MSNBC’s Chris Matthews apologizes for all white people

The verdict over the George Zimmerman trial has sparked many columns and opinions about race in America.

But nothing can come close to what Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” said Thursday during his show.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Matthews had both NBC News Executive Val Nicholas and former RNC Chairman Michael Steele on his show to talk about their thoughts on the verdict.

Nicholas, who had just penned an op-ed for MSNBC.com titled, “I Could Have Been Trayvon Martin,” shared his experiences as a black teenager. He explained that twice as a teen he wound up looking down the barrel of a police gun for no other reason than the color of his skin. Steele agreed with him, saying he too had similar experiences. “What Val and I have in common is black skin, and the perceptions that go along with that,” Steele elaborated.

Steele followed saying that his father told him when he was a kid that if he ever confronted the police he could either end up in jail, in a hospital or in a morgue.

Shocked by the statement, Matthews said the following:

“I’ll just tell you one thing and I’m speaking now for all white people but especially those who have tried to change in the last 50 or 60 years — and a lot of them have really tried to change — I’m sorry for this stuff. That’s all I’m saying.”

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Should Chris Matthews speak for all white people?