This nation flunked an exam tonight.
I remeber in 2008 being one of the people who thought that our nation had made some progress. I was under no illusion that we were anywhere near where we needed or wanted to be, but after years of so many circus clowns in the cockpit, I thought that, if nothing else, the nation was ready to start the long hard work.
Now, not only have we slid back, but we actually slid back further before the MLK era. As long as police, or for that matter, any white guy with a gun ( ala self appointed cop George Zimmerman) feels that they can shoot a black person and get exonerated, you will have scenarios that were unthinkable even in the pre MLK south. Add to this that, for all his faults (and yes, Obama has many), there is no longer the illusion that even if a minortiy member does everything White America asks him todo, he is still a second class citizen to be yelled at and threatened by a bunch of rich Whites. Don't think that Hillary will change that equation either, because even if he tries to act like a rich white man, the same people she woos will be the same people that would gladly have her executed live on Fox News Networks, to the sounds of many a "yee-Haw!" in so many honky tonks and PBR bars.
Make no mistake, the powers that be in Ferguson knew they would be applauded, as they were doing the people's will. This has codified that it is ok to shoot Black kids. This has codfied that black lives matter less, and most importantly, it is codified that cops get to use deadly froce. Funny how many of these people talk of Obama and Hillary as tyrants, how they invoke 1776 to stockpile weapons that most miltaries in the world shirk at. They talk of freedom and bravery and lIberty, and yet, they just empowered police to kill them. Oh beware Billy in the honk tonk, beware brad in the Suburbs, because if you think the Rich will not use that precdent to be used to shoot you, you are sadly mistaken. The Rich do not need Billy and Brad anymore, and they will use every weapon used against the Mtrays and Michaels to run over the same goold ole boys. Ask folks in the Southeast whose lands were stolen for fracking, ask people whose water is literal poison .
The end of Cheif Seattle's statement includes a warning. "wemight be brothers after all" Already he saw how many of the Cowboys that killed his people would find themselves shut out by the rich people movign in from the east. There will be a day when the same people cheering this will be the ones who are outnumbered, or simply outmuscled,, and they will learn what it is like when the powerfuldecide their lives do not matter. Sadly though, there will be no chance to retake this exam.
And I say this parting shot: to CERTAIN folks on DU, the same ones that proudly went "see, I told ya Zimmerman was innocent!," I issue this warning. Your attempts to hide your prejudice will not help you. The silver lining of the asskicing we got in the midrterms is that we no longer have to , as Rush Limbaugh would say "Carry water" for those on the left that are useless at best, backstabbers at worst. Expect the same sort of support you gave us, at best.
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