200 Strong Defend Maxine

“As women whose ancestors have lived through the incivility of slavery, segregation, and all other forms of discrimination, racism, and sexism, as people who have historically been told to “wait” for justice, for freedom, for our turn, we consider it an insult to characterize Ms. Waters’ call for the exercise of our constitutional rights as uncivil and un-American.” 

On July 3rd a letter signed by nearly 200 Black leaders and allies was sent to Chuck Schumer and Nanci Pelosi. (The above passage is from the letter.) They expressed their “deep disappointment” in Democratic leadership for what they considered a failure to defend Rep. Maxine Waters. In fact, they’re arguing that Schumer and Pelosi did the exact opposite by publicly criticizing her and calling her actions “un-American.” In a strong defense of Rep. Maxine Waters they quickly reminded Schumer and Pelosi that Black women are the most loyal base of the Democratic Party and the Progressive Movement – at a time when millennials and many in the Black community are questioning the Democratic Party’s leadership, this is probably one reminder that they’d rather not address. While the unusual mid-week holiday might buy them some extra time, it’ll be hard to escape this critique, which seems to be growing within the Democratic Party.

When Rep. Maxine Waters was asked about Schumer’s “un-American” comment, she responded…

“Well, I’m surprised that Chuck Schumer, you know, reached to do that. I’ve not quite seen that done before, but one of the things I recognize, being an elected official, is in the final analysis, leadership like Chuck Schumer will do anything that they think is necessary to protect their leadership.” 

Below are two more passages from the 2-page letter. If you haven’t read it, we encourage you to do so. Whether you agree or not with these 200 leaders and allies, it’s safe to say the old guard in the Democratic Party might be running out of time. Either way, being publicly challenged and reprimanded by your most loyal base is not a good look.

For Black women, who are the most loyal base of the Democratic Party and the Progressive Movement, Congresswoman Waters is our shero… She continues the phenomenal legacy of leadership of Black women who paved the way for all women to break glass ceilings… Disparaging or failing to support Congresswoman Waters is an affront to her and Black women across the country and telegraphs a message that the Democratic Party can ill afford: that it does not respect Black women’s leadership and political power and discounts the impact of Black women and millennial voters.

We call on the Democratic Party leadership to step up and publicly support Congresswoman Waters… We further believe Congresswoman Waters is owed an apology for your public comments insinuating she is “uncivil” and “un- American” for challenging the Trump Administration.” 

Do you agree with them and their letter? Is there anything Schumer or Pelosi can say to calm the waters in their party? And does this signal a bigger problem within the Democratic Party – that their leadership needs to be replaced with millennials and more people of color?

Let us know what you think… your perspective matters.

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Was Michelle Obama Wrong?

In 2016, Michelle Obama left attendees at the Democratic National Convention in awe after finishing her speech in support of Hillary Clinton’s bid for President. A speech that will surely be remembered for decades was highlighted by her now famous moto that has probably been echoed and repeated more than a billion times since…

“When they go low, we go high!” 

In reference to not stooping to the level of a figurative bully, how could anyone regardless of their socioeconomic background or political beliefs disagree? It’s a perfect example to set for our children and followers alike. It’s also a courageous and impressive thing to say regarding an opposition who has taken shots at the legitimacy of your husband’s citizenship and faith, who’s been accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women, and who’s incited violence at his protests… to say the least. I don’t think anyone on the left would’ve faulted Michelle for stooping low. But she didn’t, she stayed high just as she informed and directed millions of people do to that evening in Philadelphia, PA.

Except, there’s one problem.

In reference to the 2016 election, she was wrong… dead wrong. Candidate and soon to be President Donald Trump went low, extremely low… and won. Hillary and Democrats tried to go high, much higher than Trump and his surrogates, and they lost. How did this happen?

Did Hillary run a bad campaign? Maybe

Did FBI Director Comey’s announcement about her emails hurt her campaign? Maybe

We could go on and on about who and what potentially impacted the election. But in the game of politics, can Democrats continue to go high when their opposition is willing to do whatever it takes to win?

