Derrion Albert's alleged killers. This week's face of America.
This week, the President and First Lady of the United States of America will travel to Denmark to lobby the International Olympic Committee to bring the 2016 Olympics to their hometown, Chicago.
Obama naysayers will no doubt criticize this as a poor use of Presidential power, prestige and time. With the war in Aghanistan on the verge of shambles, the endless war in Iraq still raging, rising unemployment and ongoing recession, and the burgeoning Iran crisis – not to mention the battles over health care and energy reform – Obama should be too busy to worry about sporting games, right?
For Obama, though, the decision is a no brainer. If the President’s Olympic mission fails, the importance of the aforementioned issues will ensure that everyone quickly forgets Obama’s foray into the sports world.
If Obama succeeds, the corporate pro-Obama media will go nuts crediting him for bringing the Olympics back to the US for the first time in a generation (by 2016, it will have been 20 years since The ATL hosted) – and give an economic and infrastructural boost to his beloved Chicago. He could use a couple days good publicity before the aforementioned controversies take back the airwaves.
The question, then, is not whether Obama’s Olympic lobbying is a good use of Presidential time, but whether Chicago, USA is a good use of the Olympics in the first place -- especially in light of how harshly many Americans judged the IOC for awarding the Olympics to China despite its pitiful human rights record.
It is fitting that the White House released news of Obama’s excellent Olympic adventure on the same day that Americans all over the country reacted with outrage to video of Derrion Albert's beating death. Albert, a 16 year old sophomore honors student at Chicago’s Christian Fenger Academy High School, was attacked by a group of Chicago gang members after wandering upon a fight. The graphic video shows him being hit by a two-by-four and his skull being stomped, as he lay helpless on the ground.
The word tragic does not begin to do justice to Derrion Albert’s death. Barbaric, unconscionable, and intolerable come to mind, as do other unfortunately unprintable words that aptly describe his killers.
If this were an isolated incident, it would be easy to claim Derrion’s death represents only Chicago at its ugliest and move on, because it is true that Derrion Albert’s murderer does not represent America.However, Derrion Albert’s murder does reflect the dark heart of individual Americans: bloodthirtsty, selfish, and violent. Always, always, always violent.
America is a great nation -- the world's greatest. America says that every person has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, Americans are a people that cannot have an honest conversation about the rights of unborn children. Americans are a people that say with their mouths they are pro-life, and then kill abortion doctors. Americans are a people with sitting Supreme Court justices who argue it's legal for the government to kill even those who can prove their innocence. Americans are a people who call themselves Christian while fighting to remain the only civilized Western nation clinging to capital punishment, even killing innocent people like Cameron Todd Willingham, executed in Texas in 2004 for a crime everybody now knows he did not commit.
Do these Americans look like gracious Olympic hosts?
America says that we the people should promote the general welfare. However, Americans cannot find a way to provide quality, affordable health care to its neediest. Americans elected a President who will not fight for a voluntary, optional public insurance plan to offer relief to needy people neglected and abused by private insurers. Instead, America's president offers lip service to health care reform while thwarting reform in secret, making backroom deals with heath industry lobbyists to protect the profits of big pharmaceuticals and deny Americans the opportunity to buy cheaper drugs from overseas.
Are these the Americans who deserve to host the 2016 Olympics?
Americans are a death-and-race-obsessed, criminally prudish, sexually repressed and hypocritical people. Americans sit silent while the black kids attack the white kid on the bus for being white and attack the white boyfriend for having a black girlfriend. Americans will not allow realistic sex on their movie screens, but we will invite graphic scenes of mayhem, murder, and misogynistic violence into our homes on a nightly basis.
Will the Washington Post, who today offered a truly revolting defense of Roman Polanski's crime of drugging, raping, and sodomizing a child, defend Derrion Albert? Does America’s increasingly useles, biased, oblivious, race-baiting punditocracy deserve front row coverage of the Olympics?
