"Hey, white people who had faith in Mueller and feel like the system failed you . . .

[pnwmom]

Link to tweet

Corey Richardson
@vexedinthecity

Hey, white people who had faith in Mueller and feel like the system failed you; this is how black people feel all the time knowing that cops can shoot us and get away with it. Welcome to the club. Now go do something about it.

[BeyondGeography]

1. A powerful call for unity

[ZZenith]

2. Exactly.

[pnwmom]

5. I think it is, actually. Middle class white people have largely been protected from a full awareness

of how the system is tilted against poorer people and minorities.

Now we all need to act together -- and try to be as smart as black people are about voting. (The majority of both white men and white women voted for Trump, remember.)

[EndGOPPropaganda]

22. As MLK said, the apathy of the white moderate has been the biggest obstacle to progress

Wake up, white people. Join with minorities and let’s fix this country.

[watoos]

27. Can you post a copy of Mueller's report?

I haven't seen his report yet so I don't feel comfortable condemning him.

[pnwmom]

70. You won't find a word of me condemning Mueller anywhere. nt

[RobinA]

60. I Hate To Burst

your bubble, but very few white people are not aware that the system is tilted against the average middle class person. It is tilted more against poor people, but to somehow think that this Mueller thing comes as any kind of surprise just because one is white is just nonsense.

[ck4829]

73. +1

[Baconator]

3. Meh...

[Socal31]

4. Strange

[JI7]

6. actually most white people didn't care for mueller and supported Trump no matter what Mueller

was going to do or say.

those who did support mueller were likely to also know how the system fails black people.

[dustyscamp]

18. This

[EndGOPPropaganda]

23. False. Uneducated white people are pro-Trump. Educated white people are not

I ascribe the difference to the stronger effect of rightwing propaganda on the uneducated.

[JI7]

28. disagree, look at William Barr

[delisen]

51. Educated people support Trump with money and votes and lies

[Puzzledtraveller]

56. That's the problem

their own fault or not, even "should know better" moderately to even highly educated whites voted Trump in greater numbers than should have, they lie on polls, pretend to be Democrats etc. I discovered this in my own job which is social services, case workers who I thought knew better, saying under their breath so to speak, that they supported Trump, don't care for his style but didn't like the other option to which I have to kindly keep my mouth shut and polite. The other example, my wife, an educator, voted for Trump. So I think it's the general fear he sows, and I am Mexican-American.

[ecstatic]

99. Wow! Hate to be nosy, but did that affect

your marriage? My SO and I both voted for Hillary (I think), but still got into a lot of nasty fights surrounding the election, sexism, etc.

[Caliman73]

68. Not factually accurate.

The average Trump voter was above the median income and had at least some college education. There is a wider spread among the demographic but studies into people who voted for Trump reveal that the "uneducated poor" claim was not accurate.

Also, education and money is not necessarily a guarantee that a person has critical thinking skills. If you see, most of the wealthiest people in the US are very conservative because they support the status quo which is White people with money being in charge. They are the ones who purvey the propaganda to the masses and who count on enough motivated White people who do not have the resources, to support them to maintain political power.

[LanternWaste]

59. (Actually) You realize it was addressed to "white people who had faith in Mueller..."?

rather than "most white people...

Set and sub-sets can be confusing if we ignore the implicit premise.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. Because Insulting Allies Is ...

... a fantastic plan!

[pnwmom]

8. Lots of "allies" don't understand as much as they think they do.

For example, the Susan Sarandon-style "allies" who openly expressed the view that it might be better if Trump beat Hillary, because then we would hit bottom and have to build a better system.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. Ummm

The start of this thread was a broad statement and your rationalization is that a few allies are stupid?
That doesn't make a lot of sense.

[pnwmom]

11. A lot of allies don't understand that white privilege is a real thing. n/t

[ProfessorGAC]

50. A Baseless Accusation

A personal attack, as well.

[58Sunliner]

37. The Susan Sarandon-style "allies"-Ha ha ha ha ha. Sad.

The truth is the post is racist in nature because it assumes something about all white people. What do we call it when x makes a statement about y based on skin color?

[Amimnoch]

15. If the reader's really an ally, then the reader understands

The truth in that statement.

And, that this isn’t targeted at that specific reader to begin with.

[whathehell]

17. If the tweet's author is really an American, he knows

Last edited Mon Mar 25, 2019, 07:40 AM - Edit history (1)

that if it's a loss for "white" citizens, it's a loss for ALL citizens. He has as much to lose as the rest of us, so his divisive jabe get us nowhere.

