Joe Scarborough Bashes The Media's 'BS' Coverage Of Ferguson
Scarborough devoted a lengthy segment on Monday's "Morning Joe" to chastising both the protests and related media coverage. In particular, the former GOP congressman raged against the St. Louis Rams players who expressed solidarity with the demonstrators by raising their hands as they entered the field during their football game on Sunday.
"I'm sorry, this Ram thing, this was the final straw for me. I have sat here quietly and listened to BS being spewed all over this network and all over other networks. I can't take it anymore," an exasperated Scarborough declared.
Ferguson has been the epicenter of racially charged protests since 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed in August by a white police officer. Violent looters and arsonists roiled the city again last week when a grand jury announced its decision not to indict the officer, Darren Wilson.
Scarborough said he agreed with the protesters that the justice system racially discriminates against young black men, but he insisted Brown's case is not necessarily the ideal example. He cited Brown allegedly robbing a convenience store before his fatal encounter with Wilson.
"There are so many great people to embrace as heroes in the black community that deciding you're going to embrace a guy who knocked over a convenience store, and then according to grand jury testimony, acted in ways that would get my children shot … that's your hero? That's the reason you want to burn down black businesses?" Scarborough asked.
Scarborough also called out some of his own guests for agreeing with him privately but refusing to express their views on air.
"You know what pisses me off too is I have people around this set all the time. They let me say what I say on set and they sit and stare at me, slack-jawed. They're afraid to say anything on the air, even though they know it's BS," he said. "People [are] saying one thing when the camera's on and then saying something completely different when the camera gets turned off, because they're somehow afraid they'll be called racist if they tell the truth."
Scarborough went on to preemptively dismiss any criticism he receives on the subject.
"If I've offended anybody offended anybody by saying what I've said, trust me, 95% of America thinks just like me. Just because there are cowards that won't say that on TV - that's your problem, it's not mine," he said.View the full segment below.