On Wednesday’s broadcast of “First Take,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith openly condemned the violent rioters in Baltimore.
Smith’s message closely echoed that of Ravens legend Ray Lewis’ address to the city, but went a step further and claimed that the ancestors of the rioters, “would be ashamed of how [they’re] conducting [themselves].” (RELATED: Ray Lewis To Baltimore Rioters: “This CAN NOT Happen In Our City!”)
Something needs to be said. We talk about police brutality. We need to understand the difference between police brutality and a brutal act by a particular police officer. When you say ‘police brutality,’ what you’re doing is inciting a nation of individuals out there to go and act in a very belligerent and, dare I say, criminal fashion against law enforcement officials. And where does that get them?
We’re busy looking outside at everybody else; what everyone else has done to us; what history has done to us; how it has affected us. I’m here to tell you something…our ancestors, considering our history and what they had to go through and the sacrifices that they had to make to get us to this point, our ancestors would be ashamed of how we’re conducting ourselves.
And it needs to be said, and it needs to be addressed and it needs to be stopped. Because I see a whole bunch of young brothers and sisters out here right now. They’re here with us. They wouldn’t act that way.
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