Dear White People: Sharpton & Jackson Are Not Our Leaders.

Dear White People,

There are almost 40 Million Black People in America. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson but two of them, and both are media personalities. They are not our "leaders". Both have done some good things, and both have their flaws. We don't hate them, but we damn sure don't "follow" them to the outlandish degree that you seem to think we do. Neither has been of much relevance since the mid 1990's. Please update your Racial Boogeymen.

It's getting a little silly, and your continued fascination with these two guys just underscores how little of a clue you have about the Black community as a whole. Seriously, just quit it already, you're looking really stupid.

Contrary to popular belief, Black People can, and do, think for ourselves. You know, just like White People do. It's not a revelatory concept, it's called being human.

Sincerely,

Black People

P.S. Go ahead and add Louis Farrakhan to this list, just in case you had some wise idea.

The President Needs To Get His A$$ To Ferguson, Already!!!

As the civil unrest in Ferguson carries into a second week with no end in sight, my patience with the President's lack of visibility on this situation is wearing thin. Check that, it wore thin last Wednesday.

Thus far, the President has issued a written statement and given short public remarks. That's about it. Yes, I know the Department of Justice is already involved here and is performing its own independent investigation. That's good, and quite honestly, it's the bare minimum I'd expect of any administration on a story garnering this level of public interest. But I'm not going to give him credit for sh*t he's supposed to do. Nope, I'm looking for more. Because he's the President.

As you might know, the President and basically everyone else on the Hill is on vacation right now. He's momentarily back in DC for a couple of days, before going back to Martha's Vineyard to resume his vacation?[1] Nobody begrudges the man for taking time off from arguably the toughest job in the world.[2] But come on, bruh, you've been on the links for a week already. How many more rounds of golf and fundraisers do you need to do before you take time away from your not-so-busy schedule and go see what's happening in Ferguson with your own eyes?

When an American suburb, full of actual Real Americans, is under siege and in a perpetual state of civil unrest that only intensifies by the day, it might be a good idea for the President to go there. Sure, let the people who can actually "fix" things do their job, but still go there. In times like this, people need to know that they matter, that you care. And if there's one thing the President has been really good at, it's speaking to and calming the American people during trying times.

He did it in Fort Hood.
He did it in Tucson.
He did it in Boston.
He did it in Newtown.
He did it in Aurora.
He did it in Washington.

Why in the hell hasn't he done it in Ferguson yet?

I'm sure someone's gonna mention George Bush and how it took him forever to go to New Orleans, post-Katrina. While that's all quite true, it has absolutely no bearing here. How about we stop judging Obama's actions versus those of his predecessor, a guy whom many consider to be The Most Inept President Of All Time. Saying "Sure, Obama did this, but what about Bush?" is setting an embarrassingly low bar for competence. It's like a guy who beats his wife telling her, "Sure, I gave you a busted lip, but your last husband gave you two black eyes!" So yeah, enough of that sh*t.

We've watched this President run from issues of race repeatedly during his 6 years in office. I understand that going to Missouri may not be a politically wise move. Many are already saying Obama's done too much by getting involved with a local issue, asking that the DoJ be involved, etc. But guess what? Sometimes you need to not worry about what your detractors are going to say and do what's right. The right thing is going to Ferguson right now. Speak with Mike Brown's family. Look the local officials in the eyes. Walk the streets and engage the community directly. And yes, give a speech. Let people there know that their aspirations, their fears, their concerns, their voices, their children, their lives matter.

History, for better or for worse, is being written by the minute in Ferguson, MO. This is a defining moment of the Obama presidency right now. And he's receiving an incomplete grade.

Question: Is the President doing enough about the situation in Ferguson? Do symbolic gestures like speeches even matter?

[1] Who does that?

[2] Well, they do, but I'm not one of them.

Mike Brown Got Killed For (Allegedly) Stealing Some Swisher Sweets.

The "tarnish the victim" offensive in underway in Ferguson, MO. And based on the information that was just released, I'm going to make a very painful prediction: the policeman who killed Mike Brown won't see a day in jail, assuming he's even ever charged in the first place.

Police on Friday said that David Wilson, the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown last weekend, confronted Brown after the teenager was identified as the main suspect in a convenience story robbery that occurred on Saturday morning. While police provided details for the first time on why they say Wilson wound up encountering Brown, they did not provide any additional information regarding the confrontation or why Brown was ultimately shot and killed.

Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson, who took no questions at a news conference Friday morning, described Wilson as a six-year veteran of the force with no disciplinary record. Wilson was publicly identified for the first time Friday, following many complaints from residents that the police had not named him.

Police handed out a 19-page document packet, in part as a response to a flurry of Freedom of Information Act requests they’ve received from media members this week. The documents related to an alleged robbery at a convenience store that took place prior to the shooting. According to the report, Ferguson police officers received a call at 11:51 a.m. about a robbery in progress at a convenience store and were given the description of a suspect.

The suspect was described as a black male in a white T-shirt walking north toward a QuickTrip convenience store. The officer wrote that the store clerk got the description of the suspect as wearing a white T-shirt, khaki shorts, yellow socks and a red St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap. The officer was also told that another black male was with him.

A witness report in the packet given to media – which was redacted and did not state if it was a store employee or customer providing the information – said that a woman inside of the store came out of the bathroom during the altercation. She told police she saw Brown tell the store employee that he and his companion wanted several boxes of cigars from behind the counter.

“As [redacted employee name] was placing the boxes on the counter, Brown grabbed a box of Swisher Sweet cigars and handed them to Johnson who was standing behind Brown,” the report stated.

The witness said that the store employee then told Brown he had to pay first, and then Brown reached over the counter to grab more packs of cigars and turned to leave the store. According to the witness account, the employee called 911 and attempted to block Brown from leaving by standing in front of the door.

“That is when Brown grabbed [redacted employee name] by the shirt and forcefully pushed him back in to a display rack,” the report said.

The police report goes on to state that surveillance video from the store shows Brown and Dorian Johnson, an eyewitness to Brown’s death, entering the store before Brown hands the pack of Swisher Sweets to Johnson.

Wilson, who had been responding to a different call shortly before noon on Saturday, left that area after the 911 call regarding the “strong-arm robbery” at the store was reported.

A description of a possible suspect and the suspect’s location was also given over the radio. Wilson left the call he had been responding to and encountered Brown on Canfield Drive at 12:01 p.m., Jackson said.

Conspicuously absent from all of the information the cops just released: what happened that lead to the cop firing 4-6 shots at Brown after eyewitnesses (other than Dorian Johnson, who has no credibility remaining) state that Brown turned with his hands up. I'm also not sure why this information was so hard to compile that it took the cops an entire week to release it. But whatever. Sprinkle some crack on him!!!



Let's face it: the cop won't be charged. There was no dash camera. No streetlamp cameras. Dorian Johnson isn't a credible witness anymore. None of those who witnessed the shooting have any proof that the Brown had his hands up. And if Brown (allegedly) engaged in any level of physical confrontation with the cop, the policeman can lawfully shoot him when/if he attempts to flee.

So yeah, prepare yourselves folks.

Question: What's your read on all of this? Is the cop going to walk?