Americans' avarice and refusal to save or sacrifice caused the worldwide economic crisis. Yet the Wall Street-Washington corporate oligarchy is stronger than ever and still playing fast and loose with America's financial health. While Obama traipses around the world genuflecting and blaming Bush for everything from war to the spoiled milk in Mrs. O’Malley’s frige, reports continue to surface that the rampant Bush-era greed that ushered in economic collapse continues not only unabated, but also strengthened under his own weak hand, offering limitless bailouts rather than strong regulatory change.
The IOC ought to respond to Obama’s request for a Chicago Olympics with one of their own: an explanation about what he intends to do to make Chicago a livable place for young men like Derrion Albert. Since Obama's presence instantly politicizes Chicago's Olympic bid, the IOC should query Obama as to whether his policies fufill the promise of America -- or mantain the status quo greed, selfishness, and violence of Americans.
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Comments
Why should Obama make Chicago livable? The citizens who pay TITHES & TAXES should charge their clergyman and elected officials with that!!! Pure ignorance...you pay all your money to build this church and fund this musical. Do anybody care what goes on outside the 4 walls of our sanctuaries? Why are churches claiming to "take back the community" when they lock out the community unless it is a church day where they can collect an offering.
First of all, there are a lot of typos in this article, which somewhat defeats your credible. Secondly, the last country to host the Olympics was China, the most communist country - a country that allows its citizen NO civil rights - not speech, not religion, nothing. And you ask if America "deserves" to host the Olympics? Say what you will but the American people are a whole lot more free than anyone else in the world, and while Chicago may not deserve to host the Olympics, you can't pretend that America should be shame-faced about everything. The American Ideal is a great ideal - freedom and justice for all; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - it's just that we rarely live up to our potential and we rarely agree on what it means to be a patriot. But don't you dare pretend that any country who hosts the Olympics deserves it. China proved that THAT idea is totaly BS.
*and by credible, I meant credibility. And no, the irony is not lost on me.
Obama and Michelle will be proud: his followers from his home town beat someone to death.
If president hussien had been knowin' dis shi* he'd be doin' sumptin' bout dat!!!!Kno wat i'm saain'....
Bad things happen to good people and the Government can't protect us from evil. You talk about how the Government is screwing up Iraq and yet you complain that it doesn't provide people with health care. I'm sorry but we need to move to a more free society so people can take care of themselves like the adults they claim they are.
I'm sorry but the person that wrote this article is an idiot. The kids who committed this crime were not representative of American culture and what we stand for at all, and to play it like they are is so ignorant. The children that committed the crime were ignorant as well, and for you to even try and write an article about how this is the reason why we don't deserve to host the 2016 Olympics is ridiculous. Also the other points that you were trying to bring up as to why we shouldn't host them were just stupid. "Sexually repressed" What does that even have to do with anything??? And I've never even heard of American's being sexually repressed. Hypocritical.... every nation is. Everything you said was nonsense, I don't even know where to start.
I think we should create some kind of welfare program to funnel money to help inner city youth. If only those of us who don’t stomp people to death would share our excessive wealth with those who kill for fun we could make a difference. Then these young misunderstood men could afford guns like other gangs. Perhaps if the unemployment rate for kids this age wasn’t over 50% they might have had something else to do that day, perhaps if they had a roll model (for some reason they couldn’t look up to the first black president as an example). Perhaps the Olympics would be the only success Obama will taste unless wasting trillions of dollars, bringing more government into our lives and destroying Americas position on the world stage is the goal…
That is a sickening display of sub-human behavior that we see far too much on in the inner cities. I lay the blame first on the inhuman beings involved and then the PARENT of the same. Until the parents care it will never stop.
You reap what you sow. America was built on murder, so its going to reap murder.
We can not blame the violence of Chicago on the president. What is ironic is the chicago that is being presented as a suitable Olympic venue is not the one that is plagued by violence. These are issues that call for nationa attention and the Olympics will not cure this situation. Read my blog on the subject:
www.ebonymompolitics.wordpress.com
Where is the outrage! Why do people put up with this ignorant violence????
If I could, I would evacuate parents and kids like Derrion from this community and fence the place off.
To Ann C
To police the community from lawless people is not the job of any church that is the job of law enforcement. The church is for people that believe in God, not those that have no regard for what God says. As far as tithes go, the church is a non-profit, so they have to gather tithes and donations to keep the lights on and the bills paid. If you think that is so easy, try it sometime. The faithful members of each church support their own churches and pastors.
