The “Monkey” Kills Journalist In VA: Virginia Shooting Indicative Of Black Community Tiring Of Being Picked On

How often in the American public do you see the kind of explosive behavior that transpired in Roanoke Virginia yesterday, where a disgruntled former news reporter (a black man) went off the deep end and killed two of his former colleagues? Like me, I’m sure most can’t recall such a fiasco in recent memory. It’s perhaps one of the most tragic stories involving journalist we’ve seen. The killing of young Allison Parker (24) and Adam Ward (27) will undoubtedly go down as one of the most shocking murders ever captured, because the pair of television journalist were actually killed on live T.V.

The shooter Vester L. Flanagan who also goes by the “on air” handle of Bryce Williams, had been fired from WBDJ channel 7 over two and a half years ago. Flanagan who later took his own life with a single gunshot, left an apparent “manifesto” describing somewhat of a motive, explaining why he took such action that resulted in the killing of two news reporters.  He claims to have been harassed by co-workers racially, and for being gay. It’s a claim that his former employers say was unfounded. Williams had a level of a long series of complaints against co-workers nearly from the beginning of employment at the TV station, his former boss told CNN.

Dan Dennison told CNN affiliate KHNL in Honolulu that he was the news director who hired Williams at WBDJ in 2012 and then fired him the following year, mostly for performance issues. Dennison said he didn’t want to share too many details of the firing, but said it was the toughest termination decision he’d ever handled and that police had to be called to escort Williams out of the building. Later, Williams filed a discrimination claim with the EEOC, alleging harassment in the workplace. Dennison said “we did a thorough investigation and could find no evidence that anyone had racially discriminated against this man.” Additionally, William’s EEOC case was eventually determined to be unfounded.

It’s tough to watch the news about this disturbing case, when we consider that this all degenerated from such a professional work environment. Despite the daunting news coverage of this story that basically paints Williams as an angry black man with poor social and journalism skills, it’s clear that something was deeply disturbing him, and ultimately exacerbated into the horrible tragedy that unfolded in the town of Roanoke early yesterday morning. We have seen countless times in this country where disgruntled employees return with vengeance against their former employers or co-workers. Hence, a culture more commonly associated with U.S. Postal Employees, and also where the cliche “going postal” derived from.

America’s own history related to workplace violence teaches us that the killers return in revenge, and whether their purported motives are predicated on legitimate claims of somehow being wronged by others, there is typically some degree of veracity entailed in what led up to their explosive behavior. While The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is the federal “watchdog” agency that regulates discrimination in the workplace, its standards for determining grounds for action in most discrimination claims filed with the agency, are very exacting related to the qualifying elements necessary to validate the existence of discriminatory practices in the workplace. (i.e. a case being unfounded, simply means that it has been unproven, not necessarily an indication that it never occurred)

William’s case at least,  seems to indicate that something was brewing by his former manager’s own admission. Typically when complaints are being lodged for harassment in the workplace, if the individual making such assertion isn’t well liked within the job community, the investigative process may be more difficult to establish the authenticity of harassment claims. This raises serious interest in what the station’s administration may have done to determine if such behavior actually existed within the company’s work environment. For example:

1. Thoroughly investigate such claims Williams made by burrowing through the usually and deep rooted troughs of sub cultural allegiances that often exist among co-workers in the workplace who hold similar ideals.

2. Taking measures to insure such actions doesn’t occur by requiring employees to revisit company policies, and instituting on the job in service training related to diversity tolerance, and it’s regulations pertaining to work place harassment.

It’s very  uncomplicated to simply spin a story in the media about a guy who co-workers say was just a bad person, and that’s the actual reason he committed such a heinous crime by killing two people without provocation. However, even with the magnitude of violence within the American society today, such a fundamental perspective on why angry people kill is simply not very credible at all. I am no fool and when tragedies like this occur with the discovery being made later on that there was a history of trouble between the perpetrator (Williams) and others in the workplace, it kind of elicits the thought that perhaps it all could have been avoided. I’m personally of the belief that where there is smoke, there is usually fire.

