Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Blames 'Progressive Left' for Riots

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke minced no words when he commented on the causes of the riots that have roiled Milwaukee the last two nights.

Clarke, a black Democrat known for his strong pro-gun views and opposition to Black Lives Matter, went on an epic rant against the rioters. He blamed the “progressive left” as well as “kowtowing city officials” for creating an atmosphere in which the rioters could flourish.

Clarke penned an op-ed for The Hill that was excerpted by the Washington Times:

“As Sheriff of Milwaukee County, I am furious that the progressive left has put my citizens in harm’s way and that I had to send my officers into cauldrons of anarchy and hatred that were created by the left,” he continued. “As an elected public servant, I am livid that Milwaukee’s pathetic, kowtowing city officials and aldermen take this opportunity to abandon their citizens and preen before the Black Lives Matter-enabling media.”

Wow. Just wow. And he’s just getting warmed up:

“The officer-involved-shooting was simply a catalyst that ignited the already volatile mixture of inescapable poverty, failing K-12 public schools, dysfunctional lifestyle choices like father absent homes, gang involvement, drug/alcohol abuse and massive unemployment,” he argued.

“That things have not improved and in fact worsened in the American ghetto after eight years of Barack Obama is remarkable only to those who have not been paying attention to our nation’s cities,” Sheriff Clarke continued. “There’s only one answer, which is for the citizens of America to expose and heap scorn on this lying and dangerous triad of big government, liberal mainstream media and the lost souls of the urban ghettos both these institutions feed upon for their power.

“What happened Saturday night and again Sunday night had little to do with police use of force — it was a collapse of the social order where tribal behavior leads to reacting to circumstances instead of waiting for facts to emerge,” the sheriff wrote. “The actions were the manifestation of a population with no hope, no stake in the American dream that could provide advancement and purpose and pride of self. They are the ones lied to, exploited by and ultimately manipulated by the Democrats who claim to care. They are victims of the left, but they are not without blame. It’s time for them to remember their own humanity, their own dignity, and to fight for that return to the American Dream that the left would withhold from them.”

That is one of the best elucidations of how the anti-poverty brigades from the federal government have made our big cities unlivable for so many and caused an epidemic of hopelessness and despair among poor blacks.

Clarke had more to say during an interview on Fox News. Watch on the next page.

WEBSTER: “After the police shooting of a black man, a second night of tenants rights in Milwaukee last night. Milwaukee county Sheriff David Clarke is with us. I know this has been a very tough to her three days. We appreciate you taking time to talk to us. How did this happen? Talk us through what happened.

CLARKE: “Well, first of all, the social order in Milwaukee totally collapsed on Saturday night. When the social order collapse, tribal behavior takes over. When tribal behavior takes over, the law of the jungle replaces the rule of law and that’s why you end up with what you saw last night. Not good enough for me. I won’t be satisfied until these creeps crawl back into their holes so the good law abiding people can return to at least a calm quality of life.
WEBSTER: “Sheriff, we understand the video recorded on the officer’s body camera quite clearly shows that have been. Is that rate?”

CLARKE: “I haven’t seen the video, but I did talk to the mayor yesterday and he said he saw the video and it’s clear that the suspect that the officer confronted was armed with a firearm. I notice people are leaving that out when they say police shot a man. They shot an armed individual this time. It doesn’t give the cop haters the high ground on this thing. That is not what causes right anyway. What causes riots or failed urban policies in these ghettos like Milwaukee. Milwaukee has inescapable poverty, like the sixth poorest city in America. They have failing public schools. The k-12 public school system is only two school systems worse, Cleveland and Detroit. Massive black unemployment. The black unemployment rate is 32%. You have dysfunctional families, questionable lifestyle choices. Those are the ingredients for a riot. A police shooting comes along and just acts as an igniter to an already volatile situation. Between Friday night and Saturday, four people were murdered in ninth after a shooting in the same creeps didn’t hear a peep, but all of a sudden it fun for us than officer is confronted by an armed individual and the people exploit these things. This is just a situation of opportunity for people to steal, to loot and rabble rouse.”

The pro-gun, pro-Trump law enforcement officer has given the best response possible to the cop haters, the social justice warriors, and the entire rancid anti-poverty government apparatus that has done more harm to the poor than can be imagined.