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Don Lemon on Bill O'Reilly
Posted by **Hippie J** on Jul 30, 2013 at 5:16:39 AM:
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7/27/13 - Bill O'Reilly's remarks on race last week drew heavy criticism from Chris Hayes, Bill Maher, Al Sharpton, Larry Wilmore, and more, but one unlikely person is agreeing with him: CNN host Don Lemon. Lemon addressed the wounds inflicted by black males onto their community on his "No Talking Points" segment Saturday afternoon, saying he was able to bring this up now that the George Zimmerman trial had concluded. Before the verdict, right wing media had consistently asked why the "liberal media" was fixating on Trayvon Martin while ignoring rampant black-on-black violence, a "deflection," in Lemon's words, from the injustices of the Martin shooting. But now that Zimmerman had been acquitted, it was time "for some tough love on the subject."
Lemon played a clip of O'Reilly stating, "The reason there is so much violence and chaos in the black precincts is the disintegration of the African American family...Raised without much structure, young black men often reject education and gravitate towards the street culture, drugs, hustling, gangs. Nobody forces them to do that. Again, it is a personal decision."
"Bill's got a point," Lemon said. "In fact, he's got more than a point...In my estimation, he doesn't go far enough."
Lemon then listed five essential reforms black men need to make in their lives in order to improve themselves and their communities: hike up their pants, remove the n-word from their vocabulary, take care of their communities, finish high school, and lower the rate of children born out of wedlock.
"More than 72% of children in the African Americans are born out of wedlock," Lemon said. "Studies show that lack of a male role model is an express train right to prison, and the cycle continues."
"Please, pay attention to and think about what has been presented in recent history as aceptable behavior," Lemon finished. "Pay close attention to the hip hop and rap culture that many of you embrace, a culture that glorifies everything I just mentioned, thug and reprehensible behavior, a culture that is making a lot of people rich—just not you. And it's not going to."
"That said, though, the political right is not off the hook." Lemon played a clip of Kirsten Powers remarking on how convenient it was the conservative media only cares about black violence when they can use it to "stick it to the black community."
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Lemon responds to critics
7/28/13 - CNN's Don Lemon tonight addressed the controversy raised by his remarks on Saturday in which he voiced his agreement with Bill O'Reilly's comments on the black community. Lemon convened another panel to address all the criticism he's got, including charges that he's being an "Uncle Tom." His panelists agreed with him that Lemon wasn't being condescending, he was just giving some much-needed "tough love" to the African American community.
LZ Granderson told Lemon how he had to explain the to his own son why he shouldn't go out wearing saggy pants in public, saying that young black man can still express themselves creatively without linking themselves to that history.
Lemon directly took on the critics of his remarks Saturday.
"What is wrong with telling people to dress appropriately? These are things that I said yesterday that my mom taught me in kindergarten... Dress nicely, speak well, speak appropriately."
Ana Navarro acknowledged the "Twitter hate" Lemon got for his remarks, adding that "success is not going to be reached by not speaking English correctly" and all Lemon was doing was giving "tough love" and "constructive criticism" to the black community. Lemon defended his other coverage of race in America, touting panels and discussions he's done on racial privilege, racism, and profiling.
Lemon also brought up the special he did on the n-word a few weeks ago, and explained that he actually got threatened for telling a black mother she shouldn't use the word to her child. Granderson allowed that there's a certain level of context that needs to be understood in talking about the n-word, but he said the bottom line is that when people walk around with saggy pants and dropping the n-word, they likely won't get a good job or a "decent date with anyone worth loving."
Lemon asked Granderson, "You know what you sound like right now?"
Granderson asked back, "Like a reasonable human being?"
Lemon brought up the "Uncle Tom" moniker that's been thrown his way. Lemon concluded that the bottom line is that "it's really just about respecting yourself." Lemon said, "You have to make a decision at some point that you are going to be better than your surroundings and your circumstances."
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Last updated on Jul 30, 2013