Regarding our moral compass, the ramifications of going high have and will continue to cost Dems and their constituents a lot. Countless criminal justice reforms have been rolled back, LGBT protections have been reversed, environmental regulations have been cut, we’ve imposed tariffs on our allies, the Courts upheld his travel ban which could last for decades, he’ll get to nominate another Supreme Court Justice (Kennedy’s resigned – 6/27/18), and Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling which legalized abortion, will likely be on the table in the near future. It hasn’t even been 2 years, and that’s just a few of the going high costs that will hurt Dems for years to come.

So looking back, and looking forward, was going high worth it… when going so low paid off?

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What To Do When They Come For You?

What to do when they come for you? It sounds like a Robert De Niro line from one of his famous mafia movies, except it’s a legitimate question Joy Reid and her team should be trying to answer.

If you’re a liberal or a big Joy Reid supporter, you’re probably defending her and prepared to move on. If you’re a conservative and not a fan of her politics, then you might be suggesting a double standard and calling for her job. Either way, it’s almost inevitable that more of her (The Reid Report) blog posts from 10+ years ago will surface.

Disparaging comments and hard to explain sentiments regarding 9/11 conspiracies, jabs at John McCain, and her apparent homophobia, which includes petty and insensitive digs at Anderson Cooper and her current MSNBC partner Rachel Maddow, are coming back to haunt her at a time when her progressive voice echoes loud for those who identify with liberal and Democratic policies.

Reid first apologized in December 2017 when homophobic posts from her past about Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (D) first appeared saying her comments were, “insensitive and tone-deaf.” However, more troubling posts surfaced in April 2018, and this time around she sang a different tune denying that she wrote these posts and that she must have been hacked…

“Most straight people cringe at the sight of two men kissing… I couldn’t go see Broke Back Mountain because of the gay characters. “Does that make me homophobic? Probably… And I’m not exactly proud of it. But part of the intrinsic nature of ‘straightness’ is that the idea of homosexual sex is…well…gross. For the record, I’m sure gay people think straight sex is gross, too.” – The Reid Report

When these most recent comments surfaced, she revealed that she had hired a cyber security consultant in December 2017 to investigate. The consultant believes her blog was hacked during the time many of these posts were published, stating he found significant evidence which indicated that Reid’s old blog had been compromised.

On April 28th, MSNBC shared her recent statement regarding the matter. She stated, “I genuinely do not believe I wrote those hateful things.” In another comment shortly thereafter she spoke about her evolution…

“I’ve also spoken openly about my evolution on many issues and know that I’m a better person today than I was over a decade ago… I believe the totality of my work attests to my ideals and I continue to grow every day.” – Joy Reid

Should her apologies and the above acknowledgment of her evolution suffice? Should we believe her when she admits to writing some of the disparaging comments but not all of them?

If she was a college student in 2005 when she admitting to writing some but not all of these distasteful things, I think many people on both sides of the isle would give her a pass. But in 2005, she was a 36-year old journalist with the assumed maturity and professionalism that should trump any college student.

Many people are calling for her to be fired for her homophobic comments in the past. The irony – many of the people calling for her to be fired likely agree with her past sentiments and beliefs about homosexuality and gay relationships.

For now, her employer MSNBC is sticking by her. The bigger question is… should you do the same?

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Should We Feel Sorry For a Racist?

After getting punched in the face several times by a New Jersey Wildwood City Police Officer on Memorial Day Weekend, 20-year old Emily Weinman screamed, “I’m not one of these motherfu#&in ni$$a’s out here!”

55 seconds of disbelief as she’s mishandled by the police followed by her racist remark immediately makes you question how sorry you initially felt for her.

Link: Video of Emily Weinman being arrested 

Police brutality and explicit racism of those being brutalized is not something we hear about often. But the incident this past weekend was caught on video and it’s hard to ignore what Emily yells in anger right before the video ends.

Why would she think it’s appropriate to yell such a thing? If pushed, I’m sure she’ll release an apology suggesting she’s not a racist and that it was said in the heat of the moment. And like all similar apologies, it’ll blow over. It won’t be held against her for jobs or future opportunities because “she’s young and she really didn’t mean it.” Same script different person.

