Last Saturday Don Lemon, CNN’s most visible black host, joined the post-Trayvon Martin (Zimmerman) Murder trial kerfuffle. He followed and linked to remarks from Bill O’Reilly, Fox News resident racist and bloviating demagogue, in attacking what each called as concerns in the Black Community. Both cable network hosts foolishly addressed the most carefully crafted, socially relevant, and, multi-audience centric speech related to race delivered by any US president. And, it was purposefully delivered in the form of a press conference vs. a national media buy.
President Obama carefully sent messages to the black community, the judiciary, white America and America in general, while on a macro basis sending a message internationally (existentially based on the stature of his position as a world leader).
O’Reilly’s intent in attacking the president’s press conference comments was obvious. He attacked President Obama for addressing what some consider a major miscarriage of justice and flawed Florida State law. His attack was evident in tone, focus and demeanor associated with his on camera remarks.
Tone for O’Reilly is nothing new. He has an emotional side that verges on coming across as dangerous if one saw his flips into anger in the street. The viewer would surely consider calling the police.
Focus is yet another item and as critical as it gets. O’Reilly works for Fox News and other conservative media. He clearly and intentionally took the president’s speech in a direction that would appeal to his viewers, listeners and Obama haters, while literally and intentionally disparaging the African-American-Community. He served his network, feed his viewers, and he practiced more “They hate you…” against Obama. Factually speaking, he practiced what we often call,
“The Fabric of Oppression.” Mission Accomplished! 
I Digress! How many times have we witnessed O’Reilly crossing the line and divulging his racism only to follow with dragging a person of color on-camera as a co-signer? Lemon willingly followed the “piper.”Don Lemon is another matter. I should state, to be fair, prior to Lemon’s Saturday fall into O’Reilly’s demagoguery, Lemon adroitly defended the president’s remarks on air with Ben Ferguson right-wing pundit. The president had every right, and a civic duty to speak about a failing in our society that is longstanding and has not been addressed at the Presidential level: the differences in covert racism from the perspective of the victim. As the nation’s first African-American President the message should have come forth and some posit with even more emphasis. When we do not call out unfair treatment, we effectively enable the behavior!
Later in the week, Lemon stepped squarely into the O’Reilly trap. Lemon placed himself in a position of cosigning the flawed and conservatively strategic message from Fox News, by joining and aligning with O’Reilly’s comments. While we will not link to O’Reilly’s comments, we are linking a YouTube clip related to Lemon’s stepping into the same poop, albeit from a different perspective.
If his comments were not based on the new conservative business model at CNN, Lemon’s choice to practice remedies in the black community might have been better delivered via off-camera actions. He appropriately addressed use of the “N” Word. He appropriately addressed the act of wearing one’s pants well below the underside of one’s butt. We find no problems with the message; we find major problems with how he structured his delivery of his specific message. His failure to address the dog whistle “black on black” crime was a glaring omission, once he decided to go after a specific segment of the population: African-Americans.
Lemon clearly stated, “O’Reilly did not go far enough.” We will not rehash our sentiments that O’Reilly’s message was best suited for his show and his audience. We will continue to state our concerns with Lemon using O’Reilly’s clear racism and stretching facts as a backdrop and foundation for his on-camera message. Lemon was probably “preaching to the choir” first of all, as his audience probably does not include the young offenders of decent dress. Second, I doubt anyone who watched the segment would not know the pathetic state of using the “N” Word. All in all, his major mistake was aligning with one who has no good intentions towards, no good purpose of thought for, and no interest in the well-being of African-Americans.
I am going to post a few comments from people that I hold in the highest of esteem as to opinion, high level of concern for the black community, and who posit without motive that might reach into dollars, contracts and viewers. The comments address use of the new dog whistle “black on black crime” in general and overall Lemon’s choices and purpose.
James Hall and his ………
Open Letter to Don Lemon [CNN]:
Crime is committed by every race. The biggest crimes are committed on wall street and they brought this country to its knees. How were they punished? To this date I have not seen one wall street banker or CEO convicted and locked up by anyone. What percentage of them [on wall street] were black? They have done more damage to this country and to the people’s livelihood than any penny-pushing black man in the hood could ever do.
This is not just a black problem and to believe so would be stupid and naive. People say control your community and control this and that. I thought this is America?? United we stand and that blacks have reached equality in this country? Isn’t that why the supreme court voted to remove affirmative action and strip the voter rights act? Show me one stat that proves blacks have reached equality from one reputable source? Prove me wrong! I dare you.
