'Don't Make the Black Kids Angry': The hoax of black victimization and those who enable it.

by Colin Flaherty

  Melissa Harris-Perry of MSNBC had it figured out. She and a Harvard Professor were batting this back and forth on her Saturday TV show: If someone sees a black person committing a crime, should they report it if it makes black people look bad?

  A seemingly simple question, but difficult for MSNBC’s new golden girl, the host of the Melissa Harris-Perry Show.

  At least it was when Mona Eltahawy appeared to talk about her cover story in Foreign Policy magazine on violence against women in the Arab and Muslim world. Eltahawy had her arms broken in a demonstration and was tortured and raped in an Egyptian jail cell. So she seemed a bit surprised when Harris and the Harvard professor questioned her right to draw attention to these atrocities.

  Maybe her confusion sprang from the fact that she thought she was in a news studio. Harris-Perry cleared that up right away:[426]

  I start with a little bit of trepidation in this conversation, in part because I know some of the critiques of this,” said Harris-Perry.“The very idea that Western press, those that are not from these nations, who are not Muslim ourselves, who are not part of these traditions.”

  It is worth interrupting here to note that the “traditions” that Harris-Perry was referring to were involuntary female circumcision, wife beating, and childhood sexual abuse. At least those are the only three Eltahawy had time to mention before Melissa set her straight. Back to Harris-Perry:

  [people] can look at your article and say“Ahhh, look at how horrible those men, or those societies, or that religion is.”

  “And that is part of the reason why, for example, we have an under-reporting of rape and domestic violence in African American communities. Because we know the violence enacted on black men by police, so we often don’t call. Right?”[427]

  If you say so, Melissa.

  There is no doubt that lots of thugs just won’t go to the cops. Even when they are victims. It just came out in 2014 what happened when a police officer found Tupac Shakur dying from gunshots in Las Vegas.

  He asked the famous rapper what happened. Who shot him.

  “Fuck you,” said Tupac. Then he died. (And in case you missed it, the Tupac musical closed after six weeks on Broadway. The guy who played Tupac knew exactly the reason why: “Racism.”)[428]

  More often the silence is not quite as glorious, or voluntary. Instead it is called witness intimidation or tampering. This is really a separate reason, but let’s go with it here anyway.

  In Wilmington, Delaware, again, in 2013 a group of black people robbed a woman and her child. She went to the police. A member of the crew -- who was not present at the home invasion -- told the woman not to testify if she knew what was good for her.

  The woman said she was not afraid and she was damn sure going to testify.

  He killed her. He’s in prison.

  The people who did the crime, they are roaming the streets. Free. Drinking one for their homie. The Center for Problem Oriented Policing breaks it down:[429]

  Studies and surveys of police and prosecutors suggest that witness intimidation is pervasive and increasing. For example, a study of witnesses appearing in criminal courts in Bronx County, New York revealed that 36 percent of witnesses had been directly threatened; among those who had not been threatened directly, 57 percent feared reprisals. Anecdotes and surveys of police and prosecutors suggest that witness intimidation is even more widespread.

  Prosecutors estimate that witness intimidation plays a role in 75 to 100 percent of violent crime committed in gang-dominated neighborhoods, although it may play less of a role in communities not dominated by gangs and drugs.

  Even in the Bronx, where chances are a black jury is going to take it easy on a black defendant anyway?

  Dang.

  How about this case from a small town near Cincinnati: Here’s the headline: “Juvenile retaliation may be cause of house fire.” A white woman with two children called the police because local black people were doing all sorts of bad things to her after[430] she caught them burglarizing her house. She did not like that.

  So she called the police and at least one of the burglars was arrested. He and his friends did not like that. For six months they harassed, vandalized, threatened, taunted, trespassed and shot guns at her house. Then it started getting really bad:

  “They swarmed my house and was shooting my house with pellet guns, and they were throwing lit flares at my house, telling me they were going to burn my house, kill me and my kids; that we’re all dying, and we’re cop callers,” Jennifer Chitwood said.

  “I was terrified. I thought the house was going to catch on fire when we were there,” she said.“I had my two babies and sister and another little boy in the house. It was horrible.”

  Finally in March 2014, they burned down the house. A tape of the 911 call shows the dispatcher as indifferent to the large scale black mob violence as police, prosecutors and city officials had been to this woman’s plight for the last six months.[431]

  Sometimes witness intimidation happens in the streets. Sometimes in the courtroom. In 2013, several people threatened a witness to a murder.[432]

  That was Philadelphia, where from 2011 to the end of 2013, 2600 people were charged with witness intimidation. In 2013, the District Attorney in Philadelphia said witness intimidation had reached “epidemic levels.” [433]

  But not to worry, says the Mayor. Crime is going down. That is Reason Number Four. And later, I’ll throw in a bonus, another Reason.

  SPJ and the Art of Nothing

  How to Report on Racial Violence: Don’t.

  It is hard to say who’s more dangerous: The thugs responsible for an epidemic of black mob violence and black on white crime, or the reporters who excuse, condone, encourage, deny and even lie about it.