But if a 20-year non-Black woman in this country is conditioned to believe that only people of color are treated unjustly or brutalized by the police, and that the color of her skin grants her a pass unlike her fellow American’s who are of a different race, culture, or creed, then one things for sure – this country isn’t progressing, if anything it’s regressing.

Underage drinking was her supposed crime. According to Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano, Jr., “She refused to comply… Unfortunately, this is what happened.” They’ve launched an internal affairs investigation; but if after reviewing the video the city’s mayor can make such a statement, that should tell us all we need to know about who they believe is at fault. When you have back up, there’s gotta be a better / easier way to arrest someone… on the beach… who poses no physical threat.

Police brutality is real, and similar to mass incarceration, every now and then it snatches an unintended target. This time it was Emily Weinman.

If it’s possible to focus solely on the arrest and ignore her racist comment, which should be a lot to ask of any decent person, the police officer definitely took it too far and hopefully, justice will be served. She definitely didn’t deserve to be treated like this. And maybe, just maybe, her experience will help her realize that even people of color, or as she referred to them, these motherfu#&in ni$$a’s, don’t deserve to be treated like this either.

Let us know what you think. The intersectionality of police brutality and race is quite unusual in this incident.

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NFL Owners Cave to Trump… “Show Respect”

You can tell me where to line up. How to defend a certain play. Even what I should eat before a game. All that falls under what we call “coaching,” and the NFL probably does more of it than any other professional league. But when the NFL, or any organization in America for that matter, starts telling their employees what and who they should respect; as Americans, we should all question them and the current state of our country that makes anyone think it’s acceptable to render such a “rule.” This is America, and in America, it’s our right to stand… or not.

In 2018, the fact that our government, our institutions, or an employer, regardless of how powerful they might be, can make such demands is troubling. Times change, and democratic nations must make sure that change is always progressive and inclusive.

The NFL owners are a wealthy-predominantly-white-older-group of men. To say they lack diversity is an understatement. More than 70% of their players are Black, but it’s clear they didn’t consider their opinions, or consult their Union, prior to voting on this issue.

There’s only one reason for such a ruling. And believe it or not, it started at a Trump rally in rural Alabama. Yup, Donald Trump has done it again. The seeds he sowed months ago by rallying his base over this non-political issue and calling NFL players sons of bitches, has now blossomed and come to fruition. Despite many NFL owners being caught on tape at recent meetings criticizing Trump for his comments regarding their league and players, they’ve essentially caved to his far-right isolationist demand.

“All team and league personnel on the field shall stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem.”

…That’s the language released from the league office this morning.

Show respect for the flag and anthem. Because in America, we now threaten your employment and income if you choose to exercise your constitutional right.

But… there’s an exception… Players will not be required to be on the field during the anthem. So say 45 of the 53 active players decide to stay in the locker room week after week during the anthem, and Trump gets back on his bullhorn to criticize them and the owners for allowing them to do so via their new rule, should we expect the owners to be strong and not cave in this time? Probably not.

Gotta love strong-arm patriotism that ignores constitutional rights.

[Expect LCR Contributors to weigh in.] 

“They Want Some Rice and Chicken?!”

When everyone is rooting for you, and you still find a way to lose? His name is Adrien Broner.

“They want some rice and chicken,” is a perfectly adequate response when asked what do the children want for dinner, not in reference to a group of people… that’s called RACISM.

“I beat him like I was using what they used to beat Martin Luther King,” is never ok to say, like ever… countless people, including Martin Luther King Jr., died for Civil Rights. To joke about it is IGNORANT on so many levels, especially if you’re one of the people they died for.

It’s hard to fabricate such insensitive comments… And that’s why it’s hard to root for a man who has no problem saying them… utter disrespect for his opponent and their culture, and even worse, not understanding the sacrifices others made for him to do what he does today, is unacceptable.

