++++++++++++++++++

Does it physically cause you pain to be so stupid? Like do you wake up in the morning and your body hurts or something? Or is it a painless affliction? I could see a mild case being painless but one as severe as yours I would think would cause pain……..

Historically the Democratic party has gotten over 90% of the Black vote since segregation was ended. Do you know why? Because the Democrats were the party that ended it. That is when WHITE MEN were running for President. Until Obama there wasn’t a candidate nominated by either major party that wasn’t a WHITE MAN. Yet the Blacks still voted democrat……….

Is that so hard to process? Nope, not unless one is terminally stupid……..

Race card FAIL.

Happy MLK and inauguration day. May the peace of the Martin which passes all understanding be with you Classless ‘98. May you enjoy the freedoms that now ALL Americans’ enjoy thanks to Dr. King.

Keep up the hope. Maybe one day they will invent some smart pills.

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If you didn’t live through the era you will unfortunately now only get the far-left revisions, omissions and distortions. There were indeed violent acts in the South but actually desegregation was a much smoother process throughout the Southeast and Southwest than what many on the left attempt to depict.

What absolute nonsense. And before any buffoonish response is claimed again by someone who says “you had to have lived through it”, I lived in places both in the north and the south during “desegregation”. Desegregation is far from over, btw.

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“When you vote for someone because of their race that is racism and that is what has happened”

got proof?

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Donovan

January 21st, 2013
10:28 am

Good morning, hypocrites. Feeling all good and fuzzy about the virtues of teaching human rights and equality?

How come the character assassination of good moral people like Mitt Romney didn’t take away your understanding of piety and equality of man? How come the class warfare against people who have more wealth than you do seems ok? How come taxing ONLY the rich seems fair to your dogma?
+++++++++++++++++++++++

How come telling bald face lies seems ok to you?

Let go of the hate, it will eat you up inside. Give common sense and peace a chance to replace that blind puppet existence and hate. Crawl out from under your bed and quit living in a talk radio/FOXBOT induced state of fear. It’s a nice bright, hopeful world outside here where us folks who DON’T listen to the fearmongers live.
Look out your window. The sun is shining and it’s a beautiful morning. It’s a GOOD morning for hope and forward moving actions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyooCErXdMI

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all the money that’s being spent on Obama’s second inauguration.

Do tell. Make sure to include the corporate sponsorship that the Obamas decided to accept to help fund this one.

And while you’re at it, PD, tell us what kind of alternative you’d suggest.

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Skipper, no one has replied to your Albany question because they know the truth, but their politically correct upbringing just wont allow them to accept it. To do so will mean that everything they have been told about the races has been one gigantic lie.

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Desegregation is far from over, btw.

Or so you would hope.

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JAY

On the opening page of this forum, I bet that the left would call the GOP racists before the GOP (wrongly) suggested you column racists in some fashion…

The racism charge is bubbling up as we speak…do we have a winner yet? If so, it was too subtle for me to discern..

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Fred, insulting me neither makes you look smart nor changes the facts. And I am 6′3″, 240 lbs. I would respect you more if you insulted me to my face, not in an anonymous blog.

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…desegregation was a much smoother process throughout the Southeast and Southwest than what many on the left attempt to depict.

Dang! I must have lived in a different South from the one you lived in. I can recall, even here in Atlanta, the ax handles of Lester Maddox, the standing in the door of George Wallace, the endless interviews featuring white people decrying the integrationists because “they’re comin’ down here tryin’ to change our good Southern way of life,” the bombings that killed school children, the murders of three civil rights activists, and a thousand other such events.

If all that was “smooth,” I want to see your definition of “rough.”

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stands for decibels

When you vote for someone because of their race that is racism

How about when you ASSume that someone has voted for someone because of their race?

What do you call that?

Common sense…..

When blacks are bombarded with lies about how the GOP(White men) wants to take them back a hundred years then wouldn’t you agree that they would vote solely on race.

