Sanders Statement on Seattle Protesters

[Skwmom]

“I am disappointed that two people disrupted a rally attended by thousands at which I was invited to speak about fighting to protect Social Security and Medicare. I was especially disappointed because on criminal justice reform and the need to fight racism there is no other candidate for president who will fight harder than me.”

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-statement-on-seattle-protesters/

[aikoaiko]

1. Never enough.

[tblue]

2. Dear Bernie

This little black girl loves you.

[nc4bo]

6. As does old black broad. nt

[romanic]

9. As does this biracial MOC

[bvf]

30. As does this old white guy. n/t

[L0oniX]

97. ...and this old Dutch dude.

[Marty McGraw]

106. And to us Mutts

[laserhaas]

122. Amen..fir U.S. mutts

Im a wrong side of the tracks dude

[Plucketeer]

110. And this European mongrel

along with my Caucasian spouse

[artislife]

34. As does this Latina

He was great tonight and the waiting in line was fun. Lots of referendums and information on how to caucus.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

47. Aww, sanity!

from a middle-aged white woman.

[TM99]

57. As does this bi-racial man.

My parents marched for civil rights in the 1960's in the South.

My father would be rip roaring angry at this pathetic display today.

This was not activism. This was bullying, plain and simple. Way to alienate your progressive allies. I want white allies. I sure as hell won't call them 'white supremacists liberals!' WTF?!

[Betty Karlson]

59. As does this gay guy. eom

[madokie]

61. This old mostly white Vietnam Vet

simply love you. I got your back Senator

[sarge43]

72. As does this old white broad

You are a good man, Senator and I'm proud to be one of your ground pounders.

[Lunabell]

75. So does this fat old white lesbian.

Bernie will work it out. He seems to be a great guy. Can't wait for the debates.

[tblue]

134. Lol

[vlyons]

86. So does this old white Buddhist lady.

You got my vote!

[turbinetree]

88. Native American-------------------Cherokee Proud....................

thinks that you, you Mr. Sanders will help do something for "ALL of US",.............................
First Nation, Black, White, Yellow, Brown, Green, Blue, Red, Pink, whatever color, because YOU CARE -----------------you were there at CORE and you marched from that day forward






Honk ------------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

[SwampG8r]

93. Osiyo cousin

I agree with you
Sanders is a tree of great shade

[turbinetree]

98. Si da ne lv hi

Honk----------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

[SwampG8r]

102. Family

Yes family.

[L0oniX]

96. So does 'African-Americans For Bernie Sanders' on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AfricanAmericansForBernie/posts/586968294779502?comment_id=586975064778825&notif_t=like

[navarth]

118. oh wow! that's gotta help.

thanks Loonix. I always see Frank when I'm reading your stuff.

[JackInGreen]

100. As does this middle aged fuzzy

Member of an interracial polycule
(And at least one of those lovely ladies loves you too.)

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

104. As does this old radical.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

107. And this old crotchety white atheist does too!

[carolinayellowdog]

109. old gay triracial redneck congratulates

you on a sweet and revealing subthread you started inadvertently

[Spitfire of ATJ]

111. As does this half breed.

[DirtyHippyBastard]

114. and this dirty hippy bastard

[Dont call me Shirley]

116. As does this middle aged white lady, who cares about the well-being of everyone just like Bernie!

[arlington.mass]

124. As does this biracial family

[sibelian]

141. As does this pale as pasteurised milk gay Scotsman!

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. Yeah, me, too. It was a pathetic display of political immaturity.

I've known too many self-righteous little shits like that.

[NBachers]

41. They needed to be sent straight to their rooms with no dinner. "And Stay There!"

"I don't want to hear another peep out of you"

[Faryn Balyncd]

4. Bernie's handling of this is compassionate, dignified, and presidential.

Thank you, Senator, for demonstrating again what America is about!

[Betty Karlson]

60. May I completely second that opinion? eom

[JI7]

5. he should have said that to them

[Live and Learn]

12. ...

