American -

How sad that you did not actually read the statements given by President Obama, which were very thoughtful and complimentary of the work performed by the vast majority of police in the face of difficult and dangerous circumstances.

Nevertheless, it would be irresponsible of our leaders to overlook the statistics and the video records that show a greatly disproportionate use of deadly force in police interactions with black citizens compared to white citizens.

To deny that racism enters into that equation is to play the "ostrich card."

"Dave": You are referring to the statement President Obama made after the executions of the 5 police officers. I was referring to his statements after the Minnesota and Louisiana shootings, which as usual were anti-police and advocating the race card issues.

Do you honestly believe that police officers intentionally shoot criminal suspects solely because of their race? Have you ever spent any time with any law enforcement officers? I have worked with them professionally for 25 years, and many of my actual family members are in law enforcement. I have never heard any police officers make any racist comments. Do yourself a favor and go on a ride along with a police officer. See what they see every day at work. As Atticus Finch stated, "walk in their shoes" before you judge them. Do they make mistakes? Absolutely, just like any other profession. But very few professions run the risk of getting killed and injured every time they report to work.

I expect more from our elected officials than anti-police rhetoric and race card advocacy for their own political agendas. If President Obama wants to criticize something, he should criticize his former Chief of Staff and current Chicago mayor, for the ridiculous increase in homicides since he has been mayor. Chicago currently has more homicides this year than New York City and Los Angeles combined. During the fourth of July weekend, 40 people were shot. Why does Obama and his democratic allies not use the bully pulpit to demand justice and an end to violence in Chicago, rather than focus on a few isolated questionable police shootings? It comes down to politics, and meanwhile more and more brave law enforcement officers are executed. It is time for a change in America, and time for our elected officials to stop using law enforcement as the scapegoats for their failed policies.

The phrase "driving while black" did not emerge wholly formed out of the imaginations of black people. It is a real phenomenon.

There is a difference, which you seem unwilling to acknowledge, between the fine work that is done by the vast majority of police officers, on the one hand, and both the individual racism of a small percentage of officers and institutional racism that can infect particular law enforcement organizations.

"Dave": You still did not answer my questions:
(1) Have you ever actually spent anytime with police officers?
(2) Do you actually think the police intentionally shoot suspects solely because of their race?
If the answer to (1) was yes, I am sure the answer to (2) would be no.
Do they sometimes make mistakes in the heat of the moment? Of course, they are human. But the mistakes are not done intentionally due to the suspect's race.
Obama and his Democratic allies play the race card for their own political gain, at the expense of the safety of law enforcement and the public. Their political rhetoric has caused such an escalation of mistrust and tensions that police are now more edgy and expect to be shot, as do minorities.
The police Chief of Dallas, who happens to be black, made this very point after the executions of his 5 officers. He is a long time law enforcement officer, who has seen first hand, the damage that Obama and the Democrats have caused in escalating violence due to their anti-police race card agenda. Enough is enough. Unless we elect a President who has empathy and respect for law enforcement, and does not play the race card for politics, there will be more funerals of the brave men and women of law enforcement.

Yes, I have spent a significant amount of time with police officers. I have family members who were police officers. Most of them do a fine job. And, yes, sometimes they make mistakes. And other times there are those police officers who allow racial prejudice to affect their views of the citizens with whom they are interacting. And, sometimes, as we have seen in San Francisco, with racist texting, etc., and elsewhere, a culture of racism is allowed to exist within police departments that affects how they do their jobs. You cannot deny that it exists.


But, even more, it is unfortunate that you allow your political bias and and apparently intense dislike of our first black president (hopefully not because he is black) to blind you to the realities of the ways in which racism continues to play a significant role in our society in general and in our policing in particular.

Race is still the great, long, unfinished conversation in our country. (Whether you are willing to acknowledge that fact or not.)

"Dave": Now you are actually playing the race card yourself, assuming if I do not like Obama's anti-police rhethotic it must be because he is black and I am a racist? You are typical of limousine liberals, that play the race card everytime someone disagrees with their opinion. It is disappointing but predictable. Those so called racist police officers risk their life everyday so you can have the freedom to slander their profession. In Dallas, those "racist" were keeping the peace so your misguided liberal allies could have a rally, when a coward sparked by the venom of race playing politicians executed brave officers. When shots rang out, your cowardly allies at the rally ran away, when the " racist cops" ran toward the shooter, to save strangers who moments earlier were crucifying them as racist.
Keep playing the race card, " Dave", and keep igniting the hatred and violence that follows.

