This Cop Could Not Have Made a Stupider Fucking T-Shirt
"I can't breathe," the last words Eric Garner spoke before he died of an NYPD-delivered chokehold, have been adopted as a powerful statement against police brutality and institutional racism. But one cop/uniform company owner prefers a different slogan, one that reassures you you'll be able to keep breathing as long as you don't cross a police officer.
Police corporal Jason Barthel, of Indiana-based South Bend Uniform, is selling "Breathe easy—don't break the law" tees for 8 bucks to cops and other supporters of breathing as a conditional right. (SantaCon attendees, maybe?)
"For those upset," he writes—and the Facebook comments on South Bend Uniforms page indicate there are many—"please understand when we use the slogan "Breathe Easy" we are referring to knowing the police are there for you! We are one people, one nation regardless of race, religion, creed or gender. We are all in this together. The police are here to protect and serve. 99.9% of us have the greater good in our hearts each time we strap on our uniforms and duty belts."
"We are all one people and this is by no means is a slam on Eric Garner or his family, God rest his soul. Lets all band together as AMERICANS regardless of our feelings and know we can and will be better! Thank you for your support."
Of course, not breaking the law didn't help John Crawford, Jordan Baker, 12-year-old Tamir Rice, or many of the other unarmed people of color killed by police over the past decade.
This shirt might as well say, "It's a White thing, you wouldn't understand," but Barthel thinks the "I Can't Breathe" t-shirts sported by marching protestors and NBA players are "confrontational," while his version is "uniting and positive."
A small handful of people in New York City might disagree with that outlook: