The murders of two police officers in New York City the other day only underscores this increased threat. They were killed just because they were cops. Their killer made it clear, via social media, what he wanted to do and then did it. He even said it might be his last post - knowing full well he might not survive. He was correct about that too, except he made that choice himself.
So why have things gotten so much more dangerous for law enforcement, particularly police officers on the streets? It's a combination of things but the two major contributors are our elected officials and the media.
Several unfortunate incidents have occurred over the last four months that gave politicians, the media and those who make their living from the hate industry fuel to stoke a fire that has been mostly just glowing embers for quite a while.
The first was the shooting of Michael Brown in August. Supported by the media, black activists from all over the nation decided to make the shooting a racial incident when there was absolutely no evidence that it was. Forensic evidence and eyewitness statements proved that Michael Brown did not have his hands up in surrender when he was shot yet the media, the agitators, Al Sharpton, elected representatives in Washington, even professional athletes, all jumped on the "Hands up - don't shoot" bandwagon. But the rhetoric being pushed is blatantly false and divisive in nature, drawing negative attention on the police.
The second case didn't draw national attention until a grand jury in New York found no cause to charge a police officer with a crime in the death of Eric Garner. Garner, who was taken down by police after he refused to be handcuffed for committing the very crime for which he was on bail and awaiting trial, suffered a massive heart attack in an ambulance on the way to the hospital and died. The media kept saying Garner died from the officer's use of a "chokehold" which was also false. Garner said "I can't breathe," eleven times following the take down. Anyone who looks at it logically understands that if you say "I can't breathe" repeatedly you obviously can breathe. The media also, in most cases, failed to report on Garner's physical condition of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, to name a few. He was a ticking time bomb before he decided to fight with police.
So then the media, politicians, activists, athletes and hate mongers took up the additional chant of "I can't breathe." The mayor of New York, Bill De Blasio, threw his entire police force under the bus, making statements that to most people made it sound as if the entire department was made up of racist cops who prey on minorities - even throwing his biracial son into the rhetoric. The mayor's comments so angered the police that their union began a campaign telling the mayor that if any police officers are killed in the line of duty his presence at their funeral is not wanted.
And of course, President Obama, who said it's not his place as President to comment on local incidents even though he can't stop himself from doing it, weighed in and condemned the "deeply rooted" racism in the country and "hidden biases" held by Americans. He held meetings at the White House with the radical activists who organized the Ferguson, Missouri, protests and he gets his race relations advise and counseling from none other than Al (Never Been To A Racial Incident I Can't Profit From) Sharpton.
A third case in Cleveland also drew some attention initially and has been mentioned a time or two by some politicians but it rather quickly disappeared because it didn't quite fit the narrative.
Twelve year old Tamir Rice was shot and killed by a police officer on November 22nd. The difference in Tamir's case is that he was in possession of a very real looking toy gun and made a move to reach for it when the officer confronted him. (The officer was responding to a call about a person in the park with a gun.) It made national headlines for several days and the media and some politicians attempted to further push the racist cop agenda. But the fact that Tamir had a gun kept it from going too far.
Tamir's mother went to Washington DC, to participate in a protest march against police brutality and racist cops. She was spotted walking with none other than Al Sharpton and Benjamin Crump - the Florida attorney who has involved himself in every case from Trayvon Martin to Michael Brown to Eric Garner - and now the Tamir Rice case.
In another protest in New York City, participants marched through the city streets shouting "What do we want? Dead Cops! When do we want it? Now!" The mayor, the President, Al Sharpton and others who have fueled the fires were predictably silent about it.
The whole point here is that the death of the two New York police officers on Saturday can be directly attributed to the negative publicity heaped on police nationwide by those who distort the truth. The main stream media, professional athletes, elected officials - such as members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the President, the Attorney General, Mayor Bill De Blasio, Missouri governor Jay Nixon (who called for the arrest and prosecution of Officer Darren Wilson before the case had even been investigated) and race baiters like Sharpton and Jackson have all contributed to the nationwide hatred that is growing against police officers. And they're doing it with malice, aforethought and hatred of their own.
Relations between the NYPD and Mayor De Blasio have gotten so bad that when the mayor arrived at the hospital after the officer shootings the long lines of officers standing vigil outside the hospital turned their backs on him as he walked into the hospital.
In each and every case I mentioned there are facts and evidence that are being deliberately ignored by all who are involved in the campaign against the police. And now the hatred of police has been stirred to the point that people are actively seeking to do them harm and, in the case of the two in New York, killing them.
One expects this type of hate filled rhetoric from people like Al Sharpton. He has made his living from pushing racial hatred. It's not really surprising from the main stream media either. They make their fortunes with headlines. But when the President of the United States and the Attorney General join in, and the NYPD's Commander-in-Chief, Mayor De Blasio, it's not only sad it's shameful. They should all be ashamed of themselves for their part in this tragedy and De Blasio should apologize and resign. But we all know that's not going to happen.
Mayor De Blasio's security detail is made up of NYPD officers. I hope he's got a team he can trust. If they turn their backs on him there's no telling what might happen. I wonder if he's thought of that...?
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