[Ed Suspicious]

13. I think he did exactly what was called for.

[Ken Burch]

21. How could he? They wouldn't let him speak. n/t.

[HappyPlace]

27. +1 nt

[JI7]

31. tell them to shut up and let him respond

[Ken Burch]

35. And then the headline would have been "Bernie tells black women to 'Shut Up!'"

He'd have been out of the race the next day.

[winter is coming]

43. I'm pretty sure that's what they were fishing for. n/t

[JI7]

49. and people would see the video and say "good for him"

[daleanime]

74. Only tRump's voters.

[arikara]

103. It doesn't work that way

clips are never shown in context. They would have shown only a part that makes him look really bad, and it would be played over and over again with nutty over-the-top commentation until he was forced to drop out. Like the Dean scream.

Put that way, it really smells like a set-up that he successfully avoided.

[Nobel_Twaddle_III]

125. let's not forget she is or was a Palin supporter

I did not drive an hour and have to park miles away, to listen to what may well be little Republican disrupters.

[abakan]

94. He's not Chris Christie.

We can all be thankful for that.

[JI7]

115. but he did exactly that when asked a question about the middle east

[abakan]

133. In the future...

Let's both agree that Bernie is not perfect, is human, and should not be held to standards, you are not willing to hold your chosen human to.

[jwirr]

25. I did not see a time he had a chance to say anything.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

26. You still haven't watched the video?

There was no rational discussion to be had with those two... they weren't listening.

[JI7]

32. so tell them to shut the fuck up

[artislife]

36. That would have gone over swimmingly.

There is a saying here...Seattle polite.

There is also the Seattle freeze but that is for another day.

[JI7]

39. oh please, it has nothing to do with being polite but people afraid of some black women

so they will go on the internet and start bashing black people .

[artislife]

44. Well I have not bashed BLM at all

And neither has Bernie Sanders....the other people bashing black people, probably were no where near the event today.

I honestly think if they shut those women up, you would not be happy about it. I could be wrong...I do not know you at all.


You know what is sad, I feel that I cannot talk about anything racial on this site because I am a Bernie supporter. It supersedes my own ethnicity here.

[JI7]

48. i don't agree with their form of protest but i feel the same way about code pink and many others

what i notice is those who usually cheer on the others are those condemning this group .

i don't care if someone told them ot shut up if they are disrupting.

my issue isn't with sanders himself that much either and i like him the best of the candidates running so far and at this point i would vote for him.

[artislife]

51. There is a reaction

That I read here that feels like a thousand cuts.
Because what you say is true, I wasn't here but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the people reacting badly might just have supported the same type of protesting by other groups.


You know, it's my birthday and it has been full of a lot of extreme emotions, not least of all a dog that has been taken for 3 walks and still has pooped 3 times in the house.

Arrrggg.

It is all about our sh*t coming up. We need to purge our own prejudices.

[JI7]

52. i hope you have a happy birthday

even with all the shit going on

[artislife]

54. Now that ...made me laugh

Thank you for your well wishes.

Gonna see if the dog will pee outside...been a bit cagey about that as well...damn doodle mix.

[Unknown Beatle]

62. Happy Birthday, artislife.

This is for you.

[DirkGently]

77. Excellent.

... and happy birthday to artislife.

[artislife]

90. Thank you for the well wishes!

[senz]

56. Happy Birthday, artislife!

Hope the day's been good, even with a confused pup.

[artislife]

91. Thanks, dog sitting H*ll! nt

[davidpdx]

63. Since we are pilling on

Happy birthday

[artislife]

92. Thanks, Portland will do us proud today! nt

[Enthusiast]

120. Happy Birthday, artislife!

[artislife]

121. Thank you! nt

[Ken Burch]

127. Big difference, though...

Code Pink doesn't attack politicians who basically agree with it.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

40. Right. A presidential candidate telling a couple of screeching black women...

to STFU. "That* would go over well. They acted like they were on an episode of Maury Povich, and most of us don't act that way. Thank God.

[davidpdx]

64. I agree, he handled it the best he could which is to walk away

If the confrontation had worsened he would have been blamed. I've seen DUers who have blamed Sanders for walking away and honestly can't understand the logic (or lack of) that someone should stand there and allow another person to scream at you.

