Thompson On Jena Six: "I Don't Know Anything About It"

[thoughtone]

source: Talking Points Memo.com

Oh, that Jena Six

By Steve Benen 09.22.07 12:09PM

By any reasonable measure, Fred Thompson, the actor-lobbyist-presidential candidate, is off to a rough start. Particularly on policy matters, Thompson has been confused and uninformed about everything from Social Security policy to drilling the Everglades for oil to the 2005 Schiavo controversy.

But this has to be my favorite.

NBC's "First Read' reports that when Thompson was asked Thursday about Louisiana's "Jena Six" protest of Old South racism on his way into a San Antonio fundraiser, he replied: "I don't know anything about it."

Bush fielded a question about it at his news conference the same day, saying the events in Louisiana had "saddened" him. Thompson's staff said he knew all about the issue but was unfamiliar with the expression "Jena Six."

Look, there are ways to try and spin a candidate's unfamiliarity with an issue, but this isn't one of them. If someone knows "all about" the racial injustices in Jena, La., then that person has to know about the "Jena Six." Those six young men are the point of the controversy.

It's a bit like saying you know "all about" the arrest of Abbie Hoffman, Tom Hayden, and others during the 1968 Democratic National Convention on charges of conspiracy and inciting to riot, and then arguing you've never heard of the "Chicago Seven." It just doesn't make any sense.

 

[actinanass]

source: Talking Points Memo.com

Oh, that Jena Six

By Steve Benen 09.22.07 12:09PM

By any reasonable measure, Fred Thompson, the actor-lobbyist-presidential candidate, is off to a rough start. Particularly on policy matters, Thompson has been confused and uninformed about everything from Social Security policy to drilling the Everglades for oil to the 2005 Schiavo controversy.

But this has to be my favorite.

NBC's "First Read' reports that when Thompson was asked Thursday about Louisiana's "Jena Six" protest of Old South racism on his way into a San Antonio fundraiser, he replied: "I don't know anything about it."

Bush fielded a question about it at his news conference the same day, saying the events in Louisiana had "saddened" him. Thompson's staff said he knew all about the issue but was unfamiliar with the expression "Jena Six."

Look, there are ways to try and spin a candidate's unfamiliarity with an issue, but this isn't one of them. If someone knows "all about" the racial injustices in Jena, La., then that person has to know about the "Jena Six." Those six young men are the point of the controversy.

It's a bit like saying you know "all about" the arrest of Abbie Hoffman, Tom Hayden, and others during the 1968 Democratic National Convention on charges of conspiracy and inciting to riot, and then arguing you've never heard of the "Chicago Seven." It just doesn't make any sense.

I'm up for giving him the benefit of the doubt right now. Fred probably didn't know how to answer the question in a "political". However, I would say that this will hurt him if he doesn't say anything about it during a speech, or a debate. Don't yell "fred dont care about black people" comment out just yet....give him 4 more months.

 

[QueEx]

. . . . Don't yell "fred dont care about black people" comment out just yet .... give him 4 more months.

I don't think its ever appropriate unless you've got the goods showing that a candidate or elected politician doesn't care about our issues (though we seem to have problems at times atriculating what are our issues).

On the other hand, why do we need to give anyone 4 months ??? If you don't know us by now, you will never ever know us. All the things that Black and White people have been through, they should understand us like we understand them.

QueEx

 

[deputy dawg]

I don't think its ever appropriate unless you've got the goods showing that a candidate or elected politician doesn't care about our issues (though we seem to have problems at times atriculating what are our issues).

On the other hand, why do we need to give anyone 4 months ??? If you don't know us by now, you will never ever know us. All the things that Black and White people have been through, they should understand us like we understand them.

QueEx

Case in point: The 4 or 5 leading GOP presidential candidates turning down the opportunity to debate with Tavis Smiley. Questions from a Black man - most likely about issues that relate to Black America - just too much to handle. THIS needs to be played up to discredit ALL the GOP candidates as unfit to lead ALL citizens. Just like "W" not attending the annual NAACP conventionsthey're telling you what they're about right up front.

 

[Upgrade Dave]

To even think you can be President of the United States takes incredible ego but Thompson's run may be the most ego-driven. He was a part-time senator, apparently hasn't taken the time to learn about ANYTHING but still thinks he's qualified.

Don't we already have a guy like that in office?

