Immediately following incidents of high profile violence, like last week’s shooting deaths and riots in Charlotte, politicians are quick to say, “Now is not the time for assessing blame. Now is not the time to point fingers.” I disagree. Now is precisely the time we need to point fingers of blame. And since I have eight fingers, I will point them at eight different sources of blame for the death of Keith Lamont Scott, and subsequent civil unrest in our state’s largest city. First, some background.
Last week Keith Scott, a 43-year-old black man, was sitting in his car waiting for his child to get out of school, when several Charlotte Mecklenburg police officers rolled up on him. Actually they sort of stumbled onto him, because they were supposed to be serving a warrant on another man, when they noticed Scott had marijuana and a gun in his vehicle. We now know from videos released by Mr. Scott’s wife, and by the CMPD, that the officers repeatedly shouted, “Drop the gun!” Mrs. Scott then tells the police that Keith has no weapon (not true), suffers from a brain injury, and is taking medication. The police continue to demand that Scott drop his gun, but to no avail. At that point, Scott’s wife says, “Keith don’t do it! Don’t do it Keith!” A hail of gunfire follows, and Mr. Scott lay dead. Brentley Vinson, a young African American cop, reportedly fired the fatal shot.
Only days before in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man, was killed in a similar incident. In that case, citizens of Tulsa responded by holding prayer vigils. Days later, Charlotte responded to its crisis in a very different way. Hundreds of people took to the streets in what they hoped would be a peaceful protest, but their assembly was hijacked by angry agitators, and a violent riot ensued. Confrontations with police left several officers injured and one protestor dead. Stores were vandalized and looted. Tear gas was dispensed, and dozens of arrests were made.
So why did residents of one city react responsibly, while residents of the other turn violent? No one seems to know the answer, least of all Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who told CNN, “This is not who Charlotte is”. Perhaps, but constructive finger pointing now could prevent a tragic encore in the future. Here then, are eight groups or individuals who I believe are most responsible for the violence which occurred in Charlotte last week.
1. Keith Scott
Fair or not, Scott is at least partially to blame for his own death. True, he was merely in the right place at the wrong time, but he also possessed marijuana and a handgun, both of which are illegal, especially for an ex-con with a history of violent crimes. We might not know for awhile, or ever, if his alleged brain injury and medication caused him not to respond to police commands, but if he was disabled by those factors, he shouldn’t have been operating a motor vehicle.
He also should not have been killed. Nevertheless, he still shares in the responsibility for his demise.
2. Police
A lot went wrong last Tuesday for the CMPD. For one thing, officers botched service of a warrant on one man, and instead confronted another (Scott) because they saw marijuana in his car. Second, whether true or not, once they were told that Mr. Scott had a brain injury and was on medication, the police should have remained behind the cover of their vehicles and held their fire. If Scott then advanced on them, then officer Vinson should have only wounded him. Either Brentley Vinson meant to kill Mr. Scott, or his aim was off. If the former, Vinson should be prosecuted. If the latter, he should go on desk duty until he can re-qualify with his weapon at a marksman level. No matter how well-intentioned, the police are partly to blame for the civil unrest in their city.
3. Rioters
Though inspired by the fiery rhetoric and involvement of others (see items 4-7), those who hijacked an otherwise peaceful protest, are, of course, directly to blame for the death and destruction that ensued during last week’s rioting. They vandalized and looted stores, set fires in the streets, and assaulted reporters, and none of it made any sense. Larry Elder, an African American radio talk show host, said it best when he told FOX News, “This is a black suspect who was killed by a black police officer, whose boss is a black police chief, and rioters are attacking white people. What’s wrong with this picture?” That question should be asked of the groups and organizations who fueled the riots.
4. Black Lives Matter
Perhaps in the beginning, BLM was a well-intentioned movement whose mission was to stop police from systematically mistreating and shooting African Americans in situations where such actions were not indicated. However, over time, BLM has devolved into a mob-like entity, with little tolerance for anyone of any color who doesn’t march in lock-step with their sociopolitical agenda. Earlier this year, BLM protestors vandalized police stations in California and called for the killing of police in New York. Not all BLM followers are violent, but their rhetoric has become increasingly inflammatory, so they must accept some of the blame for what happened in Charlotte.
5. Nation of Islam
No sooner had CNN turned on its cameras, than representatives from the Nation of Islam showed up to fan the flames. Standing before a gathering of the national media, Rev. B.J. Murphy shouted “There is no other God but Allah.” He also said what happened to Keith Scott was a “modern day lynching”, and he urged all black citizens of Charlotte, “Don’t spend no money with no white folks!”
Hours later, the riots started. Rev. Murphy must accept some of the blame for what happened that night.
