Kill a Black Kid and Get Rich

An American Disgrace

by MIKE CACCIOPOLI

Darren Wilson resigned as a police officer. Why do people think this is some kind of victory? Did you really expect him to go back to work as a Ferguson police officer? Seriously? And why would he bother when he can now make six figures for an interview? This is America folks. Where you can kill a black kid and justified or not (NOT!) you will then become a millionaire through interviews and book deals and film rights. Not to mention the right wing talk radio show Wilson will probably be offered as he fits in perfectly with all of the talentless slobs in that business.

This is your capitalist system at work. No laws that make this illegal. A cop can actually kill someone on purpose if he wants, because cops get away with almost anything, with the knowledge that they can then quit their awful jobs that nobody with a brain would want anyway and become rich. What a country! These are the times when I want to get the next flight available and head to any other country. I truly need to get out of this lunatic asylum.

There were reports that Wilson may have received a half million for the ABC News interview with George Stephanopolous. Georgie boy asked the obvious questions, feigning true emotions as he inquired about Wilson’s actions and if he would have done anything differently. He went through the motions of asking about Brown being far away from Wilson when he shot him several times or with his hands up, but basically he just allowed Wilson to tell his side. Hey, who else did that without question? Oh yeah, Bob McCulloch!

The interview with ABC wasn’t an exclusive. Meaning the killer, Wilson, now has an agent who negotiated the deal, and other news agencies can also pay six figures for future interviews. It’s just that ABC was the most aggressive this time. To think I used to work for them. Makes me feel like I need one of those showers they gave to Karen Silkwood at the nuclear power plant.

But there will be other greedy media outlets that will throw big money at Wilson. Meanwhile, Michael Brown’s family is left with nothing. No son and no justice. Yes, the more money Wilson makes the more they can get from him in a civil suit but that’s even a long shot since a jury won’t side against a cop even in that setting. Against O.J. Simpson, yes; against a cop, no. Funny how all of those white people who were up in arms about Simpson getting off are so joyous about Wilson getting off.

Meanwhile this sham of a verdict with the Grand Jury, which every legal scholar has torn apart especially since the transcripts were released, has really brought the usual right wing vicious scum out of the closets. None worse than Rudy Giuliani, who continues to live in 1990s New York City when his police department was regularly violating the civil rights of blacks. He won’t stop talking about black on black crime, which he incredulously correlates to the need for an all-white police force. Also, he won’t talk about how the people who commit those crimes almost always go to jail, unlike cops who commit crimes. Black on black crime, which has gone way, way down, takes place in black neighbourhoods as white on white crime takes place in white neighborhoods. Makes sense, no?

Look, let’s remember who Rudy is, shall we? He is the guy who bullied the New York City emergency response centre into One World Trade Centre after the first terrorist attack there, even though the people who knew better were against it. We know what the result was of his power grab. He also took away vital firefighting gear, which led to the deaths of many fire fighters on 9/11. Because you see, Rudy always gets what Rudy wants.

But wait, there’s more. He is also the guy who hired Bernie Kerik as police chief. Kerik the felon. He also recommended the soon-to-be felon for Homeland Security Director! This is Rudy Giuliani. A man who is still worshiped by some idiot New Yorkers, yet despised by his own children. A guy who cares more about the welfare of the New York Yankees than that of Americans.

Anyway, I truly digress. Darren Wilson is becoming rich. Rich off the killing of Michael Brown. Can you just imagine what Brown’s parents are going through? I can’t. They have to hear about these interviews, maybe even watch them. I hope they don’t. Wilson’s story would be given zero stars by any reviewer if it were made into a film because it is that unbelievable, actually laughable if the result wasn’t so tragic. But seriously folks, even if you are brain dead enough to buy his depiction of the events that led to him killing Brown, you can’t believe that he should become rich over someone else’s death. To make money that he wouldn’t make in a full career as a cop from one or two interviews.

Or maybe you are so brainwashed by the out-of-control capitalist system you live in that you think it’s all just fine and dandy. If so, I feel sorry for you and have disdain for you in equal measure. This is one of those things that truly would never happen in any other country.

A uniquely American disgrace.

Mike Caccioppoli blogs at America the not so beautiful, where this essay originally appeared

http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/12/05/kill-a-black-kid-and-get-rich/