So there wasn’t any beer that we know of, but after a three-hour convening of law enforcement, civil rights leaders, and Black Lives Matter activists that stretched to nearly four-and-a-half hours, President Obama declared the meeting a model of reaching out and finding common ground.
As Twitchy reported, DeRay Mckesson, fresh from his arrest at a protest in Baton Rouge, was on hand to share his wisdom.
The meeting with @POTUS was nearly 4.5 hours. It was productive and there's a lot to reflect on.
— deray (@deray) July 14, 2016
In case you missed it, Mckesson is no stranger to the White House: he met with the president in February and attended briefings with Valerie Jarrett on the president’s criminal justice reform platform, one of his top priorities as he prepares to leave office. And speaking of Jarrett:
"All of us have the power to make change in our own communities." –@POTUS https://t.co/BHD6b4k07w
— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) July 14, 2016
There’s a lengthy statement on the president’s Facebook page we won’t bother to reprint here, but his conclusion following more than four hours of talk was more talk: “That’s the path out of moments like these. Not to withdraw, or shout each other down, but to reach out to each other — even if it’s difficult — and find some common ground. I know it’s possible — I saw it happen this afternoon.”
"What we can do is to set up the kinds of respectful conversations that we've had here, said @POTUS of his meeting. pic.twitter.com/p08AvrR1YS
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 14, 2016
Pres says but "there are still deep divisions" between police who feel "unjustly accused" and minority communities who feel overlooked.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 14, 2016
Pres. Obama invited #BlackLivesMatter organizers to a meeting on policing and race at the White House. pic.twitter.com/WmrCvLp2Ek
— AJ+ (@ajplus) July 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/modernactivism/status/753380933181513729
Who wants to hear the president continue the lecture he started at the memorial service in Dallas?
Here's what @POTUS had to say after a convening on building community
trust and ensuring justice for all Americans: https://t.co/CkPvXP9HKS— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) July 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/MsPackyetti/status/753296338859753472
https://twitter.com/MsPackyetti/status/753369962971029505
About the activist sitting next to the president: some found her July 9 Dallas massacre tweet questioning “the story of who did it,” shall we say, problematic.
Obama gives legitimacy to a Dallas truther. pic.twitter.com/g25Xfwhvv3
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) July 14, 2016
Al Sharpton, relegated by MSNBC to its crack of dawn slot on Sunday mornings, was also in attendance and didn’t seem quite so enthusiastic.
After WH meeting, @TheRevAl says participants leave not in agreement but commitment to dialogue leading to change. pic.twitter.com/Djf3R7Q0Uh
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 13, 2016
So, the path forward is:
- Commit to dialogue
- ???
- Enjoy universal peace and harmony
The talk continues Thursday, as President Obama pursues his effort to serve as some sort of marriage counselor, never judging, always insisting that everyone is kind of right no matter how vehemently they disagree.
Tomorrow: Pres Obama tapes Town Hall session on community and police tension and mistrust. Airs at 8pm/ET on @ABC.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 14, 2016
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