The Usual Suspects of personal responsibility advocacy now blame others for the murders of New York police officers

Ismaaiyi Brinsley

On November 18, 1978. 918 members of the People’s Temple – a religious cult led by Jim Jones – committed suicide mostly by drinking cyanide laced Kool-Aid.  Among the 918 people who committed suicide, 276 of them were children.  This massive suicide took place at Jonestown, Guyana – a settlement on the north coast of South America the cult relocated to from San Francisco.  The mass suicide was ordered by Jim Jones after members of the cult’s security force killed

Jim Jones

California Congressman Leo Ryan and four other members in his congregation.  Congressman Ryan made the trip to Jonestown in order to conduct a fact finding mission to the settlement amid accusations of human rights violations and cult members being held against their will in the settlement.  Realizing the jig was up on his promise of living in Utopia in Jonestown and the realization that he would be arrested once the news of Congressman Ryan’s death was known to authorities, Jones ordered the suicide.  To this day, it remains one of the most bizarre stories of the twentieth century.  Other than the 276 children who died, 642 adults made the CHOICE to commit suicide. These 642 adults were responsible for their OWN actions when it was all said and done.  The decision to drink poisonous Kool-Aid was their personal responsibility. 

On March 26, 1997 in the upscale enclave of Rancho Santa Fe – a suburb of San Diego – authorities discovered the bodies of 39 members of the religious cult Heaven’s Gate in a gated community mansion.  According to authorities, the suicides took place over a three day period.  All of the suicide victims were dressed in identical attire, had their faces and torsos covered by identical purple cloths, and 37 of them had their heads wrapped in plastic bags and all had one five dollar bill and three quarters in their pockets.  Members of this cult believed the Earth was going to be sterilized by having all living organisms killed off and that the only way to survive was to leave the Earth.  Their method of travel was to be a space ship trailing the Comet-Hale Bopp.  The space ship was to descend to Earth, swoop up the “Hale Boppers” and be on their merry way.

Marshall Applewhite,
Heaven's Gate cult leader

These suicide victims killed themselves by eating poisoned laced apple sauce and washing that down with vodka.  All of the victims were adults and they all CHOSE to eat poison laced apple sauce and wash it down with vodka.  Those adults were responsible for their OWN actions.  The decision to commit suicide was their personal responsibility. 



Last Saturday in Brooklyn, 28 year old Ismaaiyl Brinsley approached a marked New York Police Department squad car and without warning or provocation shot and killed police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu while they sat in their squad car.  According to authorities, Brinsley had fled to New York from Baltimore where he allegedly shot his former girlfriend, Shaneka Thompson, (The Root: NYPDCop Killer’s Girlfriend Pleaded for Life) before traveling to New York.  Brinsley, who had a long criminal record, made the concerted decision to shoot his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore, flee to New York and the walk up to a NYPD squad car and execute two NYPD officers sitting in the car.  He CHOSE to do these things and it was HIS personal responsibility whether to make those choices or not. 

Patrick Lynch, the President of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (NYPD’s union) was the first runner out the block in the blame game race. 

To say the blood of two police officers who were executed is on the mayor’s hands is not only wrong, it is irresponsible.  To encourage the police officers of the city to turn their backs on the mayor of the city – their boss – as he walked into the hospital where the slain officers were taken, is not only wrong but is also irresponsible.  At the time when the city needs to come together the most, the president of the police union is going out of his way to drive a wedge between the city, the police officers and the mayor. 

The second troll to come forth was former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.  Giuliani didn't waste any time or mince any words as he went in for the kill.  He blamed President Obama.  The president, according to Giuliani, has been on a four month, anti-police propaganda campaign.  He all but accused President Obama of pulling the trigger on the gun used to kill those police officers.  Mind you, this is the architect of New York City’s controversial “Stop & Frisk” law enforcement strategy. 

If one didn’t know better, it would be easy to believe that – according to Giuliani – President Obama personally called Ismaaiyi Brinsley and personally encouraged him to shoot his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore and then make his way to New York and execute the first two NYPD officers he saw.  That is just plain INSANE and so is Rudy Giuliani. 

