The Insanity of it All

NiteLifer meets Jason Johnson

You know what fellow students, I am down here in N’awlinsfor the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention and it has been an eye opening and educational experience.  I have thoroughly enjoyed myself and learned quite a bit.

One thing I learned, sadly, is that despite being in Office for 200+ days, the Trump administration still can’t get even the easiest of lay ups right!  I attended a panel discussion last night on the troubling trend of police involved murders of innocent Black men.  On the initial panel was, and the focus was on, the mother of Philando Castile and the aunt of Alton Sterling.  Moderated by Ed Gordon, the emotional stories of these women of courage was brought home and made real by the stories these women detailed to the gathered audience of journalists from around the country.  Young or older, new to reporting or seasoned veterans of this craft, all were mesmerized by the reality of what happened to the two young men whose lives were taken so unnecessarily at the hands of people who had a badge and chose to take a life as the initial course of action.  Philando Castile’s mother was particularly engaging as she pointed out that the officer who shot her son, AFTER being informed by Castile that he had a permit to own and carry his gun, did so several times while an unarmed woman and child were in the car.  A collective chill went through all our spines when we grasped the gravity of that deadly encounter as well as the aftermath that happened following the murder that was captured on camera and broadcast live via social media by Castile’s girlfriend.  Then we all listened in horror as Alton Sterling’s aunt told us how the police department came to her sister’s house and let her watch the full unedited video of the murder of Mr. Sterling and how since then the protests and demonstrations have resulted in further injustices by other police departments here in the “great state of Louisiana”.  And this is important to note because following these heart wrenching firsthand accounts of  how easily loved ones were taken from their families by the police, the follow up panel was joined by the invited whirlwind of foolishness that is Omarosa (whatever her last name is these days).

Make no mistake, the room was filled and abuzz because we were also there to see what Miss Omarosa was there to say in defense of the administration she works for. To be clear her job is really just to give her Massa, President Donald J Trump, some cover to say his cabinet and administration is diverse.  Ed Gordon started the initial panel by explaining that he has attended other events where Omarosa was on the dais to take the slings and arrows for her employer.  He commended her beforehand for her bravery and cautioned the crowd not to fall victim to the urge to act out.  When “Miss Thang” arrived she did so to little fanfare and to be honest, she initially seemed ready to participate.  However, that quickly, no, immediately changed after she recounted her story of losing her father and brother to street violence and tried to frame HER story as in some way akin to what not only the two ladies had been through and are still dealing with.  The crowd turned and turned on her verbally when she tried to hijack the panel and commiserate along with them. 

Protesting Omarosa's shenanigans

When Gordon calmed the crowd and told her he would not allow things to turn into a mess, the reality TV celebrity that she is, came out.  It was a total train wreck after that.  Acting every bit the petulant child that her Massa Trump is when he does not get HIS way, Omarosa stood up and confronted Gordon face to face to attempt a power play move on the stage.  I can only imagine what was going through the minds of the other panelist on stage.  The night before I had met with Dr.Jason Johnson to ask what his plan was to confront her and he assured me that he himself would not be drawn into a staged show with her so that others could “watch monkeys fling shit at each other”.  I admired his resolve at that moment but know that while things were unfolding in front of all of us in that ballroom, he could not have been anything but disappointed.  I was uncomfortable with the way Ed Gordon allowed her to pivot from the what he was trying to get her to speak on which was, “what is your role in this administration and how can you, or are you even trying to, work some kind of influence with President Trump to do SOMETHING, to deal with this national crisis”.  Again she pivoted and tried to turn the discussion back towards herself and her own story.  She became so irate that she sat down and pulled out her (probably unsecured) smartphone to replay what Gordon had asked her to show that she wasn’t “here for this”.

Look, others have and will report on and detail how all of that 15 minutes of madness went down, but what I would like us to keep focused on is, what those two women and others like them have to say about how their families have been torn apart by the disturbing trend of cops getting away with murdering Black men and women without repercussions.  But what strikes me most is that Omarosa could easily have said to the gathering, “the administration is working hard to make changes in how we engage law enforcement practices across the country and will continue to facilitate changes.  Despite the ill fated attempt to make light of a serious issue by the President recently, we are seriously committed to ensuring that all American citizens are treated fairly and equitably by law enforcement”.  But as is the administration’s collective way of doing things, she didn’t even attempt to apologize, engage with or work with those who were there to try and help understand what our country has become.  At some point someone needs to remind her and her boss/ Massa, Dear Leader, “Bitch you work FOR us, you are now an employee of the taxpaying citizens of the United States of America!”

Today we learned of the crazy events that took place on the campus of the University of Virginia.  What has been the response from President Donald J Trump?  A tweet!  A tweet that said, “we ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for.  Let’s come together as one!”  Later in remarks made about the violence that resulted in one death, Trump said, “this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, many sides.”

Let THAT sink in on you for a little while, then take the totality of both events for what they are.