Can We Learn From This?

Can We Learn From This?

27 Comments
There’s been an interesting evolution in the DL comment section. I wanted to give my take on it. Whenever the subjects of race, women’s issues, religion (mostly concerning Muslims), LGBT, etc. come up and white privilege is pointed out we hear white people quickly saying “not all white people” and then sharing their reasons as to why they are the exceptions to whatever is being discussed. This derails the conversation, moving it away from whatever social issue is being discussed and putting the focus on white people's concerns. I have lost count on the number of posts on DL where this has happened, and I'd like to figure out how we can stop doing this.
The Hateful Ten

The Hateful Ten

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Ten governors have decided they don’t want to accept refugees in their states. Not because they are tending to their own needy and are thus unable provide food, clothing, or shelter for them. Or that their states are strained for space for even their own citizens. But because the refugees are Syrian and some of them might be terrorists. You may have already read their remarks explaining why they steadfastly refuse to help victims of war, but if not I want you to read them all now:
Missouri Football Players Strike, Call For School President To Leave

Missouri Football Players Strike, Call For School President To Leave

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Via Deadspin:
The University of Missouri’s Legion of Black Collegians released a statement tonight from the collective athletes of color on the Tigers football team stating they are on strike from football-related activities until the school president steps down in the wake of several racist acts on campus. Many Missouri students believe school president Tim Wolfe has failed to act in response to several months’ worth of alleged racism on the Columbia campus—the most recent and controversial of which was a swastika of human feces found in a residence hall. The debate is mostly happening over on Facebook, where views both nuanced and not can be found under the #concernedstudent1950 hashtag.
A graduate student has also embarked on a hunger strike.

Sonia Sotomayor Doesn’t Suffer Fools

On Monday, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor called out the racially insensitive comments of a federal prosecutor. Via TPM, here's what Mr./Ms. "Professional" Prosecutor said:
The prosecutor–whom Sotomayor refused to name–said during cross-examination of a drug conspiracy case: "You've got African-Americans, you've got Hispanics, you've got a bag full of money. Does that tell you–a light bulb doesn't go off in your head and say, This is a drug deal?"
Here's Sotomayor's response:
"It is deeply disappointing to see a representative of the United States resort to this basic tactic more than a decade into the 21st century," Sotomayor said. "We expect the government to seek justice, not fan the flames of fear and prejudice." "I hope never to see a case like this again," Sotomayor concluded.

Tucker Carlson Is An Embarrassment

7 Comments
"All that Carlson did is clip it to get an "angry black man" in the minds of Americans. It's at once one of the most desperate and lame and vile plays of the race card I can remember - an obvious recognition that the 47 percent tape can only really be countered emotionally with race-baiting. [...] Carlson used to be a brilliant writer. He's now a racist demagogue. He's a story in one person of how degenerate and disgusting much of American "conservatism" has become." This is all they've got left, folks.  Expect more of this: Breaking News!  Obama is an angry black man! I had actually hoped we'd moved beyond this crap.  Silly me.

Gun Nuts Gone Amok

6 Comments
A self-appointed border guard and racist is suspected in the murder of 4 people before he took the chickenshit coward's way out and killed himself. Longtime white supremacist and border…