2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: And the propaganda against Sanders and his supporters continues [View all]cui bono
(19,926 posts)Here is an example for you which should explain things:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251450242
That poster calls any PoC who supports Sanders an "outlier". Perhaps you thought I was using that term. Nay... that's why I had it in quotes, because it's quoting what a PoC calls other PoC. Now imagine if a white person did that. Well, since it's about Bernie supporters, I honestly don't think you would care that much. I've certainly never seen him get called on it by any of the vocal AA members.
You want to know how I feel about AA issues? Search my user name and "white privilege". Search my user name and "Ferguson". Here's a post I made about rape culture where I referenced what I think about systemic racism:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1114&pid=13579
So please, do not tell me I do not care about AA issues.
What I do not care for is how the AA group has become a cesspool of Bernie hatred and smears. How Hillary supporters and the vocal AA members made a concerted effort to paint Sanders as racist at worst, tone deaf at best, but mostly as racist or not caring about PoC. Then when it was mentioned that he fought for civil rights in the 60's we were told that didn't matter, it was decades ago, what is he doing now. We were told it was insulting to mention his record as if PoC didn't know about it. Well it wouldn't have to keep being brought up if there hadn't been a smear campaign going on on DU using racism as a way to divide DU and attempt to turn DU against Sanders by making it seem as if he was racist or just stupid about race, neither of which could be further from the truth considering he has been fighting for equality for everyone for decades now.
The AA group has become "popular" because a lot of the OPs in there are/were about Sanders and went to the greatest page. I, for one, look at the greatest page when I enter DU and go from there. And the AA group hosts allow OPs to stand which are simply attempts to swiftboat Bernie - look up the one about how he supposedly said racism is over, which he never said but don't let that stop a certain someone from trying to smear him. Now this is a person who isn't a PoC, didn't post an OP about AA issues (because what they posted was not true), but simply posted a hit piece in a "safe haven". Safe for smearing Bernie I guess. The hosts should have shut that down if they had any integrity, but no, it was rec'd and allowed to stand. That OP came from the same person who posted the infamous vile "Not Enough, Bernie" OP. She is trying so hard to bring down Sanders and taking it to the AA group and ginnig up the hatred for him in there. And rather than take an objective stance on it the AA group and vocal participants went all over DU trying to paint Sanders and his supporters as "lily white" and "only for white males" creating a racial divide on DU where there really wasn't much of any. And for what? For Hillary? Or for corporatism? I don't get it. Bernie is the one who has fought for PoC for decades, so why is he the one the AA group loves to smear?
Just the other day there was an OP in there that had nothing to do with AA issues, just a smear of Bernie supporters. Again, why is that in the AA group then if you are so concerned about people showing up there who don't care about AA issues? Why not shut it down? On the flip side, why was there no big uproar when Hillary treated BLM so poorly and rudely? Didn't see all the OPs about that for some reason. So it's hard to believe that it's about AA issues when there is such a difference in treatment of candidates, especially when it's very clear that Sanders is on your side and has been for decades.
I was thinking about posting an OP in there asking why all the hate towards Bernie and his supporters but I haven't done it because I know how a lot of the vocal people in there are and felt that all that would happen is that it would get swarmed with post attempting to ridicule and that no one would want to actually discuss the issue. I think it's a discussion worth having, but I don't think it can be had on DU.
I know there have been racist posts on DU. I know that a lot of people don't understand white privilege. But I honestly feel that this current racial tension on DU was brought on by the smear campaign against Sanders that started as soon as he announced with all the comments about his "lily white" supporters and the pretend Bernie supporters expressing "concern" over his policy being only for white males. It may not have started with the AA group, but it certainly traveled into there and is left up for all to see.
Anyway, I have work to do then I have to get to bed. I hope you can see what I'm saying. I know you and I have not gotten along on DU in the past because of my being critical of Obama, but that is neither here nor there really, or at least it shouldn't be. Any politician is a target for policy criticism. But disagreement of that shouldn't make people treat others rudely and shouldn't have a group that is about a specific issue turn against a politician who is fighting the hardest for the people, for equality for EVERYONE as he has been for decades.