[lit-ideas] How to Draw a Crowd

Mike: Racial prejudice was certainly at play within the New York police department in the Abner Louima killing in 1997 and in the Amadou Diallo abuse in 1999.
Yes, and remember what happened to the cops who killed Abner Louima. I learned details of both incidents from NY media, not from Sharpton. As I recall, Sharpton jumped on the Diallo slaying AFTER the NYC press began rolling out the 28-point headlines. Al seemed like a hungry puppy left behind by a passing butcher's truck ... but he soon helped get a protest together and got on camera.
Mike: Does the nature of Sharpton's showmanship detract attention from the issues he embraces or does his celebrity help bring attention to them?
MLK was dignified and courageous. He used showmanship, but was never the social reformer equivalent of an ambulance-chaser. As practiced by mercenaries like Sharpton, showmanship detracts serious attention. Sharpton is notorious for using his celebrity and media power to extort "donations" from corporations or groups to his "charity." 

See:
REV. AL SOAKS UP BOYCOTT BUCKS http://www.nypost.com/seven/06152008/news/regionalnews/rev__al_soaks_up_boycott_bucks_115554.htm 
&
The skeletons and suits in Sharpton's closet
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2003/06/20/sharpton/index.html?pn=2
&
SUBPOENA BLITZ PUTS HEAT ON AL
IRS SEEKS INFO FROM TOP DONORS
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06192008/news/regionalnews/subpoena_blitz_puts_heat_on_al_116165.htm
Reminds me of Clinton pardoning Rich in his final days ... with money for Clinton's Library on the back end. Maybe Ozzy Osbourne would be a kickass spokesman for MENSA? Maybe we should just make WAG THE DOG our Movie Laureate? Or maybe one just has to be a New Yorker to be wary of Sharpton?
Mike: What I read in your posts is . . . . "Done deal", as you say, so shut up.
You should have read, "Done deal, so speak up, and don't take anything unjust from anyone. Fight!" 

By the way, did you read Walcott's poem to Obama?




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