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I’ve read several well thought out writings on how it is debatable that desegregation is actually or was actually of good thing for the ultimate goal…best education. The argument is that learning is much more difficult….

When I was growing up, the integration started very slow. When I was in 6th grade, about 5 african american kids were introduced. By the time I was a senior in HS, the ratio remained probably 100:1…the minorities were screwed because us whites validated the stereotype held in the black community…shameful time..

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When blacks are bombarded with lies about how the GOP(White men) wants to take them back a hundred years then wouldn’t you agree that they would vote solely on race.

Cool–our expert on Stuff Blacks Are Bombarded With is here to explain it all for us.

You and the Mind Reader guy ought to take that act on the road!

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GOOBER

Just being EOI here, but your two examples of Lester Maddox and George Wallace, I would say, sort of present the case that it DID end up relatively smoothly when you take a good look at their post crisis records…

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Quira: ” Wander through the AJC. Everyone who disagrees with stnadard liberal ideology is branded a racist”

Can you provide an example?

It’s a serious request. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such a thing actually happen.

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“tell us what kind of alternative you’d suggest.”

Exactly what they did yesterday and leave it at that. It’s all about setting an example.

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“…it might be worthwhile to ask how that situation in Albany has developed, and whether the bigoted attitudes of people such as Lee played a role in it.”

BS Jay and you know it (or perhaps you dont, political correctness is a mental illness..)

Albany GA is simply a microcosm of what occurred all across the United States. Blacks moved into an area and once the population of blacks reach a certain percentage, things start to go downhill fast.

Name me one city where the population went from majority white to majority black and the quality of life factors such as crime rate didn’t get worse.

Go ahead, just one.

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jj: “When watcing the film I couldnt help but notice what appeared to be an educated, polite, and well dressed black middle class. Where did they go?”

One of them lives in the White House right now, with his beautiful, “educated, polite, and well dressed” family. Did you not notice?

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Del, newflash! We had TVs in Kansas. And radios and newspapers!

You may want to pretend you southern white cons were all harmless and racially accommodating, but the ugly truth tells a far different story.

Go try and sell stupid to your Republican friends.

Of course, there were plenty of southern whites who stood up to injustice. Seven of the first 13 Freedom Riders were white.

White Liberals. Who chose to courageously take those beatings from white conservatives.

YOU conservatives played almost no positive role in the fight for Civil Rights in this country.

Own that 90%+ white legacy, Republicans.

Because you certainly deserve it.

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Lee faces the same problem that most of white America faces when they point out the obvious. Black America seems to be able to say and do pretty much what they want regarding white people but when white America takes them to task for any number of obvious things that are going down the tubes and costing us countless billions in tax dollars, they are bigots, racists and whatever other name that liberal America can figure to call them . Lee is right. Albany is a cesspool…… over 80% black with all of the things that go with that. Ignoring this is just plain stupid. What kind of fantasy land do you liberals live in, anyway?

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Who’s Laurie?

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“…it all comes down to people seeing each other as people.”

A noble thought Bookman. But what planet do you call home these days?

The story of Dr. King and the Redneck Cop is a good one. There’s just one problem. This happened 52 years ago. It’s ancient history.

Abe Lincoln was a heck of a president too. But guess what? There ain’t no Dr. Kings or Abe Linclons gracing the current roll of American Leadership.

Quite the contrary. What we have now, all to often, is race-baiting on both sides by those who shamelessly pander to the lowest common denominator of this, the most emotional of issues America faces.

White race-baiters speak through a lexicon of dog-whistle terms to provide the cover of plausible deniability. Smart move. White racists (is there any other kind) suffer our society’s severe stigmatization – and rightfully so.

Black race-baiters don’t suffer such rhetorical limitations. They’re just keeping it real. Why? Haven’t you heard? Only white folks are capable of racism.

Watch BET or One if you get the chance during Black History Month. If you don’t see the scoundrel Louis Farrakahn’s image mingled in with the righteous like Dr. King, Nelson Mandella, Jackie Robinson and Maya Angelou – it will be the first time he’s omitted.

