Did Hillary Just Alienate Every Black Voter In The Country?

By
Liberal America
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This is going to be simple because I’m going to let the video clips do the talking.
Protesters interrupted former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s rally in Atlanta on Oct 30.

Watch the video below.

 



 
The group of protesters tweeted that they are not affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement but are:

“…an extension of the broader mvmnt. We protested in the name of safety & protection.”

 


To top this off, the protesters were escorted from the rally by POLICE.

 


 
Clinton made this remark afterward:

“So, I’m sorry, you know, I appreciate their passion, but I’m sorry they didn’t listen, because some of what they’ve been demanding, I am offering and intend to fight for as president.”

Also, a Clinton staffer told the protesters outside:

“Black lives matter, but this isn’t the time.”


Wow.

Does this leave a sour taste in your mouth as it does for me? Is it just me? It may just be me (I doubt it). I’m wholly biased and support Bernie Sanders, and I’m laying that down right here and right now. Liberal America itself does not endorse any specific candidate. However, that’s all I’m going to mention on Sanders. I won’t compare them. This ISN’T the right time for that.

In doing my best to remove my bias, I can only ask this question.

Has the Clinton campaign lost their g***amn minds? “Black lives matter, but this isn’t the time”? Really? You just said the very hot-button issue of extremely tense race relations in our country (which is supposedly a post-racial nation) matter but not right now?

So, when do black lives matter? I can tell you when black lives did not matter. Black lives didn’t matter when Sandra Bland was killed. Black lives did not matter when Freddie Gray was killed. Black lives sure as hell didn’t matter when Officer Michael Slager murdered Walter Scott as he ran the f*ck away. Eric Garner’s voice was suffocated. The list goes on.

I can hear some of your arguments now; “It’s rude to interrupt her rally.” Here’s the thing. When are protests ever NOT rude? It’s a protest. There ARE proper times to be rude. Was this a time? When the hell is it the right time?

Want to still argue about how it was rude and “ignorant” of the protesters to interrupt her rally? Fine. Go ahead. But let’s look at this from another angle.

Part of running for president is looking good, winning the crowds, flirting with the demographic you need for support. Be honest. It’s a game. How many politicians get into office and keep their promises? Is Hillary even able to appreciate the needs of the demographics she needs herself?

So, I ask you. If you were running for president, would you have let them speak and have their moment to express their frustration? How was her reaction to the protesters even politically smart?

It wasn’t. That’s just it. It wasn’t. She continued to talk. It was more important for her to talk about what she’ll do than listen to a group of young men and women who have grown tired of seeing their brothers and sisters killed, mistreated, discriminated against.

I cannot pretend to know what these black men and women felt as they protested or what they feel on a daily basis. I’m white. I’m not going to try. It would be insulting to try. But if you can’t sense an ounce of the frustration they are dealing with and respect that with your time, silence, and an open ear, can you really support them?

I’m not going to argue whether their methods were wrong or right. The fact that any method is required is the part that’s being overlooked. Something is wrong, and people are missing that point.

I’m ending this with the tweets of the individuals on the @AUCShutItDown Twitter page. Their voices will be heard some way.

 



 
Featured image by WisPolitics via Flickr under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike license.

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