According to Tucker Carlson, the answer to the complicated question of urban crime rates is simple: blame Black Lives Matter!
Homicide rates in Baltimore have reached a record level. Some residents of the city attribute the increase to a relaxed police presence after incidents of police brutality such as the one involving the death of Freddie Gray. But for Tucker Carlson, the alleged police withdrawal is all due to the pressure put on police by Black Lives Matter – a group that Fox News, in playing to its racist viewers, has frequently demonized.
Last Tuesday, Tucker Carlson started 2018 by continuing that demonization: “Well, America didn’t invade any countries last year, but one city still managed to become a war zone, unfortunately it was within our borders.” He cited the crime statistics next to a visual backdrop of “The Truth About Black Lives Matter” and a banner that framed the propaganda message for the piece: “Baltimore Crime Soars After BLM Protests.”
Carlson proclaimed, as Fox fact, that the “one obvious culprit” is “the stand-down by police” after the riots that happened after Freddie Gray’s death. He claimed, as fact, that “Baltimore cops were pressured to back off on tough policing” and “this is the result.”
In pretending to act as an advocate for Baltimore residents, Carlson quoted a Baltimore pastor who said that the community wants the police. The banner reinforced the message: “Baltimore Crime Skyrockets, Black Lives Matter ‘Hate Tactics’ Backfire.”
Carlson’s guest, attorney and Democratic strategist LaDawn Jones, said Baltimoreans don’t want the police to abuse their power - a point made by the pastor whom Carlson had just referenced.
Carlson pitched the anti-Black Lives Matter narrative. He snarked that everybody, including himself, hates abuse of power but "That’s not at all what the Black Lives Matter people in Baltimore were saying.” Without providing any examples of what they were saying, he accused BLM of promoting hatred toward and “threats of violence against the police.”
Carlson looked quizzical as Jones suggested that while the police have a thankless job, “That’s what you sign up for.” She spoke about her empathy with BLM’s opposition to “government overreach” and too much force by the police, “But that’s not what people heard.” The message from the Baltimore community isn’t, she asserted, that they don’t want the police, but “we don’t want the police to kill us.”
Naturally, Carlson brought up the “pigs in a blanket, fry ‘em like bacon” chant of some Black Lives Matter protesters in Minnesota that Fox almost invariably pairs with any discussion of Black Lives Matter anywhere.
Carlson sarcastically asked whether that chant “was the nuanced message” Jones wanted to send.
After Jones called him out for unfair stereotyping, Carlson scrunched up his face and yelled, “That was at a Black Lives Matter march, so it’s not like some out of nowhere connection…”
To Carlson’s question about the cause of the murder spike, Jones spoke about the various causes of criminal activity and that what BLM wants is police involvement in the community, “not against the community.”
Carlson feigned “concern” that she “didn’t have a better answer.”
As Jones tried to explain that there are a number of reasons for the murder rate, Tucker freaked: “Black Lives Matter spends all of its time talking about how the cops are the problem, but I don’t hear anybody even thinking through, like why is this happening…and I never hear anybody say why.” (The Economist has an article that answers Tucker’s questions but I guess he’s too lazy too do the googling!)
Jones’s retort was epic: “Tucker, I have a hard time believing that you really have a whole lot of conversations with Black Lives Matter to know what they ’only’ talk about.”
That was not a “straight answer,” according to Carlson. He closed the interview with a petulant “We’re done.”
Once again, Carlson treated his guest (a worthy opponent) as merely a foil for another round of his own racist commentary. When Carlson says he wants to know the reason for the Baltimore crime rate, he’s full of crap. What he believes and wants you to believe, without any evidence, is that Black Lives Matter is to blame.
Watch Carlson’s latest dog whistle to white nationalists below, from the January 2, 2018 Tucker Carlson Tonight.
Tucker, you’re a wuss. A tiny schlonged, frightened widdle white wabbit. Go back to your hole. Stay there. The world’s a tough place and will eat you alive.