Mark Fuhrman Accuses Spike Lee Of ‘Borderline Inciting A Riot’ In Ferguson

It’s bad enough that African American-hating Mark Fuhrman has become Fox’s go-to guy on prime time to analyze the racially sensitive situation in Ferguson, Missouri. But tonight, Sean Hannity specifically prodded Fuhrman to make racial attacks on African Americans Attorney General Eric Holder and Spike Lee. And Fuhrman delivered.
Fuhrman’s history from the O.J. Simpson trial ought to be enough to disqualify him from any analysis of the shooting death of unarmed African American teen, Michael Brown, by a white police officer in Ferguson. Or the protests that ensued. But in a big F.U. to African Americans, Fox has booked him every night this week, including three appearances last night.

Tonight, Fox’s master baiter of race, Sean Hannity, seems to have deliberately planned for Fuhrman to make hostile comments about African Americans. It’s a role Hannity normally reserves for one of Fox's stable of African American black attackers.

The first hook for the attack was Holder’s arrival in Ferguson. We saw video of Holder hugging Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson, who is in charge of policing the Ferguson protests. Holder called Johnson “my man,” and told him to get some rest. But Hannity, ever on the lookout for prejudice against white people, sneered that Holder “reportedly said he understood the mistrust of police officers” because, in addition to being Attorney General of the United States, said, “I am also a black man.”

“He also has a history of past rhetoric involving race,” Hannity complained to Fuhrman. Hannity just happened to have ready a video of clips of Holder making such comments as “Our society is not yet colorblind nor should it be. We must be color brave.” And “For some, there’s a racial animus” against President Obama.

If you ask me, that’s a lot less inflammatory than Hannity’s very long record of race baiting and palling around with known bigots. And just to keep things fair and balanced, I’m including the 2007 Fox Attacks Black America video from Brave New Films in which Hannity plays a starring role. (Disclosure: I helped BNF with the research).

“Instead of doing just his job, to get to the truth, he wants to use this as an opportunity to sermonize on his views on race… which I think is inappropriate,” Hannity sneered. Actually, Holder is there to try and calm down the situation which, by the way, seems to be working, and instill some confidence in the judicial process.

"I couldn’t argue with you, Sean, that’s for sure,” Fuhrman said. He pointedly added that as Attorney General, he “shouldn’t bring any personal opinions, biases, prejudice or desires to change society. …He has to make decisions that might cross racial lines, might cross, you know, other barriers that he might have personal opinions, but he might have to actually do the hard job of prosecuting or not prosecuting people that he might otherwise want to.”

Then Hannity moved on to filmmaker Spike Lee. Hannity played a clip of Lee saying, “Something smells bad in Ferguson and it’s not just tear gas.” Lee pointed to the suspicious release of information that seems an attempt to vindicate the police officer – yet doesn’t – such as the release of the videotape of Brown shoplifting on the same day as the name of the police officer who shot him. “There’s a playbook. I just think there’s a war on the black male and it’s tearing the country apart,” Lee said. “I’m not saying that people should burn down stuff, riot and loot. And I don’t even want to use the word ‘riot.’ I’m gonna use the word ‘uprising.’ But this is not the first time we’ve seen this. And I just hope that things will really blow up if the people aren’t happy with the verdict of this upcoming trial.”

Now I do not think this kind of talk is helpful or constructive, especially at this time. But the anger is real, seems to reflect the feelings of a lot of African Americans and should be acknowledged, not smeared. And should certainly not be judged by the likes of Fuhrman on a news program. Furthermore, Lee is hardly a central player in Ferguson. What is the point of Hannity harping on these comments if not to stir up more racial animosity?

Once again, Fuhrman took the bait. First Fuhrman rightly questioned how important Lee’s views are. But, apparently, Fuhrman just couldn’t resist. He didn’t just attack Lee, Fuhrman all but announced that it’s blacks’ own fault if they have trouble with the police:

When you listen to him, he’s almost borderline inciting a riot with his position in the media. And then you kind of wonder, who is he speaking for? I think that you could go to any community in the United States and talk to any race of person and then you ask, who is stopped by the police? Well, the people that are walking around at three in a residential community that they don’t live in. People that are walking into a liquor store with a firearm, people that are robbing a liquor store, people that are stealing a car.

You have this dynamic that people don’t understand – that people cause themselves to be focused on by the officer in his presence. It is not by chance. And I think by and large, officers are looking for conduct and descriptions of people that fit the crime in their area. If you want them to not do that, that is very easy, just stop doing police work.

I have no doubt Fuhrman will make many more appearances on Fox about Ferguson.

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