There’s no defending a joke like this.
The advent of social media has allowed for a terrifying new insight into the experience that many black Americans endure at the hands of police officers.
The most recent instalments what seems to be an endless onslaught of needless deaths are those of Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling, a father of five from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Social media has been overrun with outrage over the deaths, both of which were filmed in part and posted to social media platforms. Many protests have also been launched, including one in Dallas, Texas which resulted in the death of five police officers.
It is a time of volatility and violence in the United States, making this joke that Arrested Development star David Cross posted to his Twitter even harder to understand.
Just heard the news about Alton Sterling. Can't believe the police shot and killed an unarmed law firm.
— david cross✍ (@davidcrosss) July 7, 2016
When called up on the joke, Cross continued to dig.
Okay, will revisit in a couple of weeks when your outrage wanes. Although to be fair, won't be funny by then. https://t.co/DJU63fYXgZ
— david cross✍ (@davidcrosss) July 7, 2016
Should've waited…three more weeks?
— david cross✍ (@davidcrosss) July 7, 2016
We'll you probably shouldn't expect ANYTHING from fictional characters.
— david cross✍ (@davidcrosss) July 7, 2016
Wow! My very first Twitter outrage-causing tweet. Seemed quite innocuous to me. I suppose because it is. Certainly no racial component to it
— david cross✍ (@davidcrosss) July 7, 2016
Not sure that mealy-mouthed explanation is going to soothe anybody’s anger, nor should it.
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