Gawker writer Brendan O’Connor wants the media to silence former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on matters relating to police and racial justice.
Yup. That means no more appearances on Sunday or evening political talk shows.
Giuliani ruffled some feathers in an appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation, where he discussed the Dallas police shootings. He criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, saying “If you want to protect black lives, then you’ve got to protect black lives not just against police,” continuing to claim that black-on-black violent crime “happens every 14 hours in Chicago” but is excluded from the mainstream media narrative.
While everyone else is concerned with what Giuliani’s statements say about the state of American politics or society, O’Connor has a hot take on the matter: Shut the ex-mayor down. As in, do not let him speak on air.
In an email to The Mirror, he said “I do not think Giuliani is a credible source to discuss police work, nor do I think he has anything substantive to contribute to a discussion about racial justice. He is, of course, entitled to his opinions and his beliefs, and plenty of people find resonance in them.”
Continuing his critique of the network’s choice to feature the former mayor, O’Connor wrote, “I do not actually think he should be banned or barred from speaking publicly; however, I do think that his perennial appearances on cable news shows is an indictment of the networks’ understanding of these issues. Not that that should come as a surprise to anyone.”
Ouch!