Obama urges greater respect, understanding after shootings

[webfact]

Obama urges greater respect, understanding after shootings
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and KATHLEEN HENNESSEY

MADRID (AP) — President Barack Obama on Sunday urged respect and restraint from Americans angered by the killing of black men by police, saying anything less does a "disservice to the cause" of ridding the criminal justice system of racial bias.

He also urged law enforcement to treat seriously complaints that they are heavy-handed and intolerant, particularly toward minorities.

"I'd like all sides to listen to each other," Obama said in response to a reporter's question after he met with Spain's acting prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, during an abbreviated first visit to Spain as president.

Obama's appeal for greater understanding from opposing sides of the emotionally charged debate over police practices followed the weekend arrests of scores of people in Louisiana and Minnesota who protested the shooting deaths by police of black men in both states last week.

Those deaths were followed by a stunning sniper attack last Thursday in Dallas that killed five police officers and wounded seven others as they watched over a peaceful protest of the week's earlier shootings.

Among those arrested in Louisiana was an activist prominent in the Black Lives Matter movement, which gained national prominence following earlier deaths of mostly unarmed black men at the hands of police across the U.S.

Obama, in his remarks, urged protesters to recognize that police officers have a difficult job.

"Whenever those of us who are concerned about failures of the criminal justice system attack police, you are doing a disservice to the cause," Obama said, the fourth straight day that he has commented on the distressing chain of events at home.

The president's remarks on the issue likely foreshadowed the message he will deliver Tuesday in Dallas, when he addresses an interfaith memorial service for the slain officers. He was invited to speak by Mayor Mike Rawlings, the White House said.

Obama repeated Sunday that most U.S. police officers do a good job, and said rhetoric portraying them as doing otherwise does little to build support for eliminating racial bias from the criminal justice system.

"Maintaining a truthful and serious and respectful tone is going to help mobilize American society to bring about real change," Obama said.

The president also called for balance from law enforcement. "I would hope that police organizations are also respectful of the frustrations that people in these communities feel and not just dismiss these protests and these complaints as political correctness," he said.

"It is in the interest of police officers that their communities trust them," Obama said.

Some of Obama's critics have accused him of helping create an environment for attacks on law enforcement by blaming their conduct in previous incidents and sympathizing with Black Lives Matter and other groups that complain about racial unfairness in the justice system.

The president traveled to Spain after attending a NATO summit in Poland, but the sheer horror over the killings overshadowed most of his public appearances in both countries. Spain, nevertheless, was thrilled to welcome the first U.S. president to visit in more than a decade. Tourists and curiosity seekers lined some streets in hopes of catching a glimpse of Obama, and local TV aired wall-to-wall coverage of his movements.

Obama was supposed to spend two days in Spain but cut the visit to about a day because of the shootings.

"We've had a difficult week in the United States," he told King Felipe VI before they met privately at the Royal Palace.

Obama also expressed gratitude for Spain's military contributions as a fellow NATO ally, and for hosting U.S. sailors and guided missile destroyers at a naval base on the southern coast. Obama visited the base and met with troops stationed there before the flight back to Washington.

It took the White House more than seven years to lock in Spain on Obama's foreign travel schedule. But the shootings and the depth of the response to them forced Obama into a more hurried visit instead.

"I was hoping for a longer stay," Obama told Rajoy. He pledged to return as an ex-president some day because Spain's food, culture and climate are "hard to resist."

___

Superville reported from Seville, Spain.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-07-11

[colinneil]

Obama urges respect and restrained after the Dallas shootings.

He is the 1 person in the US who has no respect for law enforcement officers.

He is provoking racial hatred and disrespect.

[MaxYakov]

"The president's remarks on the issue likely foreshadowed the message he will deliver Tuesday in Dallas, when he addresses an interfaith memorial service for the slain officers. He was invited to speak by Mayor Mike Rawlings, the White House said."