 

[thoughtone]

I'm up for giving him the benefit of the doubt right now. Fred probably didn't know how to answer the question in a "political". However, I would say that this will hurt him if he doesn't say anything about it during a speech, or a debate. Don't yell "fred dont care about black people" comment out just yet....give him 4 more months.

Interestingly you give Thompson the benefit of the doubt, but you won't give any civil rights spokespeople the benefit of the doubt. Thank god this was not the generation to put pressure on the racists during Jim Crow. Two different standards. One for the democrats, one for the republicans.

 

[thoughtone]

I don't think its ever appropriate unless you've got the goods showing that a candidate or elected politician doesn't care about our issues (though we seem to have problems at times atriculating what are our issues).

On the other hand, why do we need to give anyone 4 months ??? If you don't know us by now, you will never ever know us. All the things that Black and White people have been through, they should understand us like we understand them.

QueEx

I agree that many Black folks can not articulate what are the exclusive issues that affect “us”. From my point of view, you don’t have the right to make someone love you or be sympathetic to your concerns, but you do have the right to make someone abide by laws that will not prevent you from achieving all you can with your god given talents if they don’t impinge on someone else’s rights For example, according to my account of what transpired in Jena, Louisiana, Mycale Bell is overly charged for an incident and the Jena Six were intimated (terrorized in today’s vernacular) to make them “know their place” in that town. To me those are issues that need to address by politicians. The Bush administration’s Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has not investigated one civil rights complaint since they have been in office. This is what that department was set up for. The Jena DA said he could not charge the white boys with hate crime. At this point, the Federal Prosecutor should have stepped in and investigated this, instead of trying to fire decent Prosecutors for political reasons. If the federal government had made it clear that any such behavior would not be tolerated, we would have not come to this. Home grown racial terrorism is an issue, along with crime that is important to” us”.

 

[thoughtone]

Case in point: The 4 or 5 leading GOP presidential candidates turning down the opportunity to debate with Tavis Smiley. Questions from a Black man - most likely about issues that relate to Black America - just too much to handle. THIS needs to be played up to discredit ALL the GOP candidates as unfit to lead ALL citizens. Just like "W" not attending the annual NAACP conventionsthey're telling you what they're about right up front.

Do you think they would not show up for a major Israeli sponsored debate or a debate sponsored by so called conservative Christian group? And if they did, would anyone make excuses why they did?

 

[actinanass]

Case in point: The 4 or 5 leading GOP presidential candidates turning down the opportunity to debate with Tavis Smiley. Questions from a Black man - most likely about issues that relate to Black America - just too much to handle. THIS needs to be played up to discredit ALL the GOP candidates as unfit to lead ALL citizens. Just like "W" not attending the annual NAACP conventionsthey're telling you what they're about right up front.

not actually.

Remember Bush went to the Urban league that year. So I highly doubt it was because he didn't like "black people". Tavis Smiley is known for throwing out jaded questions. How about we have a black man, who will have an open mind politically wise, to give a debate to BOTH parties?

 

[actinanass]

Do you think they would not show up for a major Israeli sponsored debate or a debate sponsored by so called conservative Christian group? And if they did, would anyone make excuses why they did?

Remember, you might need to get on the democrats for not going on Fox News debate.

If everyone quit dodging debates *both parties* perhaps we can know more about each candidate.

 

[Diamels]

Hey Richard Nixon said that Fred Thompson was "dumb as hell"

 

[actinanass]

Interestingly you give Thompson the benefit of the doubt, but you won't give any civil rights spokespeople the benefit of the doubt. Thank god this was not the generation to put pressure on the racists during Jim Crow. Two different standards. One for the democrats, one for the republicans.

I give Thompson the benefit of the doubt because I really didn't know the situation myself. Wouldn't that mean I would be a hypocrite if I would of thrown Thompson under the bus?

Since I have more knowledge NOW about this situation, I believe that ALL parties should of got a charge. White, black, whoever.

The problem I have for our "civil rights leaders" is the fact that they don't bat for other races. I want leaders that would make some of our people take responsibility for our actions. Things can be so much different if Al, and Jesse was actually independent from either party. My people don't need to fight against racism anymore. We need to fight our own misdeeds.

Another thing, the generation most of OUR parents went through suffered REAL racism. True bs. We are bless to have the opportunity to make our, and this country, as free as our ancestors believed it could be. I just see Al and Jesse as people who want us to believe that racism is still alive like it was 1961 Mississippi.

Bottomline, racism is here if we acknowledge it in the way "they" want us too. When we make it a priority to fight every negative criticism we are face with, we tend to look petty.