Black Lives Matter Movement Heavily Criticized By Sarah Palin, Others, Following Dallas Shooting
Former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, and other current and former political figures, are criticizing protesters and politicians alike over the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping the country in the wake of the Dallas police officer shootings, according to multiple media reports.
The strongest comments came from Sarah Palin, as the former politician called the Black Lives Matter movement a “farce” in a lengthy Facebook post supporting police officers. In addition to calling out protesters, Sarah Palin also placed blame on leaders who condone demonstrations happening in major cities over the past week.
“Shame on our culture’s influencers who would stir contention and division that could lead to evil such as that in Dallas. Shame on politicians and pundits giving credence to thugs rioting against police officers and the rule of law in the name of ‘peaceful protests.’ It is a farce. #BlackLivesMatter is a farce.”
.@SarahPalinUSA: 'Black Lives Matter Is a Farce' https://t.co/L8xgeaNm3B pic.twitter.com/kvxxQqVV0v
— FoxNewsInsider (@FoxNewsInsider) July 9, 2016
Sarah Palin posted her comments after police officers were responsible for the deaths of two African-American men in separate incidents earlier this week, according to CNN. Black Lives Matter protesters began their demonstrations after these deaths, and a lone gunman killed five police officers in Dallas during another protest in the city. Sarah Palin did not mince words in telling her followers who she sided with regarding this issue between Black Lives Matter protesters and police officers.
“So if we’re to take sides, I side with the Thin Blue Line,” Sarah Palin said, a reference to growing social movement to support police officers. “To side with our public servants trying to keep law and order amidst political agendas that clearly oppose that virtue is how the good guys win again.”
Like Sarah Palin, Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick spoke out about the Black Lives Matter movement on television after the Dallas police officer shooting. In reference to the shootings in Dallas, Dan Patrick told a Fox News audience that the protesters were “hypocrites” because they expected protection from the group their demonstration attempted to vilify, according to a report by the New York Times.
“All those protesters last night, they ran the other way expecting the men and women in blue to turn around and protect them. What hypocrites! And I understand the First Amendment, I understand freedom of speech, and I defend it. It is in our Constitution, it is in our soul, but you can’t go out on social media and mainstream media and everywhere else and say that the police are racist, that the police are hateful, the police are killers.”
Lt Gov @DanPatrick showed leaders' words can inflame rather than heal https://t.co/WZ70dD5HZl #DallasPoliceShooting pic.twitter.com/hmBg7xL6W2
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) July 9, 2016
Dan Patrick placed the blame for the Dallas shooting squarely at the general public for fueling a fire behind the Black Lives Matter movement through social media. In calling for a stop to the violence, Dan Patrick attempted to tell stories about the police officers that lost their lives in the Dallas shooting.
“I do blame people on social media with their hatred toward police. I do blame — I saw [Rev.] Jesse Jackson I think it was on Fox the other night calling police racists without any facts. I do blame former Black Lives Matter protests. [Thursday] night was peaceful but others have not been, and we’ve heard the pigs in a blanket [comments]. This has to stop.”
Dan Patrick and Sarah Palin aren’t the only politicians speaking out about the Black Lives Matter movement, according to the Washington Post. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani expressed sharp criticism for the protests, saying that “when you say black lives matter, that’s inherently racist.” Giuliani added: ”Black lives matter. White lives matter. Asian lives matter. Hispanic lives matter. That’s anti-American, and it’s racist.”
What do you think about Sarah Palin and other politicians making critical comments of the Black Lives Matter protestors since the Dallas police officer shootings? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
[Photos by Alex Wong & Bob Levey/Getty Images]