They are basically saying to the so-called black community while using the media as a bully pulpit “Hey you people over there; control the other Negros,” because we have no intention as a nation to help solve the problems in your neighborhoods in any form, other than just locking you all up as animals. We won’t help educate, we won’t help rehabilitate and we won’t do anything to assist. We are going to cut all your so-called social programs. Again, just another obvious sign of how segregated this country still is and how they have no intention of treating or working with minorities as a people and never have.
America is built on propaganda and no place on earth is better at it, “because we say so!” Even when real stats prove it to be ranked by economists as #13 [on propaganda]. As they say in Alcohol Rehab the first step to recover is to admit you have a problem. Not cast the blame on the liquor.
Don Lemon is just another uppity negro who has no idea what the hell he’s talking about. Don, you don’t live in the hood, nor do you do real work in the hood. Reality is giving your financial status and notoriety you’ll probably never live in the all black community. Just because you are black, doesn’t make you a representative of the black people in the hood. You have no authority to speak about things you don’t experience from day to day. You look like a clown siding with a man who insults you and your people on a weekly basis. Whatever it is you thought you were doing, don’t. You should stick to just reporting the news because you suck at making it.
I’d listen to a white man living in the hood every day, before I’d ever listen to you and your opinions., His assessment is probably a lot more accurate and sincere than you could ever be. Yes, you may know what it’s like to be a black man in America, because your skin color and status does not give you immunity to racism. But you have no clue of what’s wrong with the black community nor have any real answers to its problems other than criticism, so you are better off not saying a word.
End James Hall
Marion Young and her comments about Lemon’s choices….
What angers me about Lemon putting down blacks with how they dress, trash their communities and do crime is that he doesn’t come from, nor has he lived in these communities very long. He is an EDUCATED black man who grew up in white society with all the privileges of white America. So for the first time in his privileged life he lives in Harlem and doesn’t fit in. Could that be coloring his view?
I grew up in poverty from uneducated parents who had no clue of the value of an education. From the help of certain people in the education system and something within me that was NOT from my environment, I struggled, got the education and moved away from the cesspool I called home. This is not a put down of my parents. It is to say we are a product of our environment. Without a HAND UP, we most likely will be held down.
Until I became an adult and could move out of the inner city with its crime and all that goes with it, it was a constant battle for me to not be influenced by it. When I became a college instructor, I could relate to the impoverished students and knew what to tell them to help them rise up. It was because of that experience of having lived it, I knew what it took to get out of it.
Don Lemon and the right-wing media perpetuate the problem and hold down blacks and the poor. They criminalize the victim and give a free pass to the worst criminals who have taken down this country. The media is in cahoots with the real criminals. Their job: convince white America and the rest of society that blacks and the poor are responsible for their own problems. They stole from us, and blame us for being the victim.
Reminds me of how Trayvon Martin was portrayed as being responsible for his own death. Do you feel me?
Anonymous Comment
Even if all of the ill’s that he speaks about in the black community is the truth, why would you find it necessary to shake your head in agreement with a Right Wing Racist race-baiter like Bill O’Reilly has to say about a culture he has no idea what we are dealing with.
This (O’Reilly) is a person who was shocked that we ate with forks and spoke with an inside voice when holding a conversation in a restaurant. I am disturbed by this analysis at a time when racial tension is reaching a pivotal peak in this country. What did you think would come out of this stereotypical criticism? Nothing good…(beyond) anger from the community to which you directed this one- sided opinion and boasting from the right racist who suffers from white privilege all while enjoying the fruits of our labor.
I can hear the conversation now, “See I told you we were right even he agrees with us.” Instead of falling into this trap of divide and conquer he should have challenged Bill O’Reilly to look at the cause and effect instead you choose to feed the frenzy of hate and bigotry, you now Mr. Lemon can hang your head in the hall of shame right alongside: West, Smiley and the rest.
End Part I
Many people in the Black Community have commented on the very same topics as Don Lemon. Some of the outspoken are national leaders and fighters for Civil Rights. With an exception for Revered Al Sharpton, most of those leaders are not media ‘darlings’ and earn no money based on viewers. They also are not bound to management teams that frequently interject their paradigms via their employees.
Lemon should carefully consider the manner in which the posits on topics, that really do need attention. Following Bill O’Reilly and Fox News are not models to which one should align.
The Pardu's Scroll 