What we have witnessed, time and time again is pay back. When minorities achieve elected office, the abuse of power and corruption is every bit as rampant as it was when the good ol’ boys network was white as Ward Cleaver. Flipping the ethnicity to Eldridge’s pigmentation did nothing but change the names on list of those who received the bribes.

Turns out it was never about fairness and justice. No. It was about flipping the balance of power so the the formerly oppressed get their chance to gorge at the trough.

Look at our fair city of Atlanta. We have a profoundly color-struck electorate. Every four years, members of Atlanta’s black community with a forum will implore voters to keep the mayor’s office black. Plain and simple. For these supposedly enlightened times those are fairly intemperate words.

And why is ethnicity so important to those who promote it as the primary qualification for the office? Because “We’ve worked too hard…” to allow the mayor’s office to fall into non-black hands.

Here’s a question for those who make that claim: exactly what were you working for?

Again Bookman. Yours is a worthy sentiment eloquently stated. All of us should strive to observe it in our daily lives.

But it’s doubtful a lasting cure for our racial ills can be achieved if many among us continue to feel they’re immune to the disease.

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Did Bill bring a cigar to celebrate the inauguration?

If so, I’m guessing Hillary took it away from him….

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I couldnt help but notice what appeared to be an educated, polite, and well dressed black middle class.

Why, there wasn’t one person who was screaming, “M-Fer, I want more iced tea”

(yes, it’s an oldie-but-goodie.)

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“I sometimes forget that the establishment in the South during the Civil Rights movement was not totally homogeneous. ”

And that is a huge part of the problem today. Too many black Americans seem to conveniently forget that a LOT of white people went through extreme tribulations to bring about equality for everyone. Today all I hear is that “whites owned slaves”. I don’t hear “SOME whites owned slaves” or that “MANY whites ended slavery”. Nope, all I hear is how evil my entire race, even little white girls in kindergarten, are born racists and owe everyone non-white for the rest of their lives.

To this I am told not to whine and that payback is a biatch and “You had your chance” etc. I’m amazed at the double-standards that go unchallenged. And I’m even more amazed when someone thinks I’m going to help this process in any way. Nope.
Grobbbbbbbbbb

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If it wasn’t for the cooperation of the majority of White people desegregation would not have occurred and Barack Obama would not be in the White House. The lefts racist distortions of facts is an insult to America and the strides we’ve made in the racial integration of our society. The left attempts to perpetuate the big lie that they’ve been the champions but they have not been

Another post of buffoonery. “cooperation of the majority”? Civil rights have been fought for over 150 years and longer. It was not because of “cooperation”, it was because some had the courage, like MLK, to stand up and show the world and white America the horrors of what was occurring and Americans were repelled by the CCC and others.

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My, how conservative of Jay to label Lee and kayaker as mere bigots. All this time, I have been misinformed that Jay is liberal.

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Nice article Jay. Reminds me of the story of Nelson Mandela and his jailer. When he was in jail he had a white jailer who was required to bunk either in his cell or next to his cell all night. The 2 ended up becoming very close friends over the years of Mandela’s imprisonment. People are people.

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“but I’m pretty sure that Presidents have been holding public inauguration ceremonies for quite a long time.”

To me it’s different when we’re $16 trillion in debt and $1 trillion + deficit. It’s like when the UGA president got a raise while everything else is getting cut…doesn’t set a very good example no matter where the money comes from.

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Okay, someone needs to start the search. Surely Jay has been kidnapped and someone else is writing under his byline!

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What people don’t get is that many white people don’t like black people not because of the color of thier skin but because of how they act. Let’s look at Atlanta. In the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s downtown was mostly white and there was little violence. Now, it is mostly black, and there are nightly shootings or robberies. The Georgia Tech campus is dangerous. Why? Black people. Someone was stabbed at the Dome yesterday. Who did it? A black person. They just love violence. It also amazes me how many black kids grow up without a father.

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Keep threatening me Class of 98. You are allowed to. Jay will pull MY answers back to you however in case YOU get you little feeling hurt.

