NYT’s Cooper: As Long as Blacks Feel They’re Suspicious, ‘Anger Is Going To Continue’

NYT’s Cooper: As Long as Blacks Feel They’re Suspicious, ‘Anger Is Going To Continue’ (RealClearPolitics)

CHUCK TODD, MEET THE PRESS: You know, Helene, watching what the DOJ investigation does, is that just going to open up more wounds? Or is that raising too much expectations in the African American Community? I mean, what is going to be the end result, do you think, of the Justice Department? Particularly if they decide there's just not enough. I mean, you heard Governor Patrick say, it's a pretty high bar.

HELENE COOPER, NEW YORK TIMES: I think the DOJ investigation certainly has the potential to make things worse. It'd be nice if we could sort of move on from this. But the fundamental issue is still there. And what, you know, at the same time that you see President Obama--

CHUCK TODD: What is that issue? When you say "fundamental issue," what is the fundamental issue?

HELENE COOPER: The fundamental issue is not even necessarily Michael Brown. It's that this keeps happening to black men. It's that whole issue driving while black. This friend of mine, Gary Fields, wrote a fantastic article in The Wall Street Journal about what it feels like to be a 250-pound black guy, under suspicion, walking down the street, for absolutely nothing.

ANDREA MITCHELL: Just a quick word about poor communities--

HELENE COOPER: And this is something as long as--

(OVERTALK)

HELENE COOPER: I want to finish this. As long as black people continue to feel that you cannot walk down the street without coming under suspicion, this anger is going to continue.