LOUISIANA IS ABOUT TO MAKE ATTACKING POLICE OFFICERS
OR OTHER EMERGENCY PERSONNEL A HATE CRIME UNDER A PIECE OF
LEGISLATION THEY ARE CALLING THE BLUE LIVES MATTER BILL.
THAT SORT OF ANALYSIS IMPLIES THEY CARE ABOUT
ESTABLISHING THAT THERE WAS A SPECIAL TARGETING OF THE
POLICE, WHICH IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
IT HAPPENS.
THIS IS DESIGNED TO SHOW THAT COPS ARE UNDER ATTACK,
THERE IS A WAR ON COPS, AND IT IS A WAY OF SHOWING
SOLIDARITY WITH THEM AND GIVING THE MIDDLE FINGER TO PEOPLE
WHO THEY BELIEVE THE POLICE HAVE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST THEIR
COMMUNITY.
WE SHOWED THERE HAD BEEN A DECADES LONG ñ AND ONE OF
THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS HE WAS TELLING THEM THAT THEY
SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR BLACK PEOPLE AND STEREOTYPING THEM.
>>HOW ABOUT AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA, THEY TOLD COPS TO
SHOOT BLACK PEOPLE.
BUT NO, BLUE LIVES MATTER.
BLACK LIFE SHOULD BE SHOT ON A BRIDGE WHEN THEY ARE TRYING
TO GET THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES TO SAFETY.
BUT BLUE LIVES MATTER.
THIS IS A CLASSIC DIRTY TRICK IN POLITICS.
RIGHT-WING DOES THIS ALL THE TIME.
THEY KNOW THAT IT IS YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO
EXPRESS YOURSELF, LIKE IF YOU WANT TO BURN THE AMERICAN FLAG.
BUT THEY WANT TO GET YOU TO DEFEND ñ
NOBODY WANTS TO BURN IT, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR
EXAMPLE SUPER OFFENSIVE SPEECH, NO ONE IS IN FAVOR OF THAT,
BUT YOU HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO DO THAT.
IT'S A TRICK.
IN THIS CASE THEY SAY BLUE LIVES MATTER.
INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT THE ACTUAL PROBLEM WHICH IS
POLICE ABUSING OF MINORITIES, THEY WILL TURN AROUND AND
SAY NO, WE SHOULD GIVE THE COPS EVEN MORE PROTECTION AND
GIVE THEM MORE POWER.
BUT IF YOU ATTACK THEM, YOU SAY YOU SEE THAT, THEY ARE
AGAINST THE COPS.
IT WILL BE THE EASIEST ATTACK AD IN POLITICAL HISTORY.
>> THEY ARE WILLING TO USE A HATE CRIME BILL WHEN
CONSERVATIVES GENERALLY HATE THESE SORTS OF PROTECTIONS
FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS.
BUT NOW IF IT MAKES A GOOD POLITICAL STATEMENT THEY
ARE WILLING TO USE IT.
>>WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THAT TALK ABOUT HATE CRIME BILLS ARE
NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO GO?
OH, IT TURNS OUT YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO PROTECT THOSE PEOPLE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE HATE CRIMES BILL IN THAT REGARD
YOU'RE LIKE NO.
>> NOBODY WANTS TO SEE THE COPS OR ANY OTHER EMTS ATTACKED.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS A NATIONAL CRISIS RIGHT NOW THE PEOPLE
ARE GOING AROUND ATTACKING FIREMEN, BUT IF YOU'RE
GOING TO SAY THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH AND PEOPLE
ARE ATTACKING POLICE TOO MUCH, IF THAT IS A TRAGEDY WHICH
ANY DEATH IS, THAN THE FACT THAT COPS JUST LAST YEAR KILLED
MORE THAN 100
UNARMED BLACK MEN, THAT SEEMS TO BE TWICE AS BIG OF A PROBLEM.
I'M SURE NOT ALL OF THEM WERE 100% INNOCENT, BUT THEY
WERE KILLED DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY HAD NO WEAPONS.
WHY ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU ARE WRITING THE BILL ABOUT?
>> LISTEN, COPS GETTING KILLED OF COURSE IS A TERRIBLE THING.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE ACTUAL STORIES IT IS TRAGIC BEYOND DESCRIPTION.
BUT SOMEHOW SOME PEOPLE DON'T FIND THAT TO BE A TRAGEDY.
WE ARE NOW AT A RECORD LOW NUMBER OF COPS BEING SHOT.
IT IS NOT A NATIONAL EPIDEMIC.
PRETENDING IT IS A PROBLEM IS COUNTERFACTUAL.
YOU DON'T WANT ANY COPS BEING SHOT.
TO PRETEND THEY ARE AT A RECORD HIGH WHEN THEY ARE AT A
RECORD LOW IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
BY THE WAY THERE IS ONE PERSON THAT HAS BEEN CONSISTENT
THROUGHOUT THIS, THAT IS ME.
I HAVE ALWAYS EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT HATE CRIME LEGISLATION.
I KNOW WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO DO IT.
I KNOW THAT PEOPLE'S MENTAL STATE IS CONSIDERED IN MANY
DIFFERENT CRIMES.
DID YOU HAVE AN INTENT TO KILL SOMEONE?
THAT WOULD BE HOMICIDE.
DID YOU NEGLIGENTLY KILL SOMEONE?
THAT WOULD BE NEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER.
YES, YOUR STATE OF MIND IS MATTER.
BUT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT IT BECAUSE I CARE
ABOUT THE CRIME, NOT SO MUCH EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID THE CRIME.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH IT AND GO
ñ MAYBE NOT GET AWAY WITH IT BUT GET A LESSER CHARGE.
IN THIS CASE ONCE YOU START GETTING INTO WHY THEY DID
IT, I ALSO HAVE ISSUES.
WHAT THEY WERE SCREAMING TO ME WHILE THEY SHOT SOMEONE IS A LOT
LESS IMPORTANT OF THE FACT THAT THEY SHOT AND KILLED SOMEONE.
NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN IT IS USED AS A STATE OF MIND TO
TARGET LESS POWERFUL PEOPLE TO PROTECT A MORE POWERFUL PEOPLE.