Hell froze over – Sharpton called teenage black knockout thugs “racist”

Rev. Al Sharpton, the MSNBC host and all-around holder of the race-baiting title, is actually speaking out about black teenagers who are playing the knockout assault-and-battery-attempted-murder “game” in New York City.

In a piece posted on the Huffington Post, Sharpton wrote the following, in the first paragraph. My emphasis.

It is an alarming trend that is spurring outrageous incidents across the country. It is deplorable, reprehensible and inexcusable. It is insane thuggery, and it is unequivocally wrong. These kids are targeting innocent people, and in many cases specifically targeting Jewish folks. We would not be silent if it were the other way around, and we will not be silent now. This behavior is racist, period. And we will not tolerate it.

I’m not going to claim these attacks are exclusively black on white, or black on Asian, or black on Jews. That said, the videos we’ve seen and the reports we’ve read indicate black teens are certainly the most prevalent aggressors. But it’s a big step for Sharpton to call these black teenagers racists. So much so, some people are wondering if Sharpton’s body has been taken over by aliens.

I’m thinking something different. Eventually, Sharpton had to call these thugs for what they were. Racist thugs. If he didn’t, funding for his organizations would dry up. It’s that simple… I think. Follow the money.

No, I don’t think Sharpton would do something simply because it’s the right thing to do.

But don’t worry, there are still politicians and community leaders who suggest the knockout game – specifically in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood – is partially associated with resentment triggered by “accomplishments of the Jewish community.” In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Laurie Cumbo, a councilwoman-elect from Crown Heights wrote the following.

Through those interactions, it was brought to my attention by many of the African American/Caribbean residents that perhaps the relationship between the two communities is not as great as it is currently perceived to be by the leadership. At the meeting, I shared that many African American/Caribbean residents expressed a genuine concern that as the Jewish community continues to grow, they would be pushed out by their Jewish landlords or by Jewish families looking to purchase homes. I relayed these sentiments at the forum not as an insult to the Jewish community, but rather to offer possible insight as to how young African American/Caribbean teens could conceivably commit a “hate crime” against a community that they know very little about.

I admire the Jewish community immensely. I am particularly inspired by the fact that the Jewish community has not assimilated to the dominant American culture, and has preserved their religious and cultural values while remaining true to themselves. I respect and appreciate the Jewish community’s family values and unity that has led to strong political, economic and cultural gains. While I personally regard this level of tenacity, I also recognize that for others, the accomplishments of the Jewish community triggers feelings of resentment, and a sense that Jewish success is not also their success.

About 70 percent of the population in Crown Heights is black, and 9 percent is white which is inclusive of the Hasidic Jewish population.