Mr. Obama & #BlackLivesMatter Were Never on the Same Page

President Obama Pens Letter to Police: ‘We Have Your Backs’ – ABC News – President Barack Obama told to the law enforcement community that he fully supports them and promised, “We have your backs” in the wake of deadly attacks on cops in Dallas and Baton Rouge. The comments came in a letter penned to the “brave members of our law enforcement community,” posted Monday on the Fraternal Order of Police’s Facebook page, followed by a declaration that flags will be flown at half-mast at The White House and federal buildings, in honor of the police officers killed. “As you continue to serve us in this tumultuous hour, we again recognize that we can no longer ask you to solve issues we refuse to address as a society,” Obama wrote in the open letter. “We should give you the resources you need to do your job, including our full-throated support.”

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Obama says Black Lives Matter. But he doesn’t ensure they do | Patrisse Cullors | Opinion | The Guardian – Just days after several violent, deadly attacks on black people at the hands of the police, ABC invited families, organizers, officers and more to join Barack Obama in a town hall to discuss race relations in America. The idea was to offer space for reconciliation and those in attendance were told that we would have an opportunity to engage in a conversation on trust and safety in our communities. Among those in the room were pastor Traci Blackmon; Cameron Sterling, son of Alton Sterling, who was killed by Baton Rouge police; Erica Garner, daughter of Eric Garner, who was killed by the NYPD two years ago; and a host of other people impacted by police violence and terror. Also in attendance were policymakers, police and families of law enforcement. True reconciliation requires far more than a casual conversation, of course. But we committed to leaving our families behind to attend because we believe in real democracy. That involves the right to petition our government and question our leadership about their role in ensuring black people have equitable treatment under the law. What we got, though, was none of that.

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Armed Black Protesters Cause Cleveland Police To Call For “Temporary Suspension of Second Amendment” – Counter Current News – Uncategorized Armed Black Protesters Cause Cleveland Police To Call For “Temporary Suspension of Second Amendment” July 17, 2016 7:59 pm by Counter Current News Editorial Team black-open-carry The head of Cleveland’s largest police union has just called on Ohio Gov. John Kasich to temporarily restrict the state’s open carry gun laws and the Second Amendment during this week’s Republican National Convention. This call comes as members of various Black “Open Carry” and self-defense organizations began arriving in the city. When various “gun rights” groups, with predominantly pro-Republican agendas and predominantly Caucasian members said they planned to show up, there was still no call from the police. Suddenly, as more and more African American armed protesters began checking in on the streets of Cleveland, the police made the call to the governor. “We are sending a letter to Gov. Kasich requesting assistance from him. He could very easily do some kind of executive order or something – I don’t care if it’s constitutional or not at this point,” Stephen Loomis, president of Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, audaciously said. Ohio police, like police in every other state, are sworn to uphold not only the federal and state constitutions, but also the laws of the state they work in. This was a clear call for the police to write the laws themselves, on the fly. “They can fight about it after the RNC or they can lift it after the RNC, but I want him to absolutely outlaw open-carry in Cuyahoga County until this RNC is over,” he continued.

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White House responds to petition to label Black Lives Matter a “terror” group – CBS News – After days of violence and heightened racial tensions in the U.S., the White House responded this week to an online petition asking the federal government to formally label the Black Lives Matter movement as a “terror group.” “Terrorism is defined as ‘the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims,'” read the “We The People” petition, created July 6 on the White House website. “This definition is the same definition used to declare ISIS and other groups, as terrorist organizations.” Black Lives Matter, the petition said, “earned this title due to its actions in Ferguson, Baltimore, and even at a Bernie Sanders rally, as well as all over the United States and Canada.” It asked the Pentagon to recognize the group as such “on the grounds of principle, integrity, morality, and safety.” Because the online document received at least 100,000 signatures — at the time of this reporting, it had garnered over 141,000 names — the White House was automatically prompted to respond. The “We the People” team noted that “The White House plays no role in designating domestic terror organizations,” nor does the U.S. government “generate a list of domestic terror organizations.” Mayor Rawlings: Dallas police died for Black Lives Matter movement Play Video Mayor Rawlings: Dallas police died for Black Lives Matter movement “[T]herefore,” the response read, “we are not able to address the formal request of your petition.”

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READ: President Obama Writes Open Letter Of Support To Law Enforcement –

President Obama wrote an open letter to law enforcement officers Monday that expressed solidarity and support after a string of slayings of police officers in Dallas an Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The letter encourages empathy for officers and was reposted by the National Fraternal Order of Police on its Facebook page.