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The Vanilla Side Of Town

Mike

Well-known member
Princeton University Professor Dr. Cornel West appeared on the Tavis Smiley radio show on Thursday where he weighed in with his thoughts on how the media and lawmakers are responding to the tragic massacre of teachers and children in Newtown, Connecticut. West expressed his frustration over how eagerly the media demanded a conversation about gun laws after Newtown, but seems unmoved by endemic gun violence in America’s cities where the victims are primarily minorities.

RELATED: Limbaugh: ‘Anti-Gun Media’ Don’t Care About Gun Violence When It Involves Urban Neighborhoods

“We can’t just shed tears for those on the vanilla side of town,” West said.” They are precious, but they are no less or more precious than our poor brothers and sisters on Indian reservations — who are killing each other — or be they black or brown or what have you.”

“But it’s a good thing that we now have a discussion on gun control. We need one on drone control. Not a peep, not a mumbling word when black folk get shot,” West added. “But now, Newtown, Connecticut, vanilla side — low and behold we got a major conversation. That’s wonderful. Each life is precious, but it just upsets me when we’re so deferential.”

West echoes a sentiment expressed by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh who, in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, admonished the media for their collective disinterest in urban gun violence.
 

Steve

Well-known member
it is true that few are outraged and call for national dialog on reservation shootings.. in fact I bet few outside of the reservation even know they exist..

The Red Lake massacre was an incident of spree killing that occurred in two places on the Ojibwe Red Lake reservation in Red Lake, Minnesota, United States. On the morning of March 21, 2005, 16-year-old Jeffrey Weise (Ojibwe) killed his grandfather and his companion. Taking his grandfather's police weapons and vest, Weise drove his police vehicle to Red Lake Senior High School, where he had been a student some months before.

He shot and killed seven people at the school, beginning with an unarmed security guard at the entrance, and wounded five others. The dead included a teacher and five students. Weise exchanged gunfire with police who quickly arrived at the school; after being wounded, he committed suicide in a vacant classroom.

The reservation of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa is in northwest Minnesota and is one of two nationally that are "closed:" only Ojibwe tribal members may live there and own land. Its residents suffer high rates of unemployment, violence, and suicide. Housing is poor, and many students do not finish high school.[3] Work opportunities are limited on the reservation

as far as the inner cities.. it is clear that the national media doesn't care...
 

lonewolvie

Well-known member
I live in ND and this is the first time I heard about that shooting. The media has been quiet about Chicago's murder rates. How many US cities are more dangerous than Afsganistan and have strict gun control? When it comes to the media, we get to hear stories about some pro-athlete and his imaginary friend. Our news media needs to get some grown ups in charge.
 

Traveler

Well-known member
lonewolvie said:
I live in ND and this is the first time I heard about that shooting. The media has been quiet about Chicago's murder rates. How many US cities are more dangerous than Afsganistan and have strict gun control? When it comes to the media, we get to hear stories about some pro-athlete and his imaginary friend. Our news media needs to get some grown ups in charge.
It's not really a news media but a propoganda media, as we saw during the election of their socialist candidate. To not overwhelmingly elevate the socialists platform is known as "Faux News".
 
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