mediaite | CNN host Don Lemon hit network colleague Chris Cuomo with a monologue on Wednesday evening as riots took place in Minneapolis over the police brutality against and subsequent death of George Floyd.
As Cuomo spoke about the coronavirus pandemic, Lemon changed the subject.
“So, in that same vein, because we are talking about these viruses
that are infecting America,” said Lemon. “Imagine if that was me on the
ground, how you would feel as a friend, as someone I spend a lot of time
with. Imagine how people around this country feel when their friends,
like you, both of us are of a different background, when their friends
say nothing. When they do nothing. except send out a tweet or say, ‘Oh,
man, that’s terrible. I can’t believe that happens.'”
“Then when they see everyday racism, they don’t stand up for it.
Imagine how that feels to people of color in this country. It feels
terrible. Is that really being a friend?” he questioned, adding, “I’m
not saying you specifically, you understand what I’m saying. You know
what I’m saying.”
Cuomo responded, “I totally understand and, you know, the only word I can use is just hurt, it all hurts.”
“I’ve heard from so many people that I love that they’re so afraid
that it’s going to be them, it’s going to be their kid, and white people
roll their eyes like, ‘Come on, man. This only happens like once in a
while,'” he continued. “It doesn’t have to happen that often if every
time it happens in your mind it seems to go unanswered in terms of why
it’s okay.”
Lemon shot back, “But that’s the problem Chris… It happens a lot. We
just don’t see it. We’re just seeing from the video. This is the reason
that Colin Kaepernick was taking a knee, and then people were upset. The
president of the United States having the nerve to call him, and then
others standing up for this sort of injustice, to call them ‘sons of
bitches.’ This is why people are standing up, so that it doesn’t lead to
this.”