Hey given past events not only are you free to threaten and internet bully me, but you can post crap talk about having sex with my wife and taking pictures and Jay will ban ME for it.

It’s a beautiful morning and equity is in play.

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The Civil Rights movement started in the 50’s.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen, read or heard “civil rights” mentioned, I’d probably have thousands.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen, read or heard “civil responsibilities” mentioned, I would not have even five.

Civil rights and civil responsibilities are equally important and go hand in hand. That the former has been almost exclusively stressed, at the expense of the latter, explains much of the mess our society finds itself in today.

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Protrayed? Sphinter? Maybe less time on the bench press and more hooked on phonics is a good idea.

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Oh, and happy MLK day everyone. Doomy out.

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There were also those that exhibited both extreme prejudice at times and humanity at others. These people, such as my own parents, to this day can be oblivious to their racism and, simultaneously, gracious and caring about the welfare of those they disparage. It’s weird…

Amazing. I was just thinking the SAME exact thing! (great minds and all…..). I saw this documentary……maybe 3 years ago…maybe more, on Rosewood.

Not going to repeat the history, but what struck me as a “WOW!” moment was the fact that a LOT of the white population of Rosewood SAVED a lot of blacks and their children from certain death. They hid them in their homes, in their barns, etc; lied to the horde assembled outside their doors, etc., and made sure that they did what they could do.

Years later when asked why, a couple of them said, “Because it was the RIGHT thing to do. Why would anyone want to kill Women and Children who had nothing to do with what happened?” (paraphrased)

The EXACT SAME SENTIMENT was expressed later on during, before, and while WWII was going on. There’s this guy who grew up in German who was obviously half black — his whole town REFUSED to let the Germans know where he was or WHO he was; risking great harm to themselves and their families.

I think, that for some people, when its time to stand up for what’s right, they WILL STAND UP. Regardless if they like that person, regardless if they harbor a grudge against /ignorant of that person because of their race; but they will stand up for what’s right because they believe in something, (religion, personal creed, etc); that makes them say, “This is wrong — I REFUSE to become a part of it”.

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Fred, when did i threaten you? I observed that i would respect your insults more if we were in the same room.

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“Can’t we all just get along”

Aint gonna happen I guess. Not even on MLK day.

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Another post of buffoonery. “cooperation of the majority”? Civil rights have been fought for over 150 years and longer. It was not because of “cooperation”, it was because some had the courage, like MLK, to stand up and show the world and white America the horrors of what was occurring and Americans were repelled by the CCC and others.

I could label that as ignorance but because it doesn’t say anything but none the less pretends to do so, I’ll label it as buffoonery.

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I wonder if Obama will berate the supreme court again.

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Excellent article Jay!

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race does not matter. in does in some places still. there are many places i would not dare venture. for fear of my life.
dream on

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Noticed a comment from one of MLK’s children indicating that racial equality would only be attained when all individuals would achieve success. This is a proposterous statement on face value in the USA. In the US all should have the OPPORTUNITY to strive for success, but by defintion success is a condition that not all can achieve because when all or most all can do a certain thing only those few who do not are recognized. These few people are recognized as FAILURES. Living in societies where almost all have the same and none have the opportunity to strive for something different has a variety of labels but all go down the drain because there all always at least a few people who strive for something else to be reacognized as different from most everyone else. Pigmantation of skin should not be a factor in overt recognition of success or failure. Yet success or failure only exists when and where ALL ARE NOT THE SAME. Also, fame is recognition of a positive achievements or conditions. Being notorious is recognition of negative achievements or conditions. Currently there are too many people who do not understand that difference and are known and viewed as jokes or people to be pitied not emulated. Lance Armstrong, Kim Kardashian, Leona Helmsley, Barry Bonds, or Al Gore to mention but a few.

