I've been watching CNN lately trying to stay as up
to date as I can with the goings on of the incidents in Ferguson, MO. I have to
say I have been a little but off by the actions of the police, although I can
relate to their mission having been a military police officer myself -- you can
find my opinions on that here.
I'm also a bit appalled by the amount of bias I'm
seeing on the part of the media. CNN in general has been utterly bewildering in
it's misrepresentations. At times I'm hearing Don Lemon say one thing, while
watching a completely different thing happening on the television in from of
me. It's as if I need to mute the television in order to more easily
rationalize what's really going on, which is really a shame when were talking
about the people who are supposed to be reporting events, not interpreting them
to us.
The article enraged me so much in fact, I decided
to break it down a bit, using very simple terms, and in a way that should prove
a bit entertaining, yet unmistakably revealing about what's going on within the
bowls of the countries media. As you read -- while picking up your jaw -- think
about what this would do to the lay individual who is simply soaking in
information, and is none the wiser:
NOTE: Kohn's article
snippets are contained within "" and my responses are marked by --
“The protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, want justice
for the unarmed black teenager shot and killed there by a police officer. But
the protests also reflect broader patterns of racial injustice across the
country..”
– Implying that the shooting was an injustice – although
nothing has been proven factually to this point – and then using that
insinuation as evidence of "a much larger issue": Biased
“It shouldn't need pointing out, but for the
record, white people in America commit more crimes than black people.”
– Insinuation lacking context, race ratio
considerations perhaps?: biased
"whites committed crimes but blacks are
criminals."
– Opinion: Biased
“Despite the fact that the vast majority of mass
shootings in America are perpetrated by white males, we don't condemn nor
scrutinize white men nor white people as a group for the acts of these
individuals. And yet we ascribe the criminal behavior of individual black people
to the black community as a whole.”
– Opinion, and all-inclusive: Racist
“This is on top of the host of negative stereotypes
and assumptions we lump on communities of color and black people in
particular.”
– Opinion, and if she does, she’s racist: Racist
“Or consider that Americans who (incorrectly)
believe that most welfare recipients are black think "lack of effort on
their own part" is to blame. But among respondents who (correctly) think
most people on welfare are white believe people are on welfare because of
"circumstances beyond their control."
– Did you read this op-ed from 2003? It’s mainly
opinion based with some facts and percentages thrown in to appeal to the
argument. Not to mention, it’s from 2003: Biased
“In this context, disproportionate police violence
against black communities, especially black men and boys, must be understood
not as an issue of rogue cops or isolated incidents but as an extreme
manifestation of the sort of implicit racial bias that courses through every
aspect of our nation.”
– A biased opinion based on the 2003 op-ed: Biased
with Racist Implications
“In fact, cops who shoot unarmed black men have
something in common with college students -- in video simulated research tests,
both cops and college students, of all races, are far more likely to shoot at
unarmed black men than unarmed white men.”
– Interesting that blacks see blacks as criminals.
We may assume that this is because of the way they’re presented in the media
etc., but then there’s that little tug on the back of my collar that wants me
to ask how the public opinion molds the opinions of black men and women who
live with other black men and women, unless there feelings are vindicated in
some way?: Biased, Borderline Racist
“Every twist and turn of our society, our economy,
our politics and our interpersonal interactions in America is tainted with
racial bias. Sometimes it's subtle. Sometimes it's armed with a gun. But
instead of talking about racial bias, and working to unravel this deep problem,
we often bury our heads in the sand or — worse — attack those who try to talk
about racial injustice as "race baiters."
– Except, it's only racist because this white woman
say so, never mind the opinions of black conservatives and Libertarians, who
would say otherwise. I know, different people, different experiences;
nonetheless she implies that she knows better than blacks that live in black
worlds: Interesting to say the least; racist at most.
“Meanwhile, communities of color who are already undeniably
struggling in the face of racial bias have to endure the secondary injustice of
having their experience and concerns dismissed, whether it's politicians
suggesting that poverty is a "cultural problem" in communities of
color or media figures arguing that black men are disproportionately arrested
and locked up because "in certain ghetto neighborhoods, it's part of the
culture."
– Opinion, based on a biased mindset and lacking
ACTUAL facts, not op-ed’s from 03’: Biased
“We still don't know exactly what happened in
Ferguson.”
– What!? You’ve just written an entire OP-ED
based on it!: Biased and misleading
"But the fact is that while white people use
drugs more, black folks are more likely to be arrested for and face higher
sentences for drug use. Blaming these and other egregious discrepancies on the
black community instead of endemic racial bias is adding insult to injury. It
also doesn't achieve anything -- except fanning more protests."
