Dear Melissa Harris-Perry...

[Larkspur]

Hi, it's me, Larkspur, a white liberal woman, who supports the the main argument of black lives matter -- police brutality is heavy handed and unnecessarily fatal on African Americans and it needs to be corrected.

How does BLM attacking those, both politicians, and regular white people like me, help their cause? You are a political science professor, so explain to me how attacking Bernie Sanders, who supports the core message of BLM, helps their cause, other than creating an atmosphere of anger and potential violence that seeks to hurt Sanders ability to draw large crowds. I see BLM as being coopted by one or more of Hillary's supporters, who are looking forward to lucrative jobs in a Clinton Admin. and see Sanders ability to draw large crowds to his events as a threat to their future fortunes. BLM is doing Hillary's dirty work. They don't seem to mind losing the support of white liberal women like me.

So MHP, where does one draw the line between black civil rights activists and just plain bullies? The BLM women in Seattle were literally using their bodies to threaten and intimidate Bernie Sanders and the event staff. How is that not a form of assault or threat of violence on the person of Bernie Sanders? In the 1960's, MLK and his followers chose the path of Gandhi's non-violence. I read that at the 50th anniversary of the March on Selma, BLM tried to disrupt President Obama but they were quickly and forcibly removed while the audience shouted back at them "Are you registered to vote?" Can us white people say the same thing to BLM bullies?

Oh, and can black people be racist too? Especially, when they call a white Jewish man/women and all white liberals white supremacists? As, I'm sure you are aware, Rev. Jesse Jackson was rebuked when he was caught calling Jews Hymies, so is antisemitism still rampant in the black community? Is that why BLM is really attacking Bernie Sanders?

Sincerely yours,
Larkspur

[Snotcicles]

2. I think I'll pop some corn. nt

[roguevalley]

3. thoughtful post. I am sure you will get kicked in the balls for it too.

[Joe the Revelator]

4. How was post #1 kicked by a jury? Now that person is banned.

That's goofy.

[restorefreedom]

5. i agree. nt

[zappaman]

6. It will be a nice 3 weeks.

Although I have a feeling it might be longer...

[KittyWampus]

9. so you're an optimist.

[LeftOfWest]

16. or a 1% got it all.

[davidpdx]

13. At least he won't be martyred like the Clinton supporters do when one of their own do

How they all cry and moan about how unfair is was that one of their supporters got put on vacation.

[AndreaCG]

7. I no longer have cable

So didn't see the MHP show Saturday that apparently irked you so. In the past she has been genuinely fair and balanced with intelligent contributors. What EXACTLY did she say to provoke your ire and snark, as opposed to other talk show hosts today?Furthermore what convinces you that the DNC, or Hillary, is behind the BLM?

[Larkspur]

8. I have not watch her show yesterrday yet. Have it on Tivo

I'm a regular viewer of her show. I was just patterning my letter after her segment where she vocalizes a letter to a person in the news. I knows she supports BLM or at least its central mission and just wanted to ask her some pointed questions about this group and its single minded attack on Bernie Sanders.

[AndreaCG]

10. Well it came across as really nasty toward MHP

As if she had behaved really offensively during her show. Since you didn't even watch it you really owe her an apology, not that she's likely to see it, but just on principle.

[Stellar]

11. Remembering this OP and your letter to MHP

Hopefully, some of your questions are answered in the video at the link.

http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry

MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY 8/15/15
Black Lives Matter organizer: 'Every presidential candidate should expect to hear from us'
Black Lives Matter organizer Daunasia Yancey speaks with Joy Reid about her meeting with Hillary Clinton. Alicia Garza join the discussion about how 2016 presidential candidates are addressing racial justice issues.
Duration: 10:27

Or you can see the full video if you so desire, that is, if you have an on-tv account that would allow you to watch MSNBC.

http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry#!#full-episodes

ETA: part 2 below.

MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY 8/15/15
Jeanne Theoharis: Social movements cause discomfort
Joy Reid speaks with Cornell William Brooks, Julieta Garibay, Akhil Reed Amar, and Jeanne Theoharis about recent confrontations between Bernie Sanders supporters and Black Lives Matter activists and puts this tension in a historical context.
Duration: 6:58

[Larkspur]

12. I watched Saturday's MHP Show and was still disappointed

The biggest disappointment with MHP reviewing this story is the heavily edited video they used. They took out the parts that make the BLM activists look like the bullies they were, and failed to report that a woman had spoken earlier at this event that addressed BLM issues. The only thing they got right was reporting that the Seattle event was not a Sanders rally.