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There not their

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Hillary has goggles on

Seriously deteriorating eyesight

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josef

Didn’t say it didn’t. Was also a whole lot of sacrificing and forcing via law or striking down of laws as well as showing military might to move things along………

Again, not here to discount anyone’s efforts, but will not gloss over the fact that it took a lot of pulling and mandating……. A lot of that could have been avoided. I’m just thankful to those who said enough is enough and pushed like hell, prevailing attitudes and costumes be damned

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Content so far – absurdly predictable

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I lived in “Albenny” for one year back when disco was in. Lot’s of violence down there , 7/11’s getting robbed and people murdered. People with an attitude. For example, when I walked down a sidewalk certain people would line up side by side to force you to walk in the street to get past them rather than moving to one side like people normally do in other places. I haven’t lost any thing in Albenny.

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jm – probably creepin dementia

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i didn’t realize that was a prayer until the end, long prayer. good though

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This inauguration is another example of the wasteful spending of our Fed Gub’ment. You would think these politicians are royalty with the high opinion they have of themselves. Have a little humility.

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josef

If “some” is a broad brush to you then I will let you have at it.

Not sure where the broad brush comment even came in, but if you think it was worthy of mentioning based on my post, oh well.

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JAY

How exactly is this inauguration any different than all the ones preceding it? A bunch of priviledged, self serving politicians standing out in the cold putting hand on the christian storybook anxiously awaiting another term to continue to pull the ruse over all of us that they actually care about us..

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JAY

Well, given what’s come up here today, it looks like a lot of folks missed your point. Nice try, though, and just remember what Granny taught us, nothing beats a failure but a try. You’re back up at least one peg in my accounting…

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I gotta agree with Neal Boortz and keep myself away from the coverage/reports of today’s events. It’s akin to watching a loved one getting raped.

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You mean Alan Keyes? I don’t remember him ever winning a major party nomination. Fwiw, i love black people and i always have. I also truly believe that liberal policies have held them back much more than most of us realize, but they continue to mindlessly vote for democrats to their, and everyone else in this county’s, detriment.

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CONGRATULATION to President Barack Obama !!!

May God Bless the United States of America.

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TBS

Don’t take it personally. My point all along today has been the general approach of broadbrushing. We all do it. It’s the way history is written. Sometimes, however, we should step back for a minute and contemplate “it” from a different perspective, move beyond the iconic.

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Many (or most) on this blog are probably not from a majority-minority area. I know there are different sections of such areas for folks to go and “hide”, but I’m talking about the small towns that are heavily monority (and for example have one school system.) If you have lived in one of these areas, it is a very unique situation. I’m not talking about a big area like Atlanta….I’m talking about one of the small towns. There were some tough times in the past, and wrongs, for sure. But, when things changed up there was, Jay, in fact, some culture shock. Many of the elected officials were not qualified for office even though their race had been wrongly denied. The pools you so casually mentioned were swamped….and folks heard language used there and racist insults (MF, etc.) heretofore untold, as one would be kicked out for this language previously. Of course much of it was pent-up anger from previous wrongs, but (again, this is sincere questioning) how do-did you handle such a situation? Many of those with the bleeding hearts and “progressive” opinons are looking in from the outside………..I seriously doubt if you yourself were ever in this situation, so many comments are coming from those who have not been there.
This is why I am independant. I’m willing to listen, and both parties have too much extremism. It has been a tough go to make it work…..and while I swear I’m not racist, some of the behaviour so unceremoniously pointed out is more true than many want to admit. I so do not like all this….but what is the answer? Years ago, when I was at UGA in the ’70’s (ancient history for some, right?) many of the blacks in my dorm were very outspoken about this type of behaviour and how it was holding them back. I do not think they were just trying to appease…….

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josef

As I said, oh well. I didn’t broad brush and mentioned anyone’s contributions should be acknowledge then went on to say that I would not allow those contributions to overshadow the other things that went on.

If you don’t agree, it is all good.

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what makes us exceptional. he finally said it.

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This inauguration is important because the first time it could be said
that Obama was elected by a fluke or accident or cross party voting
but this time we elected him and it was no mistake.

