Michael Brown, eighteen-years-old, six foot four, three hundred pounds, enters a convenience store with Dorian Johnson. Michael picks up a pack of cigarillos and proceeds to leave without paying. At the door the store manager confronts Michael. Does Michael drop the cigarillos and run? Does he give the manager the cigarillos and apologize? Does he offer to pay for the cigarillos? No, he walks up to the diminutive manager, chest to face as a form of intimidation pushing the manager backwards into a display rack. Michael then turns and walks – not runs – off.
Shortly thereafter, wearing a red cap and yellow socks, he is spotted walking down the middle of the street by police officer, Darren Wilson. Wilson was alerted to the fact that a large black male wearing a red cap and yellow socks had robbed a convenience store. Wilson asked Michael to get out of the middle of the street. Michael ignored the order. Officer Wilson used the police cruiser to cut off Michael’s path. Michael then assaulted the officer through the driver’s side window while reaching for the officer’s gun. A shot was fired. Michael’s DNA was subsequently found on the officer’s gun. Michael turned and walked away. Officer Wilson pursued the suspect. Michael doubled back charging the police officer he had just assaulted. No credible eyewitness, other then Michael’s robbery companion, claimed Michael raised his hands. Michael was shot and died in the street. Multiple witnesses, black and white confirm this scenario. Three autopsies produce evidence that indicate Michael assaulted the officer and attempted to take the policeman’s gun.
Exhaustive investigations by local authorities, a grand jury and the Justice Department reinforce these facts and most importantly find not one scintilla of evidence of racism in the actions of the police officer.
Thus, we have a tragic tale about a young thug who loses his life due to his own criminal behavior.
Fast forward to last weeks Grammy award show. An audience of approximately twenty-five million people was propagandized by way of the lie that an innocent Michael Brown with hands raised in submission was brutally murdered by a racist police officer. Pharrell Williams and Beyonce accompanied by back up singers and dancers participate, knowingly or from ignorance, by symbolically raising their hands as part of a racially divisive deception. And Prince notes, “like books and black lives, albums still have value.” I suspect that they genuinely believed that Michael had his hands raised when shot.
How does such a divisive lie metastasize? We can thank the race victimhood industry. It starts with people like Al Sharpton. His qualifications to lead a civil rights crusade are: provocateur of the Tawana Brawley fraud, key inciter of the Crown Heights riots, exploiter-in-chief of the Duke Lacrosse witch-hunt and tax cheat par excellence.
Before svelte Mr. Sharpton knew all of the facts surrounding the Michel Brown homicide he was in full exploitation mode. Fact, evidence, witness testimony were of no importance to him. He is a professional race baiter. So, once again he incited riots that destroyed people’s livelihoods and nurtured racial animus based on untruths. He pokes at the raw nerve of race with the skill of a sadist employing his box of torture tools.
Is all the blame to be placed on Mr. Sharpton? Hardly. There will always be those of low character who build careers exploiting others and amass their fortunes by manipulating victimhood. I blame a President who treats Sharpton like a civil rights leader. I blame an Attorney General who invokes race before the facts are in. I blame a Governor who talks about prosecution instead of investigation. These public officials, unlike many celebrities and many civil rights protestors, were fully aware of Mr. Sharpton’s rather dubious past behavior. They have also sworn to uphold the procedures and protocols that seek justice as opposed to pursuing divisive political objectives.
I blame celebrities and athletes who jump on moral crusades without thoroughly investigating what is the foundation for those crusades. They need to take very seriously the influence they have on their fans. Either stick strictly to your music and athletic pursuits or take the time to investigate before you choose to find racism among those of your fellow citizens who risk their lives to keep you safe.
The ultimate tragedy lies in all the energy, time and money wasted chasing a lie. The disgrace can be found in the largely ignored culture of young black men from fatherless homes lacking male discipline, authority and love. Ultimately resulting in horrific numbers of young black men killing other black men. Since this is a cultural phenomenon that disproportionately plagues the black community it can’t be pinned on racists white men. Thus only those willing to be labeled racist dare deal with real causation. There exists an ugly denial based element within the civil rights movement that in 1965 labeled Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan a racist for broaching this topic and today labels Darren Wilson a racist murderer. The destructive power of a widely disseminated lie can contribute to the devastation of a community.