For American conservatives, the Fox News faithful, Tea Partiers, and Republicans en masse, men and women like Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, and now Sam Dubose ”had it coming.” Black people are human debris for the right-wing imagination; the cops are just taking out the trash.
Some obvious possibilities:
1. Sam Dubose was wearing red. He must be a gang member.
2. Traffic stops are dangerous for police. Ray Tensing could have been killed by Sam Dubose’s car door.
3. If Sam Dubose did what he was told he would have not been shot.
4. Police have a tough job to do under difficult circumstances. Let’s make sure that Ray Tensing is treated fairly.
5. Let’s wait for all of the facts to come out.
6. Sam Dubose was “not cooperative.”
7. Why are black people so quick to criticize and not trust the police?
8. Ray Tensing was indicted. The system works. Why do black people hate America?
9. What about all of the “black on black” violence in cities like Chicago!
10. Sam Dubose was armed with his car! This is a lethal weapon!
Of course, the true reasoning, and the one that the “mainstream” right-wing media will not utter, at least explicitly, is the following:
11. Black people are scary and dangerous. How could a cop not be in reasonable fear of their life when dealing with one of them!
Some obvious possibilities:
1. Sam Dubose was wearing red. He must be a gang member.
2. Traffic stops are dangerous for police. Ray Tensing could have been killed by Sam Dubose’s car door.
3. If Sam Dubose did what he was told he would have not been shot.
4. Police have a tough job to do under difficult circumstances. Let’s make sure that Ray Tensing is treated fairly.
5. Let’s wait for all of the facts to come out.
6. Sam Dubose was “not cooperative.”
7. Why are black people so quick to criticize and not trust the police?
8. Ray Tensing was indicted. The system works. Why do black people hate America?
9. What about all of the “black on black” violence in cities like Chicago!
10. Sam Dubose was armed with his car! This is a lethal weapon!
Of course, the true reasoning, and the one that the “mainstream” right-wing media will not utter, at least explicitly, is the following:
11. Black people are scary and dangerous. How could a cop not be in reasonable fear of their life when dealing with one of them!