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Tom: “Yet, these two evils continue to be used by liberals and race pimps like BO, Jackson, Sharpton, etc… to feed THEIR power.”

Certainly truth to it, as far as it goes. Only, Barack Obama hardly belongs to that group. On the contrary, he represents the next generation of cynicism, that typified by the various mayors of major cities like Cory Booker, etc., who pretend to march under the banner of racial and socio-economic justice but are really in the pocket of Wall St.

But something tells me that’s not exactly what you had in mind, is it now?

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Thanks Jay…

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jj – I didn’t mean to go overboard, but I live in a mixed-race middle-class neighborborhood, patronize mixed-race middle-class shops and restaurants, and support our local mixed-race middle-class schools. I confess I don’t see any evidence of a “shrinking black middle class” or of polite black people, or anything else you’ve mentioned. Maybe you should come to dinner in my neighborhood.

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Stevie Ray: Are you saying there is a solution to minority unemployment that the President has not considered or acted on that would bring it to the same level as white unemployment?

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Charles Douglas Edwards,
Excellent.

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Tell that to Obama. He makes everything about race, or class, in his own subtle way. Deep down, I believe he is a racist, just like Rev. Wright, his ex-pastor.

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no where in america has has race still a glaring factor like here in metro Atlanta and georgia..actually i think it has gotten worse here…the metro Atlanta area has to be the most racialy divisive area in the country…my daughter came home yesterday and repeated something from one of her friends that that particular young lady heard from her parents not only was it disgusting and ignorant it was so,so,untrue..and i pointed to all the very educated upper middle class blacks in our alpharetta neighborhood as we had a long,long talk with our daughter and suggested that she no longer associate with her..we now are looking at other areas of the country in which to raise our kids with more diversity and education….Seattle comes quickly to mind…racism is a form of ignorance and lack of education..i,m so glad we caught our daughter from repeating and thinking such ignorant dribble

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UGA MAJOR

“Seattle comes quickly to mind…”

So long as you’re not an American Indian or a Jew, it’s not a bad place. Lots of Scandanavian blonde, blue-eyed white folks.

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What’s wrong with these AJC blogs lately? It’s like they’re mired in quick sand or something…..

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DDR

Not a lot of happy, smiling people about today, eh? Maybe the Imam will give us a new thread…

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DDR

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Come here baby…………..let’s have some hot, torrid donkey sex after I steal these train batteries…..

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Debbiedoright!

Others “may” read your posting if they were not so long, remember you have Libs with a limited attention span on here!

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SMH

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Voted for Obama

90% of Black voted for Obama
67% of Mexicans / Hispanics Voted for Obama
65% of the Asian voted for Obama
64% of Women voted for Obama

86% OF ALL WHITE MEN VOTED FOR ROMNEY.

Racisim is stronger now that ever. Politics from the Replicans view is not about making a better life for All the Citizenry. Its about Oppressing the other races and genders as they have the Black men for centuries, and today..

They are in denial and refusing to change. Its said. Very sad Obama is not trying to destroy the Repulicans, They are dying from the cancer of Racial hatred.

Racism is so prevelant in the White Male work place today and black men are ALWAYS the trarget of the Racial hatred of White Men.

Racism Is alive in the Republican Party/America, and destroying families today.

Thats whats killing thre repulican party. Not Obama.

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Very interesting account, and thanks to you and the oral history project that captured more of this remarkable comment. I could not help but think of Lance Armstrong’s use of Livestrong and wonder whether this implies something positive and/or negative about the Albany police chief and Armstrong. Juxtaposed to this column is print was a ridiculous commentary by Mona Charen, arguing that Obama politicized Lincoln with his partisant, second inaugural. While Lincoln believed in reconciliation, he also had already abolished slavery in the areas controlled by the Union armies and had fire bombed Atlanta through Savannah. Obama practices extrajudicial executions without any accountability throughout the globe. Lincoln, Obama, Armstrong, and Mayor Pritchett were and are complicated people, but they all stood for some very good and very bad things.

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