I do not know Chris Rock. But I am reasonably confident that he is unhappy with yesterday\’s grand jury decision not to issue any indictments, especially to Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo, for the actions which culminated in the death of Eric Garner.
That said, however, Mr. Rock created a video years beforehand which goes a long way toward explaining how it happened.
Here is the video – with a warning that it is crude, profane….and hysterically funny:
Did you watch the video? Did you find it funny (don\’t lie, I know you did).
Now let\’s think about what Mr. Rock\’s advice was and compare it to how Eric Garner behaved. (For the purpose of doing so, I am restricting my comments only to the things that actually happened during the confrontation – i.e. nothing about driving a car, or being with a friend or angry woman).
-First advice: Obey the law. Garner was being arrested for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes – two crimes, since, in addition to the cigarettes being bootlegged, he has no license to sell cigarettes regardless of their status. Based on Garner\’s angry comments to the police, this was not his first arrest for doing so (The bizarre claim by the guy shooting the video that he was being arrested for “breaking up a fight” makes no sense whatsoever.) Obviously Garner was not heeding Chris Rock\’s advice.-Second advice: Use common sense. If you\’re being arrested, arguing with the police and telling them you won\’t cooperate isn\’t going to be well received.–Third advice: Be polite. Garner was anything but.-Fourth advice (in the video it relates to a friend you might be with, but certainly is relevant to Eric Garner): Shut the f**k up. Another egregious mistake by Garner, who did nothing but mouth off insultingly to police, even as they tried to arrest him without any physical contact at all (the fact that police did so is quickly being forgotten by the protesters).-Fifth advice (this one wasn\’t in the Rock video, but is so obvious I can\’t leave it out): Do not physically resist arrest. The takedown of Eric Garner took place only after he started swatting at the police.
Personally, based on what I know about what happened – and understanding the grand jury was privy to much more than we are – my vote would have been to indict on involuntary manslaughter, (though I would have expected that, while worthy of going to trial, officer Pantaleo would almost certainly be acquitted on the basis of reasonable doubt).
But, regardless, I think it is more than clear that, short of pulling a weapon, just about everything Eric Garner did pushed the police toward a physical confrontation.
And while the police could not have known that Garner was severely asthmatic and might suffer dire consequences in a physical takedown, HE knew it…and forced the confrontation anyway.
Whose fault is that?
