West Virginia columnist fired after referring to Mike Brown as an ‘animal’
A West Virginia columnist who’s been with the Charleston Daily Mail for more than 30 years, has been fired after referring to Michael Brown as an “animal.”
Don Surber’s comments appeared on his personal blog post about the events happening in Ferguson, Missouri since Brown’s death on Aug. 9.
“This summer I had an epiphany as I watched packs of racists riot in Ferguson, Missouri, in support of a gigantic thug who was higher than a kite when he attacked Ferguson Police Department Officer Darren Wilson, who unfortunately had to put this animal down.”
We assumed that some people complained about the fact that this old white dude called a black man an “animal,” because Surber quickly apologized. By apologized, we mean doubled down, with sass:
“UPDATE: I made a factual error. Michael Brown was not an animal but a man. Big. Brutal. High. His death was a justifiable homicide and not a putting down.”
Surber’s editors at the Charleston Daily Mail caught wind of his remarks and subsequently fired him. Editor Brad McElhinny said he had selected words “that were unfortunate, inflammatory and, in our view, inexcusable.”
Surber went on the republish the essay, but did not include parts where he is referring to Brown as an animal. “Readers who want to carry this on forever should be ashamed of themselves,” he added.
Unbelievable.
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