The news of the suicide of actor and comedian Robin Williams had surfaced only hours before President Obama and the White House issued a statement celebrating the man’s life and lamenting his death. As the Williams statement came rather quickly, social media users were furious that three days had gone by before the President uttered a word about the death of Michael Brown, the unarmed teen shot by a policeman in Ferguson, Missouri, on Saturday.
As late as Tuesday morning, August 12, three days after a Ferguson police officer shot and killed Michael Brown in a St. Louis suburb, many were upset that the White House had not issued a statement on the shooting.
Some were further angered when on Monday afternoon, the death of actor Robin Williams brought a quick statement from the White House.
These fans came out in force on social media to decry the fact that Obama had immediately memorialized the passing of Robin Williams, while waiting three days before saying a word about what many considered a crime in Ferguson, Missouri.
A Twitter user named @Miami_Chica expressed the shock many felt: “Interesting, Obama managed to pull himself away from his golfing & comment on Robin Williams, yet hasn’t said anything on Ferguson,” she tweeted on August 11.
A plethora of others made similar comments on social media during the three days immediately after Brown’s death.
Finally, late on Tuesday evening, about 72 hours after the shooting, the White House issued a statement about Brown.
Obama’s official statement sensibly urged calm as the case is investigated, but the President’s lack of outrage is probably not very satisfying to those who want quick and decisive action over Brown’s death.
One African American Twitter user, @BeKnowing, was clearly not satisfied with Obama’s comment on Brown and said that “he should’ve just said nothing.”
Twitter user Amy Mek wondered if Obama even interrupted his golf game after Brown’s death.
For his part, African American Twitter user Quadeer Shakur wondered why Obama was so quick to say that if he had a son, he’d look like Trayvon Martin but has been so uninvolved in the Michael Brown case. “Remember when Obama was BOLD?” he tweeted.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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