By John Lillpop ——Bio and Archives--July 20, 2013
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Obama spoke very personally about his own experiences growing up as a black man, saying, “There are very few African American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were in a department store. And that includes me.” “There are very few African American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars,” he continued. “That happens to me — at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven’t had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.”As the President knows full well, no compassionate American would contend that the situations Obama cited(being followed in a store, hearing clicks on car doors, coping with a woman clutching her purse) are acceptable to anyone, regardless of race. Likewise, most reasonable Americans honestly believe that any one of those experiences, or all of them collectively for that matter, are NOT justification for ignoring the standard of reasonable doubt, or the presumption of innocence. Those standards should remain in place for George Zimmerman and any other person, of any race, involved in causing the death of a black man. George Zimmerman is NOT responsible for the history of racism, nor should be held accountable for African Americans being followed in department stores, or click door locks, or unnecessary purse clutching. George Zimmerman is NOT responsible for 400 years of slavery, mob lynchings, rampant racial discrimination, or other racial outrage visited upon blacks. As to the history of racism, Obama conveniently overlooks the fact that numerous sources, including the FBI, have stated that there was no evidence of racism in George Zimmerman’s behavior. Some have speculated that Obama’s Fatherly chat was really meant to let “his people” know that he is 100% with them in fighting racial injustice, AND to let them know, gently, that the notion of bringing a civil case against Zimmerman is a foolish fantasy with no chance of being successful and no chance, therefore, of being pursued. The sad truth is that Obama’s parsed words incite even more hatred and contempt for George Zimmerman, the man whom the jury found NOT GUILTY! John W. Lillpop San Jose, California
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John W. Lillpop is a recovering liberal. “Clean and sober” since 1992 when last he voted for a Democrat. For years, John lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, the very liberal sanctuary city which protects, rather than prosecutes, certain favored criminals. John escaped the Bay Area in May and now lives in Pine Grove California where conservative values are still in vogue.