Widow of Prof. Derrick Bell speaks out against attacks by Fox News and Sarah Palin

[HomerJS]

Remember the latest so called damning footage the dead and buried Andrew Breitbart claimed would sink Obama? Fox News aired the so call breaking story (which PBS released 4 years ago.) Hannity, Sarah Palin, Bill O'Reilly et al tried to claim Obama over 20 years ago was associating with a racist radical. In so doing smeared the reputation of Professor Derrick Bell the deceased former professor at Harvard U. His widow Janet Bell answers the Fox News, right wing attacks. She deserves to be heard.

http://ed.msnbc.msn.com/

 

[Dari]

Those people are disgusting. They're the racists.

 

[cybrsage]

Did not read,

Then read the link in the OP instead of injecting irrelevant, derailing material into this thread -Admin DrPizza

 

[jackschmittusa]

Blatant troll: ↑

 

[bunnyfubbles]

I guess Obama is waiting to unleash his terrorist minions until after he secures a second term? Or maybe right before, should he somehow lose? I'm no Obama fan, but its pretty ridiculous how divided and ignorant this country can be, on both sides.

 

[IBMer]

I don't know what they are trying to do with this kind of story. The only people that this story would even convince are people that already don't like Obama. They already have that vote. What vote they do lose is the moderates and independents that aren't excited about any of their nominees and silly gamesmanship like this.

 

[boomerang]

Yawn

 

[Jhhnn]

I guess Obama is waiting to unleash his terrorist minions until after he secures a second term? Or maybe right before, should he somehow lose? I'm no Obama fan, but its pretty ridiculous how divided and ignorant this country can be, on both sides.

Inject a little false equivalency, huh?

There is no equivalent to the vicious, raving desperation of the paid pundits of the Right Wing, who'll say anything to get their bloated paychecks. It's utterly shameful, reminiscent of many episodes of the past, like this one-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO2iiovYq70

Welch got it right back then, and more Americans need to get it right today.

 

[NeoV]

the folks in Alabama and Mississippi ate this up

for the rest of the people with an IQ over 50, not so much


Sarah Palin called the guy racist based on what exactly?

 

[xBiffx]

If this isn't damming to the president and all of this stuff about Prof. Bell is lies then why are liberals and the media diving in to save the day for Obama? If there is not truth to the matter then ignore it and let it go away. Fact is, Bell was as racist as Farrakhan and I don't see anyone defending that nutcase. Whether or not Obama had anything to do with that racism, who knows, but the amount of press and liberal hysteria trying to counter this is a bit telling. Again, ignore it if it isn't a big deal. Asking too much of liberals?

 

[NeoV]

the point biff is that Sarah Palin goes and calls this guy a racist - and because Obama "omg he hugged a racist" this is a story?

What basis is there for this guy to be called a racist?

I'm not coming to Obama's defense here, I'm coming to the defense of Professor Bell

 

[cybrsage]

Did not read,

Then read the link in the OP instead of injecting irrelevant, derailing material into this thread -Admin DrPizza

There is nothing to read, only videos. I asked because the Wright this was beaten to death...he is a racist and Obama leaned on his as his spiritual advisor for decades. These are well known facts and not worthy of continued discussion. I had hoped someone would say what is in the videos...but that did not happen.


EDIT: Apparently is it about a racist named Prof. Bell. Here are some writings from him:

In other words, Bell could care less what the law actually says — as far as he’s concerned, that’s irrelevant. What matters is making sure the right legal results are achieved.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/rev...-prof-obama-raves-about-in-new-harvard-video/

However, as to whether Obama really subscribed to the philosophy of Bell, right now the issue is less clear-cut. A 2007 article from “Rolling Stone” mentions the Bell protests, but also includes the following:

Although hip-hop was stirring the campus, friends say that Obama was not the type to stay out late at rap shows. In 1990, when Harvard law professor Derrick Bell resigned to protest the denial of tenure to Black visiting professor Regina Austin and progressive law students organized a national protest over faculty diversity, Obama played a background role.
“He was supportive, and spoke at a few rallies, but he didn’t really have time,” says Bernard, an organizer of the protest. “The image I have is him being on the way to the Law Review building, chain-smoking and joining us for a few minutes before he had to go.”
​

A book titled “Not Even Past: Barack Obama and the Burden of Race” also sheds light on the issue. According to the book, while Obama was sympathetic to the views of Austin and Bell, he “refused to denounce his critics and hurl polemics” and negotiated a “momentary cease-fire in Harvard’s culture wars.”