[sarge43]

76. Yup

When an opponent is shooting off his kneecaps, you don't argue with him and certainly don't try to stop him. You walk away. He's doing more damage to himself than you ever could and you can't be blamed.

Bernie, among his other fine qualities, is a very savvy politician.

[rhett o rick]

37. If you would have watched you'd have seen that they were outshouting everyone.

One of the people putting the event on tried to tell them that they could have the mike. They weren't interested. This smells like Karl Rove.

[demwing]

112. Thats the Koch formula

A history anti-New Deal politics, maybe a little Tea-Party anti-semitism...this stinks like the oily smoke spewing from the towers of Koch Industries.

[merrily]

66. yeah, because that would have done the trick.

[sabrina 1]

135. He just did. They aren't interested. Now on to what needs to be done, and who is the

best person to do it. We are in a state of emergency wrt to the murder of Americans, mostly AAs by the US Civilian police.

I see a lot of USE of this issue for political purposes, I've been watching it for years in shock, before Ferguson and wondering what kind of country would TOLERATE so many dead citizens at the hands of the 'justice system'.

No matter which party is in power, no matter how many promises made, DURING ELECTIONS, or photo ops sent out by campaigns, not only has nothing been done, it is only worse.

So this time I looked at their records and the ONLY one whose record shows an effort, thought sadly with not much support from his colleagues, on either side of the aisle, to end the policies that made this escalate, was Bernie Sanders.

[ibegurpard]

7. Good statement!

Bernie will continue to speak out on these issues.

[passiveporcupine]

8. If he'd said anything then, it just would have escalated to a worse situation

He did the right thing.

[SoapBox]

10. Agree.

If he said, I Love You, they would continue their display of anger.

I have no respect for this group...as displayed by their treatment of the one person who could and would, work for racial equality.

[passiveporcupine]

20. I don't think they are trying to win his approval or cooperation

I don't like their tactics at all, but I don't disrespect why the movement is happening. They have an important goal...I just think they are going about it all wrong.

[merrily]

67. Yes, but what results have African Americans gotten when they go about it "right?"

Think about any group that has been traditionally discriminated against in this country, gays, women, African Americans, First Nations. As long as they were in polite discussions, they got nowhere.

[A Simple Game]

80. Try reading about this guy called Martin Luther King sometime.

It could be an eye opener for you.

And by the way, Bernie marched with King.

[merrily]

84. Thanks for a post dripping with condescension, even though I posted nothing disrespectful to you.

Needless to say, I know about Martin Luther King and about Bernie's having marched with him and much more about Bernie.

In Bernie's youth, SNCC and CORE were considered organizations that were not going about things in the right way and those were the ones Bernie joined, not the NAACP. (I'm not trying to put down the NAACP at all. But it had a different mission and used different tactics than did SNCC and CORE.) http://www.democraticunderground.com/12809672

However, Martin Luther King, Jr. and people of his era broke laws. I'm sure many at that time said that was not going about things the right way. Moreover, it's been many decades and many demonstrations, both peaceful and not so peaceful, and many lawsuits and many high level meetings since MLK himself was shot--even and African American President-- and African American people are still getting killed by cops or Trayvon Martins and both types of killers have been getting away with it.

You can reply this to this post respectfully and get another respectful reply from me, or you can not reply at all and we can part peacefully. Or you can do neither. It's your call. Again.

[demwing]

113. Heads up ASG

merrily is a huge Bernie supporter, a co-host of the Populist Reform Group, and one of the most prolific members of the Bernie Saunders group.

She's no mook, so please don't treat her like one.

[A Simple Game]

119. Then she shouldn't defend the people that disrupt him and then there is this:

As long as they were in polite discussions, they got nowhere.

That's just not true.

I know what merrily is and usually enjoy her posts but in this one she was wrong.

[demwing]

123. NO. You shouldnt condescend

to your peers, especially in this instance, since between the two of you, merrily has defended the more progressive position.

[A Simple Game]

126. It appears I'm not alone in my feelings.

Read the post at this link to see how I and others feel about this subject and see that I am not alone in my thinking.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251505656

This reflects the reason why I questioned her for disparaging polite discussion as a tool against discrimination and segregation and wondered why she thinks it doesn't work when it most certainly did for the civil rights movement. Seems there is an effort by BLM leadership to distance BLM from Dr. King and his methods. Defending that is not a "more progressive position."

