We don’t believe this is going to help glue back the shards of the fractured relationship between local law enforcement and the minority communities they are charged to protect and serve.
CNN and Don Lemon had the imprudent audacity to solicit questions through the hashtag #AskACop during the CNN town hall meeting “Under Fire,” which backfired with scathing, scorching responses against cops almost immediately after it was posted.
The #AskACop (Ask a Cop) hashtag not only went viral but trended #1 in the United States and other countries.
Some examples included: “do you think dogs would make better cops, i mean they are color blind…” and “so, do you beat your wife and/or kids before or after you murder an unarmed citizen? just wonderin'”
In the smoldering aftermath of the deaths of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner, distrust and animosity toward police is running at an all-time high among certain American demographics and their supporters. Those feelings were made clear in toxic tweets toward police.
Take a look:
Are buzz cuts in the force a macho thing or do they help your aerodynamics when you’re throwing a flashbang into a child’s crib? #AskACop
— Sleepaway Champ (@SleepawayChamp) December 17, 2014
#AskACop Are you now or have you ever been a member of the KKK? — Copwatch (@Copwatch) December 17, 2014
When you’re trying to incite a riot do you make your undercover officers bring their own faded Metallica tshirts? #AskACop
— Sleepaway Champ (@SleepawayChamp) December 17, 2014
Can I freely threaten people (or Twitter) that I’ll kill them when I’m off duty? #AskACop #CopsLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/2jJY1Rty1s — Jago (@AirJago) December 17, 2014
Protesting white cops when there is a sky high black on black murder rate is like focusing on a hangnail when you have cancer. #AskACop
— AdolfJoeBiden™ (@Bidenshairplugs) December 17, 2014
#AskACop how many donuts to admit the NYPD has an illegal quota system? — Copwatch (@Copwatch) December 17, 2014
Did you ask this handcuffed lady if she wanted to taste your boot before inserting it in her mouth? #AskACop pic.twitter.com/lny9rTlWON
— Alisa M (@AlisasGotIt) December 17, 2014
#AskACop don’t ask questions to cops, they’ll arrest you or shoot you. — Daniel Sulzbach (@MrRepzion) December 17, 2014
#askacop have you ever thought “hmm maybe we shouldn’t shoot black kids on a near-constant basis”?
— CinnamonScentedSarah (@Mowgli3) December 17, 2014
Did you know there are more of us who support you and are grateful for all you do than these screeching hyenas protesting? #AskACop — SantaBunnyFooFoo (@PolitiBunny) December 17, 2014
SWAT raid on the wrong house for reality TV killed a 7-yo is that murder? #AskACop #AiyanaJones pic.twitter.com/n4RcnDvmjS
— CreateLex (@CreateLex) December 17, 2014
How do all these cops who “fear for their lives” always have no injuries but their victims are always dead? #AskACop pic.twitter.com/9KMtaRxTeL” — Anonymous Comrade. (@thereallivefree) December 17, 2014
It’s obvious @CNN knew what they were doing with this #AskACop thing. They knew nobody would have anything kind to say. They wanted to trend
— Lynette the Threat (@NikkiLynette) December 17, 2014
What Exactly Did Eric Garner Do to Deserve Being Choked to Death in the Street by NYPD? What Law Did He Break That Warranted Death? #AskACop — TheNewDeal (@TheNewDeal) December 17, 2014