Parents are responsible for their kids behaviors. If these kids are violent, the parents are to blame for most of it. The parents must believe in violence, so that passes on to their kids.
Hey dumbass - the olympics was just in Salt Lake City a few years ago - Does the US really need to host the Olympics every decade?
We had it in the Sun Valley in the 60's, Lake Placid in 1980, the political 1984 games in LA, the bomb plagued Atlanta games where an innocent man was accuesd of the bombing in the 90's, the corrupt IOC bribe scandal Salt Lake City Olympics just recently.
This is more of a headache than its worth. Every city that hosts this loses money. Most of the buildings that are built will be temporary and will be torn down afterward.
This is a big problem for alot of inner city predominantly Black schools. It seems like a trend for the last 30 yrs. that Black and Hispanic gangs are destroying the fabric of alot of our schools. I'm Hispanic but I'll never move back to the city. It's too crazy now. I really feel for the parents and children of have no choice. I pray the Lord will get this dead boys poor family through this horror. Children have no boundaries anymore because the liberals have taken god out of our schools, and most parents don't teach Christian values anymore.
Chicago is indeed a very violent city. So violent in fact they fudge their numbers and Chicago does not appear in Table 6 of the FBI UCR. Chico, CA with 84K people is a listed MSA, but not Chicago.
www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/data/table_06.html
Much of what you wrote was true, but I don't see that any of it disqualifies Chicago from hosting the Olympics. Atlanta is a very violent city with high crime and yet they hosted the Olympics. China has one of the worst records on human rights in history, and yet Beijing hosted the Olympics.
There can be no less deserving Olympics host than Adolph Hitler's Germany of 1936. However, the 4 Gold Medals won by Jesse Owens were a perfect snub to Aryan Supremacy.
The Olympics transcend politics. If we're holding out hope for Utopia to host the Olympics, then we might as well cancel the Olympics.
Chicago is and has been always a fragmented and racially divided city. The south side and westside are black ghettoes that whites enter at their own risk. Kids roam the streets attacking others at will. If the police try to intervene they will be charged with racial profiling by Rev Jackson or his surrogates... And so it goes black on black violence is par for the course. The black community needs to look at it self closely...They are responsible for this heinous crime because of their lack of caring and attention to their children... over 70% of black kids do not have a father... black kids have an infant mortality rate of a third world country and yet we have black wealthy atheletes and entertainers living it up in Hollywood or Manhatten while their community eats its own young... Despicable! Don't blame America blame the leaders of the black community!
I THINK THE PRESIDENT & FIRST LADY SHOULD PUT THAT OLYMPIC CRAP OUT OF THERE MINDS & FOCUS ON SOME KIND OF PROGRAMS FOR THE TEENS & TWEENS/GETTING SOMETHING FOR THOSE BAD AZZ KIDS TO DO. I THINK THESE MONSTERS WHO DID THIS SHOULD BE PENALIZED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW & SPEND THE REST OF THERE LIVES IN PRISON OR PUT TO DEATH!
oboma needs to focus on ending the war on drugs and quit playing hockey politics
Chicago! The most corrupt city in America ruled by black gangs and King Obama is promoting that vile place for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. I suspect he has a strong desire to end the Olympic Organization while also end freedom in America.
This killing is just another typical day in Daley's Chicago.
You people are a bunch of idiots! Yes, this event was senseless but senseless crime happens every day in every country. Beijing had the Olympics and China has murdered whole generations of babies, oppresses their current population and spreads their lead filled cheaply made goods all over the world. What the hell does this have to do with the Olympics being in America!?
people are so closed minded.