She defended herself admirably and all you do is make her look worse, so take merrily's advice to me, I did:

You can reply this to this post respectfully and get another respectful reply from me, or you can not reply at all and we can part peacefully. Or you can do neither. It's your call. Again.

I let it drop, she let it drop, and so should you; acting like you know better than the person you are trying to defend is disrespectful. Read your posts, you haven't added a thing to the discussion except to stir the pot. You can't even defend her position, all you can do is try to intimidate me.

[merrily]

131. Aw, thanks, demwing. You didn't need to do that.

[Quayblue]

117. This is dead on

And thanks to you for your thoughtful posts.

[merrily]

129. Thank you for your kind words.

[sabrina 1]

136. They will get nothing if they keep allowing, by not votiing or voting for those who are corporate

tools, to continue to control this government.

They might get some things accomplished by taking the issue to court, as Gays did and getting some court rulings, based on constitutional rights.

But what will be accomplished by attacking the ONLY candidate in the race who has the most consistent record of trying to STOP legislation passed by those same corporate tools, which has facilitated much of criminal activity towards minorities by so-called 'law enforcement' agencies in this country.

Oppressed people need to attain POWER in order to change things, and they need to have powerful people working for them.

Symone Sanders knows that, which is why she reached out to the only person in this race who she knows is the most likely to use any power he has to beging making the changes necessary to get justice and a reform of the 'judicial' system starting from the top down, including the laws that made the crimes possible.

Screaming and threatening ONE candidate, NOT the ones who facilitated all of this, is likely to do opposite of what is needed, lose the much needed support of EVERY American possible, because that is what it will take to end this.

Had it been anyone but Bernie, they would not have gotten away with laying hands on a US Senator. He, as one AA rapper said, did not call security. And then he did not allow their behavior to influence or end in any way, the work he has tried to do for his entire life.

He could easily have drummed up lots of anger against them AND the cause they claim to represent, but he knows they do not represent that cause, as they are being told every day now by AAs, and did not want to see that happen.

[merrily]

137. He is the candidate most likely to act, and also the most accessible, and also drawing the biggest

crowds.

The Secret Service seals off and controls Hillary's events. O'Malley is not filling arenas.

From their POV, it made sense. Did they do themselves some harm? Maybe. Did they do themselves some good? Probably. I can't assess.

[sabrina 1]

138. They could have gotten into a Hillary event. Other protesters did, right next to her.

The excuse was they got there late to one of her events and couldn't get in.

That would have happened with Bernie, had they gotten to his even late, the doors are closed when the venue is full.

So they were late for Hillary's event who then met with them 'in private' later. Nice for her image. But were on time for two of Bernie's events.

Protesters who heckled Hillary got right up on stage with her.

That excuse doesn't work.

Code Pink, eg, manages to get close to some of the most protected people, the war criminals, so no, they represent themselves, but thankfully Bernie has not allowed them to adversely affect the cause so many good people are fighting for. And in fact, the opposite of what they intended has happened. It introduced Bernie to many AAs who did not know him before.

And as many have been saying all over social media, 'why go after this dude, he marched with MLK etc. You see, the Civil Rights movement and those who were there on the right side, is NOT irrelevant to most AAs, as we've seen claimed here.

[merrily]

139. cui bono?

If it was good enough for Ancient Rome, it's good enough for me.

[840high]

23. Thank you - my feelings, too.

[mudstump]

46. IMO they needed to

be escorted off the stage by security and removed from the event.

[philosslayer]

81. Yes, it was very Presidential

And showed that during a Sanders Presidency, all voices will be allowed to be heard. And that he will defer to the loudest.

[Babel_17]

105. If by defer you mean "allow to commit political suicide", then yes

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/08/bernie-sanders-leaves-seattle-stage-after-event-disrupted-by-black-lives-matter-protesters/

The media might just have hit on their narrative regarding this.

