Last week, President Obama made the following remarks about the death of Trayvon Martin: Obama comments on Trayvon
In respsonse, presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich, called President Obama's statement "disgraceful": Gingrich on Obama
Today, the news blogs are still covering the issue: The Maddow Blog
RESPOND: Why do you think President Obama and Mr. Gingrich expressed themselves the way they did about this tragedy? What was each of them thinking? If you worked as a spokesperson for President Obama, how would you respond?
Here is a response by David Plouffe, a senior White House advisor: Election 2012 Blog
Obama and Gingrich aren't the only two who disagree about how to talk about this tragedy. Cablenews journalist, Melissa Harris-Perry, responds to Geraldo Rivera's comments on her MSNBC show: Huffington Post Media
RESPOND: Why do you think people like Geraldo Rivera want to make clothing choices the focus of the conversation? Do you think this is part of the problem facing young people today? Why or why not?
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ReplyDeleteThe reason why people like Geraldo Rivera want to make clothing a factor is because the fact that it is a sterotype. He is trying to say that wearing a hoodie is a sign of bad things. I believe that clothes is a problem for youth in today society because they show how we act and if one person makes a statement about one of us then it is all of us. People like to judge us on what we wear and I believe that this need to stop.
ReplyDeleteThe reasin why I believe that Obama himself expressed what he was feeling is because he felt poignant. He knew what Trayvon's parents are going through so that why he related to himself. Gingrich on the other hand was being ignorant. He was trying to say that all Obama was saying was a lie, but how does he knows.
I think President Obama statement about if "he had a son,he would be like Travon Martin" because he was a very smart kid or the way how he dress! A lot of people now a days think people who wear hoodies are the bad people but some are really not. Trayvon was a really good kid. I think george zimmerman take it to far, I mean I know he's trying to keep the neighborhood save. But why shoot Trayvon Martin?you didn't give him a chance; Of course president Obama is supporting Trayvon Martin. Newt Gingrich says "disgraceful" on President Obama statement. How is it disgracefu? In my opinion it was really not, but I bet if a black guy kill a white teen. The black guy will deffinetly go to jail. Sometimes RACIAL KILL US! Everyone should be treated the same.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that Obama didn't say anything wrong, he's being human and caring. I believe that Gingrich is very pathetic and for him to believe such a thing is ridiculous. I know he's your competitor Gingrich but that's low. trying to make Obama's comment seem like the situation is about race. If I worked for Obama as a spokesperson I would say "Hey, Gingrich want to have a meeting with Obama to discuss your misinterpretation? The media's going to be there."
Response to #2:
People like Geraldo Rivera just want to be stereotypical by saying the hoodie was as responsible for Travon's death. It's ridiculous how they can say such things about people of the race. It's like the baggy pants let the youth be. You can not define a person by their dress code but by their actions. Yes, appearance is important but when your walking around you don't have to dress like a professional you can just be a teenager. It is so sad that these two men have the nerves to judge this boy in such a way. They feel no sorrow no compassion for the family's lost! They feel nothing but the need to be stereotypical and criticize the way he dressed and blame it on his apparel! These men are the type of men that shouldn't have a say in problems such as this one. I do understand that some boys bag their pant TOO much but this is getting way out of proportion. As Americans we are suppose to be trying to fix this and make a change not criticize the situation and blame it on apparel or race!
Looking on the reponses of President Obama and Gingrich is that President Obama took it to a personal level which is not bad , he tried to put himself in the parents shoes on how he would feel if that was his child which is understanable . While Obama decided to look at it in that point of view Gringrich took Obamas point of view in a negative but undersstanding way. Gringrich felt like obama took it into more of a racial standard than personal . He said it shouldnt matter what race the victom is . He later on said " When things go wrong to an American. It is sad for all Americans.” I agree with him to that extend but not that obamas comment was "disgraceful" . Obama said Americans need to do some soul searching , well i think people should be more Open Minded and Understading .
