U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris deliver remarks after a meeting with Asian-American leaders to discuss "the ongoing attacks and threats against the community," during a stop at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., March 19, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

By Andrea Shalal

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden took aim on Sunday at the "ugly poisons" of "systemic racism and white supremacy" that he said had long plagued the United States, and vowed to change the laws that enabled continued discrimination.

 

In blunt language, the Democratic president said the country faced problems with racism, xenophobia and nativism.

Biden's statement followed similar sentiments from Vice President Kamala Harris, who detailed in Atlanta on Friday the U.S history of discrimination against Asian Americans.

 

"Racism is real in America and it has always been," said Harris, the country's first Asian-American, first Black and first female vice president. "Xenophobia is real in America and always has been. Sexism too." she said.

 

Biden' statement, issued on Sunday night, marks the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, created in the 1970s to mark a 1960 massacre in South Africa.

 

"Hate can have no safe harbor in America. It should have no safe harbor anywhere in the world. We must join together to make it stop," Biden said in the statement.

 

He said his administration would speak out against racial discrimination around the world, including the "horrific" mistreatment of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar and the Uighurs in China.

 

"One of the core values and beliefs that should bring us together as Americans is standing against hate and racism, even as we acknowledge that systemic racism and white supremacy are ugly poisons that have long plagued the United States," he said. "We must change the laws that enable discrimination in our country, and we must change our hearts."

 

Biden's statement came amid mounting pressure on law enforcement authorities to treat last week's deadly shooting in Atlanta of eight people - including six women of Asian descent - as a hate crime.

 

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Heather Timmons and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-22

 

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Love hearing from the 47th president of the US.  Great lady.

 

Great comment also:

 

"We must change the laws that enable discrimination in our country, and we must change our hearts."

 

Deal with the racism seen in the alt right media outlets.  It's disgusting.

37 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Love hearing from the 47th president of the US.  Great lady.

 

Great comment also:

 

"We must change the laws that enable discrimination in our country, and we must change our hearts."

 

Deal with the racism seen in the alt right media outlets.  It's disgusting.

I really hope the Jim Crow tactics at State level by Republicans to control levels of the Black vote does not muddy the chances of Harris for the Presidency. Providing of course the Democrats deliver stability to the American public in this term. With this term under her belt as VP to learn a back to back Dem victory would deliver her a stable team to work with. She is currently a shinning light for the US. 

1 minute ago, Roadman said:

I really hope the Jim Crow tactics at State level by Republicans to control levels of the Black vote does not muddy the chances of Harris for the Presidency. Providing of course the Democrats deliver stability to the American public in this term. With this term under her belt as VP to learn a back to back Dem victory would deliver her a stable team to work with. She is currently a shinning light for the US. 

I'm an independent, and think both parties are broken.  But...the dems sure know how to screw things up politically.  The GOP wins when it comes to dirty politics and gerrymandering hands down.

what a joke.  come to Thailand and see how it feels to be a Falang.

Sure wish Biden would stop issuing statements and come out for a nice long press conference before the next election

7 minutes ago, malibukid said:

what a joke.  come to Thailand and see how it feels to be a Falang.

Have you been arrested, put in chains, and forced to work as a slave? This comparison isn't even close!

In California where I lived over fifty years, currently only 36% are white. Prejudice there is nothing like so many other parts of America.

Just who is this "mountnting pressure" coming from exactly? Surely the police can decide for themselves if it constitutes a hate crime.  Some people just want to make everything about race even when it isn't.

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

the country's first Asian-American, first Black and first female vice president

Pity she isnt also trans, vegan  and disabled because  ALL of thats  irrelevant as is that sentence to sorting it  out. Oh and you cant say black its  person of  colour  so stop being so  non pc????.

They cant even make up their mind what she is Asian American  then add Black sorry person of  colour, ridiculous drivel.

6 minutes ago, Guffman said:

Just who is this "mountnting pressure" coming from exactly? Surely the police can decide for themselves if it constitutes a hate crime.  Some people just want to make everything about race even when it isn't.

 

 

 

 

Where is the pressure coming from?

I dont like racism, do you?

29 minutes ago, malibukid said:

what a joke.  come to Thailand and see how it feels to be a Falang.

What on earth has thailand got to fo with this admin trying to fix racism and sexism in the US.

Was this a race crime?   Or a deranged sex addict attacking brothels?

The former sure fits the liberal’s narrative.

 

28 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Sure wish Biden would stop issuing statements and come out for a nice long press conference before the next election

March 25th, should be entertaining.

37 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Sure wish Biden would stop issuing statements and come out for a nice long press conference before the next election

Will be nice but not required as long as his approval ratings are above 50%. That is acknowledgement from the public for job welldone without the press conference. Anyway, press conference has being degraded since Trump misused the platform to spread division, hate and media mistrust. 

45 minutes ago, Guffman said:

Just who is this "mountnting pressure" coming from exactly? Surely the police can decide for themselves if it constitutes a hate crime.  Some people just want to make everything about race even when it isn't.

 

 

 

 

And some won't admit when it is...