So it appears that while Prof. Bell was a racist, Obama did not necessarily agree with him. Unlike the Rev. Wright issue, this one is nothing.

 

[child of wonder]

If this isn't damming to the president and all of this stuff about Prof. Bell is lies then why are liberals and the media diving in to save the day for Obama? If there is not truth to the matter then ignore it and let it go away. Fact is, Bell was as racist as Farrakhan and I don't see anyone defending that nutcase. Whether or not Obama had anything to do with that racism, who knows, but the amount of press and liberal hysteria trying to counter this is a bit telling. Again, ignore it if it isn't a big deal. Asking too much of liberals?

So if a co-worker made false accusations about you at work that could potentially cause you to lose your job and your boss questioned you about it, you'd simply shrug and say nothing? Ignore it and it will go away?

Thanks to the simple minded nature of the masses, in the media the truth often isn't about who's right, it's about who's the loudest.

 

[xBiffx]

the point biff is that Sarah Palin goes and calls this guy a racist - and because Obama "omg he hugged a racist" this is a story?

What basis is there for this guy to be called a racist?

I'm not coming to Obama's defense here, I'm coming to the defense of Professor Bell

WTF does it matter what Sarah Palin says? She is about as relevant and Bobo the Clown. And she is about as representative of the right as Chris Mathews is of the left. Who gives two shits?!?

Also, who the f is Prof. Bell. No one knew of him before this story so get over it.

 

[xBiffx]

So if a co-worker made false accusations about you at work that could potentially cause you to lose your job and your boss questioned you about it, you'd simply shrug and say nothing? Ignore it and it will go away?

Thanks to the simple minded nature of the masses, in the media the truth often isn't about who's right, it's about who's the loudest.

This is a little bit different than your scenario. These people put themselves on a pedestal and although I don't agree with it, they asked for getting poo flung at them. Nature of the beast when you are in the public eye.

Given the media, I highly doubt we have to worry about a message from the right overtaking a message from the left. Honestly, ignore it and it goes away.

 

[NeoV]

Sadly, Sarah Palin holds a great deal of sway with GOP voters - particularly women that for some reason aren't appalled with the GOP's recent gaffes on health related issues involving women.

Cyber - I have yet to see any evidence that would entitle anyone to call Professor Bell a racist.

 

[Genx87]

What? The left is now against guilt by association?

 

[MovingTarget]

the folks in Alabama and Mississippi ate this up

for the rest of the people with an IQ over 50, not so much


Sarah Palin called the guy racist based on what exactly?

Do not confuse the good people of Alabama with the "morans" of the FOX Nation. This really is a non-story to those of us who watch public television. Their news programs practice this thing called "journalism", which neither FOX, Brietbart, nor Drudge have heard of yet. They make the "yellow journalism" that you learn about in history class seem pale by comparison.

On another note, damn, my state needs a website redesign ASAP.

 

[MovingTarget]

What? The left is now against guilt by association?

Pay them no mind. Those on the left are just a bunch of secret socialist muslims that pal around with terrorists.

 

[Thump553]

If this isn't damming to the president and all of this stuff about Prof. Bell is lies then why are liberals and the media diving in to save the day for Obama? If there is not truth to the matter then ignore it and let it go away. Fact is, Bell was as racist as Farrakhan and I don't see anyone defending that nutcase. Whether or not Obama had anything to do with that racism, who knows, but the amount of press and liberal hysteria trying to counter this is a bit telling. Again, ignore it if it isn't a big deal. Asking too much of liberals?

The fact of the matter is the right wing media machine is like a super intense reflecting machine that takes BS lies and theories and hammers them over and over again into their audience. Why do you think so many Republicans-to this very day-believe such throughly discredited lies as Obama wasn't born in the US or that he is a Muslim?