6. Clergy and Peaceful Protesters
The people who first took to the streets of downtown Charlotte last week, did so in part to demonstrate their displeasure with what they believed was a growing national trend of unarmed black citizens being killed by police. Among the peaceful protesters were a number of local white church leaders, including Rev. Robin Tanner, who heads up the Charlotte Clergy Coalition. Once the violence started, she blamed police for using tear gas. Hey Rev. Tanner, you can’t stop looters and rock throwers by praying with them. Then there was Rev. Steve Knight of the Mission Gathering Christian church who implied to CNN that the police might have lied about who shot a civilian protestor. Comments like those did nothing to de-fuse the civil unrest, and only served to undermine efforts by the police to restore order. Unlike the epic marches of MLK, the one by Charlotte protestors was disorganized, lacked leadership, and offered no substantive path to reform. In the end, they did more harm than good, so they must accept some of the blame for how things turned out.
7. Social Media
Today, everyone who has a cell phone camera thinks he’s a veteran TV news reporter. Instead, what often gets videotaped is posted on youtube out of context, and can be damaging to innocent people, and obstructive to investigations. In like manner, people who tweet inaccurate and inflammatory information can cause great harm. Keith Scott’s family used social media to spread the message that their loved one had been murdered by police for no reason, and that Keith was a model citizen. Such video and tweets gave rioters and looters an excuse to do what they do best, and in the process, a civilian protester was killed. The DOJ and FCC need to work with Congress to pass and enforce new laws that would prosecute social media users whose actions incite violence.
8. Electronic Media
Asked about their role in the Charlotte protests, CNN’s Don Lemon said, “We have a duty to cover it.” Maybe yes and maybe no. It’s one thing to cover news, it’s another to help facilitate those who make it. In cases of escalating street violence, CNN might adopt the kind of on-air policy set by the NFL, who instructs their TV directors not to show bad behavior by fans, for fear that such coverage would only encourage more bad acts. CNN kept us informed about the unrest in Charlotte, but they also gave looters and agitators a world-wide forum. In that regard, CNN and other news media must accept partial blame for stoking the flames of unrest.
So there you have it. I’ve pointed all eight of my fingers at the people most to blame for the mess in Charlotte. I only hope it will do some good. And just in case you’re wondering which finger is which, my middle finger is the one pointed at the rioters. I hope they get the message.
Affixing Blame for Queen City Crisis
Immediately following incidents of high profile violence, like last week’s shooting deaths and riots in Charlotte, politicians are quick to say, “Now is not the time for assessing blame. Now is not the time to point fingers.” I disagree. Now is precisely the time we need to point fingers of blame. And since I have eight fingers, I will point them at eight different sources of blame for the death of Keith Lamont Scott, and subsequent civil unrest in our state’s largest city. First, some background.
Last week Keith Scott, a 43-year-old black man, was sitting in his car waiting for his child to get out of school, when several Charlotte Mecklenburg police officers rolled up on him. Actually they sort of stumbled onto him, because they were supposed to be serving a warrant on another man, when they noticed Scott had marijuana and a gun in his vehicle. We now know from videos released by Mr. Scott’s wife, and by the CMPD, that the officers repeatedly shouted, “Drop the gun!” Mrs. Scott then tells the police that Keith has no weapon (not true), suffers from a brain injury, and is taking medication. The police continue to demand that Scott drop his gun, but to no avail. At that point, Scott’s wife says, “Keith don’t do it! Don’t do it Keith!” A hail of gunfire follows, and Mr. Scott lay dead. Brentley Vinson, a young African American cop, reportedly fired the fatal shot.
Only days before in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man, was killed in a similar incident. In that case, citizens of Tulsa responded by holding prayer vigils. Days later, Charlotte responded to its crisis in a very different way. Hundreds of people took to the streets in what they hoped would be a peaceful protest, but their assembly was hijacked by angry agitators, and a violent riot ensued. Confrontations with police left several officers injured and one protestor dead. Stores were vandalized and looted. Tear gas was dispensed, and dozens of arrests were made.
So why did residents of one city react responsibly, while residents of the other turn violent? No one seems to know the answer, least of all Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who told CNN, “This is not who Charlotte is”. Perhaps, but constructive finger pointing now could prevent a tragic encore in the future. Here then, are eight groups or individuals who I believe are most responsible for the violence which occurred in Charlotte last week.
1. Keith Scott
Fair or not, Scott is at least partially to blame for his own death. True, he was merely in the right place at the wrong time, but he also possessed marijuana and a handgun, both of which are illegal, especially for an ex-con with a history of violent crimes. We might not know for awhile, or ever, if his alleged brain injury and medication caused him not to respond to police commands, but if he was disabled by those factors, he shouldn’t have been operating a motor vehicle.