Yes, he had better arrive in Dallas soon while they still have a police department to address:

Dallas Police Officers Are Leaving In Mass - Law Officer - May 26, 2016

"Dallas police officers are leaving in mass numbers. More than 40 quit this month. One officer told WFAA that he [is] “going to go to a city that respects officers…….I’m going to a city that will appreciate my skill set." The officer has worked for the Dallas Police Department for a decade."

"Sources say so many officers are leaving the department that the personnel office can’t process the paperwork quickly enough, and they are telling officers they have to wait to quit."

Edited July 11, 2016 by MaxYakov

[kamahele]

Obama urges respect and restrained after the Dallas shootings.

He is the 1 person in the US who has no respect for law enforcement officers.

He is provoking racial hatred and disrespect.

And just how is he doing that? By using facts which show that black men are much more likely to be killed during an arrest than white men? There already is racial hatred and disrespect. NOT talking about it isn't going to make it better.

Edited July 11, 2016 by kamahele

[Crowes]

Obama urges respect and restrained after the Dallas shootings.

He is the 1 person in the US who has no respect for law enforcement officers.

He is provoking racial hatred and disrespect.

And just how is he doing that? By using facts which show that black men are much more likely to be killed during an arrest than white men? There already is racial hatred and disrespect. NOT talking about it isn't going to make it better.

The majority of black deaths are from black on black crime. The only racial hatred and disrespect is toward the cops trying to do their jobs.

[sgtsabai]

The old right wingnut talking point, black on black crime. Dawg whistle! And a few rascist slim out of the woodwork, yet again. If it were true it would still have nothing to do with the murder by white cops of black people. The militarized police in many places are out of control with very few ever being prosecuted for their murder of black people. Obama caused the racial divide, yea my ass. It was already there and the white rascists lost the plot when there was a black man in a white house. When I was a certified/commissioned graduate of New Mexico Police Academy law enforcement officer we did NOT act the way cops do today and had we done so we would have been fired and prosecuted, rightly so. In fact respect for others civil rights and liberties was drilled into our heads in our classes. Ashamed to say, but even NM seems to have lost "policing" these days under the rule of a Koch (John Birch Society) traitor brothers bought corrupt government.

[Nasrullah]

Obama urges respect and restrained after the Dallas shootings.

He is the 1 person in the US who has no respect for law enforcement officers.

He is provoking racial hatred and disrespect.

And just how is he doing that? By using facts which show that black men are much more likely to be killed during an arrest than white men? There already is racial hatred and disrespect. NOT talking about it isn't going to make it better.

The majority of black deaths are from black on black crime. The only racial hatred and disrespect is toward the cops trying to do their jobs.

The first part of your statement has truth to it.

But US police are nothing more than enforcers for their Fascist government crime bosses!!.......

The liar n chief of the US will no doubt continue on with his insincere,scripted,teleprompter verbal diarrhea!!!

[mopar71]

The old right wingnut talking point, black on black crime. Dawg whistle! And a few rascist slim out of the woodwork, yet again. If it were true it would still have nothing to do with the murder by white cops of black people. The militarized police in many places are out of control with very few ever being prosecuted for their murder of black people. Obama caused the racial divide, yea my ass. It was already there and the white rascists lost the plot when there was a black man in a white house. When I was a certified/commissioned graduate of New Mexico Police Academy law enforcement officer we did NOT act the way cops do today and had we done so we would have been fired and prosecuted, rightly so. In fact respect for others civil rights and liberties was drilled into our heads in our classes. Ashamed to say, but even NM seems to have lost "policing" these days under the rule of a Koch (John Birch Society) traitor brothers bought corrupt government.

You were a police officer but are unaware of black-on-black crime levels? hmm.

The people who deny black-on-black crime are the true racists. Racists because they want to do nothing about the epidemic that is taking the lives of so many African Americans, instead ignoring it, calling it a myth or "dog whistle". Blacks in America make up about 13% of the population. Black men are in single digit % of the population but account for over 50% of gun homicides. Overall, 93% of black victims were killed by blacks. How is that not a problem?