28 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

Was this a race crime?   Or a deranged sex addict attacking brothels?

The former sure fits the liberal’s narrative.

 

do you agree with them that racism and sexism should be condemned?

Its not political. Agree with it or not.

Translated:

It's open season on white males in the US.  Hating white males is Ok as they all deserve it considering that everyone knows that all whites are racists based on their racist ethnicity and all males are misogynist chauvinistic haters even if they aren't.

41 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

Was this a race crime?   Or a deranged sex addict attacking brothels?

The former sure fits the liberal’s narrative.

 

It is a deranged white sex addict attacking Asian workers in a brothel. Crime was committed and race involved in a climate of increasing hate crimes. Fit all narratives even the conservatives. Not seeing this as race crime is just pure unadulterated denial.  

3 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

It is a deranged white sex addict attacking Asian workers in a brothel. Crime was committed and race involved in a climate of increasing hate crimes. Fit all narratives even the conservatives. Not seeing this as race crime is just pure unadulterated denial.  

Not a race hate crime, whites were killed also.

2 hours ago, J Town said:

Have you been arrested, put in chains, and forced to work as a slave? This comparison isn't even close!

2 hours ago, J Town said:

Have you been arrested, put in chains, and forced to work as a slave? This comparison isn't even close!

Neither did you, SO stop the  BS story! Affirmative action  Crying,

whining, spoiled entitled brats. Stop it with the Reparations for slavery ... what about the abuse, exploitation still to this day 2021 to the American Indian!  
Now That’s a tragic story!

My family supported desegregation efforts led by Dr. King in the 1960s.  I was a teen when he was assassinated.  His message and vision for a future:

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Instead the government, special interests, and the media do everything they can to drive a wedge between different ethnicities and to foment division and inter-racial hatred, all the while scape-goating European Americans whose ancestors didn't even show up in America until slavery was abolished.

I'm sorry.  I've have had friends representing most of the major ethnicities on this planet.  If you have problems with other races - you are the problem, regardless of what race you yourself are and what race(s) you don't like.

How did Dr. King's vision get so immensely screwed up?  I find that really sad.  It's still attainable by those who truly reject racism.  Trying to find scape-goats will never end actual racism.  It will just foster a new brand of racism - move the focus of racial hatred to a different ethnicity and carry on.  That's ugly and dangerous. And it will get uglier as that type of racism becomes institutionalize.

Yeah, Dr. King had a dream.  We didn't make it there sir.  We could have.

3 hours ago, malibukid said:

what a joke.  come to Thailand and see how it feels to be a Falang.

Go to the USA or Britain as an immigrant - you won't enjoy the experience.

3 hours ago, J Town said:

Have you been arrested, put in chains, and forced to work as a slave? This comparison isn't even close!

no just treated poorly, it's still racism either way, but perhaps more sublime.  

Might be helpful to get these 'hate crimes' defined, some activists say racism and sexism is anything they decide it is, depending on who, where and when.

12 minutes ago, malibukid said:

no just treated poorly, it's still racism either way, but perhaps more sublime.  

Are you mistaking racism for xenophobia? 

5 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Might be helpful to get these 'hate crimes' defined, some activists say racism and sexism is anything they decide it is, depending on who, where and when.

So are you against racism and sexism as biden and harris have said?

its helpful to know if you are against it or not.

16 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Might be helpful to get these 'hate crimes' defined, some activists say racism and sexism is anything they decide it is, depending on who, where and when.

In the states that have hate crimes laws they are defined by the laws of those states. My understanding is that the Georgia hate crime laws are particularly flexible.

 

Personally I've come to the conclusion that the Atlanta spa murders were not anti Asian hate crimes. They might be chargeable as misogynistic hate crimes. I also think he might have a good shot at an insanity defense based on religious mania and sexual shame.

 

Its somewhat ironic but totally understandable that violent incidents targeted at Asians because they are Asians have instantly become a major national issue triggered by a mass murder that probably wasn't an anti Asian hate crime. 

 

I hope that this isn't pursued as an anti Asian hate crime if the evidence isn't there just to satisfy the political mood of the moment.

 

There are real anti Asian hate crimes happening. It won't be helpful to showboat prosecution of a case that probably wasn't.

 

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Sure wish Biden would stop issuing statements and come out for a nice long press conference before the next election

Why does he need to have a nice long press conference?

More Smoke and Mirrors. 

 

This is from 30 years of badly managing our immigration policies and procedures.

 

Yes, come get an education: become doctors, engineers and scientists.... oh yeah, then you must leave. 

 

Then The Patriot Act changed everyone's rights....regardless of creed, origin, nationality, color or religion. 

 

So ignorant, as we continue to allow asylum and illegal boarder crossings, but we deport the future genius's of the world....as we continue to destroy the Middle class American Society. 

 

Just in case you forgot Joe, reverse discrimination is rampant, and the country is still wanting Limited Terms of US Senators. 

 

Passing more laws is ineffective, re structuring legislative and government policy is what the people need and want.

 

Stop giving the world billions in foreign aide, clean up our own government, get the people educated and keep farm kids in school and off meth!