Adrien Broner deserved to lose this past weekend on Showtime Boxing at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Instead, some will argue he earned the draw-decision by winning the second half of the fight against Jessie Vargas. If you’re a boxing fan, you know boxing judges seldom get it right. And despite one judge giving Broner the nod (115-113), the biggest shock of the night came after the fight when Broner decided to spew all kinds of racism, ignorance, and homophobia towards his Mexican opponent, Jesse Vargas. When you think about it, maybe it’s not a shock considering Broner’s past antics in press conferences before and after his fights. But if Broner ever had a line to cross, he crossed it this past weekend.

The comments above are just some of the disparaging things he said immediately following the fight. In his remarks, he inferred that the Barclays Center was full of Mexicans. Mexicans, Blacks, Whites, whatever the demographic makeup that night, it was clearly a pro-Broner crowd. The crowd erupted whenever he landed a big shot, and their silence when Vargas did the same, made it pretty clear who they were rooting for. Ironically, the only person who didn’t realize it was Broner himself.

His last few fights were disappointing. But this is America and people love a comeback. With that being said, many considered this his last shot to revitalize his career and get back on track. His lackluster performance in the ring might’ve sealed his fate, and if it didn’t, his comments after the fight surely did.

As I said earlier… It’s hard to root for a man who doesn’t respect his opponent and their culture, and even worse, doesn’t understand the sacrifices others made for him to do what he does today. Broner, do better… despite you not deserving it, something tells me you’ll get another shot.

Remember Flint? 4 Years Later They Still Have a Water Crisis

Flint still doesn’t have clean running water… or at least water that doesn’t stink or burn when you take a shower. The government, of course, begs to differ.

This crisis made national news in 2014. The government knowingly subjected their residents to dangerous levels of lead in an attempt to save a dollar. Now tens of thousands of residents are sick and their medical resources are limited. According to the latest Census data, Flint has the highest poverty rate in the nation with 45% of their residents living below the poverty line. 58% of their children (or residents under the age of 18) are living below the poverty line, which is more than 3x the national average of 18%. Common sense would suggest that the most vulnerable need the most help? Yet, it’s the exact opposite.

Michigan (R) Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced that they will stop providing bottled water to Flint residents.
“We have worked diligently to restore the water quality and the scientific data now proves the water system is stable and the need for bottled water has ended.” – Gov. Rick Snyder

Churches and nonprofits have been tasked with handing out much of the water. They’re now bracing families and residents, who normally come by weekly for their water, that it’ll likely stop with no set plans or alternative options in place once it does. Synder states that the water system is now stable; but Flint residents, who are now being told it’s ok to bath and cook with this water, have heard that before. They tell a much different story.

“My water stinks. It still burns to take a shower… There’s no way they can say it’s safe. I think it’s really cruel what they’re doing to us as a city, as a whole. We’ve been struggling over four years almost. It’s just cold-hearted — now they’re taking our drinking water away from us.” – Flint resident Melissa Mays

Do you know someone in Flint, MI? We want to hear from them. Their story is important. Unfortunately, this crisis, which has been going on for 4 years, doesn’t get covered as much as it should… and that’s troubling, to say the least.

Sinclair Will Carry Trump’s Torch

If you didn’t know who Sinclair Broadcasting was prior to this week, chances are they silently crept up on you last week through one of their 193 locally owned TV stations. 193 might not sound like a lot, except it is… Sinclair’s 193 stations makes them the largest broadcaster in the US, which allows them to reach 40% of American homes. Sinclair, which is known for their conservative slant, is a publicly traded company; yet, it’s still owned and run by the founding Smith family who holds a majority interest. Last week their employed news reporters read the exact same script bashing supposed “fake news” that echoed throughout the rest of the country. When messaging is the same, the exact same, it’s no longer news, it’s propaganda… and that’s dangerous to say the least.

Take a look back to World War I. Woodrow Wilson and the American Government’s powerful use of propaganda, which was built on a lack of transparency, was in large part successful in the states and throughout the rest of the world in ultimately convincing people they were on the right side of history.

After major networks like CNN and MSNBC criticized Sinclair for said propaganda, President Trump quickly tweeted his praise for Sinclair calling them “far superior.”