Check out the 30-year trends, stats straight from the US Dept of Justice...

In 2008, the off ending rate for blacks (24.7 offenders per 100,000) was 7 times higher than the rate for whites (3.4 offenders per 100,000)

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf

From the same link, it shows that of the 541 police officers killed between 2001-2010, 40% were killed in either ambush situations or traffic stops/pursuits. Someone doesn't need to be an ex-cop to appreciate how dangerous the job is..

[sgtsabai]

Again, black on black crime has nothing, nada, zip, zero to do with the murder of black people by white cops. Dawg whistle always used by the right wing racists and a subject changer, typical of the right wing............ Oh, dangerous, yes, but not even in the top 10 of most dangerous jobs in America. There were few black people in NM and where I lived it was 95% Chicano. I'm considered Caucasian although somewhere along the line somebody injected a little Creek/Choctaw. Everybody was armed. Dangerous, damn right, back up was 30 to 45 minutes away. Medical help, forget it. As we used to say, "If I'm still alive just throw me in the back and drive like hell and hope medivac can get in". Mountain country full of drug dealers, thieves, poachers, you name it. I had friends gunned down and the city marshall was gunned down. I worked mostly alone as did most, but we all responded no matter what agency. I always had radio (no cell phones), on or off duty.......... White cops murder black people, period. Yea they've been doing that down south for many years. With the militarization of the police, the idea of community policing has gone out the window. Minority communities are "occupied territory". I'll say this again, there are stats but no verifiable stats on the number of killings by police because they do NOT have to report them to any Federal agency. Much of the problem today started with the stupid "War on Drugs" which has resulted in the highest prison population per capita in the world for the US. It was/is the black/poor/minority that were targeted. Oh, the 2nd highest group behind blacks killed by cops are Native Americans.

[neverdie]

Bit of a mess the ole U S of A.

Clearly folk there need some guidance & Discipline.

[rijb]

Again, black on black crime has nothing, nada, zip, zero to do with the murder of black people by white cops. Dawg whistle always used by the right wing racists and a subject changer, typical of the right wing............ Oh, dangerous, yes, but not even in the top 10 of most dangerous jobs in America. There were few black people in NM and where I lived it was 95% Chicano. I'm considered Caucasian although somewhere along the line somebody injected a little Creek/Choctaw. Everybody was armed. Dangerous, damn right, back up was 30 to 45 minutes away. Medical help, forget it. As we used to say, "If I'm still alive just throw me in the back and drive like hell and hope medivac can get in". Mountain country full of drug dealers, thieves, poachers, you name it. I had friends gunned down and the city marshall was gunned down. I worked mostly alone as did most, but we all responded no matter what agency. I always had radio (no cell phones), on or off duty.......... White cops murder black people, period. Yea they've been doing that down south for many years. With the militarization of the police, the idea of community policing has gone out the window. Minority communities are "occupied territory". I'll say this again, there are stats but no verifiable stats on the number of killings by police because they do NOT have to report them to any Federal agency. Much of the problem today started with the stupid "War on Drugs" which has resulted in the highest prison population per capita in the world for the US. It was/is the black/poor/minority that were targeted. Oh, the 2nd highest group behind blacks killed by cops are Native Americans.

You and Brian Williams have the best war stories. I could listen to/read them every night.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/brian-williams-stop-reminding-time-iraq-article-1.2704676

[retarius]

The old right wingnut talking point, black on black crime. Dawg whistle! And a few rascist slim out of the woodwork, yet again. If it were true it would still have nothing to do with the murder by white cops of black people. The militarized police in many places are out of control with very few ever being prosecuted for their murder of black people. Obama caused the racial divide, yea my ass. It was already there and the white rascists lost the plot when there was a black man in a white house. When I was a certified/commissioned graduate of New Mexico Police Academy law enforcement officer we did NOT act the way cops do today and had we done so we would have been fired and prosecuted, rightly so. In fact respect for others civil rights and liberties was drilled into our heads in our classes. Ashamed to say, but even NM seems to have lost "policing" these days under the rule of a Koch (John Birch Society) traitor brothers bought corrupt government.