ReplyDeleteNow when i look at Mellisa Harris-Perry and Geraldo Rivera and i feel clothing did take some part of the tragedy but not as much as Rivera says it to be just because someone is wearing a hoodie doesnt mean theyre meaning to cause someone harm. The problem isn't how people dress is the stereotypes society itself lives by that cause misunderstandings and tragedies such as this one . And when it comes to floridas law i dont think its very fair to be able to shot someone just because you think that person is trying to do danger confronting the person should be enough but shooting them is just too much .
Obama responds to the Trayvon case, with a personal connotation. Gingrich zeros in on the part where Obama mentions race. I think Gingrich tried to use Obama’s words to make him look mad. On the note that he is running for president. But I also agree to what Gingrich said towards the end “At some point we ought to talk about being Americans. When things go wrong to an American. It is sad for all Americans.” I wonder why eveyrone wears the race lens, in these types of situation. People try to make it a race thing, when it is a law thing. The stand your ground law should be revised. Not our racism, it’s always been there and I think it always will be
ReplyDeleteI have not been following the Trayvon Martin Case how many others have been. I understand the seriousness of this situation and how this could be considered an act of racism. But what I question is why is everyone following this particular case? Because people shoot people every day for their appearances, their race and other reasons. There are probably many cases just like this, and just because it made it to the news we have to do something about it? I understand and respect that people are trying to support Mr. Trayvon Martin but wearing a sweatshirt will not do anything.
ReplyDeleteI was talking with one of my fellow classmates and asked him why he was wearing his sweatshirt? He told me to support Trayvon. I said how is this doing any good or making a difference? He said because he was murdered wearing a hoodie. Then I said how does this make it better? And He said he doesn’t know…..
I agree with Brianna
ReplyDeleteI think the reason they are focusing on the clothing that people wear, is because teenagers all do end up dressing the same. And if one person got shot because he looked suspicious because he was wearing a hoodie, there is a chance that it might happen to other people.
People think that they are helping to support Trayvon's family by wearing hoodies, well to me it seems like it's just like when people were clicking to "Sign" an online petition against Kony, it's not really going to help anything. Yes, showing people that they support things is good, but it's not really going to get anything done.
Obama is the type of person that likes to share his opinion about a certain subject , he doesn't care what other people have to say all thats matters is his being honest with people. Gingrich is just trying to make Obama seem like he only tries to protect his "race" by twisting his words. when Obama stated "If I had a son it would look like Trayvon", he wasn't trying to make it a racial issue he was just stating the obvious. Obama black we all know that but that don't justify that he should get more special treatment than a white person or an asian,we're all equal in our own way, no matter what race,religion, or sexual orientation, we are who we are. one of my favorite quote was one said by Buddha "Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. Don't say or do things that will harm someone because later it will hurt you twice as much without you even knowing it, karma a pain. I agree with my classmates that the whole hoody idea has no affect at all in the Trayvon situation , we should try to find other ways to show we care and feel for the Martin family. What George Zimmerman did was extremely wrong on all levels, no one deserves to die just back they look suspicious especially a teenager that was even armed and was minding his own business. I don't this case has anything to do with race ;to me the media just trying to interrupt that way because they want have something to talk about so, people all across america can debating about it. Instead, of wearing hoodies up people should donate money to the Martin family so they could hire a better attorney and put Zimmerman in the place he belongs, jail. Something that really bothered me was that girl who wrote the status on Facebook saying that Trayvon "deserved to die and if all black people were gone there would be no more poverty or aids".Sometimes I think how can someone be so ignorant and dumb it's just so crazy. Poverty wouldn't exist if people weren't so greedy, If people only took what they needed to survive ;starvation wouldn't be a problem in the world. Aids occures more in countries like Africa because women don't have a say in their life. If a male chooses not to wear a condom during sexual intercourse he doesn't have to. So, how are we going to stop spreading aids with all the culture bias they have in countries like, Africa and Afghanistan. Plus, they don't have the medical attention they need to take care of them selfs.
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