To jgriffin:Are you from Chicago or do you even live IN the city?First off, Chicago's "black ghettoes",so intelligently put,were once home to the Polish,Germans,& other races @ one point & believe it or not,white people & other races do stay on the west & south sides of Chicago.& how do you say that the people won't allow police to step in b/c they'll racial profile them basically?Do you really think that as the death toll increases people are concerned about being safe more or whether or not the police will harass them?How about YOU look at yourself closely..you cant judge a race off what you hear by mouth,see in the media,or read.& you say"70% of black kids don't have a father.."so they're all children of the Virgin Mary then huh? White people have the highest abortion rate so the statistics of an absent father would be lower opposed to blacks,right?(purposely made closed minded comment to show ignorance is bliss)'til u place yourself in a persons shoes.
you cant judge them,let alone an entire race. people's lives aren't the same & you don't get to choose where you wish to be placed,your family,or your income which may bring difficult situations.& i do believe Derrion Albert is proof of that,rest his sol.until YOU yourself are faced with that situation,who are you to judge? instead of making the situation about race,why not move into the 21st century man..
I do not think any of you realize the implications of hosting an Olympic Games. You all talk about how horrible of a city Chicago is (although I disagree). But do any of you realize that having the Olympics Games in Chicago will be the single most powerful resource in cleaning up the streets. The Olympic Games can transform a city. This is why Chicago not only should host the Olympics Games, but needs to host them.
This is sad. Watching this video makes me want to cry so many cars rode by and could've stepped in...I saw about 4 cars and they weren't driving themselves. This is too sad. These kids needed someone to interfere in their lives a long time ago. I think more police and more counseling. I want to know WHY are they so angry? WHY? We have to help these kids they need us in the worst way. I can not take anymore of our youth hurting and killing each other. I'm not going to get on Obama's case I'm sure he's going to acknowledge this situation. But please reach out to them they need someone to listen to care to help.
Violence happens in any city and country. I don't see the articles point.
you cant judge them,let alone an entire race. people's lives aren't the same & you don't get to choose where you wish to be placed,your family,or your income which may bring difficult situations.& i do believe Derrion Albert is proof of that,rest his sol.until YOU yourself are faced with that situation,who are you to judge? instead of making the situation about race,why not move into the 21st century man..
Using your logic no country should host the Olympics. Every country has problems.
Sending the Olympics to Chicago would benefit one class of people above all else: the corrupt politicians there. Everyone knows how corrupt Chicago is! Why is Obama going above and beyond to get the games to Chicago? Because he is beholden to these creatons and they are clamboring to pilfer millions. Chicago doesn't deserve the games and one of the most corrupt cities in the nation doesn't deserve the $$ that comes with them.
I do not think any of you realize the implications of hosting an Olympic Games. You all talk about how horrible of a city Chicago is (although I disagree). But do any of you realize that having the Olympics Games in Chicago will be the single most powerful resource in cleaning up the streets. The Olympic Games can transform a city. This is why Chicago not only should host the Olympics Games, but needs to host them.
What was even more shocking than the violence in this video was the callousness of the people strolling by as if this was just no big deal. Unfrackin-believable!?!?!?
every city needs an NYPD
Dirty Harry says: What was even more shocking than the violence in this video was the callousness of the people strolling by as if this was just no big deal. Unfrackin-believable!?!?!?
I agree with you but really think about it. The reason that poor guy got killed was because he was doing what? Nothing! If you as one person could get killed for just walking by, what would have happened to you for trying to do something. UNLESS all the other "bystanders" tried to do as you and I would want to do and help others.
I do not think any of you realize the implications of hosting an Olympic Games. You all talk about how horrible of a city Chicago is (although I disagree). But do any of you realize that having the Olympics Games in Chicago will be the single most powerful resource in cleaning up the streets. The Olympic Games can transform a city. This is why Chicago not only should host the Olympics Games, but needs to host them.
I am so saddened by that video...I couldn't sleep after seeing that. I agree that almost as bad as the violence itself was the laughter of the people filming it when they were walking away. WHAT is wrong with these people??? I think they should all be lined up and let the parents and family members beat them to death with ralroad ties. That would be justice.
you know what jgriffin thats rediculous dont act like the black community is the only community that needs help.and all those statistics are wrong. Im so tired of many Americans who think that they know the politics and stats and experiences of the "African American" community, because none knows it better than those who live through it everyday and those that are apart of those statistics. Honestly nobody can truly say anything about the community that surrounds Chicagos violence, because how many times have you actually lived, and participated in that community. and this article is racially swayed.
a new generation, amen. Seriously i respect that comment
Obama is a president in name only. He wants to be a rock star, a celebrity. If Bush had gone to lobby for Houston 2016, he would have been ripped to shreds. But it's Obama so it's okay. It's a waste of time and money. Chicago should not get the Olympics and it's not Obama's hometown. What I want to know is where are these kids' parents? How come parents are allowing their kids to run all over the city and kill innocent kids?
