“This tragedy has deeply saddened New Yorkers – and all Americans. My thoughts are with Nicole and her children and the rest of Sean’s family during this difficult time. The court has given its verdict, and now we await the conclusion of a Department of Justice civil rights investigation. We must also embrace this opportunity to take steps – in our communities, in our law enforcement agencies, and in our government – to make sure this does not happen again.”

David Patterson’s was not the same as Obama’s.

SMH @ the rationalizations going on to shield Obama.

Damn Shame.

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-53/120943164137840.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

Queens voted for her too!

My point is there are countless elected officials in the state of New York that were voted in overwhelmingly by black folks, including Bloomberg, Schumer and Clinton.

It is absolutely astounding the lack of accountability that black folks hold for local officials, who most effect our every day lives, NOT the Presdident and most certainly not a presidential candidate.

We can all express sympathy and outrage over Sean Bell, but at the end of the day, none of us have any power to effect changes withing the NYPD, but Bloomber most certainly does. As well as the Black govern, Patterson.

It is an absolute waste of time and effort pissing on Obama over something he has no control over.

From what I’ve observed, the federal bureaucracy tends to stay as neutral and NON-CONTROVERSIAL as possible ESPECIALLY during election season.

David Patterson was suprised by the verdict and spoke out about the criminal justice system.

This blogger is speaking about the candidate that she supports reaction.

“I should remind folks that Senator Clinton is the Senator from New York and Harlem voted for her.”

Sean Bell was murdered in Queens not Harlem.

I know that you people do not like even the slightest criticism of Obama which is why I have found myself annoyed recently. However in this case, nobody is coming down on him. People are simply saying that Obama has certain limitations to what he can say and do. We understand that he cannot say certain things on the campaign trail however it makes some wonder if he will be able to say certain things in the white house.

I agree that Obama getting the question and Clinton not is pretty interesting. He was asked the question. I am going to figure that the person who asked him was black. They wanted to hear how their candidate felt about it. Hillary’s black supporters are an interesting group, they could careless about things like this.

An Obama administration would start with the absolute visuals of an administration with a black giving leadership, but it would give our country the absolute backbone that is necessary. As he states, he will follow the Constitution of the USA; he will be accountable for this by the American people.

First step is an AG that will do so and second step is a Justice Dept. that will do so. So, for the NYPD, CPD, Baltimore, LA (and on and on and on), the culture of laying on bullets on blacks will be seriously re-adjusted.

This is a moment of understanding the nuances of the hot mess that we are in and it ain’t easy and one guy just sayin’ something ain’t it.

Thanks! I was going to ask the same question. I knew that some Black folks would be criticizing Senator Obama about his response to the Bell decision. I should remind folks that Senator Clinton is the Senator from New York and Harlem voted for her.

a reformer will never even get the chance to be president. those who are elected have to water down their beliefs to the point that they lose their souls.

On the flip side, those of us who have studied Barack and understand where he comes from, are quite confident that the Sean Bell injustice angered him and Michelle as much as it did the rest of Black America. And that when he’s president, he’ll clean the DOJ house from top to bottom, and will move to act swiftly on the next Sean Bell-type injustice.

But first, he knows–like we all know–that he has to weather the current storm of anti-Black sentiments of blue collar whites and white liberal pundits. If he can do this while maintaining his sanity, he’ll be unstoppable.

While symbolism may be wonderful, it can also fall flat. So lets not put all the eggs in the symbolism basket. Having black faces in the white house and chaos in the street, and institutionalized racism in the institutions, double standards all around us then it makes no sense because it will simply make people (whites) think that we have all arrived and everything is fine. Many do not even want to acknowledge the racial divide or existence of certain issues now. An Obama presidency while nice, would not help in that regard espcially if he cannot stand up and assert himself because of the way our society is. Many who are in support of Obama have articulated this to some degree.

There are a lot of things that Obama cannot say or do. If he gets into the White House, it will be no different really. He is being controlled by a dominant white populace who wants no aspect of themselves to be compromised or uncomforted.

The Bell issue is a moral issue there is a pattern here in NYC. It is easy for people (which is sad) to dismiss it in other parts of the country especially if they do not see it first hand. The NYPD Police Misconduct occurs often and is often covered up. The criminal justice system needs adjusting.

I know Obama will not solve the ills of the black community and I know that he probably cannot esp. if he cannot touch anything having to do with blacks now. Nobody expects him too and nobody expects him to focus entirely on it at all.

My roommate was telling me tonight that middle class blacks see Obama differently from poor blacks. For the middle class, symbolism is wonderful and he stands on many of the issues that they want to see change. However for the black underclass, they have a lot of immediate issues and symbolism and hope are harder ideals to grasp.

I know the tightrope that he walks however it can be discouraging because it creates a disconnection between him and many of those in the community. It is something that cannot be looked over though it does not change my opinion of him as a candidate or future president.

Damn a symbol. The Huxtables were symbols. If a black child doesn’t have the imagination to imagine himself reaching the stars (and we’ve had numerous black astronauts) having brown folk in the White House isn’t going to make a damn bit of difference.

It pisses me off that more Black people have challenged Obama. If they do, they are demonized. First it was Tavis, now it’s Wright.

All for a symbol, who WILL NOT be able to deliver a damn thing.

With one in nine AA males being incarcerated, I want a new paradigm of success. I want the men in my family not to be the exception, but the rule. And if an Obama presidency, with a proud dark sister as the First Lady, and two gorgeous baby girls as the First children, is all that comes from it, then so be it. I think more will actually occur, given his governing philosophy, and what he has said regarding War Crimes, but that’s a different topic.

There is not one problem facing black American that can be quantified as just a black problem.

There are all kinds of injustices that afflict every race.

Second, I really hope black people aren’t expecting a black President to solve the ills our our communities. Black people need to find a way to rectify these many problems themselves. Now, if a man is slain and riddled with 50 bullets, there isn’t much that one can do to prevent that type of violence and brutality. But I hope black America isn’t expecting Obama to get into the White House and have racial profiling cease to exist within police departments across the country.

Like Angela, I am more excited about what the image of an Obama presidency does for everyone 25 and under in the black community, and for future generations to come who would be inspired and hopeful due to his ascent to the highest office in the land.