It seems like just yesterday that Scott Walker made an appearance at CPAC and, in a display of bravado that seems too crazy to be believed, he compared the unionized teachers in Wisconsin to the terrorist group ISIS. That being said, if a black legislator from a nearby state, after countless police-involved shootings of unarmed black men, believes that the cops present a far more imminent threat to his constituents' safety than ISIS, the same people who thought nothing of Walker's comparison shouldn't be too upset, should they? Wrong, we are talking about a black legislator, thus the same rules do not apply.
Ernie Chambers (I), a lawmaker out of Omaha, Nebraska, said a few controversial remarks
during a public hearing Friday about a bill involving concealed handguns, Chambers said residents of his north Omaha district were more in fear of police than of extremist groups such as the Islamic State.
“My ISIS is the police. Nobody from ISIS ever terrorized us as a people as the police do us daily. And they get away with it,” the African-American senator said, using an acronym for the militant group.
After mangling the organization founded by ex-GOP Lt. Gubernatorial candidate E.W. Jackson, Brian Kilmeade asks the right wing minister what he thought of Chambers' remarks.
"Oh my goodness, this is an elected official...he should resign."
What followed was the typical demonizing of Eric Holder and Al Sharpton who are responsible for any feelings of animosity against the police. It's not as if police have behaved in a deplorable manner towards unarmed black men or anything, so it must just be the hysterics of our Attorney General and a TV personality.
Even with all the outrage, Chambers is holding his ground. He believes that the police are a direct threat to people like himself. After calls to apologize, he doubled down on his previous comments.
Chambers, in an interview with The World-Herald and later on the floor of the Legislature, stood his ground, calling on McCoy and other critics to listen to the entire recording of the committee’s hearing to “hear what I actually said.”
“I will continue strongly and vociferously to criticize police,” Chambers said. “I will continue to condemn the police when they are wrong. And in my community, they are wrong.”
Chambers made the remarks, based on a recorded transcript of the hearing, during an exchange with Bellevue Sen. Tommy Garrett as Garrett made his closing statement about Legislative Bill 635, his bill to allow concealed handguns in bars and restaurants that sell liquor.
Chambers asked Garrett what patrons were so afraid of that they needed to carry concealed weapons into such establishments.
Garrett responded that people are insecure about crime and the radicalized “world situation.” Garrett said, “You were making a very good point earlier about ISIS and ISIL and the Taliban.”
Chambers replied, “My ISIS is the police.”
I'd have to say, game, set and match Chambers on this one.
