Joe Biden this weekend tied the 2014 shooting death of Ferguson, Missouri, resident Michael Brown to the need to tackle “systemic racism” and corrupt law enforcement.
It is puzzling that he would link the one to the others, considering the Department of Justice under his boss, former President Barack Obama, concluded that Brown was no victim. Rather, the 18-year-old black man was killed in the act of attacking a police officer and trying to take away his gun.
“It’s been six years since Michael Brown’s life was taken in Ferguson — reigniting a movement,” said the former vice president on the sixth anniversary of Brown’s death. “We must continue the work of tackling systemic racism and reforming policing.”
It’s been six years since Michael Brown’s life was taken in Ferguson — reigniting a movement. We must continue the work of tackling systemic racism and reforming policing.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 9, 2020
Again, Obama’s Justice Department found that there was no credible evidence to support the claim that the white officer, Darren Wilson, had done anything illegal when he shot and killed Brown. Rather, its independent investigation found Wilson had acted in self-defense.
So, why release a statement on the sixth anniversary of the justifiable shooting death of Brown and tie it to “systemic racism and reforming policing?” What is Biden doing, if not deliberately inflaming passions and whipping up resentment?
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee seems to be playing footsie with the popular and false assertion that led to the torching of Ferguson at the time — that Wilson had “murdered” Brown. It is a lie, and a persistent one at that. Other top-tier Democratic officials, including Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, have helped spread this bit of fake news, too. And they know what they are doing when they spread it.
Harris said in August 2019, “Michael Brown’s murder forever changed Ferguson and America. His tragic death sparked a desperately needed conversation and a nationwide movement. We must fight for stronger accountability and racial equity in our justice system.”
Warren tweeted 35 minutes later, “5 years ago Michael Brown was murdered by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Michael was unarmed yet he was shot 6 times. I stand with activists and organizers who continue the fight for justice for Michael. We must confront systemic racism and police violence head on.”
But Brown was not “murdered,” as the Obama Justice Department made abundantly clear in its investigation of the matter.
The false story that Brown put his hands up and said, “Don’t shoot!” has been debunked thoroughly, and Biden and his campaign team really should know better.