[merrily]

130. Clearly, you have no clue who Sanders is.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

11. Now Bernie will get the Black vote

[beam me up scottie]

14. Bernie is a gentleman.

After seeing his response today I am more proud of him now than ever.

[whatchamacallit]

15. Brimming with win

Go Bernie!

[jalan48]

16. They got their 15 minutes of fame and can daydream for days about being seen onstage at a big rally.

[mountain grammy]

17. Thanks, Bernie.

[LoisB]

18. Don't worry Bernie. This old Black woman is solidly behind you.

[AzDar]

19. Misguided IDIOTS.

Go Bernie!!

[kenn3d]

22. Montel Williams' Twitter feed

Montel WilliamsVerified account
‏@Montel_Williams
Black Lives Matter protesters shut down Sanders event in Seattle - ABSOLUTE INSANITY.

@Montel_Williams and Bernie's the only one I've seen ACTUALLY STAND FOR racial justice and equality

Montel Williams ‏@Montel_Williams 2h2 hours ago
@Neoavatara without question stunts like this turn people, even black people, away from their message

@Montel_Williams funny how black lives matter interrupts the one candidate who does care about black lives.

https://twitter.com/Montel_Williams/status/630192956436156416

----

Lots of PoC are not cool with what happened in Seattle today... Let's hope more of them will stand up for Bernie

[840high]

24. Glad you found this.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

29. Ah, that's good to see.

I fully expect one of DU's many "experts" to come along and tell us why Montel Williams doesn't understand black lives.

[Roy Rolling]

38. I don't think so, thankfully

I had a post openly asking those who support such tactics against Bernie to explain it to me.

Crickets.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

45. Were you advised to venture into the AA group and ask there?

Fuck that. Why would I venture into a group where I'm considered a "white supremacist liberal"? Enough of these little groups... let's all hash it out in GD : P.

[Ed Suspicious]

33. Very good.

The tide is about to turn.

[senz]

53. Thank you

So glad to see this.

[Ken Burch]

55. That would be about the only good thing that could come of this.

Bernie should also set up a "I'll Sit And Listen" night with BLM...Have it at the Apollo or in Compton.

Bernie just sits on the stage and lets BLM say what they want to say, and then the audience gets to say what THEY want to say.

[merrily]

68. Thanks, Montel! I feel the same.

[Ichingcarpenter]

71. Nice twitt from Montel....thanks n/t

[L0oniX]

95. Lot of people here are against what BLM is doing....

https://www.facebook.com/AfricanAmericansForBernie/posts/586968294779502?comment_id=586975064778825&notif_t=like

Check out the comments

[JEB]

28. Bernie says what he means and means what he says. nt

[Vattel]

42. great statement

[askew]

50. I still think it is too much about him and is a bit tone deaf.

I think the best avenue for Bernie is for him to release a detailed criminal justice reform bill and tell us exactly where he stands. I'd like the same from Hillary, but that isn't going to happen.

O'Malley released his detailed, progressive criminal justice reform plan that addressed CJ reform, economic reforms and immigration reform that really impressed #BLM and DREAM Coalition activists. He previewed the plan in a speech to the Urban League and then a sit-down interview with Ebony. Today, he met with the National Association of Black Journalists. All candidates were invited and he was the only one to attend. Earlier this week, he met with the new 20/20 group in South Carolina which is a group of AA leaders and with some HBCU leaders. He's gotten a lot of respect for the work he has put in on these issues and with outreach.

I think it would help Sanders immensely to do the same type of outreach along with maybe giving a speech at an HBCU and presenting his detailed criminal justice reform plan. I have no doubts it will be progressive and warmly received and the outreach will be appreciated.

Right now, I feel like Sanders treats BLM and any issue outside of economic issues as an annoyance he has to deal with. I don't feel like he gets it and I think doing the steps outlined above would go a long way towards changing my opinion of that.

[KeepItReal]

58. I don't see you asking anything of the sitting POTUS and US Attorney General

...who have actual authority and power over criminal justice reform TODAY.

Guess Black Lives like mine don't Matter until 2017 when someone else is in the White House and gets a chance to fulfill campaign promises.

