There have been the usual examples of mass media deficiencies during the recent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd. But perhaps none topped the absurdities given by MSNBC’s Garrett Haake. He displayed both liberal bias and downright dishonety when he reported about a demostration held in Washington, D.C. during the night of June 1st.
According to a report issued by Breitbart, a sizable group of protesters had gathered near the White House on that evening but they were unable to cause any ruckus and were sent away by White House guards. So they walked a few blocks to the north and arrived at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Not content with chanting, singing or listening to someone deliver a speech, they attempted to burn it. MSNBC reporter Garrett Haake and his cameraman tagged along, caught what happened on camera, and dutifully transmitted everything to MSNBC’s broadcast center.
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As reprehensible as the attempted arson they witnessed truly was, Haake’s accompanying commentary was hard to believe. What he was seeing, he insisted, was a “peaceful protest.” Setting fire to a church didn’t merit being labelled arson; it wasn’t a criminal act; and it wasn’t condemnable in any way. Accoring to Haake, it was a proper expression of outrage over the death of a black individual by a white policeman in a city 1,000 miles away. To emphasize his willingness to excuse what he was seeing, the MSNBC reporter continued to describe what he witnessed as “peaceful.”
Haake’s assessment of the deed included describing how D.C. firefighters directed him and his camera operator away from the small basement fire in order to be able to get their fire-fighting equioment off to another location. When the firemen left the scene, Haake speculated without evidence that they had departed for their own safety. But he continued to describe what he was witnessing as “peaceful” activity on the part of demonstrators.
The protesters, claimed this liberal employee of arch-liberal MSNBC, “had come to express their anger, their frustration, and their exhaustion with what has gone on in this country when it comes to police brutailty and police violence.” These people,” he said while again employing his favorite descriptive, “are trying to do this peacefully.” He insisted, “They’ve been trying to self-police adding that the folks who have been here throwing rocks and bottles and fireworks in order to deliver a message to this exact audience, to the man who lives in the house temporarily down the street.” So the target of this particular demonstration was President Trump. The message being delivered included blaming the president for the death of the man in Minnesota. And the way chosen to do so included creating a fire in a church and throwing rocks and bottles at it.
Haake obviously condoned the mob’s criminal action — setting fire within a church combined with rock and bottle throwing. Those are obvious crimes but, when the real target is the president even if he’s a few blocks away, makes the “peaceful” conduct more serious no matter occupies the White House. But, as he assured MSNBC’s audience, everything that occurred on that June 1 night was part of a “peaceful” protest.
Here we have an example of making excuses for what clearly is criminal activity. If there is any blame for it and its destructivemess, Haake made sure it did not go to the demonstrators. Someone else must be fault. Or maybe no one was at fault according to this reporter. In other words, protesters can start a fire and toss roacks and botles at their target with impunity — as long as doing so advances the cause of damaging the reputation of Donald Trump.
Such thinking, as evidenced by Haake, only invites more of what is completely reprehensible. As for the Minnesota policeman who kept his knee on the neck of George Floyd for more than eight minutes, he had already been arrested and charged with 2nd-degree manslaughter and 3rd -degree murder (a 2nd-degree murder charge was later added). But that wan’t enough for the D.C. demonstrators. Nor was it enough for MSNBC’s forgiving reporter. One sure result of his charaterizing obvious crime as “peaceful protest” will be more of that type of criminal activity. And, sad to say, there are some Americans who agree that what Haake reported doesn’t constitute a crime because it’s merely a form a peace.
John F. McManus is president emeritus of The John Birch Society.
