A tweet from the NYPD 100th Precinct paying tribute to boxing legend Jack Johnson with #BlackLivesMatter hashtag has drawn the ire of conservatives who believe the commanding officer who posted the tweet has aligned herself with a "hate group."
On Friday, the Twitter account for the NYPD 100th Precinct tweeted out a post celebrating Johnson's place in American history with the BLM hashtag in tow. Critics saw it as anti-police and quickly lashed out at Deputy Inspector Janice Holmes, whose picture serves as the avatar for the account.
— Dave (@IslesfaninFla) February 10, 2018
I'm a retired NYPD PO & embarrassed that a Commanding Officer would tweet with #Blacklivesmatter This month is suppose to celebrate great accomplishments by black Americans, not celebrate a Hate group that wants to Kill Cops for doing their jobs. Maybe u were Promoted to early?
— Mike Collins (@MikeCollins454) February 10, 2018
How can a precinct commander lead people when she aligns herself with a group that is known to hate law enforcement and wants police officers dead?
— Daniel L. McCaughan (@DanMcCaughan) February 10, 2018
By 7 p.m. that night, the post was taken down and a new tweet with the #BlackHistoryMonth hashtag was tweeted in its place. Twitter user @ AnthonyM122 pointed out that Holmes has family members in the force and she made a mistake but he maintained that Black Lives Matter is anti-cop.
Holmes is one of four sisters serving in the NYPD. Her older sister is Assistant Chief Juanita Holmes, the commanding officer of Patrol Borough Queens North and was the first black woman in the NYPD to become a borough command.
Do not punish or condemn the commander for the previous hashtag, I am pretty damn sure she isn't anti-cop considering herself and some of her closest family members are also cops.
— Anthony Mangiarciana (@AnthonyM122) February 10, 2018
The new tweet upset supporters of the BLM movement who did not see anything wrong with the initial tweet.
I hate that the original tweet was removed. #BlackLivesMatter is against police CORRUPTION and wants officers to be held accountable for their crimes against the community. It is not anti-police, unless you’re suggesting all cops are corrupt. ????
— Angelo Martinez (@angelomartinez) February 10, 2018
It’s almost as if the people objecting to the phrase ‘Black lives matter’ aren’t upset about the movement’s feelings about the police at all. It’s almost as if the objection lies in the fear and hatred of people of color. Almost.
— A Steel Magnolia (@bethanylscott) February 10, 2018
I see from your retweet you retreated. I get it but as a former MP US Army Officer you were right the first time. #BlackLivesMatter
— Dr. W.G Selassie I (@drwgsi) February 10, 2018
It was nothing wrong with the previous post. This is black history month and the reason why we have this month set aside for us is because for so long in this country black lives have not mattered. #blacklivematter
— Cerone Anderson (@Enorec) February 10, 2018
One has to think if the conservatives who were outraged by the initial tweet would respond the same way if the department tweeted using a #bluelivesmatter hashtag. The New York Daily News reports that Holmes may not have posted the tweet in the first place and that another officer did so on her behalf. NYPD officials have indicated that no one will be reprimanded for the tweet.
“There is no indication that any discipline will be given out,” said an NYPD spokesman, who confirmed that another officer put up the tweet on Holmes behalf.
As ridiculous as it seems, four years into the Black Lives Matter movement critics still don't know what the movement does or means.
