On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald held a news conference to ask people to keep the peace and promise they were working hard on investigating the actions of the four police officers who killed George Floyd. The FBI says they need more video before they can make a determination about whether it was murder, because apparently watching 8 minutes of a cop's foot on Mr. Floyd's neck while he pleaded with them and said he couldn't breathe isn't enough.
If you're not angry about that along with being angry about what took place against that man for ALLEGEDLY passing a bogus $20 bill, you should go watch that video a few more times. It's disgusting.
Don Lemon had thoughts about the pace at which justice comes to white cops with their foot on a Black man's neck, as well as Donald Trump's sudden interest in justice for Black people. Rather than paraphrase, I'll just quote the transcript, which I have verified:
Are we going to have the same legal system for police officers that we have for the average adult? Now for the Attorney General, I watched and I know she has a tough job.
As long as we are being honest right now, nobody wants to hear from the White House or the Attorney General right now.
No one wants to hear from the man who wanted the death penalty to come back from the Central Park Five.
No one wants to hear from the man who says that the former president was not born in this country.
No one wants to hear from the man who said there are very fine people on both sides.
Do you understand what I am saying? No one wants to hear from the person they perceive as contributing to this situation -- situations like this in this society. Not directly, but allowing people like that to think they can get away from this.
No one wants to hear from the birther-in-chief, from the sons of bitches-calling person who said that when athletes are kneeling for this very reason. No one wants to hear from that.
The justice system should work for everyone. The Attorney General of the United States should have the same system in place for everyone. That should be a given and you should not have to announce that at a press conference. No one wants to hear that. Unless you're going to come out and say I understand how African-Americans feel in this country, I understand the mistakes I have made with African-Americans in this country. I understand there is an election coming, but I just don't want your vote, I want you to understand that I know where you're coming from, we don't want to hear that. That is the God's honest truth. So that was a misstep on her part.
To come out and say I want this investigated to the fullest extent of the law, we don't want to make any mistakes, amen sister or brother. But we don't want to hear all of that. But why don't you have the same urgency that you have for all of those people out there, most of them protesting, but some out there who are actually ravaging and pillaging, burning down stores. I don't know if it's by accident or what. Raiding stores. Fine, that should not happen. But how about the urgency for telling those people to calm down, we need peace, how about that same urgency when it comes to people being abused by the system, who are being abused by police officers, who are experiencing racism in this country and people are denying it. Where is that urgency?
I understand the anger of the people who are protesting, who are upset in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I don't - I am not condoning their actions. I don't understand the actions, but I do understand their anger. When you have nothing else, when you don't have a platform like a Don Lemon or a Wolf Blitzer or Laura Coates to protest, then what do you do? You act out in the way that you act out. These people are upset, they're sick of it and I would imagine people around the country are sick of it as well. Have that same urgency for telling people to calm down and don't be violent and don't go out and loot stores for racism and bigotry! Take the mask off.
Maybe a different metaphor at the end would be better. I want people to keep their face masks on right now, but shed their racism. And so does Don Lemon.
Really, maybe we could stop asking Black people about what they think when these situations arise. I mean, surely Wolf Blitzer knows that Don Lemon is livid and tired of the constant violence of police against Black people. Maybe it's time for him to say "I understand how African-Americans are feeling, I understand how angry they are at this police abuse." Maybe stand with them instead of forcing them to once again tell us how utterly miserable it is to see racists constantly get the breaks when it comes to justice.
Here's Elie Mystal to explain why Black people are at the limit of their patience with racists:
And then the stories of the killings started. In the past three weeks: Ahmaud Arbery was lynched, on video. Breonna Taylor was killed by police in her own bed, offscreen. And George Floyd was choked out on the street in broad daylight by police while strangers literally begged for his life.
Imagine you’ve been black this whole time and watched all of this happen, and you show up to protest and, instead of being met with docile, restrained police like the white Confederates get, you are confronted by police in full riot gear who use tear gas and rubber bullets to “control” your crowd.
Imagine.
