CNN Contributor Adamantly Defends Convicted Cop Killer

If you remember Marc Lamont Hill, it’s probably from when he was one of the resident liberals on Fox News a couple years ago. At times, it seemed like it was his job to get owned by conservatives because I honestly can’t think of a single time he actually won an argument. He most frequently appeared on “The O’Reilly Factor.”

Nowadays, he’s a BET News correspondent and CNN commentator. You won’t see him on Fox News anymore, but Hill still can’t hide from right-wing criticism, especially when he’s making comments as insane as what you’re about to read. On Tuesday, Hill wished a happy birthday to, of all people, convicted and escaped cop-killer Assata Shakur. He’s not even the first Leftie to do so. Maxine Waters issued a public statement defending “U.S. freedom fighter Assata Shakur” back in 1998, and a year before Hill’s post. The lunatics behind the Women’s March wished Shakur a happy birthday too.

Thinking about Assata Shakur on her 71st birthday. She wrote the second book that changed (and saved) my life. She taught me about the value and power of Freedom Dreams. She showed me the beauty of struggle. And she proved that “a wall is just a wall. and nothing more at all. It can be broken down.” I pray for her continued safety and protection. I continue to work to demonstrate her innocence. And I implore the State to stop prosecuting an unjust and unfair campaign against one of our most treasured Freedom Fighters. Thank you Mama Assata. Wishing you 100 more years! #palenquequeen #handsoffassata #freeallpoliticalprisoners #everysingleone

A post shared by Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) on Jul 16, 2018 at 7:06am PDT

Hill’s comment “She showed me the beauty of struggle. And she proved that ‘a wall is just a wall. and nothing more at all. It can be broken down,” is a bit ironic. Prison walls certainly were no match for Shakur, who escaped in 1979, before surfacing in Cuba in 1984. She’s been on America’s Most Wanted list ever since, and bringing her to justice is a political subject that comes up every couple of years. Most recently, President Donald Trump called on Cuba to return her to U.S. custody, but that will never happen, unfortunately.

We can add this post to a long list of crazy comments from Hill’s over the years, including by not limited to…

This unexpected bit of race-baiting:

It is hard to believe that Kellyanne Conway would been sitting like this if the President were meeting with the NRA or White evangelicals… pic.twitter.com/bsG3bYwLi4

— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) February 28, 2017

Defending the assault of Trump supporters:

I actually don’t advocate throwing drinks on people. Not at all. But yes, i think MAGA hats (deliberately) reflect a movement that conjures racism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc. So yes, it’s a little harder to feel sympathy when someone gets Coca Cola thrown on him. https://t.co/ASlATau2PF

— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) July 5, 2018

Blaming the thwarted Islamist attack on a “Draw Muhammad Contest” on the attendees:

I understand and respect free speech. But to organize hate speech events, purely because you're legally allowed to, is disgusting.

— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) May 4, 2015

And, on CNN, defending other cop killers:

After being blasted on social media for his post about Assata, Hill attempted to justify it, by claiming it was his critics who didn’t know the “truth” about Shakur’s case.

https://twitter.com/shute_says/status/1018920882604003328

Honest question. Have you done any real research on this case? Do you honestly feel informed enough on this issue to claim guilt beyond a reasonable doubt?

— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) July 16, 2018

She’s on the FBI’s most wanted list, killed police officers, then fled to Cuba. I don’t have the power to convict unilaterally but maybe she should come face justice then? I’m more than happy to hear your point of view tho if you’re still @ temple/in philly

— Sean Shute (@shute_says) July 16, 2018

You didn’t answer my question.

— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) July 16, 2018

A bit bizarre, isn’t it? Hill is presented with the consensus on the case, which he immediately dismissed by accusing people of not doing their own research. He didn’t seem too eager to share his own research exonerating Shakur, and his case seems more to rest on the fact that there isn’t 100% certainly she’s guilty (is there ever?).

When Hill asked “Do you honestly feel informed enough on this issue to claim guilt beyond a reasonable doubt?” my immediate thought was “no – but a jury of Shakur’s peers did.”

If Shakur truly was innocent, I think we’d have expected her to behave differently over the years. Innocent people don’t tend to break out of prison, flee to a communist country for the past four decades, and then refuse most contact from the outside world. If she’s in hiding – is it really so hard for Hill to believe that it’s because she actually does have something to hide?