75.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024

Just Stop

Five police officers were killed and six more shot and wounded in a horrific mass shooting in Dallas on Thursday. The deranged, despicable shooter was apparently motivated by coverage of two horrendous police killings of black civilians this week. Video shows both of the victims of police were shot without provocation, one while reaching for his driver’s license as the officer told him to do. Apparently, the morally stunted man who ambushed police in Texas never learned what kindergartners all know: that two wrongs don’t make a right.

On Friday, V.I. GOP Chairman John Canegata issued a statement on behalf of the party blaming the killings on the president and others.

"Sadly, the racial tension stoked by President Obama, New York Mayor de Blasio and others on the left have created an atmosphere where police are targeted and intimidated from doing what it takes to keep our communities safe," Canegata wrote.

Killing someone who didn’t do anything but just belongs to the same group as someone who you have a problem with is the definition of bias and bigotry. The murderer allegedly said he wanted to kill white police and apparently thought he was avenging a wrong. Much as lynch mobs thought they were avenging wrongs. Those who are reacting with hatred of one group or another need to just stop. Stop the hate. Stop the bias. Stop the killing.

It is possible to support the police in doing a difficult job and, at the same time, protest when some police murder black people on the streets. That should not really need to be said. Any decent person with a functioning mind can easily grasp this uncomplicated idea.

But these days, there are people of poor character with access to television cameras and radio microphones that work hard at muddying the water on these crystal clear, easy-to-grasp moral questions. They have their own cable "news" network.

But it is a little shocking to see it happen inside the Virgin Islands.

Shame on you, Canegata. You cannot produce any example of Barack Obama or Bill de Blasio encouraging violence against police because no such examples exist. You are spreading a falsehood that is profoundly defamatory and ugly, cheaply pursuing a shortsighted partisan GOP agenda on the backs of the dead.

We hope and suspect that, despite your claim of speaking on behalf of the V.I. GOP, few of your fellow V.I. party members share your clownish, brutish, disgusting and demonstrably untrue statement. Just stop.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.