[EndGOPPropaganda]

25. I'm white and I don't mind. He's right.

MLK said the same when he complained about the apathetic “white moderate”. I think MLK was right and I think this is right.

Now let’s get whites and minorities on the same side and go fix the country.

[whathehell]

34. I'd say he's as 'right' as this:. "Hey black people..Do you live in America?

If so, then you're as affected by Mueller's report as we are, so instead of telling us to "go do something about it", maybe you could join us in the task instead of engaging in divisive race-based jabs.". .

[LuvNewcastle]

47. This.

[whathehell]

49. You betcha.

[Tipperary]

53. Yes.

[whathehell]

58. Thank you.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

62. What a completely tone deaf response.

"race-based jabs" got us Trump. White people got us Trump.

And you have completely missed the point of the tweet which is that people of color go through these feelings all the time. I'm white. I'm not offended. It actually makes me understand something other than my own perspective.

But, yeah, keep up with your "All lives matter" manner of response. That's really helpful. for the impaired.

[whathehell]

66. Nah

Like a number of others here, I got the 'tone' just right.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

75. I'm sure the tone of your response accurately reflects your thoughts.

As a response, though, it's completely tone deaf to what POC are trying to tell us is a problem. Your "All Lives Matter" manner of response does nothing of value and only really demonstrates that you don't get it. But you seem to think that works for you, so, have at it I guess? Don't expect people to think it's an awesome response, though.

[Caliman73]

69. You don't think he knows that...

People of color HAVE to know that they are impacted by the Mueller report. They have to know that, and many other things that White people never have to think about.

That is exactly what he is saying. He said specifically, that the hope of White people who were expecting the Mueller report to correct the wrongs and restore justice to the system has been diminished because it does not explicitly do that. He wants White people to reflect on how that feels, and understand that this is how Black people feel every day about mundane things that White people take for granted like calling the cops for help and expecting NOT to be shot.

Yes it is a raw statement at a time when people are feeling on edge. That is the point. Black people, Brown people, and most women, but especially women of color are always on edge always having to think about their safety. The author is saying that "This feeling that you are feeling right now for this specific disappointment about Mueller..this is my daily life". Then he is directing said people to do what they can to address the situation.

It seems divisive, but it is actually a call for people to join the fight. The fight that BLM has been engaging in, that the Parkland students, that Standing Rock people have been fighting that immigrants rights people have been fighting. Do not retreat into disillusionment and hope that things just work themselves out. Fight.

[whathehell]

83. Then maybe he should speak as if he "knows" it..

because whatever he actually "meant", he comes off as sneering and divisive, and I take that shit from no one.

[Caliman73]

88. Comes off as, or you take it that way?

Communication is about the sender AND the receiver.

I have heard people say something that I perceived as fairly innocuous and others have taken as a grave offense.

I agree that senders do have to be aware of their message, but reactions also make me think, hmm... I wonder why something like that would create such an intense reaction?

I think if you look at his Twitter feed and who he is, you can safely assume that he does "know" it and has likely lived it regularly.

[handmade34]

19. ...

somehow the negative responses here sounds something like "all lives matter" I had a visceral response as soon as I read the tweet, I understand and think it is powerful!

[sweetloukillbot]

31. Lots of 'spaining and #NotAllWhitePeople

The ugly side is coming out. But these sort of posts always bring out the ugly side

[whathehell]

35. Yeah, well, divisive race-based 'gloating' tends to do that...

Treating people as you want to be treated, tends to reduce it greatly..

[sweetloukillbot]

54. What was divisive? What was gloating?

I’m white and nothing in that tweet was offensive to me. Sorry you felt oppressed.

[whathehell]

57. If you really don't understand,

I'd suggest you read the many other posters here who do..Maybe it will help you.

[58Sunliner]

40. No, the reader understands that the person is making blanket statements based on skin color.

And who did he target? Not some white people, not Dems, not liberals, no, just white people. Hey you white people is some derisive shit, as is any color based statement. We should not have 2 standards on discourse. How about I start making comments based on sex to all the men on this board and let's see how quickly that lasts.

[whathehell]

48. Thank you..

The gloating is incredibly obvious, not to mention misplaced given that he's as likely to suffer from a Mueller failure as any other American.. Oh well.

[0rganism]

77. how is this an insult?

i don't see the insult, only a call to action.

[George II]

87. I would prefer seeing allies insulted into acting than seeing more blacks murdered....

...in the name of law and order.

[ck4829]

10. K&R

[radius777]

12. The same white system that lets Trump

and his cronies off the hook after a long and expensive process - is the same one that routinely dumps PoC in jail for minor crimes and with questionable due process.