To make things worse, Sinclair has a $4 billion proposed merger with Tribune Media on the table. If the merger is approved, Sinclair would be able to reach three out of four homes in America. Does anyone think our government or this administration is going to suppress this merger?

“He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense.” — Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, 1900

When telecommunication companies like Sinclair succeed and continue to expand through mergers & acquisitions, democracy, different and honest perspectives, challenging yet compromising dialogue, loses, and nears a painful and regrettable demise.

If you’re a news reporter for a Sinclair owned station, you might find yourself in a career conundrum you never imagined. What should they do? Quit? Protest? Carry on? Make subtle facial expressions in an attempt to let you know their reading another bias politically slanted script? If you’re in one of their local markets chances are you depend of them for your local and national news. Should you not watch? Find another source of media and news?

These tough decisions will shape our nation? Media is a powerful tool, conservative or progressive ideology, it’s not a good idea for anyone, or any one group, to own the majority of our news outlets.

This is what propaganda in 2018 looks like: Sinclair News Clip

If we’re not careful, Sinclair will carry Trump’s torch long after his 4 (or 8) years in the White House. It might be too late.

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Hope & Fury

About two weeks ahead of the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, NBC aired a powerful documentary, Hope & Fury, showcasing how far Black Americans have come and how far our country still has to go regarding race relations.

The documentary is an equally unnerving and enlightening account of the horrors committed against Black Americans and their strides toward equality. The documentary is a must-watch for everyone in the country as a reminder of the tenacity in the Black community in the face of vicious prejudice, racism, and murder encountered today, yesterday, and 60 years ago.

As much as we like to think we’re a post-racial society, we’re not. That fact is made clear every time a slur is hurled, a Confederate flag is flown, or unarmed Black man is shot. The notion that racism is a time-old problem of yesterday is inaccurate and borderline offensive to the experiences of today’s minorities and the work of Civil Rights leaders. John Lewis, featured in the documentary and current Democratic Congressman from Georgia, was a leader beaten during Bloody Sunday, and is still alive. Eight of nine students who formed the Little Rock nine are still alive. Although segregation laws and Jim Crow are no longer in existence and the Civil Rights movement made major strides in legislation towards equality, Black people are not equal and the fight will continue until they are.

Hope & Fury is a powerful reminder of how far Black Americans have left to go, of how pervasive racial hatred was and still is in this country, and the tenacity of defiance and hope that lives within the Black community. 

Similar LCR Content: Musings on the State of Race in America

Racist Law Professor, Free Speech Issue?

In the recent weeks, University of Pennsylvania Law school tenured professor, Amy Wax, has come under criticism for remarks she made last year in a video lecture titled, “The Downside of Social Uplift” and in an op-ed she wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In the video, Wax goes on to say, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a black student graduate in the top quarter of the [Penn Law School] class and rarely, rarely in the top half… I can think of one or two students who’ve graduated in the top half of my required first-year course.” At the surface, it seems inappropriate; but with accuracy, such a claim could easily be proven by releasing the grades or ranking of students. One part of this very problematic situation is, that grades and rankings are confidential at UPenn Law and for a professor to make such a statement about an issue she has no authority to prove or disprove, is inappropriate at the very least.

In addition to these comments, Wax co-authored an op-ed for the Philadelphia Inquirer in which she stated, “All cultures are not equal,” and called for the reinstatement of bourgeois cultural ideals in today’s society. Her Philadelphia Inquirer piece in addition to her claims of the inadequacy and underachievement of black students in her course, suggest a potential racial bias against black students that she has then used to support her claims of broad racial insufficiency.

The answer is not “show the grades!” The university’s policy maintains the privacy of the students by keeping their grades and rankings confidential – and Wax should have done the same. Black students not doing well in her course is a claim that should be investigated by the university given the other racially disparaging statements made, and the university’s revocation of her mandatory first-year course is the very least they should do in response to her comments. Free speech is a right, but citizens are beholden to the policies of the private companies and institutions they represent.