Courtesy of Rolling Stone:
President Obama attended Rev. Clementa Pinckney's funeral in Charleston, South Carolina on Friday and delivered a moving version of "Amazing Grace" in the middle of his touching eulogy.
Rev. Pinckney was a state senator and one of the nine victims of the tragic shooting that occurred in the church where his funeral took place. "If we can find that grace, anything is possible," Obama stated to the congregation. "If we can tap that grace, everything can change."
After a moment of solemn silence, Obama began singing "Amazing Grace" a cappella before the choir, attendees and musicians joined in for the performance. Afterwards, the president stated that each of the victims had "found that grace," naming all nine individually. "May God continue to shed his grace on the United States of America," he concluded.
The President has some pipes.
He could use a little more practice to help his singing, but damn when the man speaks......
Even for a die hard Atheist like me, I found that quite touching.
Showing posts with label Charleston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charleston. Show all posts
Friday, June 26, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
And now for the really big news of the day, President Obama used the "N" word on the radio.
President Barack Obama used the n-word during an interview released Monday to make a point that there's still plenty of room for America to combat racism.
"Racism, we are not cured of it. And it's not just a matter of it not being polite to say nigger in public," Obama said in an interview for the podcast "WTF with Marc Maron."
"That's not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. It's not just a matter of overt discrimination. Societies don't, overnight, completely erase everything that happened 200 to 300 years prior."
Oh my stars and garters! A black man used the "N" word while talking about racism. Let the conservative faux outrage commence.
Well there was the Fox News guest who called Obama the "Rapper-in-Chief."
There was this tweet from Sarah Palin's favorite Christian outrage machine Todd Starnes:
President Obama drops the N-word during an interview. You, sir, have disgraced the office of the presidency.
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) June 22, 2015
And then there was this conservative website being outraged while demanding to know why there wasn't more outrage.Personally I think it's obvious that conservatives are just looking for a reason to be angry and outraged at the President, and they think this is one that has teeth.
But it doesn't.
The President was appearing on a cutting edge radio program, hosted by a comedian in his garage. The topic was race, and the President got real.
In fact he got REAL real.
And let's face it, the conservatives really cannot handle it when the President gets REAL real. Especially about race.
The podcast actually covered quite a few controversial topics, including gun violence, the Charleston shooting in particular, his family, and growing old.
You can hear the whole thing for yourself by clicking here.
The Ted Cruz photo that sent Twitter into a frenzy. Update!
In an Associated Press image that drew comment and criticism on Twitter on Sunday, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is seen speaking with what appeared to be a gun aimed straight at him.
The photograph — taken by the AP’s Charlie Neibergall — actually captured a background poster, with a large semi-blurred image of a handgun pointed at Cruz’s forehead, straight between the eyes.
Cruz was appearing Saturday at CrossRoads Shooting Sports in Johnston, Iowa. During his speech, Cruz, an outspoken proponent of Second Amendment rights, encouraged residents to adopt what he called a Texan approach to guns by simply “hitting what you aim at.”
Of course this was the speech that we covered yesterday where Cruz also said, "It's sad to see the Democrats take a horrific crime and try to use it as an excuse, not to go after people with serious mental illness or people who are repeat felons or criminals, but instead try to use it as an excuse to take away Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens."
Which kind of helps to make that photo seem satisfying in a strange way.
However it most certainly did not make those on the Right very happy:
Guess the Political Party: AP Photo Lines Pistol Up with Senator, 2016 Candidate Ted Cruz’s Brain: Of course, ... http://t.co/pfN1CNiSlI
— Tweetonpolitics (@tweetpoliticsUS) June 21, 2015
Just a touch misleading to suggest that the AP "pointed" the gun at Cruz's brain.After all I am not at all convinced there IS a brain to point a weapon at in the first place.
However Cruz WAS smart enough to give the donations back from that Council of Conservative Citizens group that might have helped inspire Dylann Storm Roof's killing spree.
So there's that I guess.
Let's face it Ted Cruz is a joke, and so is his candidacy.
The only thing that keeps him from being the biggest joke in the 2016 campaign season is the possible inclusion of Donald Trump.
Update: Here's a second AP photo.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Surprisingly enough Mitt Romney takes a stand against the Confederate flag. The President tweets his response.
Take down the #ConfederateFlag at the SC Capitol. To many, it is a symbol of racial hatred. Remove it now to honor #Charleston victims.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) June 20, 2015
This is how President Obama responded:
Good point, Mitt. https://t.co/Ryusfp8Xbh
— President Obama (@POTUS) June 21, 2015
See? Bipartisanship is possible when the response is obvious.And the President was not done there either.
Here are the stats: Per population, we kill each other with guns at a rate 297x more than Japan, 49x more than France, 33x more than Israel.
