http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-theres-no-way-to-say-race-relations-are-worse/article/2556562Obama: 'There's no way to say race relations are worse'
By David M. Drucker | November 23, 2014 | 11:06 am
President Obama said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that race relations in the U.S. are demonstrably better than they were even 10 years ago.
Discussing the shooting of an unarmed African-American teenager in Ferguson, Mo., on ABC News’ “This Week,” Obama conceded that there are still issues to be worked out, including a deep mistrust of law enforcement in minority communities that the federal government has a role in addressing. In part, Obama said, this is because race-related issues get more attention than they did years ago.
But the nation’s first African-American president said that the U.S. has come a long way from its racially divisive past.
“My own experience tells me that race relations continue to improve. If you think about just in our lifetimes ... where we’ve traveled, there’s no way to say race relations are worse now than they were 10 years ago, 20 years ago or 50 years ago. Part of what happens is, is they get a lot more attention today,” Obama said. “I’ve said this before: As an African-American male, there have been times where I experienced discrimination as a young man — it’s been awhile since it happened — and I think the folks on the other side of it might not understand why there are concerns or mistrust. ... But it’s important not to overreact either or suggest that we haven’t made progress.”
