On the five-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren exchanged truth for narrative by unequivocally referring to the incident as murder. Though there is no proof whatsoever for their claims, they persisted. While some called the candidates out for their attempts to mislead, other partisans purposely refused to do so.
Brown’s death at the hands of Officer Darren Wilson only served to amplify Black Lives Matter activism, which had already been established years earlier. Specifically, the use of “Hands up, don’t shoot!” as a slogan came directly from the August 2014 encounter. Though the background of that very phrase has been debunked following the investigation, it is still used by some activists. In the years since Brown’s death, Democrats have relied heavily on the incident when discussing law enforcement procedures within the black community. This behavior is meant to embolden. The only problem is, all evidence, either eyewitness or physical, shows that Wilson was justified in shooting Michael Brown.
When it comes to situations involving a member of the black community and a police officer, tensions are always high. Brown’s death and the fallout from it are said to have precipitated a rise in crime and police encounters known as “the Ferguson effect.” Along with this uptick is the continuation of a mentality that says one side, be it law enforcement or the citizen, is always wrong and the other is always right. By using extreme language (murder) in their discussion of Brown’s death, candidates Harris and Warren play into this scenario and hurt our national discourse. As they willfully cause division, they are on the national stage asking people to support them with donations and votes.
On the other hand, those who generally support the police can also be disingenuous. When faced with condemning the actions of either an officer or the alleged criminal, some side with law enforcement every time. This often happens without waiting for or even wanting to know the facts.
In July 2016, Philando Castile, a young black man, was shot by Officer Jeronimo Yanez during a traffic stop in Minnesota. The end to the tragic encounter was recorded on a live-stream Facebook video made by Castile’s girlfriend. Yanez was looking for robbery suspects. Castile told the officer he had a firearm on him. While reaching for something other than his gun, which he was licensed to carry, a frightened Yanez pumped several shots in Castile’s direction. He died soon after. In June 2017, Yanez was shockingly acquitted of manslaughter in what David French of National Review called a “miscarriage of justice.”
In the immediate aftermath, the National Rifle Association remained quiet. Some even pointed to Castile’s possession of marijuana and a firearm as a sort of retroactive justification for Yanez’s actions. The silence and deflection, from those who prize liberty and life, was and continues to be reprehensible.
It is imperative that police encounters with citizens be treated on an individual basis. They should never be subject to blanket conclusions. Regrettably, the opposite is the default position for too many on both the left and right sides of the political aisle. When the truth is cast aside by either, it does short term and long term damage to all. It is nearly impossible to have honest conversations about excessive police force or the need for law and order when politicians and pundits alike refuse to be honest. Harris and Warren certainly aren’t the only Democrats who do this, but their very public dismissal of facts is an example of a continuing problem. Police officers are not always correct in using deadly force against someone. When an individual officer fails in this regard, it is necessary for those who support the police to just as fiercely demand accountability.
If Democrats wish to establish credibility on this subject, they should highlight incidents when officers actually act wrongly and kill an innocent individual. Michael Brown’s death is not one of those times. Conversely, Republicans and gun rights groups can demonstrate consistency by treating unlawful killings, like that of Philando Castile, with the outrage it deserves.
Discussions of race, responsibility, and excessive police force will be with us so long as officers and citizens continue to encounter one another. While there can truly be no winners, honest evaluation is a must, no matter the outcome.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
