J. Pharoah Doss: Cornel West and “lies that hide”

CORNEL WEST AND MELINA ABDULLAH (CornelWest.com Photo) Independent presidential candidate Cornel West chose fellow academic Melina Abdullah as his running mate. Abdullah teaches pan-African studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and serves on the board of directors for Black Lives Matter Grassroots. West and Abdullah’s progressive politics distinguish them from the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, but what sets them apart from the Democratic incumbents? West went on to say, “Biden and Harris are tied to vicious lies that are hiding crimes.” West cited the recent police shooting of Dexter Reed in Chicago and the Hamas-Israeli war as clear examples. The Reed shooting occurred after plainclothes tactical police officers in unmarked cars pulled him over for not wearing a seatbelt. Reed refused to follow the officer’s directives. Reed then discharged his revolver, injuring one officer. The other police returned nearly 100 shots in under 50 seconds, killing Reed. Police reform advocates and community activists feel the number of rounds fired at Reed was a criminal act of excessive force. West protested that the Chicago police said that the officers did not violate the law. “No, that’s a lie; it hides a crime,” West insisted. Because the White House did not...