You still have no explanation why black citizens are stopped more often by police, why they are subjected to greater uses of force during stops, and why they are killed more often. If not race, then what? Is it all just one big "accident" as you termed it?

I hope American appreciates the irony of choosing a quote from To Kill A Mockingbird to disprove institutional racism. I think another, more apt quote from To Kill A Mockingbird would be: "People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for."

To deny that centuries of racism play a role in how some police view suspects and the likelihood of threats they pose is, simply put, ignorant. Nobody has claimed that all police are bad, or even that a large portion is; to the contrary, everyone has said that it is a small - pardon the use - minority of police who act inappropriately. But in the context of policing, a small group of police officers can have a disproportionately large impact when improperly motivated, consciously or subconsciously.

Dave, note that over the long haul, the comments here skew heavily towards tea-party/trumpism. This is usually at variance to actual election results.

dbrower -

Yes, quite true. It gives them something to do during the commercials on Fox News.

"Dave": As I noted back on July 10, if Obama and you liberals keep playing the race card and keep igniting the hatred, more violence will follow against law enforcement. Unfortunately, I was correct, as witnessed by the subsequent cowardly executions of the police officers in Baton Rouge. Shame on you, for keep playing the race card for your own political parties benefit, at the expense of the lives of law enforcement officers.

By the way, the police chief of Milwaukee(who is black), and the police chief of Dallas(who is black), said the same thing I did, and is calling out Obama and you liberals for increasing the tensions and violence against the police. Of course, "Dave", you being a white guy living in a wealthy white suburb, who has never worked in law enforcement, you must know more about criminal justice issues and race issues, than two veteran police chiefs who are black and have worked their entire careers in law enforcement. Keep playing the race card, "Dave" as more widows and orphans attend the funerals of their loved ones in law enforcement.

I hope winning the White House is worth it to you and your party. Just remember, real estate in Heaven is more valuable than in Washington.

Very unAmerican post of you. Your quote "The Police are human, and as humans, make mistakes." is ridiculous. The mistakes they are making on are African-American men. Lame, go move away from the Bay Area and stop hiding behind anonymous posts. Or better yet, go post on Pleasanton Weekly. There are a lot more of your kind there.

" You are not American": Funny, when you rip me for " hiding behind anonymous post", you failed to give us your name. Better yet, how about your address? Thought so.

Media is just reporting a police officer in Kansas City was just murdered by a sniper. This needs to stop now! No more bashing of police for political gains.

When injustices go unaddressed, and legitimate protest are discounted, it only invites the unstable, crazies to do terrible things.

Offering legitimate criticisms of the behavior of some police is not "police bashing."

Do you really think that all police should have unbridled immunity from any wrongful behavior? Or do you just think that no police ever commit wrongful acts and that no police officers are ever motivated by racism?

Than would truly be a fantasy world.

Wow oh wow! Same old same old. When liberals disagree with someone's opinion, they will label, belittle, and shame. It is not racist when someone voices an opinion.

I just don't understand why liberals do this? It's so hypocritical. And the exaggeration that goes on is quite upsetting also.

American is right about Obama. It goes back to the beginning of his presidency when he called a New England police department stupid for something to do with a black friend. Obama's speeches are always pro black and against police.

Please notice I am voicing an opinion and not name calling.

Why is the DNC having mothers of thugs give speeches? Just don't get it!

We need to select a president that will support police officers!

Does anyone else think Michelle Obama's DNC speech this year contradicts her speech from eight years ago? How could she say that America is already great, when she made a comment eight years ago saying she grew up unproud of her country. If the Democrats want to be so positive, why is she bringing up a comment about slaves building the White House? I just don't understand why our first black President and First Lady, continue to be so prejudiced.

" Danville": I agree with your opinions. It is also very interesting to watch a tape of a speech NBC showed yestetday that Michelle Obama gave during the primary years ago when Obama was running against Hillary, when Michelle said, " If she( Hillary) can't take care of her own house( Bill's numerous affairs),how can she ever take care of the Whitehouse". NBC reported that relations between Michelle Obama and Hillary have been " frosty" since Michelle made that comment. Clearly Michelle's fawning over Hillary at the DNC this year was as phony as the neutrality of the DNC during the primary.

Another example of Democrat's rhetoric igniting race wars, is the Freddy Gray and Baltimore riots situation.

