FBI director: U.S. at crossroads on race relations
By Eric Tucker, AP
WASHINGTON — The United States is at a crossroads on matters of race relations and law enforcement, presenting “hard truths” that its citizens and police must confront, FBI Director James Comey said Thursday.
Comey used a speech at Georgetown University to offer his most expansive take on a debate that has roiled in the country in recent months about police use of force and interactions with minority communities.
James Comey
The deaths at the hands of white police officers of Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York, as well as the more recent slayings of two New York police officers, have raised difficult issues on both sides of the debate, he said.
One is that police officers who work in neighborhoods where most street crime is committed by young black men may hold unconscious biases and be tempted to take what he called a “mental shortcut” in dealing with suspicious situations.
“The two young black men on one side of the street look like so many others the officer has locked up,” Comey said. “Two young white men on the other side of the street — even in the same clothes — do not. The officer does not make the same sinister association about the two white guys, whether that officer is white or black.”
But another truth is that minorities in poor neighborhoods too often inherit a “legacy of crime and prison,” a cycle he said must be broken to improve race relations with police.
Comey joined Attorney General Eric Holder in calling for better data about how often police use force. Such information is needed to make sound policy decisions, Comey said.
If we are at a crossroads in race relations, it is because this Administration and his flunkies made it so.
And they will flog the middle class until we have suffered enough to make up for all their imagined slights.
In my opinion, this idea of trying to stir up a new race war by ignoring inner-city crime and inventing the lie that “white cops” are shooting innocent people who weren’t trying to kill them is pathetic and just more lies and false facts from the clowns in DC like Jackass-son and Sharp-tongue and Hussein and Holder. Their race war was tried last summer and failed though a few small riots were seen, but they aren’t done yet because the results were seen as something they might improve upon and be able to get started again. This clown who is writing this thinking it will impress people is mistaken and he should have his nose painted brown because this is an attempt at trying to gain favor from his boss and whatever lie it takes is required to politically advance he thinks. What a disgrace.
‘If we are at a crossroads in race relations, it is because this Administration and his flunkies made it so.’
Right, because there weren’t any issues before.
I, for one, have grown tired of this debate. I do believe the police in general are too aggressive in simple situations. However, when the author wrote ‘ But another truth is that minorities in poor neighborhoods too often inherit a “legacy of crime and prison,” a cycle he said must be broken to improve race relations with police.’ , someone finally is admitting that in many communities, black males commit the overwhelming amount of crime. Is that racist to say? Nope. How about this: black adult males are 6% of the American population. Yet they commit over 40% of the crime in this country. So the cop on the beat is expected to ignore this reality while they cruise in the patrol car? So now we expect the police officer to be the one who changes. How about the black community? Where is their outrage for the fundamental failures of their sons and fathers? How about less crime from this group, that’s where the expectation should start and no one can talk about that.
Our President hates you if you are white or black, but if you are an illegal the love overflows. All that money spent on illegals (hundreds of billions a year) should be spent in helping Americans instead.
If you want to destroy America as we know it, keep electing America haters to elected office.
And for that political fool Mr. Comey, remember what Jessie Jackson said and I’m paraphrasing, I would rather have white teenagers running up behind me than people of my own race.
This whole political thing is kind of like a physician telling a terminal patient you have nothing to worry about as she watches the patient deteriorate toward death.
Was “1984” prescient or what?
Legal tells us ….”Our President hates you if you are white or black, but if you are an illegal the love overflows…”
I have to say, respectfully, that that is one of the most stupid, idiotic statements I’ve read on this site(and boy oh boy- I’ve read some doozies), and exemplifies the willfully ignorant, arrogant rightwing mindset that creates racial divisiveness.
America as we know it IS ruined….by big banks, big Pharma, Trickle Up economics. There are many things to fault Obama for. Race relations is not anywhere near the top of the list.
Hmmm, one word of advice. When the Beagle howls, only a hearty laugh will console. Crazy is crazy is crazy. Online forums such as LTN sometimes provide insight into the minds of the nutballs in this country. They have always been there,now just emboldened by Faux news and the kook ball right wing paranoia ad-selling machine. There is no talking them out of it. It is their prison, leave them to it.
There is so much b s posted here. You are racist bigots and dont deserve what freedoms you have living in America. All you do is p iss and moan like a bunch of entitled red neck punks. It would do you some good to live in the severest areas of africa or the middle east to see that your lucky to live where you do. What a bunch of finger pointers and whiners….WHAAAAAA
Hmmm, Atomic, and Nature,
Good third grade reasoning. Refute what I said regarding how money is spent by the government on various groups.
BTW, there are some medicines believed to up IQ. May I suggest you folks give them a try.
When the beagle howls……….I always get a hearty laugh. YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING.
Censoring is the truest form of flattery.
Atomic,
Is it true if your brains were atomic there wouldn’t be enough to blow your nose?
Destroy faulty or incorrect ideas not the messenger.
Liberals enslave minorities with welfare and teach them to be victims while telling them someone else is responsible for their poor choices in life. Then when elections roll around they get out the commercials showing them in the very chains they put them in and blame the other party for it. Yes this gang in DC want race riots leading into the next election along with making millions of illegals have illegal voting rights to add to their other stolen rights. This is how corrupt and lawless liberals are, it is about a country destroying effort that has failed for now at least. The people have spoken about liberals, and they were shown the door in most of the country.
