Al Sharpton: In America, bias, hate and racism move from the margins to the mainstream

The Manchester Guardian ^ | August 14, 2017 | Al Sharpton

[2ndDivisionVet]

This weekend, the world watched tragedy unfold in Charlottesville, Virginia. A young woman, Heather Heyer, lost her life and at least 19 others were injured when a car rammed into a crowd of people gathered to counter white supremacist protesters. What occurred in Charlottesville is a horrific example of hatred unleashing itself on American streets in 2017.

But what we must keep in mind is that Charlottesville is a symptom and we must deal with the cause: hate, bias and racism have been empowered and taken from the margins into the mainstream. Now we must come to terms with the fact that the president of the United States has played a role in emboldening these hate groups to come out of the shadows.

Those of us in New York City have known for many years that Donald Trump is not above giving dog whistles to people and certain groups. In the 1980s, he bought full-page ads in four major newspapers calling for the death penalty to be reinstated in NY against five black and Latino kids in the Central Park jogger rape case.

These kids, known as the Central Park Five, were later exonerated but Trump never apologized. He played on people’s fears and heightened racial division and tension then just as he did during the campaign cycle.....

[Altura Ct.]

FU Sharpton, FU BLM, FU Antifa!

[Ms Mable]

He used to get invites to the WH for talking points. (He let it slip once while blabbering on The Five)

Looks like he’s still getting them. It is clear as day from the racist crap he’s “constantly” spewing.... he’s scripted.

[piasa]

Technically Trump screwed up again by calling the guy in the car a murderer instead of “alleged murderer” and omitting the obligatory “lone wolf” description. Oh, and he forgot to add the overwrought concern for “possible backlash” against moderate whites and condemnation of crackerphobia.

[aquila48]

Thanks in great part to that Charlatan.

[I want the USA back]

He would be called a racist except that he has protective pigmentation.

[SkyDancer]

Put there by the biased MSMLSD.

[Ge0ffrey]

By all means, trot out Al Sharpton. Let him be the spokesman representing our nation’s racial woes. Let his face be plastered everywhere. Book him on all the Sunday talk shows. Book him on Colbert, on Kimmel, on Fallon! Don’t hesitate to pass him a microphone or, better yet, a megaphone. He knows all about racism. He shares our pain.

And then, next week, Hillary can roll out her book tour.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Yep, a SHJ

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