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Was Micah Johnson (the Dallas cop killer) racist?

Was Micah Johnson (the Dallas cop killer) racist?

  • Total voters
    53
Casper said:
He also said he hated Whites, that is ALL Whites. Yes, he is a Racist.
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No, that's not what he said according to Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown. From the NYTimes:

During the standoff, Mr. Johnson, who was black, told police negotiators that “he was upset about Black Lives Matter,” Chief [David O.] Brown said. “He said he was upset about the recent police shootings. The suspect said he [Johnson] was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”
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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/09/us/dallas-police-shooting.html?_r=0

You can be angry and disgruntle without hating someone. Still, I can certainly understand how for some people there may not be a distinction between the two.
 
justabubba said:
if he selected people as targets only because of the color of their skin, how could the bastard NOT be found to be a racist
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Because he targeted white police officer only and for a specific reason. Had he picked off white people at random, I'd agree with yourself and others that he was racist. But based on the fact that he targeted white cops only, I can't call Johnson a racist. Angry as hell at white police officers, yes. But not all white people.
 
Objective Voice said:
Because he targeted white police officer only and for a specific reason. Had he picked off white people at random, I'd agree with yourself and others that he was racist. But based on the fact that he targeted white cops only, I can't call Johnson a racist. Angry as hell at white police officers, yes. But not all white people.
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he selected his targets based on skin color
based on skin color
i defy you to identify a more obvious basis of racism
 
tres borrachos said:
He told a black police negotiator that he was strictly looking to kill white people.

“The suspect said he was upset at white people” said Brown. “He said he wanted to kill white people, especially white police officers.”

Yes, he was a racist. I can't believe anyone would think otherwise.
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Failure to view the subjects of his anger in the proper context of his rage can certainly lead one to believe as you (and others) do. Ask yourself, what was Micah Johnson's motivation? Why did he kill and who?

Did he target all white people during his rampage or did he target specific people?

Clearly, Micah Johnson was upset over the recent deaths of two black men in different parts of the country at the hands of white police officers. If it could be shown that Micah Johnson exhibited anger at all white people prior to the Dallas shootings, I'd be more inclined to believe he was a racist. But despite what he's been quoted to have said to police, he restricted his victims to white local law enforcement (or those who appeared to wear the uniform of local law enforcement) and left every other white person alone.

Viewed in this context, I can't honestly call him a racist, not without knowing his views and/or conduct towards white people prior to this tragic killing spree.
 
justabubba said:
he selected his targets based on skin color
based on skin color
i defy you to identify a more obvious basis of racism
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True, but you're dismissing the context as to why he killed white cops only and not other white people on the streets that night. Had he targeted every white person within his sights, I'd agree with you. But he didn't. He purposely singled out white cops and no one else and he did so because he was angry at white police conduct towards blacks.

In short, Micah Johnson took the "eye for an eye" approach to "pay back is a bitch".
 
Objective Voice said:
True, but you're dismissing the context as to why he killed white cops only and not other white people on the streets that night. Had he targeted every white person within his sights, I'd agree with you. But he didn't. He purposely singled out white cops and no one else and he did so because he was angry at white police conduct towards blacks.

In short, Micah Johnson took the "eye for an eye" approach to "pay back is a bitch".
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he purposely singled out his targets based on the color of their skin
no way that is not evidence of racism
 
justabubba said:
he purposely singled out his targets based on the color of their skin
no way that is not evidence of racism
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We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

I can be angry at you for doing something I think is wrong and not hate you. I think that's the proper context inwhich to view Micah Johnson absent any other evidence to the contrary.
 
Objective Voice said:
No, that's not what he said according to Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown. From the NYTimes:



Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/09/us/dallas-police-shooting.html?_r=0

You can be angry and disgruntle without hating someone. Still, I can certainly understand how for some people there may not be a distinction between the two.
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"he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers"
make whatever excuses you want, he is was he is. In hell I hope.
 
Casper said:
"he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers"
make whatever excuses you want, he is was he is. In hell I hope.
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I'm not making excuses for the man. What he did was terribly wrong. I condemn his actions 1000%. I'm just saying his actions can be deemed racist, but the individual may not be.

I can tell a racist joke without being a racist.

I can tell a blond joke without being a sexist.

It's kinda the same thing with people who say they don't like Pres. Obama's policies but themselves deny being a racist. Same thing could be said here. But regardless of whether or not you agree with my opinion, I'm in no way defending the man's actions.
 
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Objective Voice said:
I'm not making excuses for the man. What he did was terribly wrong. I condemn his actions 1000%. I'm just saying his actions can be deemed racist, but the individual may not be.

I can tell a racist joke without being a racist.

I can tell a blond joke without being a sexist.

It's kinda the same thing with people who say they don't like Pres. Obama's policies but themselves deny being a racist. Same thing could be said here. But regardless of whether or not you agree with my opinion, I'm in no way defending the man's actions.
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you offered the shooter distance from the racist label because he exhibited a bias against LEOs as well as whites
in your opinion, that bias against law enforcement officers would serve to inoculate him from the racist label, despite that we recognize that he also targeted individuals on the basis of the color of their skin. somehow, in your presented view, that animus towards LEOs insulates him against being found to be a racist

and i disagree with your argument. strongly
if a business proprietor refuses to allow black males to shop in his store, but allows black females to shop there, the only way in which his selective manner to cull customers would be found not racist is if he allowed no males of any color while allowing females of any color to shop there. in that sole instance, he would be found biased against males, and not be discriminating by race
however, if a male of any racial identity was able to shop there and other males of other identifications were not, it would constitute prima facie evidence of racial discrimination by the proprietor. his allowing black women but not black men to shop there would prove his racial bias if any man of another race shopped there
which then tells us, that the shooter discriminated against LEOs does not mean he is innocent of discriminating against whites. he was clearly a racist as well as a LEO hating bastard
 
Objective Voice said:
I'm not making excuses for the man. What he did was terribly wrong. I condemn his actions 1000%. I'm just saying his actions can be deemed racist, but the individual may not be.