You were a police officer but are unaware of black-on-black crime levels? hmm.

The people who deny black-on-black crime are the true racists. Racists because they want to do nothing about the epidemic that is taking the lives of so many African Americans, instead ignoring it, calling it a myth or "dog whistle". Blacks in America make up about 13% of the population. Black men are in single digit % of the population but account for over 50% of gun homicides. Overall, 93% of black victims were killed by blacks. How is that not a problem?

Check out the 30-year trends, stats straight from the US Dept of Justice...

In 2008, the off ending rate for blacks (24.7 offenders per 100,000) was 7 times higher than the rate for whites (3.4 offenders per 100,000)

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf

From the same link, it shows that of the 541 police officers killed between 2001-2010, 40% were killed in either ambush situations or traffic stops/pursuits. Someone doesn't need to be an ex-cop to appreciate how dangerous the job is..

On a per capita basis blacks are about 7X more likely to be shot by murderous trigger-happy police than whites. Read up on it. Blacks are only 13% of the US population yet account for over 40% of police shootings….plus there are a lot more deaths in custody per capita than white. Black on black crime is red herring in this debate. You need to correct your crime figures for the socio-economic groups which commit crime. The % of blacks with single mothers and living in poverty is much higher than whites. Since this is the group that commits the most crime, it does not follow that blacks are more inclined to commit crimes as white people of similar backgrounds and similar economic circumstances commit crimes at the same rate. The issue though is with the judiciary. Blacks are more likely than their white peers to be convicted, are more likely to be given a custodial sentence and receive longer sentences than whites committing the same crime. It statistically proven.

[rijb]

"murderous trigger-happy police"

Get your facts straight. http://www.dailywire.com/news/7264/5-statistics-you-need-know-about-cops-killing-aaron-bandler

[up2u2]

Under an obstructionist republican Congress President Obama has really struggled to address many issues. He really set his sights on crucial objectives such as economic growth, employment, health care and in spite of Republicans in the Congress voting down every initiative.

Unfortunately there is a limited amount of power and political capital he has to achieve every piece of legislation required to make the changes happen.

The execution of African Americans by Police Officers and mass killings is an area where he has had to take a back seat and it will reflect on his tenure in the future. I am sure he will have great regret that he was not able to take on the racist Police and the corrupt profit driven NRA.

The statements of late are simply mutterings to placate the Right Wing voters and White racists with a view to ensure Trump is defeated. He is simply trading off what he knows in his heart he should say and do for the better good of the American People. That is, ensuring a Republican has no chance of taking the White House.

As an African American he has to turn his back on his own people and play the long game in the hope that another 8 years of President Clinton can take on the fight and address these issues under her administration.

Tough call President but that unfortunately is Politics in America.

[sgtsabai]

Pardner, Brian Williams and I have nothing in common. If you want to call me a liar, do it do my face. You don't know diddly squat about who I am or what I have done. I don't lie and I hate liars. I'm in Udon, come call me a liar to my face any damn time............... In fact, I'll be in Nong Khai on Soi farang/boxing tomorrow night............... The Daily Wire? Nothing but a right wingnut rag that nobody in their correct, not "right" mind, should ever pay attention to. Find some real info and stop with the racist lies.............. up2u2, unfortunately Clinton will not do any better, she has never helped minorities although they have been fooled into believing she and her husband did. Like Obama, she will turn her back on the American people.

[sgtsabai]

One for the rascists. http://www.alternet.org/print/civil-liberties/police-have-been-safer-under-obama-administration-every-president-35-years-analysis

[rijb]

I don't know if you're a liar. But, I do know there's not a lot of difference between a war story and a fairy tale. And inserting them into every thread is monotonous.

I do take exception to a number of your "murder of black people by white cops" comments.

​There are two sides to every story. You talk about the militarization of cops. What about the militarization of civilians? The cops didn't put the heavy weapons into civilian hands. How many bad guys have military training? How many nut jobs have learned from the internet or video simulations? Is it any wonder the cops have had to up their game to stay alive?