Like others have said, violence happens everywhere. And having the Olympics in Chicago would be great-- it's an opportunity for us here in the states to go. But really, what happened to Derrion is just terrible and sad. The worst part is that it is so senseless. His life is gone, and the accused murders' lives are also ruined. All so senseless. What is everyone fighting for? The fight needs to not be with each other but for ourselves and for the future of these students.
You do realize there were 2148 executions of its citizens by the government of China in 2007 right? And the Olympic committee deemed them worthy of hosting the Olympic games.
Your statement that America or Chicago in some way doesn't "deserve" to host the olympic games based on the idiotic actions of a few people is asinine.
This was very tragic. I feel really bad about this incident. I believe you have your story twisted. Where are the people who oversee Chicago? Why does the President have to be responsible for every little thing that happens. The President have a lot more on his plate. This situation should be taken care of by the officals in Chicago. The president is taking the opportunity to stimulate our economy. Hell yes, if it start with his hometown, let us go for it. This is a cheap shot to use such a tragic situation to take try and bring down the Prsident. WHAT IS YOUR BRIGHT IDEA FOR HELPING THE ECONOMY?
Notasheep - typical "I hate teh Obamaz" response, meaning pathetically childish and completely uninformed. You may want to look in to a little thing called "facts" but I know you don't let that kind of stuff bother you. Bush spent 4 days at the Olympics, FOUR DAYS. Look it up, and grown up you right wing baby.
I do not see how you can decry violence, whose expression requires mastery of the physical impulse of anger, and call for unlicensed sexual expression. Discipline in both areas are associated, as is fidelity to spouse and fidelity in financial matters.
Please put them away for life. Please Please
that needs to be published in every major newspaper in this country and i for one am going to help make that happen? if it hasn't already; the caucasian news network appears to have finally begun to take this story seriously; the story that's been ufolding throughout the history of cnn that is; i believe she is afraid; and so is he; afraid to even leave their homes; i believe it's time to occupy; i'd be the first to sign up if i was promised i would be occupying an american city; don't even need a uniform necessarily; the key is deescalation; and peaceful armed presence; versus the frightening armed presence presently; it's a big ball of wax but needs to be addressed; pull troops overseas and occupy cities; form federal programs to train civilian security; black, white, hispanic, whatever; for god sake israel trains all their graduates how to use a gun
as for the olympic bid; he had to go or not go; he went; damned if he did; damned if didn't; it was goin to brazil from the get go; good; it should; although costly and a pain in the as (so we don't care anyway) it is good for the city that gets it and rio needs it more; i saw city of god; obama probably would agree; i'm completely confident that we will follow michelle's lead and this elephant in the room will be addressed more seriously than anyone ever would have imagined when they voted for president obama; thank god for the folks that are too afraid to leave their homes; black, white, or hispanic; and too bad if you move drugs on any level; better quit cuz we're coming!
They cannot even respect freedom of speech. They have no business living in a post-Industrial liberal democracy.
maybe the question is why would anyone want to take on the games. host cities shoulder tremendous debt following
the games (e.g. montreal, athens), and the economic infusion is, at best, temporary. maybe this is a blessing for chicago, because they cannot even get their transportation system funded and working for the people who live there.
i grew up in chicago, and still return for family reasons, but i have no desire to live there any more. the racism there is beyond uncomfortable. while no one wants to claim the racist mantle, this level of intolerance only opens the door wider for senseless crimes such as that suffered by derrion--to the point where perceived threat can come from anyone, including someone one might call "brother" or "neighbor".equal opportunity in education, opportunity, and protection under law doesn't exist here. saying that "problems exist elsewhere" doesn't provide sound rationale as to why the u.s. should host the games. we've got a lot of work to do.
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