[historylovr]

101. +1

So much for a state of emergency, huh. How many more will be killed by cops in the meantime?

[bigtree]

65. +1

[Armstead]

70. I partially agree. Here's the difference....

Sanders does have a very specific message that he's been giving out. And, yes, it is about the economic system, and how awful it has become. And how that has also infected the political system, and undermined that too. And how these are not abstract problems -- but affect us ALL in our daily lives.

He's relentless in that. And narrow.

But you know what? There's a reason for that. He is trying to tell a basic truth that has been ignored for far too long.

He's also trying to put something very complex into clear simple terms to get that message out.

Position papers, detailed 20-point plans...etc. Those are all well and good. But too often they are part of politics as usual. And they are what turn many people off to the process. Politicians put out wonderful ideas (or bad ideas) that all sound substantial and all that shit.

But too often those ignore the basic point. And they are often used as distractions. They deflect from discussions of underlying problems.

Sure Bernie needs to put out more details. Address racial issues more specifically, etc...

But that's not the point. They are Step B in organizing. Step A is getting the basic message out. That's a lot more daunting if it's different message -- instead of the same old same old tweaks to an inherently bad system and situation. That's what he's been focused on.

[ananda]

73. Yes, a criminal justice reform bill is much needed!

In fact, it's long overdue!

[CheddaD]

78. partial agreement

I agree he hasn't come out to address this problem, but I don't read annoyance into it. Probably just caution. Talking about racial inequalities is such a double-edged sword. Getting your message out there before it is willfully misinterpreted is really difficult. I think he should try though. He should admit that his focus of expertise is on economic justice, and that this approach could also benefit African-Americans who have overwhelming suffered the most financially from trickle-down fraud-enomics. But he should recognize that economic justice won't assuage people afraid of being killed by those who face no responsibility. He needs to discuss this issue.

[raouldukelives]

69. Well duh, they know that. That is why they are there.

I'd take it as a sign of respect. They don't bother putting other candidates to the same test because they already know were they stand, where they are today.

They don't want to be fooled again.

[Chiquitita]

79. K n R

[McKim]

82. Old White Liberal Still on the Side of Sanders and BLM

What these interrupters did was to effectively divide the progressive left and shut down the message of Sander's campaign issues. They forced us all to go off topic of the campaign and off topic about BLM. Their tactic, possibly as a COINTELPRO event, or inspired by COINTELPRO infiltrators in BLM was brilliant. I have heard this anti Bernie stuff from so called some Black activists in my town too.
It seems to be a rumor that has many legs. But who benefits?

Let's get back to work folks by getting those campaign platforms out to the public. Let's all support BLM. I know that I as an old white liberal will.

[LWolf]

89. You make a sharp point here.

Who benefits when we effectively divide the progressive left?

I support the goals of BLM, whether or not I support their methods, and will stand and work beside them on any action that doesn't include shutting political rallies for supporters of racial justice down.

[Babel_17]

83. That's just a flat out great statement by Sanders

"It's the issues", in effect.

[colsohlibgal]

85. Just So Curious

I sense possible purpose by people behind the scenes as well. The status quo, the plutocracy, the MI complex, all could live with Hillary but wouldn't enjoy Bernie so much.

They are all to some extent, too much for my blood, in cahoots with HRC. Just saying.

[ladjf]

87. Why are the protesters hijacking Bernie's event?

Why don't they hold an event of their own in the same city , at the same time?

How many people would attend the protesters event?

[RBInMaine]

132. Their upset and frustration is more than understandable, but their tactics are all wrong.

They have gone radical and are just hurting their own cause. Sanders is their natural ally and they are too radical in their thinking to see that, I guess. Hard as it is, they need to tone down, calm down, and go about their cause much more diplomatically if they want to be taken seriously. All they are doing is appearing radical and saying things that make themselves sound like reverse-racists. That isn't going to work anymore than the Black Panther movement did. They are turning themselves into a fringe group instead of a meaningful broad-based movement with a noble and just cause.

[MisterP]

99. defending himself on the facts? what a latter-day Theodore Bilbo!!!111

[BeanMusical]

108. Kick and R

[Uncle Joe]

128. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Skwmom.