| Rapping at the White House |
| By Bill O'Reilly for BillOReilly.com Thursday, May 12, 2011 Once again we have an association controversy at the White House. This week, a rapper who calls himself "Common" was invited by Michelle Obama to read some of his "poetry" to a hand-picked audience in the "People's House." The problem is that Common (real name Lonnie Rashid Lynn) has glorified convicted cop killers Joanne Chesimard and Mumia Abu-Jamal. You may remember that Ms. Chesimard, a member of the Black Liberation Army, was found guilty of first-degree murder in 1977 for killing New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster. After being stopped on the Jersey Turnpike, Chesimard and two accomplices opened fire on Foerster and his partner, James Harper, who was wounded. Chesimard was sentenced to life in prison but escaped in 1979, fleeing to Cuba, where she has been granted asylum. Even though Common wasn't even born when that murder took place, he has insisted in his raps that Ms. Chesimard is innocent. He has said the same thing about Abu-Jamal, convicted of killing Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981. While Common is entitled to rap any way he wants, it is troubling that he would be sought out by the White House for a prestigious exposition. Is this not a tacit endorsement of the man? Presidential spokesman Jay Carney says no, explaining that sympathy for cop killers is not "the sum total of this particular artist's work." The number of poets who would like to read their work at the White House is almost unlimited. This is huge honor. Among those reading with Common were Steve Martin and Elizabeth Alexander. Surely, the First Lady could have chosen a more appropriate artist than Common. So, once again, we have a judgment issue. Many police agencies across the country are outraged by the embrace the White House has given Common, and, I submit, millions of Americans are not comfortable with the selection either. I have been a fan of Mrs. Obama's tenure as First Lady. She has brought grace and dignity to the White House. Her campaign to fight child obesity is right on, and I have personally witnessed Mrs. Obama going out of her way to show great kindness to regular folks. But both Barack and Michelle Obama have a blind spot when it comes to social controversy. The Reverend Wright situation was obviously disturbing. Then, on Easter Sunday, the First Couple sat in a church where the cleric, a known verbal bomb-thrower, sermonized about slavery injustice. Now, the questionable Common. The black experience in America is far different than the white experience, and honest people understand that. But the President and First Lady represent all of us, and should always be aware of sensitivities. Common may be the best rapper on earth. But his words have brought pain to the families and friends of two slain police officers. That is enough to disqualify the man from a White House honor. ###### |
This issue came to light a couple of days ago, and caused a lot of angst within the law enforcement community. Having personally researched this senseless murder and written the TRUE story in my book, I decided to submit the below letter to Bill O’Reilly for inclusion on his show ‘The O’Reilly Factor’ on May 12, 2010. Unfortunately, Mr. O’Reilly’s staff either didn’t feel the contents of my letter worthy, or maybe they just felt it too controversial, so they excluded it from the show. As such, I posted it on his website today! Read on…
| Kudos to you Mr. O'Reilly, and to Jersey Trooper David Jones for bringing to light what extremes our misguided president will go to get re-elected. Emulating the fraudulent celebrity and heinous lyrics of the rapper Common is disgraceful. On Police Week, it is beyond reproach. As one who personally reviewed the extensive investigation files of the senseless murder of Trooper Werner Forester for my historical book Jersey Troopers II: The Next 35 Years (1971-2006), I can assure you, not only did Joanne Chesimard assassinate the already mortally wounded Trooper Forester, but she alone started the shoot-out, shooting Trooper James Harper first and then murdering Trooper Forester, all because she feared being arrested for her part in an earlier Black Liberation Army bank robbery. The TRUE account of what happened in the first hours of that fateful May 2, 1973 morning can be found in my book. Please feel free to pass that on to our misguided chief executive, and that fraud Common. Lt. George J. Wren, Jr., NJSP - Retired Sea Isle City, New Jersey www.jerseytroopersii.com |
| |
