It’s so popular to blame Barack Obama’s presidency for everything from the poor economy to the reason Two and a Half Men re-runs still air that it’s become a meme. But on Sunday, Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins attributed New York’s recent anti-cop sentiment on the president without a hint of irony or humor.
“Our leadership, from the president on down, has sent the message that law enforcement across the country are the bad guys,” Mullins said on AM 970’s radio program “The Cats Roundtable.” “And ultimately have sent the message to the criminal element that it’s OK to carry firearms, that it’s okay to resist arrest.”
Cops have been getting a bad rep because we have video evidence of them choking a man to death, gunning down a kid, fatally injuring a man in custody, stopping a guy for no reason, and verbally abusing someone. The victims tend to be unarmed people of color, and even when these people are killed, cops are rarely indicted.
Yet, Mullins thinks that it is politicians who are “defending the criminal.” But look, if there’s one thing a politician won’t do, it’s defend “a criminal.” Politicians are usually criticized for their inaction or for following the status quo. So unless they’ve suddenly gotten super revolutionary or anarchist, the sentiment that Mullins is noticing among politicians doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s a reflection of the populace demanding for change and for more accountability from police departments nationwide.
I guess, however, that if the videos weren’t on the internet, then maybe people wouldn’t be so aware of the rampant abuse. And if net neutrality didn’t win the FCC’s support, access to the internet would be less equal. And it’s true that Obama did support net neutrality, soooo….I guess what I’m saying is THANKS OBAMA. Ed Mullins is right. Everything is your fault. Q.E.D.
(Photo: Steve Jurvetson)
