Al Sharpton: Get a Job
Tim Dees
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com
It’s not a secret that I am no big fan of Al Sharpton. In my view, he’s made a career of championing any cause that would get him in front of a camera, especially if he could blame the police for another injustice rendered to a black man or woman. Sharpton is, in my view, a mean-spirited, narcisstic opportunist who cares far less about the ideology he spouts as his own celebrity. If he was truly interested in saving the lives of black people, there is another issue he could take up where he could prevent more killings of black people than the police will ever do. And to boot, he is far more well-equipped to address the problem than most anyone else.
Most recently, Al has been trying to orchestrate the prosecution of three NYPD detectives who were involved in the shooting of Sean Bell outside of a New York City nightclub in November. Al has to be a little conflicted about that one, as two of the detectives who have been indicted for manslaughter are black themselves. He had a choice between siding with two gentlemen of color who had no criminal record and a great history of honorable service to their community, or another with a substantial criminal history who had recently made a narcotics purchase from an undercover officer. Every one of us is judged in part by the company we keep.
Note that I don’t refer to Al as “Reverend Sharpton.” Al was “ordained” as a minister at the age of ten, which tells me that any seminary he attended probably included graham crackers and milk, recess, and crossing guards. By Al’s standard, I should probably include my status as a Junior Forest Ranger and card-carrying member of the Huckleberry Hound Fan Club on my vita. But unless someone can produce evidence that chicks dig that stuff, I’ll take a pass.
I can’t speak to the rightness or wrongness of the indictments. I wasn’t there, and the media accounts of the incident are my sole source of information about it. I do believe that it will be close to impossible for the detectives to get a fair trial in New York City, mainly because Al’s grandstanding has hopelessly tainted the jury pool. Al has been quoted as saying, “We will not participate in a trial outside Queens County.” That works for me, not to mention that he has no more to contribute to the trial than I do.
But the Sean Bell matter is only part of the reason I am writing today. I have another project for Al to consider, and that is the matter of homicides of black people. According to numbers from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, blacks are six times more likely to be homicide victims than are whites. Half of the homicides in the United States over the last thirty years have involved black victims, even though blacks comprised only 12-13% of the population over that time. And, of those criminal killings of black people, 94% were done by other black people.
Murder is a crime that mostly doesn’t cut across racial lines. During this same 30 years, 86% of the homicides of whites were by other whites, and you’re far more likely to be killed by someone you know than someone you don’t. White people tend to hang out with white people, and black people with black people, so it stands to reason that the person that kills you will be the same color that you are.
Blacks are also overrepresented in the criminal justice system, but I’m not going to try to either defend that or explain it. I learned a long time ago that complex problems are seldom resolved with simple solutions. Crime is affected by economics, education, environment and a long list of other factors, and fixing any one of them, especially by an outsider, is unlikely to achieve much of a difference. I don’t want to get too Zen here, but this kind of change has to come from within.
Al has the ear of the black community. He has credibility there, although after his faux pas with the Tawana Bradley case and serving as a huckster for a loan company with predatory practices toward blacks, I don’t understand why. Why isn’t Al in the trenches, urging his followers to commit themselves to an education, forsake drugs and alcohol, maintain strong nuclear families, and (since he does claim to be a minister) get more involved with their churches? Why does Al not condemn the “Stop Snitching” campaigns that empower gangs, pimps and drug merchants to victimize the community and keep its members from improving their lot in life? How come Sharpton doesn’t tell the kids at his rallies that they would be a lot better off if they diverted the money they’re spending on bling, basketball shoes and Sean John to buying books and saving for college? This wouldn’t be a new approach. Bill Cosby, who dropped out of high school to join the Navy but later earned a doctorate in education, and who has been very generous in his gifts to traditionally black colleges, has been saying it for years.
It’s not like I have a mission in life to stem the tide of black crime. I do what I can to reduce the incidence of any crime, without regard to the colors of the victims or the perpetrators. I could take my show to the projects and appeal to the hearts and minds there, but I doubt that my pasty white Irish shtick is going to go over real well in that venue. Al has a much better shot at improving this situation than most of us will ever have, but he might not get on TV as often.
This is the Age of Irresponsibility. Nothing is your fault; there is always someone else to blame. Al’s favorite whipping boy is the police, and while I would love to see him change, I’m not going to hold my breath.
Everything is spot on brother, the irony is that there are just as many blacks that can’t stomach his pandering as their are whites.
I dont know if you have ever been 100% right in your life before, but you are know brother. Thanks for saying what all of us have thought for years. Hes not worth pissing on.
You are right on target with Mr. Sharpton. He is more interested in helping himself than his people.
