Washington (CNN) -- In unscheduled and unusually personal remarks, President Barack Obama tried Friday to explain why African-Americans were upset about last week's acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin while lowering expectations for federal charges in the case.
"Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago," Obama told White House reporters in a surprise appearance at the daily briefing.
His remarks, which lasted about 20 minutes, escalated a nationwide debate on the verdict that has prompted protests, including some that turned violent.
A Florida jury acquitted Zimmerman last Saturday in Martin's February 26, 2012, shooting death, inciting anger among many who considered the incident racially motivated murder.
Obama issued a written statement on Sunday, noting that the jury had spoken and urging calm and reflection. Despite some calls for him to speak about the case, the nation's first African-American president had made no further public comment until Friday.
Speaking without a teleprompter, Obama noted a history of racial disparity in law as well as more nuanced social prejudice that contribute to "a lot of pain" in the African-American community over the verdict.
"There are very few African-American men in this country who have not had the experience of being followed when they are shopping at a department store. That includes me," the president said.
"There are probably very few African-American men who have not had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me - at least before I was a senator," he continued.
Read the full transcript of President Obama's remarks
"There are very few African-Americans who have not had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had the chance to get off. That happens often," he said.
Saying he didn't intend to exaggerate those experiences, Obama added that they "inform how the African-American community interprets what happened one night in Florida."
"The African-American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws, everything from the death penalty to enforcement of our drug laws," he said. "And that ends up having an impact in terms of how people interpret the case."
African-Americans feel the context of the Martin killing is little known or denied, "and that all contributes, I think, to a sense that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different," Obama said.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/19/politics/obama-zimmerman/index.html
Everyone has been followed in a store sometime in their life..I used to notice it when I was a teenager and had long hair...they didn't trust me according to how I looked.
Maybe it was because us long hair teenagers were more apt to shoplift a bottle of whiskey.
So do I smash some store employee heads...No..perhaps that effort could have went to smashing some other long hair heads in/ as they are the cause of me being watched by employees while in the store....Hell If i am going to lay blame just as well point it in the right direction.
Jesus fucking christ...half the people or more didnt know who he was while a senator...Becoming senator didnt make people stop locking the doors when he walked by...Its because he was dressed nice and had gotten older.
But by admission he is saying not all black men cause doors to get locked when they go by.
Can the women be scared of who they want to be?...Some leave the purse in carts etc while shopping and might be ten foot from it...others wont chance it.
What the hell is wrong with a woman clutching her purse if there is just her and 1 male on the elevator?...And if she is more scared of it being snatched by a black isnt that her business.
Does this also mean that a black woman is also more prone to clutch her purse as well....Why is she scared?
If she is more worried about it being snatched by a man than woman isnt that her business...by someone young verses someone old isnt that her business?...Maybe she is old and wise and knows who is more apt to snatch her purse?...maybe some look at her purse and others dont?
The outcome was determined by the head smashing and not the skin color...I swear he has been watching sharpton to much.
Martin came back to where Zimmerman was...popped him in the nose got on top of him and started smashing his head...George ended up shooting him...why is that so hard for the president to say?
It is what the evidence found, by eye witnesses and forensics backed it up...He knows it...so why not just say it..rather than act like Sharpton?
Race really has nothing to do with this....Unless people want to claim George wouldnt have shot a white man that was smashing his head into the sidewalk.
Just when I thought Obama might be alright...he pulls this racist shit.
"Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago," Obama told White House reporters in a surprise appearance at the daily briefing.
His remarks, which lasted about 20 minutes, escalated a nationwide debate on the verdict that has prompted protests, including some that turned violent.
A Florida jury acquitted Zimmerman last Saturday in Martin's February 26, 2012, shooting death, inciting anger among many who considered the incident racially motivated murder.
Obama issued a written statement on Sunday, noting that the jury had spoken and urging calm and reflection. Despite some calls for him to speak about the case, the nation's first African-American president had made no further public comment until Friday.
Speaking without a teleprompter, Obama noted a history of racial disparity in law as well as more nuanced social prejudice that contribute to "a lot of pain" in the African-American community over the verdict.
"There are very few African-American men in this country who have not had the experience of being followed when they are shopping at a department store. That includes me," the president said.
"There are probably very few African-American men who have not had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me - at least before I was a senator," he continued.
Read the full transcript of President Obama's remarks
"There are very few African-Americans who have not had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had the chance to get off. That happens often," he said.
Saying he didn't intend to exaggerate those experiences, Obama added that they "inform how the African-American community interprets what happened one night in Florida."
"The African-American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws, everything from the death penalty to enforcement of our drug laws," he said. "And that ends up having an impact in terms of how people interpret the case."
African-Americans feel the context of the Martin killing is little known or denied, "and that all contributes, I think, to a sense that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different," Obama said.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/19/politics/obama-zimmerman/index.html
Really president you were also violent? and slammed people heads into the sidewalk?
So?....Does that mean we should smash their heads?
Everyone has been followed in a store sometime in their life..I used to notice it when I was a teenager and had long hair...they didn't trust me according to how I looked.
Maybe it was because us long hair teenagers were more apt to shoplift a bottle of whiskey.
So do I smash some store employee heads...No..perhaps that effort could have went to smashing some other long hair heads in/ as they are the cause of me being watched by employees while in the store....Hell If i am going to lay blame just as well point it in the right direction.
Jesus fucking christ...half the people or more didnt know who he was while a senator...Becoming senator didnt make people stop locking the doors when he walked by...Its because he was dressed nice and had gotten older.
But by admission he is saying not all black men cause doors to get locked when they go by.
Can the women be scared of who they want to be?...Some leave the purse in carts etc while shopping and might be ten foot from it...others wont chance it.
What the hell is wrong with a woman clutching her purse if there is just her and 1 male on the elevator?...And if she is more scared of it being snatched by a black isnt that her business.
Does this also mean that a black woman is also more prone to clutch her purse as well....Why is she scared?
If she is more worried about it being snatched by a man than woman isnt that her business...by someone young verses someone old isnt that her business?...Maybe she is old and wise and knows who is more apt to snatch her purse?...maybe some look at her purse and others dont?
The outcome was determined by the head smashing and not the skin color...I swear he has been watching sharpton to much.
Martin came back to where Zimmerman was...popped him in the nose got on top of him and started smashing his head...George ended up shooting him...why is that so hard for the president to say?
It is what the evidence found, by eye witnesses and forensics backed it up...He knows it...so why not just say it..rather than act like Sharpton?
Race really has nothing to do with this....Unless people want to claim George wouldnt have shot a white man that was smashing his head into the sidewalk.
Just when I thought Obama might be alright...he pulls this racist shit.
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