— President Obama (@POTUS) June 21, 2015
Expressions of sympathy aren’t enough. It’s time we do something about this.
— President Obama (@POTUS) June 21, 2015
Well it looks like somebody is fired up and ready to go.And as we saw yesterday, Hillary is right there with him.
Man, no wonder the conservatives are shitting bricks.
Days after Charleston shooting Ted Cruz is making gun control jokes.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) dropped a few gun control jokes during his latest swing through Iowa, days after the shooting deaths of nine people in a Charleston, South Carolina, church.
"You know the great thing about the state of Iowa is, I'm pretty sure you all define gun control the same way we do in Texas -- hitting what you aim at," Cruz said at a town hall meeting Friday in Red Oak.
Before a crowd of nearly 70 people, Cruz recalled a recent excursion to a gun range in New Hampshire that had fully automatic machine guns.
"My wife, Heidi, who is a petite, 5'2 California blonde, she was standing at the tripod unloading the full machine gun with a pink baseball cap that said 'armed and fabulous,'" he said.
Oh yeah, so funny making jokes about guns while people are mourning the loss of their loved ones due to gun violence.
But if you think Cruz stopped there you are sadly mistaken.
"It's sad to see the Democrats take a horrific crime and try to use it as an excuse, not to go after people with serious mental illness or people who are repeat felons or criminals, but instead try to use it as an excuse to take away Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens," he told a group of reporters.
Do you know what's even sadder to see?
People taking this asshole seriously as a candidate for President of the United States.
The President is a man who has to feel a nation's pain, and accept responsibility for trying to alleviate that pain.
Ted Cruz could never be that man.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Hillary Clinton addresses the shooting in Charleston, and demonstrates why she will likely be the next President of the United States.
Here are a few excerpts from this sometimes emotional response that I thought were well worth sharing:
"Like many of you I was so overcome. How to turn grief, confusion, into purpose and action. But that's what we have to do."
"Why do we still allow guns to fall into the hands of people whose hearts are filled with hate? You can't watch massacre after massacre and not come to the conclusion that as President Obama said, we must tackle this challenge with urgency and conviction."
"I know that gun ownership is part of the fabric of a lot of law abiding communities. But I also know that we can have common sense gun reforms that keep weapons out of the hands of criminals and the violently unstable, while respecting responsible gun owners.”
"What I hope with all of my heart is that we work together to make this debate less polarized, less inflamed by ideology, more informed by evidence."
"It makes no sense that bipartisan legislation fails in Congress despite overwhelming public support. It makes no sense that we could not come together to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, or people suffering from mental illnesses, even people on the terrorist watch list. That doesn’t make sense and it is a rebuke to this nation we love and care about.”
"The President is right the politics on this issue have been poisoned. But we can't give up. The stakes are too high, the costs are too dear, and I am not, or will not be afraid to keep fighting for common-sense reforms and along with you achieve those on behalf of all those who have lost because of this senseless gun violence in our country."
Hillary then changed her focus to race:
"Once again racist rhetoric has metastasized into racist violence. It’s tempting to dismiss a tragedy like this as an isolated incident, to believe that in today’s America bigotry is largely behind us, that institutionalized racism no longer exists. But despite our best efforts and our highest hopes, America’s long struggle with race is far from finished."
"I know this is a difficult topic to talk about. I know that so many of us hoped that by electing our first black president, we had turned the page on this chapter in our history. I know that there are truths that we don't like to say out loud, or discuss with out children. But we have to. That's the only way that we can possibly move forward together."
Hillary goes on to list the stunning inequities faced by black people in America today, and then said this:
"More than half a century after Dr. King marched, and Rosa Parks sat and John Lewis bled, after the civil rights act and the voting rights act and so much else, how can any of these things be true? But they are. And our problem is not all kooks and Klansmen. It’s also the cruel joke that goes unchallenged. It’s the offhand comment about not wanting those people in the neighborhood. Let’s be honest, for a lot of well meaning, open-minded white people, the sight of a young black man in a hoodie still evokes a twinge of fear."
I have to tell you that for the first time since Hillary Clinton declared her candidacy for President, I am really inspired.
And the fact that she is embracing President Obama's statements about guns and racism, just makes her all the more attractive as a candidate.
Right now I am seriously psyched for the first debates between Hillary and whatever poor schlub emerges after the GOP clown car careens off a cliff, leaving a trail of broken and bleeding clowns in its wake.
"Like many of you I was so overcome. How to turn grief, confusion, into purpose and action. But that's what we have to do."
"Why do we still allow guns to fall into the hands of people whose hearts are filled with hate? You can't watch massacre after massacre and not come to the conclusion that as President Obama said, we must tackle this challenge with urgency and conviction."