Are there racist cops? Hell yes! But, even the FBI doesn't have accurate statistics about the causes and effects of death by cop.

The Color of Crime has some interesting insights into all this. Who the hell knows how accurate this is. But, I'm not willing to condemn the people that put their life on the line, day in and day out.

• The evidence suggests that if there is police racial bias in arrests it is negligible. Victim and witness surveys show that police arrest violent criminals in close proportion to the rates at which criminals of different races commit violent crimes.
• There are dramatic race differences in crime rates. Asians have the lowest rates, followed by whites, and then Hispanics. Blacks have notably high crime rates. This pattern holds true for virtually all crime categories and for virtually all age groups.
• In 2013, a black was six times more likely than a non-black to commit murder, and 12 times more likely to murder someone of another race than to be murdered by someone of another race.
• In 2013, of the approximately 660,000 crimes of interracial violence that involved blacks and whites, blacks were the perpetrators 85 percent of the time. This meant a black person was 27 times more likely to attack a white person than vice versa. A Hispanic was eight times more likely to attack a white person than vice versa.

http://www.colorofcrime.com/2016/03/the-color-of-crime-2016-revised-edition/

[Chicog]

Obama urges respect and restrained after the Dallas shootings.

He is the 1 person in the US who has no respect for law enforcement officers.

He is provoking racial hatred and disrespect.

Tell us how he is provoking executions by police officers.

I'm all ears.

[Ulysses G.]

Obama urges respect and restrained after the Dallas shootings.

He is the 1 person in the US who has no respect for law enforcement officers.

He is provoking racial hatred and disrespect.

Tell us how he is provoking executions by police officers.

Almost none of Black Lives Matter examples of "executions" have turned out to be real. When investigated, it usually turns out that some black criminal instigated any violence that followed.

[Ulysses G.]

If you want to call me a liar, do it do my face. You don't know diddly squat about who I am or what I have done. I don't lie and I hate liars. I'm in Udon, come call me a liar to my face any damn time............... In fact, I'll be in Nong Khai on Soi farang/boxing tomorrow night...............

Another internet tough guy. You are impressing no one with your threats. Please follow the rules:

You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner.

Edited July 11, 2016 by Ulysses G.

[Chicog]

Obama urges respect and restrained after the Dallas shootings.

He is the 1 person in the US who has no respect for law enforcement officers.

He is provoking racial hatred and disrespect.

Tell us how he is provoking executions by police officers.

Almost none of Black Lives Matter examples of "executions" have turned out to be real. When investigated, it usually turns out that some black criminal instigated any violence that followed.

Yeah, that busted tail light was a capital offence. As was selling CDs.... selling loose cigarettes... being a kid with a toy gun... I could go on, but most people can see they were a danger to society and deserved to die without due process.

:Vomit:

[Boon Mee]

Obama urges greater respect, understanding after shootings

Too little. Too late.

Barry's legacy is set...

[mopar71]

The old right wingnut talking point, black on black crime. Dawg whistle! And a few rascist slim out of the woodwork, yet again. If it were true it would still have nothing to do with the murder by white cops of black people. The militarized police in many places are out of control with very few ever being prosecuted for their murder of black people. Obama caused the racial divide, yea my ass. It was already there and the white rascists lost the plot when there was a black man in a white house. When I was a certified/commissioned graduate of New Mexico Police Academy law enforcement officer we did NOT act the way cops do today and had we done so we would have been fired and prosecuted, rightly so. In fact respect for others civil rights and liberties was drilled into our heads in our classes. Ashamed to say, but even NM seems to have lost "policing" these days under the rule of a Koch (John Birch Society) traitor brothers bought corrupt government.

You were a police officer but are unaware of black-on-black crime levels? hmm.

