Back on Nov. 24, Ferguson burned.
It wasn’t pretty, and in large part those rioting were participating in an activity best described as an insurrection.
Ten businesses burned to the ground, with more damaged by the fires the president of United States failed to put out by standing up for the truth of the Michael Brown-Officer Darren Wilson case and calling for calm.
Instead, while the first fires were spreading in Ferguson (moments after Brown’s stepfather, Louis Head, was filmed imploring the crowd to, “Burn this b–ch down”), President Obama uttered these discouraging words in an address to the nation:
“[W]e need to accept that this decision was the grand jury’s to make. There are Americans who agree with it, and there are Americans who are deeply disappointed, even angry. It’s an understandable reaction.”
“Angry”? An “understandable reaction”?
A cop did his job and was found to have committed no crime by a grand jury. It seems to me that those “angry” over the decision are participating in an activity Martin Luther King Jr. would have frowned upon: judging Michael Brown by the color of his skin instead of the content of his character.
For those wondering about the content of his character, here’s surveillance video of Brown robbing a convenience store only minutes before his initial interaction with Officer Wilson.
From the moment the story of Michael Brown went global, it predictably became an example – for a media all to excited at promoting the meme of racist white cops hunting down innocent black males – of police brutality, structural racism (how dare a 67 percent black city not have a black mayor and black police chief?!) and white privilege.
As we learned on Nov. 24 with the grand jury decision becoming public, the real story of Ferguson is a media prepared to spin a false narrative if it will convince Democrats to head to the polls on Election Day.
Most damaging to the entire narrative of Michael Brown is the complete discrediting of the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” action Officer Wilson purportedly disregarded as he wantonly fired multiple rounds from his Sig Sauer in the direction of a non-aggressive “gentle giant.”
Absolutely, utterly 100 percent false, as even the Associated Press was forced to admit:
“The word spread within minutes of Michael Brown’s death – a young black man with his hands raised in surrender had just been shot by a white police officer.
Soon, “Hands Up. Don’t Shoot!” became a rallying cry for protesters in the streets of this St. Louis suburb and a symbol nationwide of racial inequality for those who believe that minorities are too often the targets of overzealous police.
Yet the witness accounts contained in thousands of pages of grand jury documents reviewed by the Associated Press show many variations about whether Brown’s hands were actually raised – and if so, how high.
To some, it doesn’t matter whether Brown’s hands literally were raised, because his death has come to symbolize a much bigger movement.
“He wasn’t shot because of the placement of his hands; he was shot because he was a big, black, scary man,” said James Cox, 28, a food server who protested this week in Oakland, California.”
No, he was shot because he fought for control of Officer Wilson’s gun (Wilson said he felt, “like a five-year-old holding onto Hulk Hogan” during this battle), and then, as one unidentified eyewitness told the grand jury, “Dang if that kid [Michael Brown] didn’t start running right at the cop like a football player. Head down.”
But it’s so much easier to believe the narrative championed by the media and pushed by the president and the attorney general of the Department of Justice, isn’t it?
It’s so much easier to judge by the color of Michael Brown’s skin instead of judging by the content of character he displayed on Aug. 9, 2014, when he dared taunt Officer Wilson with, “What the f–k you gonna do?”
As Dr. Thomas Sowell so astutely observed, those continuing to push the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” lie are doing so for “political reasons“:
“I thought of Joseph Goebbels’ doctrine: People will believe any lie if it’s repeated often enough and loud enough. They’re repeating it often enough and loud enough. And it will pay off for them personally and politically.”
Apparently, now a number of NFL players have decided to push the lie, with members of the St. Louis Rams entering the field with their hands up, showing their solidarity with a movement that’s torched 10 businesses in Ferguson and caused tens of millions of damage the taxpayers of Missouri will be forced to pay.
But just as the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” crowd continues to judge Michael Brown entirely by the color of his skin (I’m sure Dr. King is turning over in his grave), many St. Louis Rams fans are now judging the team by the content of their character:
Some law enforcement supporters held a fiery protest against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.
The group burned team gear to show their displeasure for five wide receivers who entered last week’s game in the “Hands up don’t shoot” pose that’s now synonymous with protesters in Ferguson and around the world.
As jerseys and hats burned in a fire pit on the bar’s patio, now former Rams fan Larry Magee vented his frustrations.
“Why would you do something like that? It’s utterly ridiculous,” Magee said. “I think the Rams ought to pack their bags and I’ll give them a plane ticket back to L.A.”
Cathy Brown came from St. Charles to take part in the demonstration.
“By doing that in uniform you are representing the whole team and when you are a professional in uniform I think you should keep your personal opinions to yourself,” Brown said.
To paraphrase President Obama, who seemed to express dismay that the rule of law defeated tribalism, “Americans who are angry over the continued use of the ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot’ lie as a means to engage in unlawful behavior and propagate violence should be deeply disappointed with media, NFL players and the Obama administration. It’s an understandable reaction.”
Actually, it’s the only reaction Dr. King would be in agreement with were he alive today.
Media wishing to interview John Rocker, please contact [email protected].
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