by GirlGetALifeStephanie Doty
The images coming out of Ferguson, MO are surreal: police firing smoke bombs, tear gas and rubber pellets at mostly peaceful protesters. Officers pointing guns at unarmed marchers. Journalists being manhandled and arrested for simply doing their jobs. It’s as if this country has traveled back in time to 1965.
The unrest in Ferguson began when Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year old African American male, was shot and killed by police. Brown’s murder is 1 of 4 such shootings that have happened in the U.S. in the last month.
Local residents, confused and angry, gathered to protest the shooting and the Ferguson police department’s decision not to release the name of the officer who killed Brown. Tensions were high and a mostly peaceful protest turned violent.
President Obama addressed the situation in Ferguson today, and instead of using this as an opportunity to address racial tension and police brutality in America, he fell flat. Sure, he said all the right things about Brown’s death being a loss and expressed sympathy for his family. But, when his remarks turned to the violence in Ferguson, he chose to condemn looting and other disruptive acts by a few residents before he addressed the inexcusable use of police force against the protesters:
There is never an excuse for violence against police or for those who would use this tragedy as a cover for vandalism or looting. There’s also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests or to throw protesters in jail for lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights.There are no gray areas here: the police brutality we’re seeing in Ferguson is unacceptable. The U.S. fancies itself an international beacon of democracy and justice and equality, but our president chose to condemn the destruction of property before he denounced the abuse of police power and the blatant violation of the protesters First Amendment rights.
The ordering of Obama’s statement is disturbing. Not because he’s black, but because he’s human. And because he’s our president. He had an opportunity to move this country forward, if only a little bit, by speaking frankly about what’s going on in Ferguson. But he chose to maintain the status quo, giving property a higher value than human rights and human lives.
The President’s remarks had their feel good moments and he, of course, tried to promote healing:
We are united in common values, and that includes belief in equality under the law, basic respect for public order and the right to peaceful public protest, a reverence for the dignity of every single man, woman and child among us, and the need for accountability when it comes to our government.But here’s the thing: this isn’t a time for healing. It’s a time for real talk. Racial tensions in this country are at a new high - partly because the president is black and some people can’t deal with that reality - and Obama had the chance to address them. He chose to tip toe around the issue.
Obama spoke eloquently - and called for action - after the Sandy Hook shootings and around issues of gay marriage. But on this issue he was detached.
Calling Obama out in this way may seem unfair, especially when Laura Ingraham suggested Brown’s murder isn’t worthy of a national spotlight. And because Rep. Steve King coined a new racist term when he said the Ferguson protesters are of a ‘single continental origin’ (code for black).
But it’s easy to call out the obvious idiots, the racists who say things that make us cringe. It’s a lot harder - and riskier - to single out the do nothings. But that’s what Obama is. He’s the one guy who has the platform to openly address issues of racial profiling and police brutality but today he said very little. That’s why he’s Asshole of the Day.
It is President Obama’s first time as Asshole of the Day.
Full story: Washington Post
Weary of Wonderland
August 14, 2014
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
