On or around August 8, 2015, Bernie Sanders, proclaimed civil rights activist, put up a racial justice component to his campaign website. https://berniesanders.com/...
That's excellent. It's amazing and contains many of the demands Black Lives Matter made at the protest at Netroot Nation 2015.
Physical Violence
Perpetrated by the State
Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Rekia Boyd, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Samuel DuBose. We know their names. Each of them died unarmed at the hands of police officers or in police custody. The chants are growing louder. People are angry and they have a right to be angry. We should not fool ourselves into thinking that this violence only affects those whose names have appeared on TV or in the newspaper. African Americans are twice as likely to be arrested and almost four times as likely to experience the use of force during encounters with the police.
Beautiful and satisfying that Senator Sanders is not shying away from the protests and the issues raised by Black Lives Matter.
But let's not forget that it wasn't up there prior to the Black Lives Matter protests, especially at Netroot Nations 2015. Indeed, one blog notes this: Racial Justice not there before the last protests. And then there AFTER. http://www.thestranger.com/...
So, these protests are creating, honing and strengthening Bernie Sanders' published racial justice message. The platform is fabulous and I commend Senator Sanders on not pulling a single punch regarding the problems facing people of color. It's long and comprehensive. It has actions points on what must be done. But I also will not ignore that it wasn't there before.
Despite his 50 years of civil rights experience, it wasn't there prior to August 8, 2015. Bernie's people say they had been working on it for weeks. Okay. That would be about the time Sandra Bland died and Black Lives Matter protested at Netroot Nations 2015. It's wonderful that they have been working on it, purportedly honing and directly some of Bernie's traditional platform with racial justice issues. Excellent.
But many progressives HATE that Black Lives Matter DARED to protest an ally. Some wanted Black Lives Matter to shut up and sit down. Others wished the protesters weren't so rude and rambunctious. But what if they had done all that . . . sit down, shut up and been more polite? Would there be a Racial Justice component to Bernie Sanders campaign website? It wasn't there during his term as mayor. Or 16 years as a US Rep. Or his 9 years as a US Senator. Or the many months he's been running for President. In fact, it wasn't there during all the 50 years or so of his civil rights experience that some supporter want to use to act as a shield for critique or criticism.
It's there now . . . weeks after the first Black Lives Matter protest.
It's been up a day. Protests matter. As to helping educate and move Bernie Sanders on this issue? It's urgency? It's comprehensiveness? Black Lives Matter is 100% successful. If your so-called friends cannot include you when pushed and protested, who will?
Glad Bernie has updated his campaign website. I'm glad he's fully discussing racial justice issues in his speeches, Facebook page and tweets. It took him a while and some protests, but he's getting there.
Well done, Senator Sanders and Black Lives Matter. I truly doubt there would be a Racial Justice component of Bernie's Website but for Black Lives Matter protesting. Do I have any data on that? Just that it wasn't there despite the reality that Michael Brown has been dead over a year. Just that police brutality is an issue in Black lives and has been for decades . . . longer than Bernie's 50 years of civil rights activism. Just that so many have died and there was no Racial Justice page until protests happened.
Well done, Black Lives Matter. If BLM can do this to an ally and he can respond in such a fabulous manner, imagine what else can be done. I applaud Senator Sanders. If this is what happens when allies are protested, well, here's to looking at protests of and actions by Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley and the others.
It's a good day.