I find it suspicious also that there is little or no outrage from community activists when young African-Americans are killed by other African American youth. There is no NAACP, there is no Al Sharpton. However, when an Officer is forced to do what no Officer wants to do, shoot a suspect, every community activist cries foul. There is something very wrong here.
I loved every word
Just another white man’s thoughts about who black men should revere
I loved the article you wrote about Al Sharpton. You have spoken the very word’s I have often said. Al is nothing but a “show boater” looking to get in the spot light by any means! I am glad someone such as your self has the balls to write something truthful about this guy. How come no other media outlet ask the same questions? where is Al when 5 blacks are killed by their father, or brother? where is Al when the black population is turning to drug’s and alcohol? Again, well done article Tim! Maybe you have started something that will get people to finally look for Al’s real agenda, and cut through his fake attempts to care.
You hit the nail on the head. Fat Albert is for Fat Albert. How can he fool so many folks? Or, is he the beat that they have, if so they are in deep S—. Respectfully yours, Anthony “Tony Irish” Porta ret. Corr. officer from Philly
Al does absolutely nothing to help his own people. A close second to Al is Jesse Jackson. They should be promoting harmony among the races. However controversy gets the media coverage.
Hit the nail on the head brother. Comming from a Christian, I think Al is the biggest waste of air on this planet east of Madonna. -Anthony K “Greek with the badge”
“where is Al when 5 blacks are killed by their father, or brother? where is Al when the black population is turning to drug’s and alcohol?”
First of all this a classic white supremacist arguement. Translation - These people are so messed up the they don’t deserve justice. Black people get off drugs, clean up your communities, and then you can have justice. Until then shut he hell up. It’s like if a man rapes a woman then says “Well, her husband beats her and she neglects her kids, so don’t complain to me”. Only Black people are asked to be perfect ladies and gentleman in response injustice and racism. Secondly, if an African-American drug dealer or an African-American Police Officer shoots me I will be dead in either case. But, only the police officer is paid and duty sworn to protect me, so naturally my family will scream louder if the cop shoots me. Thirdly, Reverend Al is not a perfect individual by any stretch of the imagination, but we love him because he always stands for the weak and voiceless. Finally, we still believe Tawana Brawley.
I am so glad to see that I am not the only one who thinks this way. This man has been causing problems for such a long time. He now is a regular on the Glenn Beck Show. He spews his lies and laughs about it. Next we will be seeing Jesse Jackson with his won talk show. You can plainly see that Sharpton does not care about HIS people just himself. Sharpton’s real agenda is himself and his bank account. Thank you so much for the article.
Mr. Monroe, White men do not want Black men to revere anyone. But your comment is exactly why we will not see a change in the murder rates within the black communities. Why, sir, does it always have to be about how we are trying to keep the Black man down? It is a wonderful life not to have to worry about a drive by shooting every time you come home! It is a wonderful life knowing that my child can go out and play without having to worry about being shot or beat half to death. These are not suggestions for any specific race, just quality of life issues and when you have a “reverend” teaching hatred, distrust and dishonesty, that is not quality! And Tim, you respectfully said what needed to be said!
I agreee with all of your points of view as to what Al Sharpton shpuld be doing, but here are a few reasons why he doesn’t attack the real problem: He doesn’t want to become a target, the successful black community doesn’t trust him and the fact that they have gotten their success by hard work so why help others with so little intension to help themselves. There is a disconnect between the classes in most ethnic classes and it is most effident in the black community. Al Sharpton is, as you stated, not the most trustworthy individual out there and is unlikely to get the help he needs from thoses most able to effect change, so he takes the easy way out, place blame on the authorities, and let them waste time explaining all their actions. Secondly, if he were to go after the problem he would become the enemy and any support that he has would vanish. How can you be supported by struggling people when you in the long run have to place the blame for their faults back upon them. in America today nobody wants to be responsible for their situation, it’s always caused by someone else, someone inn authority because they should have fixed the problem so long ago. All Americans need to examine their own lives and see the problems that afflict this country, start with each one of us. We are all together One Nation, and can only remain so if We work together.
I loved the article. As for Michael Perry’s response? His final sentence speaks volumes about his intelligence. Unbelievable.
Tim, I really look forward to your straight-forward commentaries. Kudos to you on pointing out the unmitigated audadity Sharpton has in throwing around the title “Reverand”. He should be embarrassed to use the term! Spare me…he is anything but reverand by stirring up trouble amongst the black community…he is a PROBLEM, not a SOLUTION. He could better use any resources he has HELPING black youths to *take responsility for their actions*, than teaching them to cry out “I am victim!” I truly believe he’d gain MORE respect from people in general for using the power of education, rather than the power of the lack thereof. He is suppressing his own race by teachig them to whine and complain, rather than step up to the plate with truth fully disclosed. Again, keep the truthful and honest articles coming. Very insightful, indeed.