No one could ever successfully argue that Williams was justified for killing these young professionals over workplace harassment, but his actions appear to have developed over the premise of having been harassed racially, and sexually by his co-workers. Now barring Williams suffering from some psychological condition that resulted in such violent behavior by him, at the very minimum something had to have occurred that created his thought process and personal belief of having been discriminated against. We’ll hear all sorts of commentary within the media on what Williams did, and it’s simply very disturbing, and also a huge assuagement that he won’t ever be capable of committing such a terrible crime against another person ever again. Yet, there probably won’t be a minuscule of discourse regarding how society can prevent this from ever happening again.

I am not trying to take away from the tragedy, horror, and grief the victim’s families are enduring. I am rather compelled to address the insidious tactics by American media, to simply dismiss this man’s (Williams) actions as just a classic “nut job” case by an angry black person. Something happened among these people that appear to have derived from racism. The “manifesto” that Williams left is an indicator for most objective thinking people, who are independent thinkers that refuse to accept the often bias news reporting of corporate media outlets who craft narratives pertaining to stories that fit their agenda. Perhaps my argument here could be considered insensitive. That’s not my intentions here.

I just know through practical knowledge in the workplace, how there has always been an unwritten kind of policy, that sort of established a predilection of whites as the benign or propitious employees of the work community by management, regardless of job knowledge, skill, and seemingly only affirmed based on their ethnicity. Often times when blacks reject such culture in the workplace or assert their personal disdain for certain conduct, they are often ostracized and labeled as being difficult to work with. The illusion that the media is trying to create by painting Williams as a trouble maker who created false stories about discrimination and harassment in the workplace is insulting, disparaging, and repulsive to anyone with common sense.

Racism and stories of prejudice are extremely pervasive during our time, and I find it very disingenuous for media outlets to only be focusing  on part of the story. The constant spin or theme of this story only highlighting the aftermath of a classic case where social deficiencies degenerated into violence in the American workplace, is not only a disservice to the public but it also enables the kind of behavior that creates a platform for harassment and violence to exist in our society. Furthermore, what if Bryce Williams was telling the truth, suffered discrimination based on his race and sexuality in the workplace, and actually was called a “monkey” on the job? As a society do we ignore the behavior that pushed this human being to the brink of fatal violence and ultimate self destruction?

With all of the protest going on around this nation, there are still elements and sub cultures within our society that just don’t get it. I refuse to believe that these victims were completely innocent of wrongdoing in this case, and suffered such a violent death at the hands of a crazed gunman. I can’t help but wonder what the mumbling and discourse are like at the television station’s water  cooler today. I am certain that the memory of Bryce Williams isn’t  being characterized as  a “monkey” anymore. In fact, I believe some of the very people he may have reviled, are in utter shock over how he accomplished exactly what he intend to, and made an impression (good or bad) on society that certifies the potential result of our failure as a society, to diligently administer regulations pertaining to intolerance, contemptuousness, and illiberality in the workplace.

The People’s Champion
I’m Crime Writer David B. Adams

Sources: CNN

David Adams

David B. Adams grew up in the Highlandtown section of Baltimore's southeast district and is his parent's youngest child. He experienced pervasive poverty, which taught him humility and compassion for the plight of others. His exposure to violence and gritty urban life were some of his early lessons of life's many hardships. Adams credits the upheavals he endured during his conformity with helping to shape the foundation of his outlook and perspectives on society. With a steadfast commitment to giving voice to the voiceless, Adams is a journalist, crime writer, and blogger renowned for tireless investigative journalism and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations. As founder and administrator of The People's Champion, Adams sheds light on critical social issues, championing the rights of: - Homeless individuals - Victims of violent crime and their families - Wrongfully convicted individuals - Missing and exploited children; Additionally, he is a seasoned investigative reporter, Adams has earned recognition for relentless pursuit of truth and justice. With a strong national and global focus, on inspiring meaningful change and crucial conversations impacting all of humanity.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

How often in the American public do you see the kind of explosive behavior that transpired in Roanoke Virginia yesterday, where a disgruntled former news reporter (a black man) went off the deep end and killed two of his former colleagues? Like me, I’m sure most can’t recall such a fiasco in recent memory. It’s perhaps one of the most tragic stories involving journalist we’ve seen. The killing of young Allison Parker (24) and Adam Ward (27) will undoubtedly go down as one of the most shocking murders ever captured, because the pair of television journalist were actually killed on live T.V.