Black people commit over 40% of the crime in this country, while they are only 6% of the population. Police don’t target black people, they simply realize that if they see suspicious activity involving a black person then there is a higher probability that something bad is going on. They aren’t racist. They just know the statistics. Every time a black person is arrested or shot it has to be a HUGE deal. But we barely even hear about white people being shot! Why don’t the blacks stop committing so much crime? It isn’t the cops fault.
Legal: You should revise your statement to: “Hmmm and Atomic: Good third grade reasoning. Nature: no reasoning.” Do the IQ improving medicines work if you don’t have a brain in the first place?
“You are racist bigots” “All you do is p iss and moan” Sound much like the finger pointing you accuse us of?
” It would do you some good to live in the severest areas of africa or the middle east to see that your lucky to live where you do” Is there something wrong with always trying to improve our lives? After all, the Constitution says we have a right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Too bad all your pea brain (if you have one) is capable of is accusing everyone who doesn’t agree with you of made-up charges, and fabricating BS to support the (foolish) points you rarely attempt to make.
Nature: How many times have you been to Africa or the Middle East? Tell us. I’m pretty sure I know the answer.
Pretty easy here, Beagle. You claimed that the President said something, all you have to do is provide the quote and it’s context. Simple. Then, you would gain credibility, otherwise you are using the same third-grade reasoning that you deride in others.
?!?, it has been noted here by legal beagle that percentages without hard numbers have no meaning. LOL.
Dumb: To my knowledge, Beagle did not claim the president said anything. And I really don’t care what he said about percentages and hard numbers. As long as they are correct, what is the problem?
Semantics. You care about them when it is convenient, and disregard them when it is not. Not particularly valid debate techniques. But, as you wish.
Please elaborate.
It is pointless. I often attempt to debate the substantive with commenters, and am just as often treated to elaborate claims that do not contain substance. Of course, this is relative. However, intellectual discourse requires a modicum of honesty as regards common usage of phrases and words. Absent those typical and generally accepted methodologies, there is really no reason for continued discussion.
The use of degrading and childish terms (“dumb”, or “Jackass-son”, for instance) are indicative of the lack of the ability to converse on an adult level. Being obtuse has little use to citizens seeking solutions.
My debate coach would be horrified to see the rude and otherwise pointless names that some choose to call others. He is long dead by now, but my memories of intelligent and reasoned debate remain.
I will have to reduce my expectations and decline any further discussion until it takes on a few attributes of adult conversation. Thank you for the offer, but I respectfully wish you all the best.
@dumbfounded…same with ‘context’
‘Why don’t the blacks stop committing so much crime?’
The color of the person doesn’t impact behavior.
Let’s go with your BS idea for a second. Quantify the crimes, put a dollar value on it. A small group of white people created a global economic crisis, their crimes can be measured in percent of global GDP.
OK Dumbfounded you force me to reply to your cruel accusations.
What did I say the President said?
It is my opinion after analyzing our President’s behavior that what I said is correct. You may disagree which is your privilege.
Secondly, I didn’t know this was a formal debate with published debate rules. And.
Some of us believe snide and snarky remarks within reason do liven things up though it may not be pretty.
I never said white people were innocent. What is your point?
There are more police killings since there are more people willing to attempt to kill or harm the police. If the beat a policeman is one is mostly of one color then the chances are that the cops have formed bias based on their experiences with people of that color. Blacks as a race have the highest rate of poverty and it is a cycle that many dont seem to want to leave and many receive negative pressure for being successful. That is the cycle that needs to be broken to improve relations.
Everytime there is an issue there is Jesse and Al but they are never out infront of any issues they are only there after something has gone wrong. They are always there for the cameras not the victims and they are gone just as fast as the cameras leave.
The little league parents cheated by pulling kids out of clearly defined districts and there is Jesse saying that it was investigated because of race and the kids were black. BS, it was because they did something wrong and broke the rules.
People like Jesse and Al do more damage for race relationships then they do good but they can’t get paid if they can get media coverage.
When Jessie, Al, Obama, Holder and the like are gone, the country and race issues will be in a much better place. This cast of clowns are the worst racists in the country.
It’s amazing how many folks (as evidenced by many of the comments here) feel this issue is better left swept under the rug. How convenient for you folks!
Racism is alive and hateful as ever. It my have even gotten worse since I was a kid.
A phrase I’ve heard many times or a variation thereof is “I’m not a racist, but…”, then they’ll rattle off all the people of different races they hate. Crazy, but true!!
Good luck with the hatered to your fellow humans, cuz you’re gonna need it so you don’t have a shallow, empty, hate filled life. OLS
Thank you for your clarification, legal beagle. I was not familiar with the President’s position regarding his hatred for white and black people, nor was I aware of his love for illegal immigrants. I have concluded from his behavior, including the massive deportations, that he wasn’t particularly fond of illegal immigrants, regardless of their color. Indeed, this particular venue has little in common with a formal debate. There are no “published rules”. However, I think that one should be able to expect the common and general use of language as acceptable. Further, questioning minituae while accepting obvious broad generalizations will never result in meaningful discourse. If you just want to smugly vent your hatreds, bias and prejudices, this is the place. Very few of the participants could survive the rigors of ethical, cogent thought and supported logic that is required in formalized debate. As I said, I will have to lower my expectations. I believe that if one makes some contention, they should at least provide some relevant support for that contention or we have complete chaos.
Unfortunately, the political discourse here has taken on the pallor of a mob. If that is your idea of “within reason” then so be it. I cannot find anything that could be construed as
“cruel accusations” in my commentary. Please see the definition of cruel in your Funk and Wagnall’s. I see several comments that could be construed as such, but they didn’t come from me. I suppose that there are many who can “dish it out but cannot take it”. All the best.