There would not have been any riots if not for the mayor and democrats coming out against police.

By the way, all charges against all police have been dropped.

And to continue the Democrat's rhetoric against police the Baltimore state's attorney continues to prosecute these police officers through news coverage. Her tone and demeanor will insight more people.

It is very simplistic to characterize legitimate protests as "race riots" -- especially when white citizens are taking part in the protests, too.

Also, just because a young black man is unjustly harassed or is shot by the police does not make him a "thug". Perhaps you should reconsider using such a racially charged and inaccurate term, "Danville".

Also, I believe the word you were looking for was "incite" not "insight".

Dave, yes thank you for the correction, bummer I have gotten used to Siri typing for me.

I will admit I do not know all details to every case, but if you search for details, you will learn these are not model citizens. Micheal Brown, for example, was a thug and assaulted a clerk, I believe, before the police stopped him.

As I tell my children, if stopped by the police, be respectful and do as you are told, and the last thing you do is run.

"Dave": African-Americans make up 74.4% of the NBA, while white players are 23.3%, and Latino's only make up 1.8% of the NBA. Obviously, these percentages are grossly out of proportion to the percentages the races make up of the overall population. Following your logic, it must be due to racism, correct? Or could there be other issues involved?

"Dave", if you are out late at night in a city, by yourself, and you see a white man covered with tattoos and dressed like a thug walking toward you, your flight or fight sense may kick in, and you might cross the street, correct? If you are in the same situation, but it is an African-American man, dressed in a business suit and groomed professionally, your flight or fight sense will not kick in, and you would not consider crossing the street, correct?

Isn't is possible the same occurs to the brave men and women of law enforcement, who have to make an instant, snap decision, in an adrenaline filled second, to sense up the possible threat?

My point, which liberals refuse to acknowledge, is race is not the cause of every injustice and error people, including police officers, make. Don't you think that grooming, clothing, tattoos, type of vehicle, manners, acting respectful or being belligerent, etc., may play a part in the risk assessment police go thru, which can consciously or unconsciously trigger the fight or flight sense?

Statistics alone mean nothing, without analysis, and consideration of possible explanations for the statistics.

Just labeling police as "racist", or quite frankly labeling us conservatives as "racist" for simply disagreeing with your opinions, is wrong, and does and has led to the increased tension between the races during the Obama administration. My concern is four more years of Hillary and the Democrats playing the race card for their own political gains will lead to even worse relations between the races and the police, and more funerals of police.

Sadly, American, it is not just a matter of clothes or tattoos or other aspects of appearances.

When your own party's sole black senator, Tim Scott, takes to the floor of the U.S. Senate to recount how many times and in what circumstances he has been targeted for stops by the police -- because he was in a nice car in a nice neighborhood ....and black.

When I am stopped in Danville for accidently switching off my headlights while using my turn signal, the police are very respectful to me. A quick license and registration check and I am on my way again.

When my black nephew (well-dressed and a cadet at West Point) is stopped by police in his hometown in the South, he is subjected to a full search of the car, a backup call to have police dogs search the car, and to have all of the contents of the car emptied out and left at the side of the road, while being detained for 2 hours.

Not a coincidence.

I totally agree with American. Depending on how somebody dresses, acts, and where they are, determine how they will be viewed by others.

Dave, I think your opinion is exaggerated a bit. In most cases, the location is a bigger determination then the color of their skin.

Race shouldn't be a factor at all.

I suspect that Sen. Tim Scott's fellow white townspeople are not stopped by police with anything near the frequency that he has been stopped. That was the point that he was making: that just because it hasn't happened to you (his fellow white senators) doesn't mean it (racially disparate treatment by the police) doesn't exist.

I still don't understand the (ostrich) point of view that it is better to deny that a problem exists than to make the effort to discuss the problem and take steps to improve it.

Dave, you are right, race should not be an issue, but Democrats keep saying it is. What benefits do white males have? Everyone knows that African-Americans, other races and of course now women get more. They get into colleges and jobs because Democrats keep saying we need to make everything equal. What happened to the America that promoted and gave things based on ability and willingness to work hard?

Danville, despite your professed viewpoint on race, I seriously doubt that you would ever voluntarily trade places with a black man.

Dave, it's all perception. When I see somebody dressed like a hoodlum and acting belligerent, I am on guard... It doesn't matter what their skin color is! I also judge a person by their tone and words. Democrats and liberals need to stop saying this is all about race.