Shabazz is not a Black Panther. That organization died decades ago. These are the New Black Panthers. This is a group of 10 - 20 dudes that no one but Fox News has heard of. The NAACP is completely irrelevant. You can spend your time dealing with the relevant groups if you want. In order to have an impact on the national debate, I think you need to deal with people and organizations who are actually players in that debate. The NAACP has not been a player in the national debate since the early 1980s.I'm not spend my time chasing meaningless groups who are doing crazy and reprehensible things.The NAACP has a proud past. Unfortunately, over last 20 years they have had no impact in the national debate. None. Now, we can have a discussion on what role the NAACP should play in the future but, in my mind, their future is completely unclear. I have no idea if the NAACP will survive the next 20 years.The point of this post was not to talk about the NAACP or the new Black Panthers or Geraldo Rivera. The point was to talk about race relations which you completely ignored. In my opinion, this is not the way to discuss race relations with two people screaming at each other. This is no way to talk about any subject. Unfortunately, this is our national debate. It really doesn't matter what the topic is. The goal is not to make persuasive arguments but instead to paint your opponent as evil personified. This makes compromise nearly impossible.

The NAACP is a major player in the national debate, whether you think they are, or not.They are given considerable credibility (earned or unearned) by the national media and the political class on both sides of the aisle. Therefore, what the NAACP says DOES have an impact, a big one, whether you'll credit them for it or not.The head of the NAACP chose to issue vague unsubstantiated charges of white racism against unknown and unnamed persons.At the same time they are ignoring a clear case of incitement to violence involving Samir Shabazz who said "you call yourself a black man? you have to kill crackers and their babies".

Okay, if they are a major player, please tell me one issue that they have influenced over the past 5 years. Name an issue that they started, pushed and got a positive result with national exposure. Name one. There isn't any. They have no influence. None. I don't know anyone who is a member of the NAACP do you? Who was their keynote speaker this year? I have no idea. You continue on this sidetrack. I'm moving on. This has always been a non-story.

I'm give you think to chew on from RS:A Bush administration civil rights appointee says the conservative media uproar over allegations the Justice Department is protecting the New Black Panther Party from voter-intimidation prosecution is a "fantasy" designed to oust Attorney General Eric Holder and harm the Obama administration."This doesn’t have to do with the Black Panthers; this has to do with their fantasies about how they could use this issue to topple the [Obama] administration,” Abigail Thernstrom, former vice chairwoman of the US Commission on Civil Rights, told Politico.“My fellow conservatives on the commission had this wild notion they could bring Eric Holder down and really damage the president,” Thernstrom said.Thernstrom's views on this issue line up with many voices in the progressive media, who argue the claims that the Justice Department is showing pro-African American racial bias are illegitimate.Blogger Karoli at Crooks and Liars notes that Thernstrom has been known for her otherwise socially conservative views, including opposition to affirmative action.

The head of the NAACP issued vague charges of white racism against 'the tea party' (whoever that is, he didn't really say and there is no organization with that name, nor did he cite specific instances of racial violence or threats by whites) in front of the NAACP convention, but didnt mention the Black Panthers while there.No, he said that on a Sunday morning TV show that very few people watch.Why didn't he denounce specific instances of incitment to violence by the Black Panthers when he had the opportunity to do so AT HIS CONVENTION?