Why isn’t Susan Sarandon canceled yet?
Actress Susan Sarandon has frequently exemplified anti-patriotic, anti-American behavior on the occasions she spoke out on political issues. Yet, there may not have been a more egregious example of this behavior than her recent tweet in which she compared the funeral of police officer Jason Rivera to fascism. It is a loutish comparison only a radical leftist, Democratic, Hollywood elitist could make. It’s indicative of the vile hate that consumes the hearts of many liberals today.
The incident began when contemporary Bolshevik journalist Danny Haiphong tweeted “I’m gonna tell my kids this is what fascism looks like” while posting a photo of the funeral. Sarandon shared the photo and added her own ignorant commentary.
“So if all these cops weren’t needed for CRIME that day, doesn’t that mean they aren’t needed ANY day?” Sarandon said in a since-deleted tweet. There was also a hashtag implanted on the photo over the police officers gathered for the funeral that said “#abolishthepolice.”
Sarandon’s tweet drew the ire of many. It was tasteless. She has since offered an apology with a weak explanation claiming she “reacted quickly without connecting it to a police funeral.” Yet, in reality, Sarandon isn’t sorry for the tweet. She is just sorry she was exposed for the bigoted, anti-police hatemonger that she is.
I spoke to Betsy Brantner Smith, spokeswoman for the National Police Association and a retired police sergeant. Like every other normal, rational human being, she was none too pleased with the tweet.
“In between cat videos and anti-Israel tweets, aging actress Susan Sarandon retweeted a moronic meme on her Twitter account on Feb. 1 that mocked the incredible turnout of police officers from around the world for the funeral of NYPD officer Jason Rivera,” Smith said. “Sarandon clearly has no idea (or doesn’t care to learn about) the incredible importance of burying one of our own or the planning that occurs so that an agency can honor its fallen while making sure that every call for service is answered. People like Sarandon only know that when a member of her private security force calls 911 from one of her multiple residences, the police will show up, fixing whatever problem might arise.”
Sarandon’s behavior is indicative of the sad state of anti-police sentiment in the country. Left-wing activists, entertainers, athletes, and politicians have created a society that views police as villains instead of those who routinely risk their lives to protect innocent people from criminals looking to do harm.
“The actress-turned-angry activist, whose net worth is about $60 million, loves to rail against capitalism, oil companies, rich people, law enforcement, and politicians on both sides,” Smith said. “It’s inexplicable why she felt the need to comment at all about the law enforcement response to the murder of a 22-year-old newlywed who’d been shot multiple times in the face, but cop-bashing is always a safe bet for the Hollywood elite.”
As a former police officer, Betsy Branter Smith knows the challenges that police officers face every day. Like many first responders, there is no guarantee that once they leave for work, they will ever return. Too many people in this country have forgotten that. As such, she had an important message for those who echo Sarandon’s rhetoric and hateful views.
“For the past 21 months, the vilification of law enforcement has helped to create a violent crime crisis in United States, and too much of that violence has been directed at the very police officers who’ve been fighting to stop the criminals who prey on our citizens, often with little support from local prosecutors, politicians, and sometimes their own leadership,” Smith said. “People like Sarandon talk about ‘criminal justice reform’ and the elimination of American law enforcement, and she can continue to spew such childish, ill-informed vitriol because, ultimately, she [knows] that when she calls 911, we’ll be there, no matter what.”
“The National Police Association hopes that Sarandon, like most of America, recognizes the sacrifices police officers make to keep our fellow citizens safe,” Smith said. Sadly, nowhere near enough people do.
