One of the most peculiar things about the Chief Armstrong incident, on which just about everyone seems to have an opinion, is the people who have nothing to say about it.
I’m talking about cop haters like Carroll Fife, Cat Brooks, Dan Kalb, Rebecca Kaplan and Nikki Bas. You’d think they’d be popping champagne corks at Armstrong’s ordeal, but no: Not a word on their twitter feeds about the scandal caused by Thao and her greedy overseer, Warshaw. It’s true that Bas did publicize a statement she wrote last week, under the guise of her temporary title as City Council president, in which she puffed out a few bromides about how seriously Sheng Thao takes public safety, and how important “trust between our government and community” is. But she never specifically referenced Chief Armstrong or OPD. I suppose she had to weigh in, just to assure the public that her City Council isn’t literally sleeping through one of the gravest crises to hit the city in years.
So why the hush-hush? The anti-police crowd is happy as pigs in manure to see Chief Armstrong suffer. You know and I know that the minute Thao did the dirty deed, the others were fist-pumping each other. They’d love to see Chief Armstrong’s head on a pike. Anytime OPD is hurt in any way, they think they’ve taken a step toward “social justice.” Which makes their silence all the more weird.
My theory: These cop haters know that this issue can only hurt them. They know Chief Armstrong didn’t do anything wrong. They know he’s the best thing to happen to OPD in years—and anything that’s good for OPD is bad for them. They know Warshaw is a money-grubbing leech, and that a timid, feckless Thao is scared to death to do anything concerning OPD without his permission. In other words, an unelected, conservative White guy owns the Mayor of Oakland. They also know the public, including the POC community, strongly backs Chief Armstrong and wants him reinstated immediately, with a formal apology from Thao. They know they can’t come out and publicly support the Chief (which is the right thing to do) because that would offend their progressive backers (also known as useful idiots). Yet they also can’t come out and publicly denounce Chief Armstrong (much as they’d like to) because the public likes Armstrong so much. Caught between a rock and a hard place, they have no choice but to shut up.
It must be hard for them, because they all love the sound of their own voices. That’s why I call this post “the dog that didn’t bark.”
Gregory (Scotland Yard detective): “Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?”
Holmes: “To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”
Gregory: “The dog did nothing in the night-time.”
Holmes: “That was the curious incident.”
In this case, the curious incident is the dead air coming from anti-police headquarters. Please email Sheng Thao at officeofthemayor@oaklandca.gov and demand she immediately reinstate Chief Armstrong. And sign this petition that Chief Armstrong be fully exonerated.
Thank you. We’re going to win this one!
Steve Heimoff