Cheryl,
I may be unintelligent, but that doesn’t mean that I’m wrong. Forget Ms. Brawley for a moment, what about my other points?
Tim,your article pointed out many problems with how we are all precieved in the law enforcement community and the racial divide. I took the time to read some of the comments and some rather sadden me but such as life. I am an African American law enforcement officer and I have been for almost 24 years. In that time I have faced hundreds if not thousands of dangerous situations that placed me in harms way during my career. I have also been the survivor of (5) police involved shootings and was stabbed while apprehending an armed suspect. Like you I can only follow the media as what may have happened because I was not there. I do know this much, no one can tell an officer what their level of fear should be when engaging criminally dangerous circumstances that could cost one their life and destroy anything or anyone connected. I also know what it is like to be accused not only by the public of wrong doing but also by the very department you represent, especially when you were defending yourself during the execution of your duties as a peace officer. Hopefully the officers will be able to have their day in court and present evidence that can clear them. Having been on that side of the line I understand how it is not always clear as to why an officers took the steps they did to defend themselves. The other unfortunate part of this information is that everyone does not understand the training, the information we obtain daily about officers killed, wounded, or assaulted in the line of duty and our own experience approaching incidents. I am not here to defend or prosecute because once again I would need to know the facts or have been there, and let us face this fact! You could have been there and observed something different from others, we see it happen frequently when attempting to obtain witness statements. As for Al Sharpton, I am not a fan. The reason is because it seems the only time he wants to speak up is when police are wrong or he considers us racist. It seems funny you never ever heard him make comments about the African American Police Officers killed in the line of duty since 2000 in NYC trying to protect their communities where some of them grew up. I could be wrong but where was he during 9/11 ? Why does he not have a voice on that or for when anyone dies at the hand of another unlawfully. I also agree with some of the comments from Christian that AL does not pick the hard fights because he does not want to become a target, but I also believe he is in it for himself when he can be. The media is his sensation. I did not intend to be this long winded but after reading your article and some of the comments I wanted to respond. I leave everyone with this note and a quote. For all who are interested in this case listen to all the evidence presented and information forwarded before you rush to judgement. No incident especially of this magnitude is going to be open and shut just because of what you have heard from the media. Take the time and gather the facts, “Listen.” Lastly this is a quote I live by daily when I think about why I am out there everyday putting myself on the line: “In order for evil to triumph it is necessary for good men to do nothing.”
Sir Edmund Burk
Peace and Blessings to you all.
It is amazing to me that the black leaders want to blame everything that is going wrong within thier community on the police. The writer of the article has it correct in his research that black on black violence is higher which causes other problems, like higher prison populations. It is also clear that at the same time the hispanic population in prisons are going up for the same reasons. As a police officer I have always tried to keep color, race, creed, religion etc. out of my working creed. I am prejudice, but not against color, race ect. My prejudice is against evil. It appears to me that Al doesn’t think the same way. So it does appear that he got his ministeroral papers out of the perverbial cracker jack box. No pun intended!
Tim , what you have said is right up front , but there is a lot to be said for a lot like him ! Including Jesse Jackson ! With role models like these two how could anyone miss ? As long a people like these exsist then there will never be a peace between those who do and those who want , black or white !
I honestly don’t know how it is that he is still walking this earth. Oh thats right, it’s because the only people that dislike him immensely are the white community and we understand that murder is not the solution.
Tim: Once again your articles are well thought out, logical, and right on the money. Additionally, I am VERY proud of the responses that you have recieved ( well, excpet for one Sharpton fellow traveller) The responses , as much as the article itself shows that a LOT of folks, happily a majority of which are my brothers and sisters in service, also get the point, and aren’t being conned by the likes of Big Al, Jessie, or the cop-hating Main stream media. 6B202..( Gamma Beta alum)
Tim Dees for president!!!!!!!!!
Editor’s Note: Thanks, but I’d rather write about criminals than become one.
If Al Sharpton and Jessee Jackson are the best representitve Black people can have then they have a problem right there. Whenever Sharpton or Jackson show up, I just wonder what their motive is, certainly not for the the Black cause. These two just completely turn me off.
Bob
Well I was reading some of your post and yeh I would have to agree with you on many of those things. What really bothers me is he keeps saying our people or his people like he was the creater of his race or something. He is the one that breeds raceism into people by calling them my people or his people. They are not his people he is just some jerk looking for a handout becouse he wont work for a honest dollor and no one wants to listen to him 8, 10, or even 12hr shifts..He clams to want to get rid of racesm but promotes only black programs. I wish my kid could to collage and get a scholorship becouse of what he is white never seen that before of have a large group of people fight for me becouse of what I’am white haven’t seen that one yet also still waiting I guess..And if they did they would call it the Klan but the NAACP can be ok. You want to stop the diffrences of the races start with people like Al Sharpton.