  Like Abe Aamidor, for example. Aamidor is the writer behind a story for the Society of Professional Journalists’ Quill magazine called When Race Is Relevant.[434] Short answer: Always. Unless it’s about black violence. Then never.

  The SPJ -- America’s largest club for reporters -- is already one of the most race-conscious groups in the country. And that is easy to see in every aspect of SPJ’s operations, including its magazine, web site, blogs, meetings, training, conventions and membership.

  Race and diversity and affirmative action are grafted onto each and every part of this group. But race and crime? Nada.

  Aamidor is wondering if that is a good idea. Aamidor does not ask about the relationship between race and crime. Or how black violence and black on white crime are astronomically out of proportion. The numbers are overwhelming and well known already. Even to the most disingenuous reporter.

  Aamidor asks a different question: How much should the members of America’s largest journalism group let people know about it?

  Answer: Not much.

  Aamidor ignores how often SPJ members already report about race. How, every day, we read about the black caucuses, black colleges, black churches, black labor unions, black businesses, black neighborhoods, black leaders, relentless black victimization at the hands of white supremacy, and on and on and on.

  How these stories are loaded with awards and lauded for their sensitivity.

  Many of these stories are written by members of the SPJ and the National Association of Black Journalists -- where the parents of Trayvon Martin were treated like rock stars and given a standing ovation at its 2013 convention.

  But when it comes to reporting on black on white crime, or black mob violence, Aamidor and his cronies are about as forthcoming as Tupac bleeding out on a Las Vegas street.

  The Great One himself Thomas Sowell wrote a column (one of three!) for the National Review citing White Girl Bleed a Lot and wondering why reporters ignore racial violence.[435]

  So Aamidor took up the challenge and asked ‘what’s a reporter to do?’

  Aside from following a link in the main photo of his article which connects to a web site of the “Party for Socialism and Liberation,” (that must be a cheap shot because it fee
ls so good!) here’s the best answer Aamidor could muster: “Working journalists may need to look no further than their own media outlet’s policies, which likely will offer guidance on how to report on race and crime.”

  Fair enough. Let’s check Aamidor’s former paper, The Indianapolis Star, where he toiled for 22 years. The Star’s policy toward reporting race and crime can be summed up in one word: Don’t.

  One hour after I read Aamidor’s piece, I came across a Tweet about one of the more popular euphemisms for black mob violence: Large fights. This one in Indianapolis, involving 80 people with baseball bats and other weapons. Everyone was black.

  The next day, the Indy Star dutifully reported some of the details of the riot. Except the race. The paper also dutifully reported that this kind of large-scale violence had happened twice before in the last year. And dutifully gave some details. Except the race.[436]

  Dutifully understating the frequency and intensity of black mob violence in Indianapolis by a factor of at least ten. If not 20 or 100. Or 100,000.

  Understating? That is a polite way of saying, well ... you know.

  In the last three years, there have been dozens of episodes of racial violence in this once bucolic slice of Middle America. Many documented in White Girl Bleed a Lot.

  Much of it on video.

  But because the participants are not carrying signs with racist slogans, or promoting violent black revolution as some did during a recent public meeting in Indianapolis, many reporters say there is no evidence of racial violence in Indianapolis. Or anywhere else.

  If they do not report it, it does not exist. And if it does not exist, how can they report it?

  Aamidor got that part right.

  Every discussion of black mob violence in Indianapolis and how the media and city officials cover it must include the Indiana Black Expo.

  Eric Holder is going to hate this.

  The same day the Attorney General was telling the members of a black sorority how we should condemn the “underlying attitudes, mistaken beliefs and stereotypes” that create racial strife, the City of Indianapolis was implementing the single largest case of racial profiling in the history of this country.[437]

  All focused on the Friday and Saturday night in July 2013 when the streets of downtown Indianapolis were full from some of the 250,000 black people attending the Indiana Black Expo.

  Much like George Zimmerman knew that black people were responsible for a crime wave in his town, city officials “know” the Black Expo has a ten-year history of intense and frequent violence and lawlessness.

  So they are getting ready for more. That is racial profiling. Right, Aamidor?

  Over the last ten years, this annual, week-long celebration of racial consciousness has been the site of shootings, assaults, property destruction, violence against police, and large scale mayhem that can only be called riots.

  Much of it on video for your viewing pleasure.

  The summer of 2010 was probably the worst. Though some locals sipping lemonade on their porches disagree on that. Some say 2009 was worse. Or 2005. Pick a year.

  After the Black Expo let out for the evening, thousands of black people hit the streets of downtown. Chaos and violence followed. At least ten people were shot. A lot more were rampaging through downtown, destroying property and creating mayhem. [438]

  A lot of it on video. All just a few weeks after Al Sharpton himself appeared in Indianapolis to complain about racist police. It got so bad even the Indy Star could no longer ignore it:[439]

  “Although none of the shootings or fights was directly connected to Summer Celebration events or venues, the annual celebration of black culture that attracts more than 200,000 people downtown during its 11-day run has been inescapably tied to the violence.”

  By 2014, the Indy Star house liberal Erika Smith had to admit she felt “dread” at the prospect of black violence during the upcoming Expo. [440]

  It took ten years of relentless violence, but police felt the same dread in 2013. That is why hundreds of cops smothered the downtown in anticipation of more black mob violence during the Black Expo. Especially since the Expo occurred in the week following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin.