The people who deny black-on-black crime are the true racists. Racists because they want to do nothing about the epidemic that is taking the lives of so many African Americans, instead ignoring it, calling it a myth or "dog whistle". Blacks in America make up about 13% of the population. Black men are in single digit % of the population but account for over 50% of gun homicides. Overall, 93% of black victims were killed by blacks. How is that not a problem?

Check out the 30-year trends, stats straight from the US Dept of Justice...

In 2008, the off ending rate for blacks (24.7 offenders per 100,000) was 7 times higher than the rate for whites (3.4 offenders per 100,000)

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf

From the same link, it shows that of the 541 police officers killed between 2001-2010, 40% were killed in either ambush situations or traffic stops/pursuits. Someone doesn't need to be an ex-cop to appreciate how dangerous the job is..

On a per capita basis blacks are about 7X more likely to be shot by murderous trigger-happy police than whites. Read up on it. Blacks are only 13% of the US population yet account for over 40% of police shootings….plus there are a lot more deaths in custody per capita than white. Black on black crime is red herring in this debate. You need to correct your crime figures for the socio-economic groups which commit crime. The % of blacks with single mothers and living in poverty is much higher than whites. Since this is the group that commits the most crime, it does not follow that blacks are more inclined to commit crimes as white people of similar backgrounds and similar economic circumstances commit crimes at the same rate. The issue though is with the judiciary. Blacks are more likely than their white peers to be convicted, are more likely to be given a custodial sentence and receive longer sentences than whites committing the same crime. It statistically proven.

Never bring up "per capita" when talking about race and crime unless you are trying to show that certain minority groups seem to be out of control. BTW, that is true in a lot of European countries as well, minorities committing crimes above their share of the population.

People need to keep in mind that most victims are victimized by someone of their own race. So when the facts show that blacks are responsible for the majority of violent crime in the USA, that means the majority of victims in the USA are also black. I am sure when that thug in Ferguson got shot last year while attacking that cop, 99% of the people who knew him were glad he was off the street.

[mopar71]

Obama urges respect and restrained after the Dallas shootings.

He is the 1 person in the US who has no respect for law enforcement officers.

He is provoking racial hatred and disrespect.

Tell us how he is provoking executions by police officers.

Almost none of Black Lives Matter examples of "executions" have turned out to be real. When investigated, it usually turns out that some black criminal instigated any violence that followed.

Yeah, that busted tail light was a capital offence. As was selling CDs.... selling loose cigarettes... being a kid with a toy gun... I could go on, but most people can see they were a danger to society and deserved to die without due process.

:Vomit:

I'd vomit too if I made such misleading statements like the above.

The busted tail light is not why the kid got shot. It was the reason he got pulled over. The cop seemed pretty freaked out when he shot the kid for no apparent reason. I don't know the full story there (neither do you, obviously)

The kid with the toy gun was a tragedy. Only the kid knew it was a toy. The cops were responding to a call that someone was pointing a gun at people. The dispatcher didn't inform the cops that the caller said the gun was "probably fake".

Selling CDs and threatening someone with a gun then fighting with the cops someone called will get you shot. I saw the 2nd video, the guy was going for his gun if he didn't already have his hand on it. So the child rapist and career criminal got shot. No tears here.

The one I can agree to blame the cops on was Eric Garner, the can't breathe guy selling cigarettes who was choked to death. Never should have happened for such a minor thing. As if there isn't any real crime in NYC a group of cops have to go after a guy selling individual cigarettes.

[mopar71]

Well, this settles that once and for all...

Harvard Study on Police Shootings and Race Offers Shocking Conclusion

The study examined more than 1,000 police shootings from 10 large police departments in California, Florida and Texas.The results? Not what Black Lives Matter would have you believe. The study found no indication of racial bias associated with incidents in which cops fired their guns. The study concluded that police officers who had not been attacked were more likely to shoot white suspects.

http://tribunist.com/news/harvard-study-on-police-shootings-and-race-offers-shocking-conclusion/

Or read it at the New York Times...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/12/upshot/surprising-new-evidence-shows-bias-in-police-use-of-force-but-not-in-shootings.html