Our best intel: the Ferguson, Missouri grand jury will no-bill Officer Darren Wilson on November 14th for the death of Michael Brown. All hell will break loose. “Disgruntled” African-Americans will take the ruling as a sign that a white man who shoots a black man because he’s black can get away with murder just because the white man’s white. Either that, or rioters and looters will riot and loot just because they can. Only the city of Ferguson, St. Louis County and the state of Missouri are doing everything they can to make sure they can’t. As our Quote of the Day indicated . . .
local citizens have boarded up shops and tooled up with guns ahead of the Wilson ruling.
The fact that Americans are exercising their natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms ahead of the perceived necessity of armed self-defense is a no-brainer. The real story here — for now — is the way the media’s covering the Brown kerfuffle. CNN:
Lately, Dan McMullen has been bringing an extra gun to his office in Ferguson, Missouri.
McMullen runs Solo Insurance on West Florissant close to where looting and vandalism briefly broke out in early August after a police officer shot to death teenager Michael Brown.
“I bring an extra gun now only because it has a bigger magazine,” McMullen says. He began carrying it after tensions increased in the area following the shooting. He says he would never use it to protect his business, but he would use it to save his life.
“So maybe I get trapped here or something and have to have a John Wayne shootout,” McMullen says before interrupting himself, smiling. “That’s the silly part about it: Is that going to happen? Not a chance. But I guess, could it? I’m the only white person here.”
Notice that CNN writers Jason Kravarik and Sara Sidner use the word “briefly” to describe the post-Brown-shooting rioting that arrived at Mr. McMullen’s doorstep, suggesting that McMullen was over-reacting to the people looting the area around his business.
The last bit — “I’m the only white person here” — is highly inflammatory. Did McMullen say it? Certainly. Is it true and what does it mean? That’s a different discussion. Should CNN have included it? No. Not without some kind of context. Which they attempt to provide a few paragraphs down.
On Monday, Steven King, who owns Metro Shooting Supplies told CNN that customers bought 100 guns this weekend. A typical weekend brings in about 30 buyers.
“People are afraid they are gonna throw Molotov cocktails,” says King, referring to the mostly nonviolent protests that have taken place in Ferguson since the shooting.
The increase in gun sales reaches across racial and ethnic lines, he says.
“A lot of black people coming in saying they are afraid of the hooliganism,” he says.
So, fair and balanced? Nope.
CNN didn’t interview any of these new black gun owners. That would have spoiled the underlying narrative: black vs. white. Exhibit B: the video for the story ends by showing a Ferguson business that’s not boarded-up. A cafe that will be open in the immediate aftermath of the verdict. A black-owned business. Coincidence? I think not.
Truth be told, the media wants a race riot for the ratings. Also true: the vast majority of journalists are left-leaning. They sympathize with the protestors. If you don’t believe me, wait until you see the coverage on the day the ruling. The media will link any violence or looting to the ruling. Because racism.
[h/t PetitionForRedress]