Editor's Blog: Sociopathic or Hate Speech?

June 26, 2015
If someone says it's OK to kill someone else, is that a sociopathic statement, hate speech or both?

Sociopath: (per dictionary.com) – a person with a psychopathic personality whose behavior is antisocial, often criminal and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.

This past Friday, June 19th, Wauwatosa  (WI) police detective Jeffrey Griffin was shot by a burglary suspect.  That burglary suspect has been identified as one Najee Harmon, a convicted felon with a history of committing violent crimes.  After a manhunt that lasted all night Friday night, Najee Harmon was found Saturday morning (June 20th) hiding out in the basement of one Stephanie King.  Stephanie King, a longtime friend of Harmon’s (“He grew up with my kids”) didn’t turn him in and made this statement on video with regard to his attempted murder of Detective Griffin: “He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a cop.

Let that sink in for a minute.  “He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a cop.

When I saw that in print – and then even more so when I watched the video and heard this woman say it as if she was just stating an accepted fact of life – I was dumbfounded.  I was struck speechless.  Did I really hear what I thought I heard?  Let me go listen again.  Yes… yes I did.  My next thought was, how could she say such a thing?

Realization hit me like a ton of bricks: if she was willing to make that comment so casually ON CAMERA and with obvious pride in what she was saying, it’s clear (to me) that this isn’t a new thought or reality for her.  It’s clear to me that Ms. Stephanie King believes – and has held the belief long enough to be quite comfortable with it – that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with shooting a law enforcement professional.  Accepting that shooting someone is tantamount to attempted murder or murder, Ms. King must be perfectly okay with killing police officers.

Somehow, somewhere, out there in the land of our readership, someone is thinking, “Well, we may not like it, but her First Amendment rights protect her right to say such a thing.”

Unfortunately, yes, yes her freedom of speech is protected.  But I’m going to conduct a quick exercise and I want to see who among you can be tolerant for very long.  I’m going to change ONE WORD in her statement and print it in various forms.  Read each one and see how many you’re okay with.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a man.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a woman.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a priest.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a rabbi. 

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a gay.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a lesbian.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a Jew.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a Christian.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a Muslim.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a Chinese.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a child.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a white.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a African.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a Mexican.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a Indian.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a doctor.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a lawyer.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a firefighter.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a plumber.

He didn’t do no wrong. He just shot a electrician.

Are ANY of those acceptable?  The answer, in case there is any doubt, is HELL NO.  Not a single one of those statements can be made and not be called “hate speech.”  Why then, can this woman, ON TELEVISION, make such a statement disregarding the life of a police officer and NOT BE CHARGED?  How is HER speech protected when it targets a law enforcement professional but the exact same statement targeting virtually anyone else would be a crime?

My other question is, how is the woman NOT being charged with Harboring a Fugitive or Aiding & Abetting?

I think what’s really irking me even more about this is that it’s hate speech aimed, essentially, at about 900,000 Americans today.  Virtually every law enforcement professional in the nation should be offended by this woman’s statement.  Worded a different way, but with the same meaning, she said, “There’s nothing wrong with shooting a police officer.”  She said it as if Harmon had just shot a rabid dog.

While the mainstream media (MSM) “news” services are blowing up about white on black crime - and dear God, even what flag is being flown where because said flag MIGHT be perceived as a statement of prejudice - this clear statement, effectively approval of “black on blue” crime, where all “blue” are law enforcement, is going virtually unmentioned and unnoticed. To my way of thinking, the MSM HAVE to be aware of this. It was, after all, on a news program.  It is on YouTube.  It’s on Facebook.  It’s in all those places where the “civil rights leaders” today look for examples of prejudice and racism.

Well, folks, here it is: right there; spoken clear as day.  M. Stephanie King made it abundantly clear that she has no feelings at all for any member of the law enforcement family.  We are apparently a separate race of human in her mind.  We aren’t worth much and can be dismissed.  After all, to her, it’s not even wrong to attempt to murder us.

For those of you reading this, I challenge you: I challenge you to share this on your facebook page, your twitter feed, your linkedin groups… wherever you can help spread the word. Use the hashtag #ChargeStephanieKing.  Let your voice… OUR collective voice be heard. If you have any respect for the law enforcement professionals who protect and serve, coast to coast in our nation today, HELP US but helping to spread the word. Show us your support.  And show Ms. King that law enforcement lives matter – just as much as the lives of those who commit crimes and the rest of the human race who are either victimized by the criminals or are merely bystanders.

#ChargeStephanieKing

#ALLLivesMatter

About the Author

Lt. Frank Borelli (ret), Editorial Director | Editorial Director

Lt. Frank Borelli is the Editorial Director for the Officer Media Group. Frank brings 20+ years of writing and editing experience in addition to 40 years of law enforcement operations, administration and training experience to the team.

Frank has had numerous books published which are available on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and other major retail outlets.

If you have any comments or questions, you can contact him via email at [email protected].

Sponsored Recommendations

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Officer, create an account today!