Because the standard white person is viewed as "blameless" and wholesome, the most innocent of victims who always deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Whites of all classes voted for Trump because they know who/what controls the system, and want to keep it that way. Even whites that didn't vote for him regularly excuse Trumpism on the basis of 'economic anxiety' type reasons.

[whathehell]

16. It's not a "white" system, it's corrupt right wing system

This isn't a "White" board, it's a DEMOCRATIC board -- There's no more a "standard" white person than there is a "standard" black person" -- Get over it.

[still_one]

20. In 2016 47% of the voting public didn't vote, and that is the problem, and it has been going on for

sometime. If we have a 50% voter turnout, that's consider "good"

Compared to other countries, it is pathetic

[whathehell]

21. Huh?

Are you sure you're on the right thread?

[still_one]

24. First of all I agree with the point you are making. Assuming a certain demograpphic is

monolithic can lead to false conclusions many times.

Unfortunately, not in a very cohesive way I was trying to extrapolate that point to the way people vote, because political analysts quite frequently try to relate voting patterns based on race, and it was a terrible analogy for me to use.

Sorry for the confusion. It was a bad example.

Thanks for pointing that out. I appreciate it

[whathehell]

29. Talking to DUers, white or not, as if they're Free Republic members

Last edited Mon Mar 25, 2019, 09:00 AM - Edit history (1)

really doesn't cut it..

One is almost tempted to say:

"Hey Black people-- Do you live in America?..If so, you're as affected by Mueller's report as we are, so maybe instead of just telling us to "go do something" about it, you should join us and "go do something about it' as well.

Thanks for explaining your post.

[still_one]

39. Yeah I know. It is divisionary, and sure as heck doesn't apply to 99.9% of the folks here

[58Sunliner]

42. Exactly-do the math and the truth will become apparent.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

63. You really don't want to let go of your privilege do you?

[whathehell]

65. You really don't want to let go of relentless resentment, do you?

[Cuthbert Allgood]

74. Resentment about what?

People not understanding their privilege? Then, yes, I don't want to do that.

[ck4829]

84. Exactly. Some really, truly prefer not to understand their privilege

[ck4829]

71. +1

[handmade34]

13. yes

[crazytown]

14. Thanks pnwmom

Corey Richardson’s tweet is powerful. A black man is shot by the cops. There is the outcry, the inquiry, the long wait for the findings. Then the report says there is insufficient evidence to prosecute. How does that feel? Those are the facts but how does it feel?

Thank you Corey. You have allowed me to put myself in AA shoes in a way I haven’t been able to before. “Now go do something about it”. Exactly right.

[tymorial]

26. I get the message but the Mueller histrionics is tiresome nt

[watoos]

30. What I take away from this thread is Mueller bashing,

I haven't seen the Mueller report yet like some here must have seen so I am waiting to give my opinion.

All that I have seen is the Barr report that the M$M is calling the Mueller report. I don't have a clue if Barr summarized Mueller's report accurately. Hell, it may have been White House lawyers who wrote the Barr report.

If Mueller's report was such a failure, you damn well better believe that Trump/Barr would have released it in its entirety. If Mueller failed us so badly why doesn't Trump release his report?

[cwydro]

85. Spot on.

Thank you.

[Drum]

32. Trolling?

Dividing Dems against each other?

[SlogginThroughIt]

41. Exactly.

[melman]

93. Always

[WhiskeyGrinder]

33. K&R. A sharp reminder from an important perspective.

[whathehell]

36. This isn't Free Republic -- What's 'needed' here is unity, not

divisive, race based jabs.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

38. We can unite in our efforts to fight facism while still carefully examining how our own privilege,

however we experience it, contributes to the oppression of others. In fact, in order to be truly united, we must do nothing less. Acknowledging the fact that systemic racism exists and benefits some over others is vital.

White people tend to have more faith in "the system" because it was created by them to benefit them. It's built into the institutions that this country runs on. Once in awhile, the system fails, and when the sense of betrayal and disappointment that some feel more than others falls along racial lines, it's important to examine why that might be.

Digging into racist divisions in an effort to root them out is never wasted. Ever.

[58Sunliner]

43. That is some flat out nonsense. What happened in the sixties??

We all know why the "system" is failing us and it has to do with corporate greed and sociopaths who run for office. The system doesn't fail once in a while, it is failing all the time because the poor, women, minorities, are all being lied to, threatened; an unequal system of justice for anyone who is either a woman, the wrong race, or not rich. The systemic racism, sexism, ageism, and abuse of power is not an unknown. Maybe you feel betrayed, but I grew up seeing, first hand, the inequities.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

44. Tell me, what did happen in the 60s?

Here's what I know: The U.S. passed the Civil Rights Act, which got rid of Jim Crow, and gave white people a way to pretend that racism had been eliminated entirely. Any failure by black people to advance must be because of their inherent inferiority, and racism was from then on evident only in intent, not outcome.

