Heroes stride among us. My nomination for that status is Jonathan Capehart. He writes columns for the Washington Post.

Jonathan bought the “hands up” claim in the Ferguson mess. You know, when the white cop shot the black teen. Lots of evidence suggested the teen acted stupidly. He attacked an officer in his patrol car. He grappled for his gun. He charged toward him again. As if to assault him again.

Ahh but some eye-witnesses claimed the teen was innocent. That he was holding his hands high, as in surrender, when the cop shot him. “Hands up, don’t shoot,” became the mantra for Al Sharpton. For Jesse Jackson. For Eric Holder in reality. He flooded Ferguson with federal agents to investigate. He and others focused on the teen’s plight. They acted as if they knew the cop was in the wrong. From the President on down there came an outpouring of sympathy for the teen. Most of it stemmed from the belief he was innocent.

As you know, the race-baiters incited mobs to riot. The rioters burned buildings. They threatened lives. Demonstrations swept the country. Sharpton led marchers. A loon murdered two innocent officers in New York. He sought revenge for Ferguson. Another loon just gunned down two Ferguson policemen

Hollywood and TV stars lambasted the cop. Even pro athletes got in on the act. None of them believed the grand jury did right when it brought no charges.

Holder’s Justice Department was clearly under pressure. To find the cop’s story was false. It recently released its report. It found the opposite. It found the Ferguson police department could do a much better job in dealing with minorities. That is what captured the headlines. Because the department and mainstream media wanted to divert attention from the rest of the report.

The rest of the report said the “hand’s up, don’t shoot” narrative was totally false. It said several witnesses admitted they had lied on the teen’s behalf. Other witnesses backed up the policeman’s account.

After he read the report Jonathan wrote an apology to his readers. He wrote that the whole Ferguson movement was “wrong, built on a lie.” He wrote that he faced up to two truths: Brown never surrendered with his hands up. And the officer was justified in shooting the teen.

Have you seen any apologies from Eric Holder? From the President? From Al Sharpton? Or Jesse Jackson? From anyone in big media? Have any pro athletes or Hollywood stars offered apologies?

Why should they bother? They should because they helped fuel a disgusting series of riots. They should because they helped drive a further wedge between blacks and whites in America. They should because they encouraged black Americans to further distrust the justice system.

Millions will never read the Justice Department’s findings on the killing. Because big media downplayed them. While they played up other parts of the report. Big media were too embarrassed to apologize.

Eric Holder is spineless. He should have said “We were prejudiced from the start. We assumed the officer lied. We assumed the teen was in the right. We assumed a white policeman’s prejudice against blacks caused him to kill a black teen. Our assumptions and actions inspired blacks to cause a lot of trouble and ruin. I apologize for what we did. We were wrong.”

For most of us the six most difficult words to speak are “I was wrong. I am sorry.” To a spouse after an argument. To our kids. To people with whom we have argued. We just cannot spit out those words. Our leaders have the same problem.

Jonathan Capehart wrote those words. For all the world to read. He is a hero in my book. I will tend to believe anything further he writes. Because he admitted he made a mistake. I find it hard to believe anything else our leaders say. Because they could not admit they were wrong.

By the way, Capehart is black. That should not make a difference. It does, of course. Because his apology will draw the wrath of many people who will brand him an Uncle Tom.

Good for you, Jonathan. America deserves more people with your courage.

From Tom...as in Morgan.