Rubio: I’m ‘Not Sure There’s A Political Solution’ To Racism In U.S.

During a Wednesday night town hall moderated by CNN, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) acknowledged that the United States has a problem with racism and a lack of opportunity for minorities, but he said he wasn’t sure the issue could be solved politically.

When Rubio was asked how he would address systemic racism if elected president, the Florida senator began by addressing the relationship between the police and minority communities.

He said that most law enforcement officers are “incredible people” before launching into an anecdote about racism.

“But I also know that there are communities in this country where minority communities and the police department have a terrible relationship,” he said. “I personally know someone who happens to be a police officer and a young African-American male, who told me that he’s been pulled over seven, eight times in the last few years and never gets a ticket. What is he supposed to think? He gets pulled over for no reason, never gets a ticket. No one has any explanation for why he’s being pulled over.”

Rubio acknowledged the problem of racism, but said he wasn’t sure that government is the solution.

“We have a problem, and we have to address it as a society and as a country because I do not believe we can fulfill our potential as a nation unless we address that,” he said. “I’m not sure there’s a political solution to that problem, but there are things we can do.”

He brought up education, saying that “a disproportionate number of our children are growing up in broken homes, in dangerous neighborhoods, living in substandard housing and forced by the government to attend a failing school.” He added that kids are “going to struggle to succeed unless something breaks that cycle.”

CNN moderator Anderson Cooper then asked Rubio if he ever experienced racism himself. Rubio offered an anecdote about being teased as a child as the son of Cuban immigrants. But he said his parents “never raised us to feel that we were victims.”

Watch the clip:

33
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Supreme Court Justice Roberts: Rubio is unfit to be POTUS. There is no racism in US. None. Nada.

  2. Avatar for imkmu3 imkmu3 says:

    During a Wednesday night town hall moderated by CNN, Sen. Marco Rubio
    (R-FL) acknowledged that the United States has a problem with racism and
    a lack of opportunity for minorities, but he said he wasn’t sure the
    issue could be solved politically.

    As we know the federal government has never done anything to help curb racism. Nope, not a thing.

  3. Rubio says,

    “a disproportionate number of our children are growing up in broken homes, in dangerous neighborhoods, living in substandard housing and forced by the government to attend a failing school.” He added that kids are “going to struggle to succeed unless something breaks that cycle.”

    Tax cuts? A wall between Mexico and the US? A plan to destroy ISIS? Mass deportation?

  4. He brought up education, saying that “a disproportionate number of our children are growing up in broken homes, in dangerous neighborhoods, living in substandard housing and forced by the government to attend a failing school.” He added that kids are “going to struggle to succeed unless something breaks that cycle.”

    Some ways to address these issues:

    1.) Force women to marry ANY man she can find;
    2.) Use the local police force like a military occupation in any given neighborhood to keep them under heel;
    3.) Give kids vouchers to go to whatever charter school will have them.

    Problems solved.

  5. As with many things…I can’t stop what you THINK but I sure as hell can try and stop what you DO. Systemic racism must be stopped in government institutions…or any business t hat does business with same.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

27 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for victorabrahamsen Avatar for lockheedkeynesian Avatar for ajaykalra Avatar for santiago Avatar for kendyzdad Avatar for brooklyndweller Avatar for sysprog Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for nowarino Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for humpback Avatar for mcbain Avatar for mantan Avatar for luckybastard77 Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for sonsofares Avatar for zrx1100 Avatar for redstatewelfarequeen Avatar for careysub Avatar for zuch Avatar for benthere Avatar for beattycat Avatar for machoneman

Continue Discussion