For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Accordingly, a Mishawaka, Ind., business owner and a local member of law enforcement have jointly designed a t-shirt that plays off the “I can’t breathe” line of apparel that has become the rage among black athletes and protesters in recent weeks. The shirt carries the message “Breathe easy: Don’t break the law.”
The civilian partner in the enterprise is Jason Barthel, who owns apparel maker South Bend Uniform. According to CBS affiliate WSBT, sales of the shirts have been brisk.
Barthel explains that his goal is to do something that unites, rather than divides, people by showing the “other side of the story,” meaning the “police prospective”:
We are not here to do anything negative to the public. We’re here to protect the public and we want you to breathe easy knowing that the police are here to be with you and for you and protect you.
I have my doubts that the shirts will be received positively. A reporter with the Fox Spanish language sports channel Fox Deportes drew flak after tweeting the following in response to an image on Twitter of Kobe Bryant wearing an “I can’t breathe” shirt drew.
Hey @FOXDeportes, curious if you were aware your correspondent @ErikaReidt uses social media to victim blame. pic.twitter.com/lt7sH0Su9r
— Heywood Jablomie (@HoodCertified) December 10, 2014
Ultimately, the reporter, Erika Reidt, was suspended.
Other indicators that the left hasn’t yet shaken off the sillies in its leap to the conclusion that all police racist include the chant “What do we want? Dead cops” uttered by protesters at a rally in New York this past weekend.
A report from WSBT follows:
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- NYC protesters chant: ‘Shoot back! What do we want? Dead cops! When do we want it? now’ (Video)