The next troll was former New York governor George Pataki.  Pataki blamed both Attorney General Eric Holder and Bill De Blasio.  To say Pataki’s specious allegations were politically motivated wouldn’t take much imagination.  He’s a Republican and bashing Barack Obama and Eric Holder is as common and expected as breathing.  The fact that Pataki and De Blasio have been going at it ever since De Blasio was elected has a political twang to it as well.  (Mediaite: Fmr. Governor Pataki: Blame Holder, deBlasio for NYPD Murders)

Another set of Usual Suspects – namely Fox News and The National Review – did not miss the opportunity to pile on.  Never mind that both President Obama and Mayor Di Blasio have condemned the murders of officers Ramos and Liu as well as any violence against law enforcement anywhere.  Both of the aforementioned media outlets didn’t bother to mention those denouncements.  For some inexplicable reason, they reported “convenient” news instead of the whole story.  WHY is that NOT surprising?  (Media Mattersfor America: Right-Wing Media Hide Obama and De Blasio Statements to Blame Themfor Violence against Police) 

Of course, one of the most BLOVIATED right wing BLOVIATORS, Bill O’Reilly, couldn’t pass up the opportunity to insert himself into the debate.  Although he was on vacation and his show on Fox was anchored by a guest host on Monday night, O’Reilly called in to his OWN show in order to enlighten the world with his thoughts on the murders and to call for Bill De Blasio’s resignation as mayor of New York.  O’Reilly declared that De Blasio had “lost control of the city” and the he “associated with “provocateurs and he has disgraced the office of mayor of New York City.” (Salon: “He associated withprovocateurs”: Bill O’Reilly calls for NY Mayor Bill de Blasio’s resignation)  When it comes to polarization, NO ONE out polarizes Bill O’Reilly.  NO one. 

Some on the right have even blamed Mayor De Blasio for the murders because he publicly stated that he has told his son, who is biracial, that the rules of engagement would be different for him when engaged with police than they would if he were white.  What De Blasio told his son is TRUE.  He told his son what any responsible father of a dark skinned son would tell his son.  Wasn’t that his personal responsibility as a father? 

Ismaaiyi Brinsley had an extensive criminal record spanning two states.  He had been arrested 15 times in Georgia on charges ranging from misdemeanor assault, shoplifting, grand larceny and gun possession.  He also spent two years in prison in Georgia on a criminal possession of a weapon conviction.  He had been arrested four times in Ohio for robbery and misdemeanor theft.  According to Brinsley’s mother, whose identity has not been made public, he had a “very troubled childhood” and had attempted to kill himself in the past.  According to authorities, Brinsley’s own mother was afraid of him.  “The mother expressed fear of him, and she said she hasn’t seen him in one month,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said. “Brinsley attempted suicide in the past and attempted to hang himself a year ago.”  (New York Daily News: Cop killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley had a longcriminal record, was violent and suicidal, and frightened his mom: police) His mother also inferred that he had some mental issues.  When you consider all of his alleged actions this past Saturday – shooting his ex-girlfriend, his posts on Instagram that indicated that he was about to do something out of the ordinary and the murder of those two police officers – it wouldn’t take much convincing to buy in to that theory.  Perhaps a case could be made that Brinsley was failed by the healthcare/mental health system.  However, if all reports about this case are accurate, then it is clear that Brinsley predetermined his actions and that he was FULLY aware of what he had done and ultimately did last Saturday.  He acted on his own free will and HE is RESPONSIBLE for what he did.  That appears to be indisputable. 

There has been no shortage of finger pointing in the case of those two New York police officers being murdered.  The blame game has been originated from the conservative media and conservative politicians for the most part.  This is the crowd who preaches the personal responsibility gospel.  However, they are determined to blame other people for what one guy CHOSE to do on his own. 

That is why it is more than ironic the Usual Suspects of personal responsibility advocacy now blame others for the murders of New York police officers. 

Peace, peace. 

Craig Riggins

Email: therigginsreport517@gmail.com

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