Thank you!!! This is a very stressful issue for me to deal with! It makes me wonder what is goin on in the world! I agree with you Tim!! Thank you!!!
Sharpton better clean up his own glass house, before he starts on anyone else. The hypocrite!!!
Mr. Monroe and Perry certainly showed their ignorance with that garbage they wrote. By the way Mr. Perry, Ms Brawley was proven to be a liar and her two racists lawyers, didn’t they lose their license and got sued for the lies they told in this bogus case? Al Sharpton is a race baiting left wing liberal Godless heathen who should never be allowed to be seen and/or heard in public ever again. For Mr. Perry and Mr. Monroe, I hope you wake up to reality and get you a copy of the book “The ten things you can’t say in america” by Larry Elder and maybe the two of you, along with the countless other left wing liberal racists in the world can see why your thinking is just plain WRONG!!!!!
Al Sharpton is as big of or a bigger racist than any of the others he accuses of racism. Just take a look at his history of inciting riots and defaming others in support of his black initiative and the attempt to bring the white man down.
Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson are the two biggest frauds around.
[…] UPDATED to add this: According to numbers from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, blacks are six times more likely to be homicide victims than are whites. Half of the homicides in the United States over the last thirty years have involved black victims, even though blacks comprised only 12-13% of the population over that time. And, of those criminal killings of black people, 94% were done by other black people. […]
Add greed to Sharpton’s hypocrisy…the companies he targets can ‘earn’ forgiveness by sponsoring his events. I find him a nauseating shakedown artist - and a awful role model for blacks. Fortunately, none of my black friends consider him anything close to a role model. It is an insult to Martin Luther King Jr. to even call Sharpton a civil rights leader. And it’s cowardice on the part of the corporations to yield to his shakedown tactics. I plan to boycott (or at dis-favor) the products of companies who yield to his tactics - because they are hurting the very cause the profess to help!
Al Sharpton is a waste of anything. I don’t agree with him at all. When someone is in danger and the media gets to it, here come “Sharpton to save the day”. I’m surprised he hasn’t been shot yet. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Medgar Evans are turning over in their graves. “Assassination” is an unfortunate thing; it is used for great people like JFK because he cared about all people in general – not just a specific race and was murdered. Al Sharpton is only great at running his mouth.
As a black woman, the crap he says, is already a negative image for black people – and for people who really care about the black community are not recognized. He says a lot of negative things about a lot of different races and gets away with it.
Now as far as “alcohol and drugs in the black community”, let me set the record straight – THAT IS EVERYWHERE NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE OR WHAT COLOR YOU HAPPEN TO BE. It’s only in black communities so much because it’s allowed, unfortunately, and not many people are fighting to keep those kinds of things out of our community. As far as anything else, that is up to parents to raise their children to stay away from things like that, to speak up positively about anything-including racism.
As for Al Sharpton – someone really needs to fire him or at least wire his mouth shut.
How can either Sharpton or Jackson have the gall to refer to themselves as REVERENDS.. One never attended any school of Divinity ,and the other never completed courses necessary for ordination. Perhaps bvoth should open up their personal bank records to the black community, and explain where all the money came from. Preaching hatred and racist divisiveness certainly must pay well
In spite of the problems that are within the black community, I do find that it is very difficult for BLACK MEN to speak up, stand out or do something to better their community. When they do, they are vehemently criticized as with al sharpton, or they are KILLED as with Martin Luther King Jr. So as long as black men are obiendient to white masters then everything is okay. But as soon as they STAND UP, they are wrong. I think, sir, that you are representing the hyprocisy. So let black men be BLACK and stop attacking the ones who are ministers and publicly out there.
http://www.al-sharpton.com
Preach on Tim Dees!
There is a time and place where this moron’s comments and hyperbolic BS will no longer be appreciated or heard.
He’sdone nothing for the Civil Rights moevement but help destroy it by turning it into his own personal vehicle to hurt other non-blacks in any way he deems fit. He’s used his position to crush all oposition against him. Him and his ilk may call me a racist but I think they are the biggest bunch of fame seeking, race exploitation, war mongers who want nothing more than money.
This man hurts the people he claims to protect because he dilutes their message with his media addicted, three ring circus.
This man should be bound, gagged, tarred, feathered and flogged in front of every single major media outlet for the good of humanity.
Keep up the good work Dees!
it’s sad that people can easily be influenced by the wrong people like al sharpton. its sad that good decent people can believe the stuff that comes out of his mouth, PEOPLE STOP and look what’s going on the only people that follow sharpton and lisen to him are the same people that have been causing problems in this city.