The shooter Vester L. Flanagan who also goes by the “on air” handle of Bryce Williams, had been fired from WBDJ channel 7 over two and a half years ago. Flanagan who later took his own life with a single gunshot, left an apparent “manifesto” describing somewhat of a motive, explaining why he took such action that resulted in the killing of two news reporters.  He claims to have been harassed by co-workers racially, and for being gay. It’s a claim that his former employers say was unfounded. Williams had a level of a long series of complaints against co-workers nearly from the beginning of employment at the TV station, his former boss told CNN.

Dan Dennison told CNN affiliate KHNL in Honolulu that he was the news director who hired Williams at WBDJ in 2012 and then fired him the following year, mostly for performance issues. Dennison said he didn’t want to share too many details of the firing, but said it was the toughest termination decision he’d ever handled and that police had to be called to escort Williams out of the building. Later, Williams filed a discrimination claim with the EEOC, alleging harassment in the workplace. Dennison said “we did a thorough investigation and could find no evidence that anyone had racially discriminated against this man.” Additionally, William’s EEOC case was eventually determined to be unfounded.

It’s tough to watch the news about this disturbing case, when we consider that this all degenerated from such a professional work environment. Despite the daunting news coverage of this story that basically paints Williams as an angry black man with poor social and journalism skills, it’s clear that something was deeply disturbing him, and ultimately exacerbated into the horrible tragedy that unfolded in the town of Roanoke early yesterday morning. We have seen countless times in this country where disgruntled employees return with vengeance against their former employers or co-workers. Hence, a culture more commonly associated with U.S. Postal Employees, and also where the cliche “going postal” derived from.

America’s own history related to workplace violence teaches us that the killers return in revenge, and whether their purported motives are predicated on legitimate claims of somehow being wronged by others, there is typically some degree of veracity entailed in what led up to their explosive behavior. While The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is the federal “watchdog” agency that regulates discrimination in the workplace, its standards for determining grounds for action in most discrimination claims filed with the agency, are very exacting related to the qualifying elements necessary to validate the existence of discriminatory practices in the workplace. (i.e. a case being unfounded, simply means that it has been unproven, not necessarily an indication that it never occurred)

William’s case at least,  seems to indicate that something was brewing by his former manager’s own admission. Typically when complaints are being lodged for harassment in the workplace, if the individual making such assertion isn’t well liked within the job community, the investigative process may be more difficult to establish the authenticity of harassment claims. This raises serious interest in what the station’s administration may have done to determine if such behavior actually existed within the company’s work environment. For example:

1. Thoroughly investigate such claims Williams made by burrowing through the usually and deep rooted troughs of sub cultural allegiances that often exist among co-workers in the workplace who hold similar ideals.

2. Taking measures to insure such actions doesn’t occur by requiring employees to revisit company policies, and instituting on the job in service training related to diversity tolerance, and it’s regulations pertaining to work place harassment.

It’s very  uncomplicated to simply spin a story in the media about a guy who co-workers say was just a bad person, and that’s the actual reason he committed such a heinous crime by killing two people without provocation. However, even with the magnitude of violence within the American society today, such a fundamental perspective on why angry people kill is simply not very credible at all. I am no fool and when tragedies like this occur with the discovery being made later on that there was a history of trouble between the perpetrator (Williams) and others in the workplace, it kind of elicits the thought that perhaps it all could have been avoided. I’m personally of the belief that where there is smoke, there is usually fire.

