not one person gave ms. sherrod the benefit of the doubt

[spanone]

not one person.

she was tried, convicted and prosecuted within hours by the media and the government

we are a sad nation

[Warpy]

1. DU did. We know who and what Breitbart is.

Congress and the White House both need to wake up and assign staff to finding out who these guys are so that their character assassination stops working quite so efficiently.

Sherrod should be reinstated. The worst thing to do at this point is to continue to bluster and defend the indefensible.

[gateley]

9. I agree with you, Warpy. I posted yesterday that whenever anybody posts

a "news item" from Fox, the DUers' responses are invariably "I'll wait to see if this comes from a legitimate before I consider this." "It's coming from Fox, I don't believe anything they say." and so on.

What's so aggravating is that the same wariness isn't applied by the administration or other media outlets. They always fall for this at first blush, hook, line and sinker.

[malaise]

2. I did

:D

[spanone]

3. i knew you did.

:hi:

[meegbear]

4. I DID, THANK YOU VERY BLOODY MUCH!!

[LostinVA]

12. I did, too

[Tansy_Gold]

5. "we are a sad nation" -- no, we are a racist nation

It's not just that Breitbart was believed and that Shirley Sherrod wasn't given even a chance to state her case.

It's that race is still a discussion we haven't had in this country.

The white guy is believed, the black woman is condemned.

the fear is of Glenn Beck -- another white guy, even if he is dumber than a bag of loose screws -- but when has anyone ever feared the wrath of a Bob Herbert or a Clarence Paige or even an Al Sharpton?

Worst of all, the dangerous black man in the white house is effectively neutralized, to the point that he dare not stand up for one of his "own" because he can't have the discussion of race without being tagged with it.

Oh, wait, didn't he make some speech a few months ago about race in this country? Where's his dialogue?


Barack Obama's administration was afraid to come to the defense of a black woman even to the minimum extent of checking to find out if the "charges" against her were valid. If they ever, EVER stand up in defense of a white person now, they will be charged with their own internalized prejudices. Because they've already proven themselves guilty.

Never thought I'd see the day.



Tansy Gold, one thoroughly disgusted white lady

[liberal N proud]

6. It was driven by a well done setup followed with great propaganda

She didn't have a chance in hell.

[FormerDittoHead]

7. ..and what was the fucking point? It was just so MEAN.

I mean, anyone who would be otherwise swayed by the events of this week was probably disposed to vote Republican (that is, not intelligent to listen to the whole story) anyway.

She wasn't the Secretary of State or something. This doesn't really hurt Obama. In fact, it's a very minor win in that it reminds US of who we're dealing with.

The whole thing is so sad, especially because they've basically disrupted this woman's whole career over... WHAT?

Just mean.

[spanone]

8. the point is to get these words all over the media..'the ncaap is a racist organization'

and it worked...and it is mean

breitbart said his only goal was to let everyone know that the ncaap is a racist organization....mission accomplished whether it's true or not.

[FormerDittoHead]

11. It only worked with those who probably already believed it...

OK, I typed up another msg but I won't press my point, because YOU'RE RIGHT.

Look what they did to Acorn, but THAT STUCK. I shouldn't be surprised that they tried the same kind of thing again, and expected it to STICK, as it's already worked for them.

[liberal N proud]

15. It is all about making the President look bad

in any little way they can. Bringing down someone else to do it is not a problem for these people.

Can you imagine the hate these people must feel to spend so much time and energy devoted to humiliating one person.

[barbtries]

10. and a sick one nt

[LatteLibertine]

13. Sherrod is right

It is about the haves and have nots, or the wealthy against the interests of the rest of us.

Racial politics are often used to keep the poor and middle class divided. I don't blame the wealthy for being concerned. The very wealthy are far less than 20% of the population. If we ever align solidly along economic lines, their nonsense is done.

[JuniperLea]

14. That's exactly right... and that message is lost, even here on DU...

This is the thing that needs said over and over again.

The haves don't need to do anything to the have nots themselves... all they need to do is keep the shit stirred within the have nots. And they've mastered that altered reality.

It's bullshit to say "we" gave her the benefit of the doubt without understanding, and pushing, her vital message.

[bobbolink]

20. Indeed, "Haves vs Have-nots". You are right that there isn't awareness right here on DU.

Some of what is posted about it here is downright mean, and lots of it is just ignorant.

Then, of course, is the giant YAWN that most people give it.

Then they wonder why they are losing votes.

[JuniperLea]

23. Damn sad, isn't it?

There are a hell of a lot more of us "Have-nots" and we need to educate ourselves and each other. We are all in the same boat. The person making $80 - 100k a year is really and truly in the same boat as one making $10k a year or less... "they" only try to make us think otherwise, but they have no respect for anyone NOT in their 2% club. It serves them well to let people think otherwise.

[bobbolink]

24. You are exactly right. I came to the conclusion long ago that "education" was the most important

tool we have.

That has been reinforced by watching movies like "Malcolm X" and seeing his serious study, and Mother Jones, educating the miners and their families.


I have come up with several ideas that I think have merit to accomplish this education, and am working on two specific projects, but there is nobody willing or even interested in working on these.

It is much more fun to dress up in funny costumes and denounce the RW. Not that we've noticed a lot of "change" from doing so.

I don't see much hope, but I am too stubborn to give up on these projects.

Interested?

[JuniperLea]

25. Start a thread!

I'll help you keep it kicked and keep the conversation going. This is important, and it pains me that so many as so easily distracted. If you already have ideas, I sure as hell am interested in hearing them. And I hope, dearly I hope, that there are others here to feel the same way.

[gateley]

16. That makes me so sad. Any one of us probably would have had the chance

to tell our side of the story if we were being fired. This is so wrong.

[havocmom]

17. Considering the doctored ACORN videos, it is particularly pathetic.

So worried about appearances in the short-term news cycle, nobody, including Obama cabinet officers, takes the time to get to some truth before smacking themselves in the face with their jerking knees.

After ACORN, we expect better from the administration headed by the champion of inter-dimensional chess. It is not like this little issue HAD to be responded to quickly. It was not a terrorist threat, weather disaster, corporate boo-boo with massive environmental implications.

They reacted without thinking, without getting facts, without considering recent hoaxes. They didn't have to react so quickly. One can surmise they did it for purely political cover and PR. That is NOT the change I worked hard to help elect.

We are a very sad nation, if we do not hold PR driven pols accountable for continuing to make the same idiotic mistakes.

Their reaction also guarantees wingers with some basic video equipment will continue to attack people they don't like, whether there are legitimate grounds or not.

[bobbolink]

18. This wasn't about "benefit of the doubt". This was Innocent Until Proven Guilty.

We've lost our basic principles.

[cbdo2007]

19. Rarely does anyone ever get the benefit of the doubt in the media.

[Xenotime]

21. Nobody took her story into context.

[MattBaggins]

22. The Media and the White House treat the Tea Party with velvet gloves

but ACORN and Ms. Sherrod get trounced just because of the word of a proven hack and liar. They don't even bother to apologize afterward.

Breitbart has been proven again and again and again to be an outright liar and yet the Media jumps all over his stories without a seconds worth of fact checking.

[Bluenorthwest]

26. I did

The clip was clearly an excerpt of a larger story arc, this was obvious to me. Ms. Sherrod was addressing an entire room full of people, and to believe the slanderous edit they used was a picture of the whole would also require that one accept a room full of people sitting to listen to an address from an official and being comfortable with open racism. Endorsing it. I did not buy that either.