"I know that gun ownership is part of the fabric of a lot of law abiding communities. But I also know that we can have common sense gun reforms that keep weapons out of the hands of criminals and the violently unstable, while respecting responsible gun owners.”
"What I hope with all of my heart is that we work together to make this debate less polarized, less inflamed by ideology, more informed by evidence."
"It makes no sense that bipartisan legislation fails in Congress despite overwhelming public support. It makes no sense that we could not come together to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, or people suffering from mental illnesses, even people on the terrorist watch list. That doesn’t make sense and it is a rebuke to this nation we love and care about.”
"The President is right the politics on this issue have been poisoned. But we can't give up. The stakes are too high, the costs are too dear, and I am not, or will not be afraid to keep fighting for common-sense reforms and along with you achieve those on behalf of all those who have lost because of this senseless gun violence in our country."
Hillary then changed her focus to race:
"Once again racist rhetoric has metastasized into racist violence. It’s tempting to dismiss a tragedy like this as an isolated incident, to believe that in today’s America bigotry is largely behind us, that institutionalized racism no longer exists. But despite our best efforts and our highest hopes, America’s long struggle with race is far from finished."
"I know this is a difficult topic to talk about. I know that so many of us hoped that by electing our first black president, we had turned the page on this chapter in our history. I know that there are truths that we don't like to say out loud, or discuss with out children. But we have to. That's the only way that we can possibly move forward together."
Hillary goes on to list the stunning inequities faced by black people in America today, and then said this:
"More than half a century after Dr. King marched, and Rosa Parks sat and John Lewis bled, after the civil rights act and the voting rights act and so much else, how can any of these things be true? But they are. And our problem is not all kooks and Klansmen. It’s also the cruel joke that goes unchallenged. It’s the offhand comment about not wanting those people in the neighborhood. Let’s be honest, for a lot of well meaning, open-minded white people, the sight of a young black man in a hoodie still evokes a twinge of fear."
I have to tell you that for the first time since Hillary Clinton declared her candidacy for President, I am really inspired.
And the fact that she is embracing President Obama's statements about guns and racism, just makes her all the more attractive as a candidate.
Right now I am seriously psyched for the first debates between Hillary and whatever poor schlub emerges after the GOP clown car careens off a cliff, leaving a trail of broken and bleeding clowns in its wake.
Friday, June 19, 2015
What we have learned about the Charleston, South Carolina shooting, and what we adamantly refuse to learn.
To be totally honest I have turned it off a number of times, but then I just go back to it later on like some kind of sadness groupie. And yes, it is heartbreaking.
For instance we have now had it confirmed that Dylann Storm Roof went into that church to start a race war. I think on some level we might have expected as much, but that does not make hearing it any less chilling.
Of course before that was revealed the folks at Fox News were trying desperately to suggest that this was not a racially motivated attack but rather an attack on Christianity. (They also suggested that pastors start carrying guns, because as we all know more guns mean less gun deaths.)
We also learned that Roof almost didn't go through with his plan because "everyone was so nice to him." Which is something that I have read about five times today and it still makes me choke up a little.
I also watched as the victim's families spoke during Roof's bond hearing, and tried to hold it together as every single one of them forgave him.
Yeah it was a hard day.
Made even harder by watching conservatives and Republican politicians attempting to redirect any public outcry over gun control, and claim that racism was not something that they helped to support through their rhetoric or political actions.
However at least one politician found herself called to task on Facebook in a response that has now gone viral.
And as Jon Stewart so eloquently put it last night, nothing is really going to change. The only question remaining is how long will it be before we are all here again, talking about yet ANOTHER senseless shooting?
Jon Stewart puts all joking aside as he addresses the murders in Charleston, South Carolina.
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| Click image to watch video. |
Jon Stewart apologized to his audience tonight for not having any jokes for them, as he just dropped the comedy to get serious about Charleston. He said, “I honestly have nothing, other than just sadness.”
“By acknowledging it,” Stewart pointed out, “by staring into that and seeing it for what it is, we still won’t do jackshit. Yeah, that’s us. That’s the part that blows my mind.”
He contrasted how the U.S. does whatever it can to protect everyone from foreign threats, but has an “eh, what are you gonna do?” attitude to domestic threats.
People like to pigeonhole Jon Stewart as nothing more than a comedian who mocks politicians and uses current events as fuel for his comedy. But this segment once again proves that he is much more than that.
I urge you to watch this, even though it is not what you would usually expect from Jon Stewart.
Actually you should watch it precisely because it is not what you would usually expect from Jon Stewart, and that is what makes it so incredibly powerful.
Oh and his interview with Malala Yousafzai is pretty damn impressive as well.
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