No one could ever successfully argue that Williams was justified for killing these young professionals over workplace harassment, but his actions appear to have developed over the premise of having been harassed racially, and sexually by his co-workers. Now barring Williams suffering from some psychological condition that resulted in such violent behavior by him, at the very minimum something had to have occurred that created his thought process and personal belief of having been discriminated against. We’ll hear all sorts of commentary within the media on what Williams did, and it’s simply very disturbing, and also a huge assuagement that he won’t ever be capable of committing such a terrible crime against another person ever again. Yet, there probably won’t be a minuscule of discourse regarding how society can prevent this from ever happening again.

I am not trying to take away from the tragedy, horror, and grief the victim’s families are enduring. I am rather compelled to address the insidious tactics by American media, to simply dismiss this man’s (Williams) actions as just a classic “nut job” case by an angry black person. Something happened among these people that appear to have derived from racism. The “manifesto” that Williams left is an indicator for most objective thinking people, who are independent thinkers that refuse to accept the often bias news reporting of corporate media outlets who craft narratives pertaining to stories that fit their agenda. Perhaps my argument here could be considered insensitive. That’s not my intentions here.

I just know through practical knowledge in the workplace, how there has always been an unwritten kind of policy, that sort of established a predilection of whites as the benign or propitious employees of the work community by management, regardless of job knowledge, skill, and seemingly only affirmed based on their ethnicity. Often times when blacks reject such culture in the workplace or assert their personal disdain for certain conduct, they are often ostracized and labeled as being difficult to work with. The illusion that the media is trying to create by painting Williams as a trouble maker who created false stories about discrimination and harassment in the workplace is insulting, disparaging, and repulsive to anyone with common sense.

Racism and stories of prejudice are extremely pervasive during our time, and I find it very disingenuous for media outlets to only be focusing  on part of the story. The constant spin or theme of this story only highlighting the aftermath of a classic case where social deficiencies degenerated into violence in the American workplace, is not only a disservice to the public but it also enables the kind of behavior that creates a platform for harassment and violence to exist in our society. Furthermore, what if Bryce Williams was telling the truth, suffered discrimination based on his race and sexuality in the workplace, and actually was called a “monkey” on the job? As a society do we ignore the behavior that pushed this human being to the brink of fatal violence and ultimate self destruction?

With all of the protest going on around this nation, there are still elements and sub cultures within our society that just don’t get it. I refuse to believe that these victims were completely innocent of wrongdoing in this case, and suffered such a violent death at the hands of a crazed gunman. I can’t help but wonder what the mumbling and discourse are like at the television station’s water  cooler today. I am certain that the memory of Bryce Williams isn’t  being characterized as  a “monkey” anymore. In fact, I believe some of the very people he may have reviled, are in utter shock over how he accomplished exactly what he intend to, and made an impression (good or bad) on society that certifies the potential result of our failure as a society, to diligently administer regulations pertaining to intolerance, contemptuousness, and illiberality in the workplace.

 

 

The People’s Champion
I’m Crime Writer David B. Adams

Sources: CNN

David Adams

David B. Adams grew up in the Highlandtown section of Baltimore's southeast district and is his parent's youngest child. He experienced pervasive poverty, which taught him humility and compassion for the plight of others. His exposure to violence and gritty urban life were some of his early lessons of life's many hardships. Adams credits the upheavals he endured during his conformity with helping to shape the foundation of his outlook and perspectives on society. With a steadfast commitment to giving voice to the voiceless, Adams is a journalist, crime writer, and blogger renowned for tireless investigative journalism and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations. As founder and administrator of The People's Champion, Adams sheds light on critical social issues, championing the rights of: - Homeless individuals - Victims of violent crime and their families - Wrongfully convicted individuals - Missing and exploited children; Additionally, he is a seasoned investigative reporter, Adams has earned recognition for relentless pursuit of truth and justice. With a strong national and global focus, on inspiring meaningful change and crucial conversations impacting all of humanity.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

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