9 years ago
5
#BernieSoBlack: why progressives are fighting about Bernie Sanders and race
Sanders' Netroots Nation appearance at a town hall Saturday afternoon turned into a confrontation with #BlackLivesMatter activists — and brought a conflict between Sanders-loving economic progressives on one side, and organizers for racial justice on the other, out into the open. But while Sanders is the catalyst, the conflict — at least as Sanders' critics see it — isn't really about whether to support Sanders or Hillary Clinton for the 2016 nomination.
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I'm going to offend people, but I think #BlackLIvesMatter is preaching to the choir here. I'm not really sure what they hope to accomplish.
They want to raise awareness and push it as an election issue. It's definitely a topic where Republicans are at a disadvantage.
Its a sad commentary on the state of our nation, but I think making race an issue helps Republicans. I'd rather see them push specific issues, like police reform, criminal justice reform, economic equality, i.e. the issues Sanders is already pushing.
I feel shitty just typing those words, but I am pragmatist. I want my candidate to win.
You have a point, but so do they. Pretending that racism is no longer an issue grants de facto legitimacy to racist policies and behavior. We should be prepared to acknowledge the elephant in the room before going on to address the issues underlying the problem.
That's completely accurate.