In the heat of controversy surrounding the events in Ferguson, MO, conservatives and Fox News types have been concocting several angles in attempts to discredit and minimize the racial issues at hand. Yesterday, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and fellow Fox cronies brought in Kevin Jackson, spokesman of “The Black Sphere,” an ultra-conservative black subsect of the Liberty Alliance.
Crooks and Liars reported that Fox and Friends brought in Jackson to say that country’s leaders of the black community are just making things worse and more turbulent in Ferguson. Regarding Rev. Al Sharpton’s address, Jackson said that Sharpton was only brought in to “stir turmoil” and only did so to make money.
“Didn’t you hear his cash register go off?” said Jackson. “No, he’s not making it any better. He’s essentially doing the thing that Reverend Sharpton does, which is stir up turmoil, and we’re seeing it. He’s been here a couple of days and it’s gotten worse… We’re talking about all these black leaders who are supposed to quell things, but all of a sudden it’s worse.”
After talking about Sharpton, Jackson and the hosts go after Missouri State Police Captain Ron Johnson. Johnson grew up in the area, is a black man, is a police officer, and seized an opportunity to identify with the people. However, when asked if that’s the right message, Jackson berated Johnson for identifying with the people instead of the officers.
“Of course it’s the wrong message,” said Jackson. “And the idea that he emphasized that his son is black, you know, just goes to show that he’s playing to the audience.”
Not to say that Johnson was disingenuous, however, what does it matter if his job was to “quell things,” and he felt that maybe talking and identifying with the people would work better than tanks and tear gas canisters? But what kind of hate-filled and ignorant commentary would one expect from Jackson, whose group is part of the racist, Dominionist Liberty Alliance?
People like Jackson only care about law and order regardless of at whose expense it comes. Justice, on the other hand, is another story.
Josh is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. Follow him on Twitter @dnJdeli.