Key West Lou COMMENTARY

BLACK LIVES MATTER / PLAY TOUGH

By Louis Petrone

Republicans do not have a monopoly on wealth. There are wealthy persons on the Democratic side of the ledger, also.

Whereas wealthy Republicans generally make political donations to further selfish business interests, wealthy Democrats tend to support a cause rather than a monetary interest.

A noteworthy Democrat is Gorge Soros. Soros made his fortune in the stock market. He is a recognized American business magnate. Forbes lists him as the 17th richest person in the world. His wealth is estimated at $24 billion.

Soros is a supporter of progressive liberal causes. He believe in social justice and supports organizations so inclined. His donations in the millions.

He also supports those major political candidates who believe as he does. Hillary Clinton, an example. He has already given in the first six months of this year to two Clinton super PACs. Priorities USA Action and American Bridge 21st Century. $1 million each. It is expected similar sized and larger donations will be made as the campaign progresses.

Soros thought George W. Bush was bad for America. Especially Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. He contributed $20 million in the 2004 Presidential election to various groups in an effort to defeat Bush.

Soros donations to liberal causes and candidates are made personally and through his Open Society Foundations. Those receiving contributions are close to one thousand.

Soros assumes no direct control over the groups receiving the monies. He understands the liberal thought process of the groups receiving the money and leaves it to them to do the right thing. Soros does not mini-manage them.

The first anniversary of Michael Brown and Ferguson recently occurred. It is said Soros contributed $33 million to bank roll the demonstrations which took place a couple of weeks ago. Not to one group alone. Too many. Not at the time of the demonstrations, but months before.

The Chief of Police for St. Louis County said the demonstrations were not locally caused. He said outsiders were fomenting the trouble. I did not believe him at the time. I do now. $33 million adds a lot of inflamed protest to a situation.

Many of the recent Ferguson protesters were outside activists. Primarily from Washington, DC and New York. Professional organizer types. All on the payroll of the organization they represented. Most funded by Soros.

One of the Soros funded organizations at Ferguson was Black Lives Matter. They have been in the news frequently the past few weeks. Black Lives Matter is the group that has been interrupting Presidential candidates. One being a Bernie Sanders at a rally in Seattle on August 8.

Black Lives Matter is a grassroots activist movement. It was born in the wake of and in protest of George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013. The 2014 shooting of Michael Brown and the choking death of Eric Garner enraged the group further.

Since Zimmerman’s acquittal in 2013, the Black Lives Matter group has conducted Black Lives Matter demonstrations 984 times world wide.

Black Lives Matter is a growing force of influence. Politically and otherwise.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow applies here. Black Lives Matter was started by three black ladies in 2013. Today it has chapters all over the U.S. and continues to open new chapters at a fast rate.

Black Lives Matter are full time paid persons. This is their work for which they are adequately compensated. A difference from other political movements. The monies primarily coming from Soros contributions.

Black Lives Matter representatives are hard ass people. Tough. They do their job well. Perhaps too well.

On July 15, they interrupted the Netroots Nation Conference in Phoenix. The cry was, “Burn everything down!” At the same event, the group interrupted the speeches of Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley.

Bernie Sanders was in Seattle on August 8. There is no Democratic candidate further to the left. He has been a social and civil rights activist his whole life. He is an Independent seeking the Democratic nomination.

Black Lives Matter members stormed the stage. They physically took the microphone from Sanders. They took over the rally. Sanders walked off the stage.

Bullies in the pulpit.

Black Lives Matter representatives said Sanders was not doing enough to reform criminal justice and promote racial equality.

Republican candidates were not immune. On August 13, the group interrupted a Las Vegas Jeb Bush rally.

Following the Sanders Seattle rally, members of Black Lives Matter were asked by a media person….. Why Sanders?….. What about other candidates? The reply was they had something planned for everyone.

I was concerned. Sanders was moving up in the polls. He was about to overtake Clinton. He has recently in New Hampshire. I wondered whether favoritism was being shown Clinton. Recall Soros is a major Clinton contributor and expected to be even a bigger one as the campaign moves forward.

Was there concern by some that Sanders had to be brought down in order to help Clinton?

The question brought to mind the dirty tricks by Donald Segretti on behalf of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President in the famous Nixon campaign. The dirty tricks were considered questionable and unethical. Apparently illegal. Segretti was sentenced to jail.

Federal laws were passed post Watergate covering dirty tricks.

On August 11, Clinton was holding a public forum in Keene, New Hampshire. The topic involved mass incarceration. Boston chapter members of Black Lives Matter were on their way to attend the rally. I assume also to interrupt, as per their prior activities.

The group arrived as the rally was in progress. Clinton had not spoken yet. The door to the rally was locked. No further persons were permitted to enter.The Clinton people had been made aware that the group was on its way and intended to appear.

I never heard of people being barred from a political rally. Lock the door? Come on.

The reason given was capacity. An overflow crowd. Too many. It was represented that the Secret Service had decided no further persons be admitted. Since, a Secret Service representative has verified that it was their idea to preclude further admissions.

I may be getting cynical in my old age. I find it hard to believe public officials. Especially the Secret service. A group that partied with prostitutes paid for by a drug cartel in a South American country, who have not been able to secure the White House, etc.

The Boston group were placed in an overflow room and required to watch Clinton on TV. The overflow group, including the Black Lives Matter people, totaled less than 20.

Afterwards, Clinton did meet with the group in the overflow room for 15 minutes. Black Lives Matter representatives said no pictures and no reporters. Clinton agreed. However, Black Lives Matter videoed the interview and intend showing it at a later date.

Following the meeting, kumbaya prevailed. The group said they were satisfied with Clinton’s responses. Though they had further questions they would raise at a later time.

I do not believe Soros had anything to do with the Clinton rally. Nor the Sanders rally for that matter. He leaves those he funds alone to do their thing. Also, he is not as his wealthy Republican counterparts. He contributes money to further liberal causes. Not to add to a company or person’s bottom line. The contrast glaring when it comes to motivations.

I have to question the Clinton rally. The group showing up late, being barred because there was no room at the inn, having to watch on TV in another room, interviewing Clinton in that room afterwards, refusing reporters to be present or photos taken, coming out of the meeting saying in effect everything was A-ok, etc.

Fishy? Sounds that way.

The Sanders rally speaks for itself.

Black Lives Matter is here to stay. The group is sufficiently funded to live a long life. Their purpose is right. Admirable. Their methods wrong. Deplorable. Interrupting a speaker as they have done does not set right with me. Nor does the shooting of blacks by cops. Two wrongs do not make a right, however.

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