Obama on Kimmel: Situation ‘in Ferguson Was Oppressive & Worthy of Protest’

KIMMEL By the way ░░░░░░░░ of the news I ░░░░░░░░ to mention something Last ░░░░░░░░ very late last night ░░░░░░░░ you in Washington D ░░░░░░░░ in Ferguson two police ░░░░░░░░ were shot Thank goodness ░░░░░░░░ Thankfully they re okay ░░░░░░░░ they re at home ░░░░░░░░ re out of the ░░░░░░░░ And especially you gave ░░░░░░░░ beautiful speech in Selma ░░░░░░░░ Saturday talking about these ░░░░░░░░ subjects about civil rights ░░░░░░░░ past the present the ░░░░░░░░ of civil rights Is ░░░░░░░░ make it especially painful ░░░░░░░░ you when something like ░░░░░░░░ happens OBAMA Obviously we ░░░░░░░░ t yet know what ░░░░░░░░ Our thoughts and prayers ░░░░░░░░ with the officers and ░░░░░░░░ families and thankfully as ░░░░░░░░ said they re going ░░░░░░░░ be OK What was ░░░░░░░░ about Selma was reminding ░░░░░░░░ that real social change ░░░░░░░░ this country so often ░░░░░░░░ happened because ordinary people ░░░░░░░░ willing in a nonviolent ░░░░░░░░ to make their voices ░░░░░░░░ And you know I ░░░░░░░░ that what had been ░░░░░░░░ in Ferguson was oppressive ░░░░░░░░ objectionable and was worthy ░░░░░░░░ protest But there was ░░░░░░░░ excuse for criminal acts ░░░░░░░░ whoever fired those shots ░░░░░░░░ t detract from the ░░░░░░░░ They re criminals they ░░░░░░░░ to be arrested And ░░░░░░░░ what we need to ░░░░░░░░ is to make sure ░░░░░░░░ like minded good spirited ░░░░░░░░ on both sides law ░░░░░░░░ who have a terrifically ░░░░░░░░ job and people who ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ stopped and harassed just ░░░░░░░░ of their race that ░░░░░░░░ re able to work ░░░░░░░░ to try to come ░░░░░░░░ with some good answers ░░░░░░░░ I think I put ░░░░░░░░ a task force after ░░░░░░░░ original Ferguson event have ░░░░░░░░ place that had police ░░░░░░░░ police chiefs and some ░░░░░░░░ the organizers of protests ░░░░░░░░ in Ferguson and in ░░░░░░░░ York young people And ░░░░░░░░ came up with some ░░░░░░░░ recommendations and found that ░░░░░░░░ is lot of common ░░░░░░░░ What we have to ░░░░░░░░ sure of is that ░░░░░░░░ folks who disregard and ░░░░░░░░ the other side people ░░░░░░░░ resort to violence that ░░░░░░░░ re marginalized and KIMMEL ░░░░░░░░ set us all back ░░░░░░░░ do OBAMA They do ░░░░░░░░ they re not the ░░░░░░░░ And in the same ░░░░░░░░ that you can t ░░░░░░░░ about police officers who ░░░░░░░░ an extraordinarily tough job ░░░░░░░░ they do it professionally ░░░░░░░░ can t generalize about ░░░░░░░░ who it turns out ░░░░░░░░ some very legitimate grievances ░░░░░░░░ Justice Department report showed ░░░░░░░░ they were being stopped ░░░░░░░░ Americans were being stopped ░░░░░░░░ mainly so the city ░░░░░░░░ raise money even though ░░░░░░░░ were unjust KIMMEL I ░░░░░░░░ t imagine how frustrating ░░░░░░░░ must be I get ░░░░░░░░ and I am not ░░░░░░░░ about part when I ░░░░░░░░ like parking tickets that ░░░░░░░░ feel are unjust And ░░░░░░░░ be put in the ░░░░░░░░ like that I mean ░░░░░░░░ my wheels are not ░░░░░░░░ properly and I feel ░░░░░░░░ just trying to make ░░░░░░░░ off of me It ░░░░░░░░ they are not obeying ░░░░░░░░ spirit of the law ░░░░░░░░ Well and what was ░░░░░░░░ in Ferguson was you ░░░░░░░░ city government telling the ░░░░░░░░ Department and that Stop ░░░░░░░░ people We need to ░░░░░░░░ more money Folks would ░░░░░░░░ stopped They d get ░░░░░░░░ Then they d have ░░░░░░░░ wait in line to ░░░░░░░░ it take a day ░░░░░░░░ work Folks would lose ░░░░░░░░ jobs In some cases ░░░░░░░░ were thrown in jail ░░░░░░░░ they didn t have ░░░░░░░░ money for the fines ░░░░░░░░ then they d get ░░░░░░░░ for that So there ░░░░░░░░ a whole structure there ░░░░░░░░ to the Justice Department ░░░░░░░░ that indicated both racism ░░░░░░░░ just a disregard for ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement s supposed ░░░░░░░░ do And as I ░░░░░░░░ before I said this ░░░░░░░░ Selma It is not ░░░░░░░░ but it s also ░░░░░░░░ the norm And we ░░░░░░░░ got to constantly when ░░░░░░░░ re thinking about issues ░░░░░░░░ racial progress or any ░░░░░░░░ of issue recognize that ░░░░░░░░ get better but there ░░░░░░░░ still more work to ░░░░░░░░ And we shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ complacent about the very ░░░░░░░░ existence of problems out ░░░░░░░░ But we shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ and think nothing s ░░░░░░░░ If people of good ░░░░░░░░ which is the overwhelming ░░░░░░░░ of Americans are working ░░░░░░░░ these are the problems ░░░░░░░░ we can solve.”