To hope this racist woman loses her job

[TildaKauskumholm]

twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920?s=19. Was appalled to see this video on Twitter - a guy in Central park, NYC, who was birdwatching, politely asked a woman to put her dog on the lead as per the regulation in that part of the park. He started filming it as she got abusive and called the cops, to say that she (white) and her dog were being threatened by an African-American man and could they send the police (as we know this can often result in a shooting).All the while she was holding her dog up by dangling it from its collar, half strangling it. The man left and his sister put the video on Twitter, resulting in the racist dog strangler being identified very quickly... she has a high powered job with an insurance company. The animal shelter took back the dog, and her company says she is on 'administrative leave' hopefully meaning she will get fired. I was really shocked and dismayed that such open racism is still going on, even though she was being filmed! Surely she must lose her job at least, what company would want to be linked to something like this?

If i was being threatened by a man who happened to be black I would call the police and say there is a black man threatening me. Exactly the same if there was a white man, a Middle Eastern man, a ginger man or a man with a scar or a glass eye. Because they are physical descriptors and would hopefully help with the identification and possible catching of the person who threatened me

But she wasn’t being threatened by a black man, was she? She was marching towards him (so much for being terrified...) and telling him that she was going to call the police and (lie to them) tell them that a black man was threatening her life (something he had never done) simply because he had politely asked her to obey the rules regarding her dog, and filmed the interaction for his own protection when she refused to do so.

She knew what she was doing. She knew she was calling upon America’s dangerous history of police murdering black men and woman because they perceive them as a threat. She knew she would be believed over him. She knew that she could endanger his life by playing the race card, and she did it without hesitation.

It’s truly chilling.

That's your opinion but it's only an opinion. You could just as well argue that it stirs up racial tensions

So people shouldn't call out racism, should let it slide in case it angers people?
Stuff that.

But seriously why do people have to film everything these days
For many African Americans, filming is the only way to be believed. Without Ahmaud Abery killing video -albeit not filmed by him - it would have been buried. Without bodycam of Atatiana Jefferson being shot in her own home, the case wouldn't have come to light. Without body cam stills of Botham Jean being shot a story justifying his killing would have been easier. Count yourself "lucky" that by virtue of your skin you don't have to justify jogging, sleeping in your own home, eating ice cream dozing on your sofa. Not that you care from the tone of your post

@changeitupagain she wasn’t being threatened. But she did threaten him before She called the police.

@totallyyesno calling out poor behaviour to black people could stir up racial tension? Ergo, everyone should stay silent as to not stir up racial hatred?

@changeitupagain
If a person was threatening you, you would say 'I'm going to tell the police that YOU are threatening me' not 'that an African American man is threatening me.' So what she said to police had nothing to do with giving a physical description. It was calculated and intentionally racist.

I read something the other day about how white women are only now kicking up a fuss about "Karen" because it applies to them. They weren't bothered when names like "Shaniqua" were being used as slurs against black women.

Calling the police and saying "there's an African American man threatening me" is not a legitimate description. Especially when it is precluded by her saying to the man "I am going to call the police and tell them there is an African American man threatening me".

She knows what weight that carries. She's trying to intimidate him.

It's a threat. Not a description.

Using someones skin tone as a descriptor can be legitimate and useful (i.e. Caucasian male, 6 foot, short blond hair, wearing a red jumper) but in no way is that what is happening in that video.

@Laaf80 That's a big leap. That's not what I said at all.

No it isn't. There is a difference between calling out racism and hounding one person to the point that people are sending them death threats and wishing to destroy their life. If you can't tell the difference that is extrememly worrying.

Funny how you’ve escalated ‘losing their job’ to ‘death threats’.

Can you give examples of any of these racists having been killed? Sad truth is, the black people they accused are more likely to be killed.

It’s not black people’s job to worry about death rates that racists receive.

It’s funny how the naysayers are not grateful for the filming saving the dog...

She is a total idiot from what I saw and deserves all she gets.

To those that are tying themselves in knots to justify her using the guys colour in the phone call....She’s in New York, she might need to be slightly more descriptive then “African American” if you honestly believe she said that in order to provide a description.

Not to mention that she told the guy she was going to say that. He is aware of his colour.

@totallyyesno so can you explain how you think this scenario can stir up racial tension? Who will be upset and why?

