re: #175 Killgore Trout

It’s not just the right. There are some genuine concerns with Jesse and Al. If they were genuinely concerned with issues withing the black community I would think they’d be more concerned with gang violence regardless of the races of the victims and the perpetrators. Instead they mostly get involved when there’s a racial difference and in the past have been very mistaken about the facts of the cases. Especially with Rev. Al he has done much harm to racial community relations. I think the efforts could be better directed.

BTW -

Response to Urban Violence Can’t Wait

BY JESSE JACKSON

Chicago and other urban areas are in crisis. In Chicago, 113 people have been killed this year-a higher death toll than the troops have suffered in Afghanistan. The emergency is so dire that state legislators support calling out the National Guard to patrol Chicago’s streets. Guard members now in Afghanistan might return to a more dangerous assignment.

As Mayor Daley noted, the suggestion is a “Band-Aid” at best. The troops are not trained as police. They might suppress the pain, but couldn’t relieve it. More likely, their presence would increase violence and fear, not alleviate it.

But the urgency behind the proposal is right. This is a crisis, not a condition. This year, 150 children have been shot-25 fatally. In the 16 months leading up to December 2008, Chicago averaged 32 shootings of children a year.

lasentinel.net

Get back to me when you’ve bothered to quantify how “concerned” Jackson (and/or Sharpton) is with urban violence.