I can tell a racist joke without being a racist.

I can tell a blond joke without being a sexist.

It's kinda the same thing with people who say they don't like Pres. Obama's policies but themselves deny being a racist. Same thing could be said here. But regardless of whether or not you agree with my opinion, I'm in no way defending the man's actions.
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IF I said I want to kill black people and black cops am I racist? Are you honest?
 
Objective Voice said:
True, but you're dismissing the context as to why he killed white cops only and not other white people on the streets that night. Had he targeted every white person within his sights, I'd agree with you. But he didn't. He purposely singled out white cops and no one else and he did so because he was angry at white police conduct towards blacks.

In short, Micah Johnson took the "eye for an eye" approach to "pay back is a bitch".
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You obviously have no idea what "eye for an eye" means.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
We can take him at his word shortly before his death or examine his recent online statements.
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I prefer the real thing and a day in court.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
Racism has become just a throw away insult now.
I think "I don't know" or a presumptive no is the best choice.
Until concrete evidence emerges.

Join me in, Makeracismgreatagain, errrr Makeracismmeansomethingagain.
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Would you lean towards using the term........ Prejudicial hatred.

If so, I believe that I would have to agree with you.
 
This is precisely part of the reason why society has the problems it does. Abject refusal to look deeper than the superficial. Does kidding ourselves by considering only what's on the surface make us feel better about ourselves? Do we believe that if we don't face the reasons *why* that they'll go away on their own? Are we that intellectually weak? Maybe Pokemon really IS more our speed.

Condemning with context is willful blinders.jpg. Period. No way around it.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
Not really.
There are some caveats that would have to be fulfilled.
Did he think White people were inherently inferior or was he just angry at White people?
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Ok, so by your definition it's only about a feeling of superiority? Hating someone because they are the race they are is not racist to you. Have I got that right?
 
X Factor said:
Ok, so by your definition it's only about a feeling of superiority? Hating someone because they are the race they are is not racist to you. Have I got that right?
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Correct.
My pointless and failure of a campaign is to stop the widespread usage of sexist and racist as throw away insults.
For this guy, he was incredibly misguided and he paid the price for it.

Edit add: Actually it's a belief, not necessarily a feeling, although I suppose beliefs and feelings can intertwine.
 
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Something happened in his life to make him snap. We may never find out what that was. Micah claimed to have racial motives for his shooting. That makes me think he was racist and he committed a hate crime.
What I don't understand is why we allow this to come this far. There must have been signs, just as there are signs before all these mass shootings. Why isn't anyone ringing an alarm bell? Are people, for whatever motive, perhaps even encouraging the desperate and disgruntled?
Please know, I am not making excuses. There is NO excuse for taking innocent lives.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
Correct.
My pointless and failure of a campaign is to stop the widespread usage of sexist and racist as throw away insults.
For this guy, he was incredibly misguided and he paid the price for it.

Edit add: Actually it's a belief, not necessarily a feeling, although I suppose beliefs and feelings can intertwine.
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He was a POS as far as I'm concerned. He did not pay a price for being "misguided", he got blown up like a terrorist should for murdering 5 police officers, wounding 11 (I think) others and continuing to pose a threat to every single person on the ground at that march. He'd have gotten the death penalty x 5 anyway and Dallas police just saved Texas tax payers some money.
 
Lovebug said:
Something happened in his life to make him snap. We may never find out what that was. Micah claimed to have racial motives for his shooting. That makes me think he was racist and he committed a hate crime.
What I don't understand is why we allow this to come this far. There must have been signs, just as there are signs before all these mass shootings. Why isn't anyone ringing an alarm bell? Are people, for whatever motive, perhaps even encouraging the desperate and disgruntled?
Please know, I am not making excuses. There is NO excuse for taking innocent lives.
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IMO, when we say, "He was a racist and I will not consider anything beyond that.", we are effectively saying that we are not interested in ringing alarm bells. We just want to point the finger in some other direction that doesn't require effort on our part, and go about our lives.
 
radcen said:
IMO, when we say, "He was a racist and I will not consider anything beyond that.", we are effectively saying that we are not interested in ringing alarm bells. We just want to point the finger in some other direction that doesn't require effort on our part, and go about our lives.
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He was the one making it racist, was he not?
 
X Factor said:
He was a POS as far as I'm concerned. He did not pay a price for being "misguided", he got blown up like a terrorist should for murdering 5 police officers, wounding 11 (I think) others and continuing to pose a threat to every single person on the ground at that march. He'd have gotten the death penalty x 5 anyway and Dallas police just saved Texas tax payers some money.
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I thought it was only 2 others he wounded, but don't quote me on that.

That's an almost insignificant aspect at this point, though.
 
X Factor said:
He was a POS as far as I'm concerned. He did not pay a price for being "misguided", he got blown up like a terrorist should for murdering 5 police officers, wounding 11 (I think) others and continuing to pose a threat to every single person on the ground at that march. He'd have gotten the death penalty x 5 anyway and Dallas police just saved Texas tax payers some money.
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He's dead.
That's the ultimate price to pay for being "misguided," "stupid," etc.
To me, it's immaterial if he's racist.

What I'm more interested in is that he believes some of the really nasty rhetoric and where it's coming from.
 
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