I liked the president’s remarks which were more personal and heartfelt than anything I could possibly say. And his overall point and strategy followed exactly what I’ve been saying. We need to humanize black people for a lot of white people, and there isn’t a stronger way to do that than to have the president say that he could have been Trayvon 35 years ago. That’s he’s been followed in stores and heard car locks click as he walks by. And he didn’t point fingers and try to make people feel like they are bad people or racists. He tried to get them to listen. Writ large, that is the only way to move public opinion enough to change these crazy laws on self-defense, as well as to win support for other progressive policies.
Respectful dialogue, exposure, and education. As the president noted, the kids already get it. We should listen to them, too.
As for the hyperventilating throngs of right-wing jackasses, just be happy they’re exposing themselves for posterity.
