Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Eugene Robinson: Being black in America means not being allowed to make mistakes
Mercury News ^ | 08/26/2014 | Eugene Robinson

Posted on 08/26/2014 1:21:15 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd

WASHINGTON -- To be young, male and black in America means not being allowed to make mistakes. Forgetting this, as we've seen so many times, can be fatal.

The case of Michael Brown, who was laid to rest Monday, is anomalous only in that it is so extreme: an unarmed black teenager riddled with bullets by a white police officer in a community plagued by racial tension.

African-Americans make up 67 percent of the population of Ferguson, Mo., but there are just four black officers on the 53-member police force -- which responded to peaceful demonstrations by rolling out military-surplus armored vehicles and firing tear gas. It is easy to understand how Brown and his peers might see the police not as public servants but as troops in an army of occupation.

And yes, Brown made mistakes. He was walking in the middle of the street rather than on the sidewalk, according to witnesses, and he was carrying a box of cigars that he apparently took from a convenience store. Neither is a capital offense.

When Officer Darren Wilson stopped him, did Brown respond with puffed-up attitude? For a young black man, that is a transgression punishable by death.

(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: ferguson; michaelbrown; vicky
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-114 next last
To: Responsibility2nd

It also means you never have to go to work.


21 posted on 08/26/2014 1:30:18 PM PDT by The Toll
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

22 posted on 08/26/2014 1:30:40 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (FReerepublic: Bring a FRiend!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

Woe is me! The professional race baiters have to keep feeding the template.


23 posted on 08/26/2014 1:30:59 PM PDT by kenmcg (b)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd
Black kids make plenty of mistakes, very few are fatal.
Among potential fatal mistakes are: Driving too fast, using drugs, committing crime, joining gangs, fighting against other gangs, fighting against cops...
For some reason, for all the risks they take, only certain rare fatalities are noted.
Other much more frequent causes of death are largely ignored.

24 posted on 08/26/2014 1:30:59 PM PDT by BitWielder1 (Corporate Profits are better than Government Waste)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd
Forgetting your wallet is a mistake.

Robbing a store is a crime.

Assaulting a Police Officer is a felony not a mistake Eugene!

Attempted Murder of a Police Officer is punishable by death and that too is not a mistake!

25 posted on 08/26/2014 1:31:22 PM PDT by TexasCajun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kaehurowing

I’m not sure I would call physically attacking a police officer and fracturing his skull a mistake.

________________________________________

Robinson called it a “puffed up attitude”.

Which is true. St. Swisher DID puff up Officer Wilson’s face really bad.


26 posted on 08/26/2014 1:31:28 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: kaehurowing

I’m sure Big Mike’s list of “mistakes” is much longer if we’d open his juvi record.


27 posted on 08/26/2014 1:31:40 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

Ya I think this writer is factually incorrect.

The tanks and tear gas came out because of the looting and violence. This was not done in response to peaceful protest.

How do we get liberals to do “fact checking” or keep them from making things up?

Of course all have their opinions. But, people are entitled to their opinions but not their own “facts”. This guy is stating something as fact which is factually incorrect.

Unfortunately he and his ilk will influence others as to what the actual facts of the situation are.


28 posted on 08/26/2014 1:31:49 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego (s)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

There’s a difference between making a mistake and deliberately committing and offense. Robinson’s not smart enough to see the difference.


29 posted on 08/26/2014 1:32:06 PM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Billthedrill

I would say the overwhelming majority of liberal, black writers in major media outlets were given their jobs simply because they were black. Ditto for many lib females. Politics trumps competency at lib rags.


30 posted on 08/26/2014 1:32:10 PM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

It’s always remarkable to me when supposedly college-educated elitists have exactly the same opinions as violent, delinquent ferals.

Where else do you see this? Do...advanced degree violinists have the same musical opinions as beginner violinists? Or even say high-school student violinists?

What about physicists? Do college educated physicists have the same opinon as freshman high school “physicists”?

How about carpenters? Do journeyman carpenters have the same opinions as to their work as beginner nail-pounders?

No, none of them do. But when it comes to leftism and this odious mobocracy, all the smarties have the same opinions as the street thugs.

I wonder why. Not.


31 posted on 08/26/2014 1:32:45 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (At no time was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was doing)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

Why in the HELL do people keep bringing up the racial make-up of Ferguson. This crap DOES NOT MATTER!

Because there is no way that a city can ensure that the racial make-up of their various offices are equal to the racial make-up of their citizens...UNLESS the city FORCES a certain number of blacks to join the police, and they FORCE a certain number of Asians to join the police, and they FORCE a certain number of Gay, Lesbian, Albino, Transgendered to male, Transgendered to female, Transgendered to none, etc... to join the police or fire department or work at city hall, etc...!!!!! It is ALL complete BS and a waste of time to mention because most people don’t want to be cops! Nor fire fighters! Nor city clerks!

So, the racial make-up is immaterial to an area because people decide what they want to do or NOT do with the lives!


32 posted on 08/26/2014 1:32:51 PM PDT by ExTxMarine (PRAYER: It's the only HOPE for real CHANGE in America!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sitetest

I’ve made mistakes too. But if a cop told me to get out of the middle of the road, I would comply without an “attitude”.


33 posted on 08/26/2014 1:32:52 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego (s)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

GTFOOMC! Leave! Go! You don't like it here? Pack it up and get out! I'm sure we can get congress to appropriate some money for one-way tickets or military or charter aircraft or large ships.

34 posted on 08/26/2014 1:32:54 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

doesn’t matter with the facts as most on th eleft will read or watch their left wing sites and shows.

just last night they asked a black guy in NY city if it were self defense and he said no.
When presented with the cop had to go to hospital then he said he doesn’t watch the news and gets his info from other sources.
Yea like word on the street info, the friggin idiot. Others were saying the cop had no right to due process or a jury.

The country has become a nation of sheep with the left and Obama and Holder is to blame for a lot of this especially his race hustling.

First the Cambridge cop acted stupidly
The darling angel Trayvon, and now this.


35 posted on 08/26/2014 1:33:04 PM PDT by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Ingtar
Attacking a cop tends to be equally fatal, racial considerations aside.

Well, yes. That's a no-brainer.
They ARE targets, with their cars, uniforms, badges and weapons. They are the "thin blue line" to protect us from the mean sad sacks who break the laws of God and man.

Every culture and civilization of the planet of ANY size had, has and will always have the enforcers of the law.
At least, women aren't occasionally branded and burned as witches any more. Now we call them "bosses." :o) Humor...

Now, lawyers rule...NOT humor.

36 posted on 08/26/2014 1:33:22 PM PDT by cloudmountain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd
Eugene Robinson: Being black in America means not being allowed to make mistakes

Well, boo-frkken-hoo.

Don't you ever get tired of feeling sorry for yourself? You're pathetic, Eugene.

37 posted on 08/26/2014 1:34:09 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #38 Removed by Moderator

To: Responsibility2nd
More Eugene Robinson BS.
39 posted on 08/26/2014 1:34:55 PM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd
Eugene Robinson: Being black in America means not being allowed to make mistakes

I have an even better headline:

Foolish person alert: Being Eugene Robinson means not being the sharpest knife in the drawer

40 posted on 08/26/2014 1:34:56 PM PDT by Zeppo ("Happy Pony is on - and I'm NOT missing Happy Pony")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-114 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson