Why I Can't Stand Al Sharpton

No matter what the situation, if an African-American is in trouble with the law or is facing public scrutiny Al Sharpton won't hesitate to take their side. Everyone has an initial impression of the situation, which at times can cause them to become prejudice to the situation, but in many cases the average person will either withhold judgment or look for facts to support their opinion of the said situation. Al Sharpton seems to lack the second phase of thinking and goes directly into spearhead-mode, in which he spearheads a movement that instantaneously takes on racial qualities. Quite simply, this is why I can no longer stand him.

Though Sharpton has taken on causes that the entire world can agree with, his blind-nature has caused him to lose vast amount of credibility, especially in recent years. The most important thing to keep in mind is to ask the question: "What has Al Sharpton done for the progression of African-Americans in the United States?" In my eyes, from New York City where he is most active, absolutely nothing. In fact, every time he opens his mouth I cringe for what might come out of it. All of the good that he has done has been squandered by his brash, need-to-act nature.

The most notable event was with the Duke Lacrosse players who were accused of raping a black stripper. Sharpton was quick to stand by the side of the alleged victim, which was understandable, but he also went out and did little to nothing to observe the immediate facts that alluded to a story that differed from what the evidence told. There's a fine line between a civil rights activist and someone who hops on any bandwagon where race might play an issue. Sharpton blurs this line with a regular basis and has a tendency to leap right over it.