The system was built by white people for white people. There are certainly class and gender issues as well; systems of oppression intersect and reinforce oppression along those lines.

I don't feel betrayed at all. I know a lot of white people do, while the message I hear from black people has been, "We've been telling you this from some time; when the system is done with you, you'll be on the outside, and you need to be ready." Many didn't listen.

[58Sunliner]

98. How about you ask John Lewis, or read a book.

My response was to your statement, the system fails once in a while. I can not be bothered to address your lack of knowledge of the sixties.

[pnwmom]

67. You , personally, might be enlightened. That doesn't mean all white progressives are.

Anyone who decries "identity politics" -- as a good fraction of progressives do -- is showing their blind spot with regard to white privilege.

[JonLP24]

86. I'm a progressive and agree with Corey's tweet

This board is mostly made up by Bernie haters and this board still has these all lives matter type of posts.

[pnwmom]

89. Bernie has plenty of supporters here.

Among DUers who identify a favored primary candidate, as many prefer Bernie as Biden. Only Kamala has more supporters. Everyone else has fewer.

[JonLP24]

91. I don't see any of the pushback you're receiving from Bernie supporters

Except from me for your dig at progressives. I checked the profiles of those giving you pushback they are undecided and a Warren supporter.

[58Sunliner]

96. Anyone who decries "identity politics"-Don't remember doing that, but I see your assumption.

[whathehell]

45. I think we've done a lot of that "acknowleging" and "careful examining" here..

Last edited Mon Mar 25, 2019, 10:43 AM - Edit history (1)

at least in terms of race...

Many women here are still waiting for anything CLOSE to that level of conscience about Male Privilege from the men here of ALL races, but we won't hold our breath.-- As writer Katha Politt
says, " Misogyny is the last acceptable bigotry of the Left".

[WhiskeyGrinder]

46. Oppressions certainly intersect all the time.

With the discussion focusing on racial perspectives, that’s what I was responding to.

[whathehell]

52. Yes, some black and white men acknowledge that reality.

but instead of exploring it, they continue to argue, literally and figuratively, in black and white, so nothing changes.

[borgesian]

55. Using the Mueller report as the basis for a white privilege discussion...

...is very creative: quite a stretch and comes off a bit trollish under the circumstances, but very creative. I have to admit I didn't see that one coming.

[tonedevil]

61. Did you see...

Chris Rock and Dave Chapplle on SNL right after donald was "elected"?

[sweetloukillbot]

90. First thing I thought of

One of the most uncomfortable sketches they've done on SNL, but it opened my eyes a bit.

[ck4829]

72. We need some "trolling"

[jmg257]

64. "Hey, white people who had faith in Mueller..."

Lots of these people about, are there? Of any color?

[obnoxiousdrunk]

78. Is Corey's Twitter

account Bot verified ? Lot of this shit was going on in 2016 too ?

[pnwmom]

79. Are you saying if a black person brings up the topic of white privilege we should suspect a bot? n/t

[obnoxiousdrunk]

81. No.

In 2016 there were Bot accounts pretending to be from Black Lives matter.

[JonLP24]

80. DU doesn't surprise me anymore

I'm not bothered by Corey's tweet probably because I get more upset with unjustified police shootings.

[melman]

94. "faith in Mueller"

You know, some of us didn't spend the last two years trying to make Mueller into a superhero, endlessly typing up nonsensical fan fiction, promoting the idiotic ramblings of Louise Mensch and Claude Taylor...etc.

[pnwmom]

95. Right. Because it was so much more fun to decry "identify politics." n/t

[Raine]

97. I never had "faith" in Mueller

that's what happens when you stereotype ... you're wrong!

[ck4829]

100. No, not everyone did, but I know there were people who saw him as "the only hope"

That's a dangerous and depressing view to have, the people have to the hope of this country.

[tirebiter]

101. Muller did his job

It's up to Congress to prosecute and the Senate is the jury. Nixon had to face a majority Democratic House and Senate.

[fescuerescue]

102. It wasn't just white people

I don't know why the twitter guy is focusing on race.

All real Americans were counting on Mueller.

[SMC22307]

103. Have you seen the report? I haven't.

How do you know the system "failed" you if none of us (black, white, brown...) have seen the report but for a 4-page summary by a Fat Nixon lackey? Most of us didn't elevate Mueller to super-hero status. Stupid tweet, but for the part about doing something about police shootings of black people.