They also did not address the antisemitism that runs through the militant black movement.
They never discussed why BLM has a #bowdownBernie but no #bowdownHillary or #bowdownJeb or #bowdownTrump.
Heck they even ignored the public taunting of BLM by Donald Trump who dared BLM to hijack his microphone and stage. Not a peep from BLM. Not even a #bowdownTrump.

This is what pisses me off. BLM mocks Sanders for his 50 years of civil rights activism and support but they ignore Donald Trump who has issued a public challenge to BLM to hijack his microphone. Not a peep from BLM since Trump's taunt.

[Juicy_Bellows]

14. I couldn't agree more. Nt.

[Sancho]

15. Hmmm....I would disagree with some of your comment.

BLM mocks Sanders for his 50 years of civil rights activism and support

Here's a summary, and perhaps it's not the best one, but Bernie has a minimal record of working on-the-ground with minority (African American) causes; most of his activism affects racism, but is not targeted at black lives exclusively:
http://www.salon.com/2015/07/22/20_examples_of_bernie_sanders_powerful_record_on_civil_and_human_rights_partner/

Maybe you have a better source?
I think that BLM is looking for ANY candidate to demonstrate activism aimed specifically at African American lives. I suspect they also are looking for efforts outside of government programs or politics, and they want actions that are not generalized to "everyone", but point directly at the black community.

--------------------

antisemitism that runs through the militant black movement

It's true there is more antisemitism with some minorities, but even then it's probably a subset of blacks and hispanics, so painting their cultures as antisemitic is a bit unfair - just like painting Bernie as white supremacist because some whites are extreme.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/02/19/entrenched-anti-semitic-views-very-rare-among-whites-and-asian-americans-common-among-blacks-and-latinos/

According this article, ADL surveys show that “approximately 12 percent of Americans hold deeply entrenched anti-Semitic views.” However, over 30% of African Americans and Latinos hold such views. Given that they are almost 30% of the population, this suggests that of the 12% of Americans who hold deeply entrenched anti-Semitic views, 9% or so are African Americans or Latinos.

--------------------
We don't know, but BLM will not likely waste a lot of time going after the GOP candidates because they know the minority community is going to vote mostly for the Democratic candidates. It's the Democrats who are looking to earn the black vote.

Trump clearly has no political record, and he probably would prevent BLM activists from talking with him in private or in public. He's just mouthing off. BLM will certainly continue to focus on the Democrats, and maybe they will show up at a GOP event. We'll see. Expecting BLM to make a comparison between Trump and Democrats is not likely to happen.

[LeftOfWest]

17. Sancho!!!

oh wait, I am looking for the I am really really 99% sancho.

[Sancho]

18. What do you mean?

I've been using Sancho for more than 10 years - it originally was from Sancho Panza, the character in Don Quixote.

[Stellar]

20. Sorry, it didn't answer the questions that you had.

The biggest disappointment with MHP reviewing this story is the heavily edited video they used. They took out the parts that make the BLM activists look like the bullies they were, and failed to report that a woman had spoken earlier at this event that addressed BLM issues. The only thing they got right was reporting that the Seattle event was not a Sanders rally.

They also did not address the antisemitism that runs through the militant black movement.

*snip*

Is there a video you care to share so that I might be able to hear that woman speak? Also, I need to hear the anti-semitic overtures made toward Senator Sanders.

And, I guess if you are Black you MUST be militant (not disruptive) to make a point?

Last point:

This is what pisses me off. BLM mocks Sanders for his 50 years of civil rights activism and support but they ignore Donald Trump who has issued a public challenge to BLM to hijack his microphone. Not a peep from BLM since Trump's taunt.

Did you NOT hear them say that BLM will be addressing EVERYONE running for POTUS, Trump is included in that. Also, the guy from NAACP stated on the show that they reserve space for the new younger members that are having issues and NAACP would place them on their staff (not fast enough), and some go out on their own.


Alternet.org - - -> Including Bernies 50 years of experience they say...

But much of the criticism of Sanders seems more rooted in who he is — an old white guy from Vermont — than what he has done. If anything, the fact that he has done so much for civil and minority rights despite the fact that his constituency is not one that would naturally demand it speaks to his character and wide empathy that isn't shared by many politicians.

I hear/read that phrase everywhere about Bernie being an "old white guy", coming from Bernies supportersno less. Where in the hell did that come from? And I have searched but, is there a link to support that too? Maybe that's what they see and then try to put it on BLM! IDK.

#bowdownBernie...WTF! They have attributed that to BLM. smh!
As the History buffs on MHP show said that the civil rights movement went much the same way and JFK got caught up into it too(JFK said make me do it) and "that it wasn't all neat and pretty tied up with bow, even though that's the way we pretty much see it today with the same arguments.

[marmar]

19. "so is antisemitism still rampant in the black community"

Bit of a rash generalization, don't you think?