Commentary
“It is not time to burn down your own home!”
The quotes above come from rapper and activist Killer Mike.
Before my daughter sent me the video of Killer Mike making his impassioned plea at a press conference on Friday with Atlanta’s mayor, I had never heard of him. I had no idea who Killer Mike was. Now I do.
Killer Mike went on:
“I’m mad as hell. I woke up wanting to see the world burn down yesterday because I’m tired of seeing Black men die. He casually put his knee on a human being’s neck for nine minutes as he died like a Zebra in the clutch of a Lion’s jaw, and we watch like murder porn over and over again. So that’s why children are burning it to the ground: they don’t know what else to do. And it is the responsibility of us to make this better. Right now.
Here’s the entire video:
Susan B. Glasser is a staff writer for The New Yorker. Her story today is called, “Trump Plays Macho Man as America Burns.” In the article Glasser writes about Trump’s sojourn to Cape Canaveral to view “the made-in-the-U.S.A. spacecraft blast off bound for the International Space Station with astronauts aboard, the first time an American craft had done so in nine years.”
“When Trump arrived in Cape Canaveral, though, he seemed to want a campaign ad, not a moment of American reconciliation, and soon after he walked onto the rooftop, the song “Macho Man,” by the Village People, a staple of his campaign rallies, began blaring from the speakers. The spectacle of a florid disco tribute to the President at such a time could not have been more discordant, or the message clearer: it’s all about Trump. It always is.
Link: https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trump-plays-macho-man-as-america-burns
PDF version:
On Friday, Glasser turned to Twitter to express her dismay at the state of affairs in America in 2020.
- 1974 – The Nixon Impeachment
- 1918 – The Spanish Flu pandemic
- 1929 – The Great Depression
- 1968 – Protests and riots throughout the country
- 2020 – Ugh. We have four of the most horrific years in America’s history all wrapped up in one Trumpian package. And it’s only June 1.
Two final quotes from Killer Mike:
“First taking your butt to the computer and making sure you fill out the census so that people know who you are and where you are.”
“The next thing is you exercise your political bully power and going to local elections and beating up the politicians that you don’t like. Now’s your election to do it.
We all need to heed Killer Mike’s words: Blacks, Latinos, younger voters, older voters, city voters, suburban voters…use your “political bully power.”
We all need to heed Killer Mike’s words because we don’t want to have to add 2021 to Susan Glasser’s list. Because if 2021 makes her list, make no mistake, it will end up worse than 2020!
And that’s not something we want to look forward to.
Around the Block 
What a great video. Now I know who Killer Mike is too.
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One of the most heartfelt speeches I’ve ever seen. Now everyone has to act on his words.
Continue protesting the horrific behavior of law enforcement locally and nationally (police, DAs, AG, Commander in Chief) yes, but stop the rioting, stop the looting, stop the burning and vote the bad guys out!
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what a great speech!!
why isn’t he on their city council???
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He is unbelievable! Now if only people will heed his words…and vote!
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I have seen Killer Mike as an activist on Bill Maher and I believe NPR. He always makes an impression. I have to say that I have been saying for awhile now that we all have to take to the streets now to get this democracy back. I don’t want violence, but if it doesn’t work by the ballot in November what other choice do we have.
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We need to make sure if happens by the ballot! Vote early and vote often (OK, not often, that would be voter fraud – although according to our fearful leader voting early, by mail-in ballot, is voter fraud as well). So I guess, JUST VOTE!
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Thank you, Ted – powerful!
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Thanks for sending this video Ted. I just had time to sit and watch it. I think that Atlanta listened to him but the damage there was’t as bad as else where, is that so? I’m wondering if there has been some of those white supremecists causing some of the looting or agitating the crowd towards it. I’m not trying to absolve black people because I understand their rage and I would be tempted to do some damage too but I think that most of them would listen to the pleas of this man and others that have tried to tamp down the violence. How do you see it?
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There is evidence that white supremacist organizations are, indeed inciting some of the rioting and looting. In fact, one group established a Twitter account posing as Antifa and calling for violence. While this group was caught and their account deleted, who knows how many more. Of course, it doesn’t help when non-violent protests are put down by violent police/military action as on Monday outside the White House. It is unfortunate, but the rage is palpable, and while rioting and looting is hard to condone nor justify, it is, after all these killings, almost justifiable (but not quite).
It’s like 1968 again…but teamed up with a pandemic!
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