He also should not have been killed. Nevertheless, he still shares in the responsibility for his demise.
2. Police
A lot went wrong last Tuesday for the CMPD. For one thing, officers botched service of a warrant on one man, and instead confronted another (Scott) because they saw marijuana in his car. Second, whether true or not, once they were told that Mr. Scott had a brain injury and was on medication, the police should have remained behind the cover of their vehicles and held their fire. If Scott then advanced on them, then officer Vinson should have only wounded him. Either Brentley Vinson meant to kill Mr. Scott, or his aim was off. If the former, Vinson should be prosecuted. If the latter, he should go on desk duty until he can re-qualify with his weapon at a marksman level. No matter how well-intentioned, the police are partly to blame for the civil unrest in their city.
3. Rioters
Though inspired by the fiery rhetoric and involvement of others (see items 4-7), those who hijacked an otherwise peaceful protest, are, of course, directly to blame for the death and destruction that ensued during last week’s rioting. They vandalized and looted stores, set fires in the streets, and assaulted reporters, and none of it made any sense. Larry Elder, an African American radio talk show host, said it best when he told FOX News, “This is a black suspect who was killed by a black police officer, whose boss is a black police chief, and rioters are attacking white people. What’s wrong with this picture?” That question should be asked of the groups and organizations who fueled the riots.
4. Black Lives Matter
Perhaps in the beginning, BLM was a well-intentioned movement whose mission was to stop police from systematically mistreating and shooting African Americans in situations where such actions were not indicated. However, over time, BLM has devolved into a mob-like entity, with little tolerance for anyone of any color who doesn’t march in lock-step with their sociopolitical agenda. Earlier this year, BLM protestors vandalized police stations in California and called for the killing of police in New York. Not all BLM followers are violent, but their rhetoric has become increasingly inflammatory, so they must accept some of the blame for what happened in Charlotte.
5. Nation of Islam
No sooner had CNN turned on its cameras, than representatives from the Nation of Islam showed up to fan the flames. Standing before a gathering of the national media, Rev. B.J. Murphy shouted “There is no other God but Allah.” He also said what happened to Keith Scott was a “modern day lynching”, and he urged all black citizens of Charlotte, “Don’t spend no money with no white folks!”
Hours later, the riots started. Rev. Murphy must accept some of the blame for what happened that night.
6. Clergy and Peaceful Protesters
The people who first took to the streets of downtown Charlotte last week, did so in part to demonstrate their displeasure with what they believed was a growing national trend of unarmed black citizens being killed by police. Among the peaceful protesters were a number of local white church leaders, including Rev. Robin Tanner, who heads up the Charlotte Clergy Coalition. Once the violence started, she blamed police for using tear gas. Hey Rev. Tanner, you can’t stop looters and rock throwers by praying with them. Then there was Rev. Steve Knight of the Mission Gathering Christian church who implied to CNN that the police might have lied about who shot a civilian protestor. Comments like those did nothing to de-fuse the civil unrest, and only served to undermine efforts by the police to restore order. Unlike the epic marches of MLK, the one by Charlotte protestors was disorganized, lacked leadership, and offered no substantive path to reform. In the end, they did more harm than good, so they must accept some of the blame for how things turned out.
7. Social Media
Today, everyone who has a cell phone camera thinks he’s a veteran TV news reporter. Instead, what often gets videotaped is posted on youtube out of context, and can be damaging to innocent people, and obstructive to investigations. In like manner, people who tweet inaccurate and inflammatory information can cause great harm. Keith Scott’s family used social media to spread the message that their loved one had been murdered by police for no reason, and that Keith was a model citizen. Such video and tweets gave rioters and looters an excuse to do what they do best, and in the process, a civilian protester was killed. The DOJ and FCC need to work with Congress to pass and enforce new laws that would prosecute social media users whose actions incite violence.
8. Electronic Media
Asked about their role in the Charlotte protests, CNN’s Don Lemon said, “We have a duty to cover it.” Maybe yes and maybe no. It’s one thing to cover news, it’s another to help facilitate those who make it. In cases of escalating street violence, CNN might adopt the kind of on-air policy set by the NFL, who instructs their TV directors not to show bad behavior by fans, for fear that such coverage would only encourage more bad acts. CNN kept us informed about the unrest in Charlotte, but they also gave looters and agitators a world-wide forum. In that regard, CNN and other news media must accept partial blame for stoking the flames of unrest.
So there you have it. I’ve pointed all eight of my fingers at the people most to blame for the mess in Charlotte. I only hope it will do some good. And just in case you’re wondering which finger is which, my middle finger is the one pointed at the rioters. I hope they get the message.