Sean Hannity interviewed a number of Ferguson protesters last night, including some who were in the crowd when the two officers were shot. But rather than trying to learn from them, Hannity used them as props to advance his hostile, race-baiting agenda.
In the video below, Ivory Ned was one of several “man-on-the-street” interviews Hannity held last night with Ferguson protesters. This one, like the rest, was just as notable for what was not discussed as what was.
Under the “what was discussed” category comes Hannity’s condescending attempts to whitesplain what he thought protesters should be thinking:
HANNITY: You’re acting as though, well, this is to be expected and after Mike Brown acted the way he acted. I think the story here is, you shouldn’t act that way and people shouldn’t be shooting cops. … I don’t hear you saying that, why not?
In other words, for Hannity, Ferguson is all about Black People Behaving Badly. Driving the point home was b-roll footage of rowdy, mostly black, protesters.
Under the “not-discussed” category were the legitimate grievances the community has with the police. Those were recently detailed in a scathing Department of Justice report. Attorney General Eric Holder said about the situation, “It is not difficult to imagine how a single tragic incident set off the city of Ferguson like a powder keg.”
Hannity sneered to Ned, “I’m sure you didn’t read the 87-page report from Eric Holder’s Justice Department, did you?” Hannity meant the one clearing white police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed African American Michael Brown, not the one indicting the police department. It’s the reality that Ned lives with. And yet Hannity didn’t ask a single question about it.
Hannity, waving papers in the air like Joseph McCarthy, said about the report, “Let me translate that for you. So Eric Holder’s Justice Department …corroborated the officer’s story and you still believe otherwise.”
Ned tried to politely suggest that Hannity come visit the community “so you can see how we feel about this.” But Hannity had no interest.
“You don’t care what the facts are, you don’t care what the evidence says,” HANNITY said accusingly and condescendingly. “You need to educate yourself.”
I think it matters that Brown behaved badly and I think it's important to underscore the danger that police are under. But rather than try to promote peace and foster better relations, Hannity’s only goal was to denigrate. If he doesn’t care about the other side of the story, then shame on him. If he doesn’t know, then he’s the one who needs to be educated.
Watch it below, from last night's Hannity.