– Larry Elder debunked this years ago:
http://t.co/58lP7vbngK
“the Ferguson police have only cast suspicion on
the victim and his character.”
-- I figured he cast suspicion on his character
when he robbed a store in front of a family and other members in his community,
but hey, detail, right?: Biased
“This blame-the-victim response echoes the broader
blame-the-black-community mentality that denies persistent racial bias while
telling black folks they're to blame for the hurdles and inequities that racial
bias causes.”
-- Two paragraphs ago you said, “We still don't
know exactly what happened in Ferguson”, now he’s a victim? Interesting:
Biased, borderline racist and nonetheless misleading.
“Michael Brown is dead. Unfortunately nothing we do
in Ferguson or anywhere else can change that.”
-- Wow, an honest statement for once.
“But what we can change is the pattern of biased
treatment at the hands of police as well as banks and schools and elected
officials and throughout our society that actively, albeit often unwittingly,
perpetuate racial injustice in America.”
-- Implying that Brown’s situation was based on
biased, while stating, “We still don't know exactly what happened in Ferguson”
only paragraphs ago.
“If we do that, finally, then we might ensure that
no more Michael Browns or Eric Garners or Oscar Grants or Trayvon Martins are
killed.”
-- Opinion, implying yet again that Brown (and
Trayvon Martins death following his assault of Zimmerman, for that matter) was
an injustice, again after stating, “We still don't know exactly what happened
in Ferguson”
_________________End of
Article_________________
Do you need me to break this down further?
I can't believe what I've just read, and I'm frankly appalled that CNN would have such an out of touch individual pushing out propaganda like this. Have we decided the officers guilt already?
This is America, and we have a due process that has mad America what it is. Am I the only one who feels that it's simple logic to allow this trial to at least start, before making the kind of outlandish assertions made in this article?
I can't believe what I've just read, and I'm frankly appalled that CNN would have such an out of touch individual pushing out propaganda like this. Have we decided the officers guilt already?
This is America, and we have a due process that has mad America what it is. Am I the only one who feels that it's simple logic to allow this trial to at least start, before making the kind of outlandish assertions made in this article?
This is a racist article, Ms. Kohn, and you, ma'am,
are a racist.
While I can agree that there are obviously
devastating issues prevalent in the black community, and do sympathize deeply
with many of the issues the community as a whole faces, to base an entire op-ed
on an event that hasn't yet come to fruition -- the conviction of the officer
involved in Browns shooting, if that should happen -- that does nothing but
make racist assumptions and use all inclusive statement to make a bigger point
about the apparent racism inherent in all white people, and to present it so
deviously as fact, on a site the likes of CNN, is adherent -- you ma'am are the
face of hate, and are the problem.
Let justice take its course, before you start
pointing fingers and calling entire races racist. This is America, Ms. Kohn,
please, at least act like it.
As we all experience the pain of losing a young
man, Mike Brown, I can only say I am going to feel even worse for the black
community if this officer is vindicated, and everyone starts asking why we’ve
seen weeks of media attention and biased reporting based solely on opinions and
hearsay, the likes of which we see here, from Ms. Kohn.
In the end, I can't see any of this going well for
the community in Ferguson. So far they've been pushed to near chaos by race
baiters trying to make a buck off of their naivety, projected by a media trying
it's best boost ratings, and have been infiltrated by hoodlums making
themselves look like fools by making outlandish assumptions, destroying their
own town, and bringing unrest to the folks who are truly seeking justice -- all
of this based on nothing but hearsay, at this point.
America, you're putting your chips all in on
decency, and I'm afraid to say, the odds are not looking good -- you must wake
up, start making new investments, and rethinking your strategy to bring more to
see your hearts, before it's too late.
Peace, love and freedom.
About Me: I am a Software Engineer pursuing a Masters in Computer Science, a business man -- holding a Bachelors in Business with a focus in Enterprise Administration from Fordham University, Magna Cum Laude -- a writer, a blogger, a philosopher, a philanthropist, a veteran, and an all around thinker and do'er. My purpose is to point out that there is a reason for everything and an opinion for every reason. I am designed to interpret what I see and dictate what I've interpreted. My hope is that my words will not be seen as harsh, rather as liberating, and at very least, thought provoking. I enjoy everything from technology, to race relations, biology, genetics and economics.. for a start.. 
