A Shout Out to Cornel West—
We Must Have His Back
by Carl Dix | August 4, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Responding to Barack Obama's July 19 speech on the verdict that let the killer of Trayvon Martin walk free, on the radio show Democracy Now!, Cornel West called Obama a "Global George Zimmerman."
He added that "George Zimmerman is a criminal—but President Obama is a global George Zimmerman, because he tries to rationalize the killing of innocent children, 221 so far, in the name of self-defense... [i]n Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen. So when he comes to talk about the killing of an innocent person, you say, 'Well, wait a minute. What kind of moral authority are you bringing?'"
In response to Obama saying he had been racially profiled, Cornel said: "Will that identification hide and conceal the fact there's a criminal justice system in place that has nearly destroyed two generations of very precious poor Black and brown brothers? He [Obama] hasn't said a mumbling word until now. Five years in office and can't say a word about the new Jim Crow."
Cornel West called out Obama for having New York City police commissioner Ray Kelly as a major candidate for Homeland Security chief: "[H]e's the poster child of racial profiling. You know, Brother Carl Dix and many of us went to jail under Ray Kelly. Why? Because he racially profiled millions of young Black and brown brothers."
And he called out "these Black leaders on the Obama plantation, [who] won't say a criminal word about the master in the big house, will only try to tame the field folk so that they're not critical of the master in the big house."
Cornel West is speaking out about Obama and the crimes of the system, and calling out those who are apologizing for, covering over, or cheerleading for those crimes at a time when millions are angry over the verdict in the trial of the killer of Trayvon Martin and are being told to accept the verdict—at a time when many are raising big questions about what this society is about.
Cornel West is speaking important truths at this very sharp moment, truths that the powers-that-be don't want people to hear. And there are voices and forces who are trying to discredit and isolate him. This cannot be allowed to happen.
WE MUST HAVE CORNEL'S BACK!
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