Clyburn Believes Right-Wingers Murdered Walter Scott
If you’re looking for someone to blame in the shooting death of Walter Scott, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) thinks he has the answer. “The problem we’ve got,” he told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, “is that a climate has been created in the country that’s causing these things to occur all over.” Clyburn specifically singled out the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a small-government advocacy group, that he says is “drawing up … pieces of legislation like ‘Stand Your Ground,’” providing “a license for people to be vigilantes.” Note that “Stand Your Ground” laws pertain to citizens, not law enforcement, so his point isn’t relevant. Nor is his tie-in to voter ID laws: “[ALEC officials are] the ones that are drawing up all these so-called voter ID laws. They’re the ones that have been drawing up these unfair redistricting plans. These people are a cancer. … That’s why you have these rogue police officers feeling they have license to do what they want to do and there will be no consequences.” Clyburn repeated his rant on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where he reiterated, “[A] certain atmosphere seems to be created in this country that gives license to this.” It appears Officer Michael Slager was clearly in the wrong, but due process exonerated Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, the shooter in the Michael Brown shooting, and New York Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who put Eric Garner in a chokehold. But in the minds of Democrats, they’re guilty anyway. And it’s all Republicans’ fault.