wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Sherman from Manhattan September 21, 2007 - 10:12AM

  To your credit, Brian, you asked Capehart the pertinent question: what WAS Obama's response to the Jena Six case? To his discredit, Capehart did not answer, & you failed to follow up.

  I'm still waiting: what WAS Obama's response?

  
  
• [2] JJ September 21, 2007 - 10:14AM

  Did this white student hang the noose? Also, if 6 black men beat me up on the A-train - what would the punishment be?

  
  
• [3] Chad Harris from Jena 6 September 21, 2007 - 10:17AM

  It took you a year to start covering this STORY.

  You missed the boat why?

  What about the black jurors?

  
  
• [4] Trevor from LIC September 21, 2007 - 10:17AM

  Anyone who defends the nooses hanging from the tree is a racist-- would you defend a burning cross on a lawn as mere mischief also? How about swastikas?

  I'm white, and this story has outraged me: I wish I was in Jena to protest.

  The United States and the South in particular and its continual embrace of bigotry needs more coverage in the media. This incident is hardly an isolated event in my estimation.

  I only hope more action stems from the Jena protests, and that news like this and the reaction to the Rutgers/Imus story are indicative of a wider trend toward a reawakening of the Civil Rights movement.

  
  
• [5] Johnny S from Cranford, NJ September 21, 2007 - 10:21AM

  Here's what I generally hear when I tell people I support Obama:

  You're just expressing your liberal guilt by supporting an African American;

  He does not have enough experience to run for dog catcher, let alone President;

  Did you know he went to a Madrassa and his father was a Muslim. After 9/11 can we really let him serve as President?

  We can say that these are silly arguments, but it's on silly arguments like 'Al Gore says he invented the internet' and 'Kerry is a flip flopper' on which elections turn.

  I still support him. I'm proud to.

  
  
• [6] Lewis Fox from New York September 21, 2007 - 10:21AM

  Mr. Capeheart does a disservice to the entire nation when he equates a vsynbolic gesture with a violent response to it. There is a line that is crossed when an arm raised in angry protest comes down to strike.

  
  
• [7] mgdu from hell's kitchen September 21, 2007 - 10:21AM

  1. mr capehart pretends that the jena black-on-white violence was a traditional "schoolyard fight"--one against one--but wasn't it actually a gang attack--the kind of attack that often leads to mayhem?

  2. the fact that the victim was able to attennd a ceremony that night after getting out of hospital is no guarantee that he hasn't sustained concussive brain injury that will have disastrous long term effects.

  3. is the national black community which has traveled from all over the country to instruct jena on how to maintain law and order, really satisfied with the level of violence in their home communities?

  4. in terms of identity, is the semantic relationship of "black" to "negro" similar to that of "gay" to "homosexual"?

  
  
• [8] JJ September 21, 2007 - 10:25AM

  I agree that the noose was disgusting. But, you do get into the free speech debate.

  I just wonder if the white kid who was beat up was involved with the noose non-sense or if a mob jumped him. Mob justice is not cool, and I wonder how old these 'kids' are.

  
  
• [9] arthur springer from manhattan September 21, 2007 - 10:26AM

  re segment of "wall st." speech by obama you played:

  He sounded very much like he was carefully reading a script he had never seen before and was reading for the first time.

  
  
• [10] eligit from astoria September 21, 2007 - 10:28AM

  sadly i think the subtle discussion of obama is kind of moot.

  does anyone REALLY believe that the same people who so happily voted for GWB in 2004 would vote for a black man? let's be honest. also it seems unlikely that he will beat HRC for the democratic nomination.

  ALSO sad is the fact that these same "thoughtful" bush/swing voters would more than likely never vote for a woman either when the chips were down.

  and since these presidential campaigns are basically two candidates tripping over themselves to appeal to swing voters....game over.

  
  
• [11] Ash in NYC from Manhattan September 21, 2007 - 10:30AM

  As a 67-year-old black American, I consider myself an American first and a black American - with an uncapitalized 'b'- second. The first reflects my feelings as a citizen; the second reflects my feelings as a member of an American ethnic group. I am delighted that my country has finally reached the point where a person can be considered for any position in this country regardless of race (in this case) or gender (in Hillary's case). I am ALWAYS proud when a member of my ethnic group excells or achieves. Since I feel that racism is still alive and well in America (from all groups!), I am especially proud of Obama's achievement. I cringe when I hear people say that he is not "black enough". This absurd comment -- especially from other black people -- simply exposes one's reliance on stereotypes for ethnic identities. I don't vote for any candidate because of his or her race or gender. But should Obama become our first black president, I shall again be filled with pride as I have been for many other similar achievements by members of my ethnic group, in this country, in the past.

  
  
• [12] Robert from NYC September 21, 2007 - 10:33AM

  This "not experienced enough" nonsense has to stop and the media must stop bringing it up. It's brought up every election year about just about every candidate; it was said about Clinton, Reagan, Carter, (well, W too but there it was correct). Frankly, no one is experienced enough because no one who runs for the first time has been President before!! That said, Obama is as qualified as anyone and possibly more so than most of the others in the running. It's time Americans grow up and look and the issues and the way candidates handle/would handle them and vote on that basis.

  
  
• [13] Jay from Tarrytown September 21, 2007 - 10:34AM

  I think it's dismissive to assume Blacks will vote for Obama because he is Black, as if Blacks don't have the capacity to be objective. Are Irish descendants going to automatically vote for McCain? The Italians for Giuliani, the Mexicans for Richardson, the polygamist for Romney, the lobbyist for Thompson? (I kid of course on the last to)

  
  
• [14] Chris from brooklyn September 21, 2007 - 10:36AM

  Obama DID sound like he was reading that speech. remind me why he's so special now? oh, cause the media says so. wasn't there a Democratic Debate last night? or doesn't it count when B.O. decides not to show?

  WNYC's coverage is supposed to be "different", but it sounding a lot like Hillary and Obama show lately. Just like the rest of the Media. Guess who's leading in Iowa?

  
  
• [15] Amy from Manhattan September 21, 2007 - 10:40AM

  I'm glad you & Mr. Capeheart mentioned that a black student was also beaten up (& apparently his attacker didn't face serious charges). I thought I'd heard that there were attacks on both sides, not just "whites hung a noose vs. blacks committed an assault." WNYC is the only place I'd heard about the whole Jena situation before this week.

  As for Jesse Jackson's remark, I don't see what context could make it acceptable. It's not only a question of what he's saying about Barack Obama, it's what he's saying about whites. I'm sorry not to hear more people questioning that aspect. Does Jackson really think most white people don't care about racism? Of course too many don't or are racists themselves, but for Jackson to *identify* that w/being white is insulting.

  
  
• [16] chestine from NY September 21, 2007 - 12:54PM

  The nooses were to me more shocking to than the assault - I could not believe that college age kids could think that way! Who is teaching them such hatred? The incident turns me off to Louisiana, regardless of all the great things about Louisiana. And that the law came so hard on the black kids - horrible. I think it's time to leave this country. I really do. I wish everybody had a chance to leave this country one at a time to see our insanity through the eyes of others.