Washington Post Writer Seriously Asks Why Libertarians Are Silent on Ferguson Police Killing

The Washington Post‘s Paul
Waldman is confused. He doesn’t know where the libertarian voices
are on the police killing of
Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. His column
begins:

The shooting death by police of Ferguson, MO
teenager Michael Brown, and what has happened in the
aftermath, has been blanketing the news for the past few days. It’s
a story about race, but it’s also become a story about the power of
the state and how it’s wielded, and against whom.

So my question is this: Where are the libertarians?

Waldman goes on to mention the New York Times Magazine
story about the “libertarian
moment,” so he’s definitely heard of Reason. Yet he doesn’t
mention that we’ve covered Ferguson extensively until the last
paragraph of his piece. It’s almost an afterthought. Instead, he
takes issue that Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep. Justin Amash
(R-Mich.), prominent libertarian-leaning Republicans, haven’t made
any statements about Ferguson. Neither, it should be noted,
represents Ferguson, Missouri, and neither is a member of the
Libertarian Party. I contacted both offices for a statement; Rep.
Amash’s press person told me when she spoke to Waldman she meant
she knew of no immediate plans to release a statement and that
Waldman hung up before she even finished her though.  If Amash
does make a statement, we’ll update you here on the blog. We’re
awaiting a response from Paul’s press shop.

Like Amash and Paul, prominent liberal Democrats haven’t said
much either. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has made no statement
about Ferguson, Missouri. I contacted their DC office but there did
not appear to be anyone there to take phone calls.

Waldman’s timing on his column is interesting, too. It was
released this afternoon. Twenty four hours ago his misleading point
wouldn’t be as salient; back then President Obama, whose commented
on everything from Henry Louis Gates’ 2009 encounter with police in
Massachusetts to Robin Williams’ death, hadn’t made a statement
either. I took no issue with that decision by the president, and
had he not spoken yesterday I wouldn’t criticize him for it. Far
more important are actions. Federal involvement in the Ferguson
investigation and the wider Department of Justice review of police
tactics are both welcome news, and far more substantive that any
statement could be.

Most importantly, perhaps, Waldman ought to familiarize himself
with the work of his fellow Washington Post scribes and
specifically Radley Balko,
formerly of Reason, and the only reason (drink!) I was even
exposed to Waldman’s ridiculously misguided column. Balko’s
extensive
coverage of police issues over the years wasn’t mentioned at
all.

As the libertarian moment becomes harder to ignore, expect
liberals (and conservatives) to protest that much more loudly when
libertarians take up causes (be it police brutality or government
spending) they believe they have a monopoly on.

On a final note, Waldman’s question could be easily turned
around on the American left, and not just because Sen. Warren
hasn’t made a statement. There are plenty of cases of police brutality
you can read about at Reason that didn’t get mentioned by Warren,
President Obama, or any of the activists attaching themselves to
the situation in Ferguson.