  When violence was below expectations, some accused the police of racial profiling. And when you think about it, of course they are right: The world’s largest Black Expo is the site of predictable black violence.

  Sometimes their racial profiling leads to exasperation: “Why did we find an AK-47 in the back of someone’s car?” asked Frank Straub, director of public safety, about the 2010 rampage.

  No one knew, other than the fact the violence and gunplay are traditions at the Black Expo – despite the hundreds of police officers on the street to stop it.

  Local officials have no idea what is causing the violence. Or what to do about it. Except pretend it does not exist and pray that reporters go along with this fiction.

  Their coverage shows that sometimes prayers are answered.

  During the Black Expo, the streets of downtown were full of the latest and greatest in crowd control. Towers and bright lights are the newest thing: The same kind of portable towers that football coaches move on and off their fields to keep an eye on practice, were instead full of police with infra-red cameras and high powered weapons.

  All in touch with an army of police officers on the ground. All for the Black Expo.

  Shortly after the 2013 Indiana Black Expo, an Indianapolis family was the subject of a brutal home invasion that we will hear more about later. When readers demanded more information about the alleged assailants, the editor said no:

  “If and when we have a detailed description of the suspects -- and not merely race and gender, but something that could reasonably help the public identify individuals -- that information will be included.”

  That was from Alvie Lindsey, one of big editors at the Indy Star. [441]

  The preparations during the Memorial Day holiday for Black Beach Week in Miami Beach were just as intense.[442]

  More racial profiling.

  And up the road in South Carolina, cops from throughout the region were on standby as tens of thousands of black people descended on the Myrtle Beach area for Black Biker Week.

  More racial profiling.

  Still not convinced? Consider the police presence at the Indianapolis 500 just a few weeks before the 2013 expo. Cops wrote tickets to 181 people, most alcohol-related. There were one or two cases of violence. That’s it.

  Just like 2012. And the year before. And the year before that. Yet the Indy 500 attracts far more people -- 300,000 to 400,000 -- with far fewer police. Far less law breaking.

  One crowd is black. The other white.

  One event is a police state. The other a police vacation. Though by 2014 that had started to change when black mob violence and crime came to some of the festivities preceding the race.

  Black mob violence in Indy is hardly limited to the Black Expo.

  Downtown Indianapolis has been the site of dozens of cases of large-scale black mob violence over the last three years. The Indy Star reports these perpetrators as “unruly teens,” or “unruly youths” or any number of other euphemisms. But the videos tell the story.[443]

  The mobs are black. Everyone in Indy knows that. Now you do too.

  Downtown Indy is supposed to be a gleaming center of commerce and government and tourism. Instead, downtown on weekends today often resembles an armed camp with police officers, barricades, helicopters, and an increasing number of empty storefronts from merchants who no longer wish to tolerate the black mob violence that occurs with regular and violent intensity.

  Every town has a preacher. A go-to guy to explain the black mob violence and let everyone know that it’s all going to be alright if we just cough up lots more free stuff. In Indianapolis, that guy is Rev. Charles Harrison.

  Harrison is usually in ‘the kids are alright’ camp. But every once in a while he leaves the reserva
tion, as he did 2013. The downtown mall had just been the scene of several episodes of black mob violence and Harrison was calling for a curfew.

  The mall owners resisted. A role switch from other cities.

  “They are underestimating these kids today,” Harrison said.“These kids are more dangerous than what we had to deal with 10 or 15 years ago.”

  No one is pretending any of the kids looked like Larry Bird.

  Instead of a mall curfew, city officials created a Maginot Line-like wall around the downtown. Black people hopped on a bus to one of the suburban malls and wreaked havoc there.

  “We’re not surprised they moved to the Castleton mall,” said Harrison. “We are in one location, they’ll move to another.”

  That is also on video.[444]

  In January 2015, they did it again: Large groups of black people gathered at Castleton, and large groups of reporters pretended the rioters were not black and that they had no idea this kind of thing had ever happened before.[445]

  By July 4, of 2013, even the Indy Star knew there was a problem downtown. Here’s how they described it: “a city core overrun by unsupervised teenagers who fight each other and occasionally fire weapons.” [446]

  On July 4, despite dogs and helicopters and more than 100 police officers on the street, it happened again. But if you wanted to get the real flavor of the violence from the Indy Star, skip the Aamidor acolytes masquerading as reporters and go directly to the readers:

  James Parson posted on the IndyStar.com:[447]

  “I was downtown with my family last night, I saw the gangs roaming the streets. I will not be coming downtown ever again, nor will my family.

  The insults that were thrown at my family by the black gangsters were out of line. One called my wife a fat whore. Glad to see that Ballard is doing something about these killers in training. I will not be back downtown. If you value your life you will not come either. The gangs own the streets in our city.”

  Mark Magers chimed in:

  “I agree James! I was downtown for the fireworks with friends and the gangs were ominous and ugly. What is going on downtown? We used to take pride in presenting a safe and fun filled experience downtown.