Boston News Today - FREE RADICAL: FOUR PEOPLE WHO SHOULD SHUT UP AND LISTEN ABOUT FERGUSON

WAIT-FOR-THE-FACTS WILLIE

No matter how many actual “facts” come out, this person is waiting for the rest of them. They just know that somewhere out there is the nugget that will come falling out of the sky, and that will shine so bright it will put this whole ordeal to rest. Willie isn’t one to make a snap judgement … or any judgement, for fear that they might say something wrong, learn something through open and honest conversation, or experience some kind of personal growth.

EQUALITY JONES

This guy totally believes that black people in this country have and are facing systemic injustice. But he knows that we’ll never reach real peace and harmony if we don’t acknowledge that we need equality. I mean, he might be white, but he understands oppression! Sure, black lives matter, but if black lives matter, that automatically means white lives don’t matter. After thousands of years of affirmation that white lives (are the only ones that) matter, this guy will be damned if anyone is going to have a conversation that doesn’t place him at the center of it.

DON LEMON

Remember when we all liked Don Lemon? Remember when he went off-script to criticize the fluff that he was forced to cover as a CNN journalist? Though we hoped, it doesn’t look like Lemon will be able to save the network, or himself, from decline. His on-the-ground reporting in Ferguson has included an embarrassing interview in August with rapper Talib Kweli, in which he continuously interrupted the rapper’s criticism of CNN coverage. More recently, he’s been called out for remarking that the scene in Ferguson “obviously” smelled of marijuana. That after Lemon told a rape survivor that she should have used her teeth in self-defense. We have heard enough.

DARREN WILSON

Yesterday, ABC News aired its exclusive interview with Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in which he got to talk about how difficult it’s been living in hiding since he killed Michael Brown, and also about how he feels no regret. This morning, in-between shameless reports about Cinnabon consumption counts and “Dancing with the Stars” coverage, clips of the interview showed Wilson repeating, almost verbatim, the testimony he provided to the grand jury. We’ve heard his statement. Now it’s time to stop amplifying his voice while so many others go unheard.