No, I think it is rcorrect and honest to strongly face lies and expose them. We've been swiftboated once before and the GOP continues to follow that gameplay strategy. If you are uncomfortable with your heroes being called out on their lying, then either reevaluate your standards or live with it.

 

[cybrsage]

Cyber - I have yet to see any evidence that would entitle anyone to call Professor Bell a racist.

He supported Affirmative Action, a racist system which promotes some over others based on the color of their skin alone. What would you call someone who supports racist programs?

 

[NeoV]

so just to clarify Cyber - anyone who supported any type of Affirmative action is a racist?

you do also realize that applies to women as well, not just black people?

"take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin"

That's directly from the executive order that JFK issued -

 

[cybrsage]

so just to clarify Cyber - anyone who supported any type of Affirmative action is a racist?

Would have to look at each specific type and see what and why it does what it does. The US' legally enforced racist policy of promoting some due to the color of their skin alone is a racist system.

We have laws which prevent using the color of someone's skin as a reason to hire or not hire someone due to it being racist to do so. And then we have AA which says you must hire someone based on the color of their skin...

you do also realize that applies to women as well, not just black people?

Yes, but adding too many adjectives (racist, sexist, etc) makes it too difficult to type every time. Since the subject here is race, I stuck with that one.

"take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin"

That's directly from the executive order that JFK issued -

Unfortunately, the system we have called Affirmative Action is nothing like that.

EDIT: I am specifically talking about this:

Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin"[1] into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually justified as countering the effects of a history of discrimination.

Affirmative action has been the subject of numerous court cases,[13] and has been contested on constitutional grounds. In 2003, a Supreme Court decision (Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 US 306 - Supreme Court 2003) concerning affirmative action in universities allowed educational institutions to consider race as a factor in admitting students, but ruled that strict point systems are unconstitutional.[14] Conservatives say that state officials have widely disobeyed it.[who?] Alternatively, some colleges use financial criteria to attract racial groups that have typically been under represented and typically have lower living conditions. Some states such as California (California Civil Rights Initiative), Michigan (Michigan Civil Rights Initiative), and Washington (Initiative 200) have passed constitutional amendments banning affirmative action within their respective states.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_action

 

[NeoV]

so again - you used the blanket of 'he supported Affirmative Action programs' without details, and that was sufficient in your mind to call him a racist - but you would "have to look at each specific type" to see what it does to be sure?

Could you possibly be more of the poster boy for a typical GOP voter?

 

[xBiffx]

The fact of the matter is the right wing media machine is like a super intense reflecting machine that takes BS lies and theories and hammers them over and over again into their audience. Why do you think so many Republicans-to this very day-believe such throughly discredited lies as Obama wasn't born in the US or that he is a Muslim?

No, I think it is rcorrect and honest to strongly face lies and expose them. We've been swiftboated once before and the GOP continues to follow that gameplay strategy. If you are uncomfortable with your heroes being called out on their lying, then either reevaluate your standards or live with it.

You need to get over yourself. I don't idolize any of these people within Fox News. I don't even have cable to watch it. Everything you stated is just complete BS. Maybe some people polled in the south believe those things but show me where they apply to "so many Republicans." You just called out people who watch Faux News for believing the BS lies but yet you just showed the exact same quality only from the left. You believe the garbage that the left is spewing, you drink it down like Koolaid and then have the gall to accuse the right of the same thing.

Its entertaining to watch you lefties get your panties in a bunch over lies and BS that supposedly come from a worthless, incoherent, irrelevant news source that was then commented on by an already marginalized, nothing, irrelevant ex-governor. What's to worry about here? Either you don't believe:

1. The lefts story about what is going on here and this is all BS.
2. Fox news is as worthless as the left media leads you to believe.
3. Sarah Palin is as irrelevant as the left would have you believe.

I highly doubt 2 and 3 are true, perhaps you are afraid 1 is true. Who knows, but its damn entertaining to see the left stir up a circus over supposedly a non issue even more-so than Fox News. If it was all Fox News then it would be easy to ignore but sadly the leftist media has to entertain the panty bunchers somehow. And that's all this really is, media hype from both sides.