Add Sally Kohn to the list of pundits not happy with references to those rioting in Baltimore as “thugs”:
Except she’s missing the point. It’s not the media calling the protesters thugs, it’s liberal politicians.
Why isn’t she asking if Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake ever referred to a white criminal as a thug?
More importantly, has President Obama ever referred to a white criminal as a thug?
Kohn can be as outraged as she wants, but it’s impossible to make the argument that “thug” is as bad as the n-word when it’s being used by the president:
Bonus: The above exchange happened when Erin Burnett was asking if it was appropriate for Mayor Rawlings-Blake to use “thug” to describe rioters.
If Kohn, Salon and others don’t want the media to use “thug,” then they need to tell black politicians to stop using it first.
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Related:
‘DOG WHISTLE TOOT TOOT TOOT’! Obama calls #FreddieGray rioters ‘thugs’