@totallyyesno
Laaf80 That's a big leap. That's not what I said at all

What did you mean then?
As it looks like me and Laaf80 cross posted and said basically the same thing.

This woman may well have felt threatened. Not saying the man was threatening her but doesn't mean she didn't feel threatened by the filming

And the obvious reaction if threatened and afraid is to march confidently up to them, casually choking your dog on the way, and threaten to report them by race to an armed police force in the US?

Rather than keep your distance and simply make a call?

Come on, people are bending themselves double to find an out for her, it doesn't work in this case.

@SharonasCorona Actually the death threats were mentioned elsewhere but yes, she has received death threats. As for examples, well there are hundreds of them, here is one example:

www.haaretz.com/.premium-suicide-by-facebook-shaming-1.5366184

My point is that public shaming can also have very serious consequences. If you attack someone in that way it goes beyond "pointing out racism". In the story I linked to above I'm sure many of those posting their horror at the story (that they didn't experience first hand or actually know about in any detail) would say they were just "calling out racism" but when hundreds of people do that in a public forum then yes, it can lead to suicide. Do you think that is acceptable?

What the actual fuck.

Of course this was racist. Of course this was malicious. And of course this was dangerous.

The police could have used excessive force, yes, up to and including shooting him, and that's the worst possible outcome. It's unlikely, but its possibility is blood curdling.

But what you don't seem to be realizing is that the far more likely outcomes are incredibly bad.

Maybe they come, and, using that tape as evidence, arrest him. Then he gets sent to Rikers while the case goes before the court; he probably gets bail, but by that point he has been in jail for 48 hours--a jail notorious for violence and also for its major Covid outbreak.

And that's assuming he gets set bail. Kalief Browder got sent to Rikers at 16 for allegedly stealing a backpack. Without bail, and with clogged courts, he was there for nearly 3 years, most of it in solitary (he got in fights, which is what happens when you're 16 and locked up). He got out, eventually, without ever being found guilty. He killed himself.

Or maybe they come, don't arrest him, but stand there questioning him while she cries and lies and he's terrified of either of the above happening, and he is diminished and belittled and doesn't feel safe in one of his favorite places in the world, and that from then on if he wants to go birdwatching he has to perform deference and be constantly on his guard lest this happen again. Because you know what? That's fucking bad too.

She was leveraging centuries of oppression to scare him. She was leveraging the entire history of lynching (cf, say, Emmett Till) to scare him. She was leveraging police violence to scare him.

And then she actually did it. She actually made the call--not just threatened to, but did it. My mouth went dry when she did that.

Anyone who doesn't understand all of this is willfully ignorant, at best, and more than a little racist. Go read a book, watch the news, and look inside of yourselves.

Fucking appalling.

They weren't bothered when names like "Shaniqua" were being used as slurs against black women.🙌

Classic white feminism.

That's your opinion but it's only an opinion. You could just as well argue that it stirs up racial tensions.

If your child is being bullied it’s very important not to mention it to the school in case it stirs up more bullying.

If your boss sexually harasses you it’s important not to call him out for it in case it stirs up more sexual harassment.

Do you realise how stupid this sounds?

So people shouldn't call out racism, should let it slide in case it angers people? Stuff that.

I think that (almost) everyone on this thread agrees that her behaviour was racist, and despicable.

At the same time, I think there is a legitimate question about the value of social shaming. Jon Ronson wrote a good book about it, and it's worth a read.

We all accept that racism exists in America and it is a serious, deadly problem. However, with social shaming, a mob can decide to focus all that revulsion about racism, onto a single person, who may deserve punishment, may not deserve to have their life ruined. What it does is make the mob feel good about itself, while at the same time, doing nothing (or practically nothing) to address structural racism.

You could just as well argue that it stirs up racial tensions
I'm just saying it's another opinion (and not one I necessarily agree with). You originally posted your opinion as if it were a clear fact. It's not.

You do understand the inherently sexist origins of the Karen meme? Used as a term of approbation by disgruntled white men when women were awarded custody

And even when arguably being prejudiced, it never occurred to anybody that the 'target' of the insult/name would actually stoop as low as trying to get people killed.

I think using a term defined as: generally characterized as an irritating, entitled woman, sometimes as an ex-wife who took custody of the kids is not a good look on Mumsnet, and has widely been decried as sexist and ageist, since it is mainly used against middle-aged women.

The Shaniqua meme is even worse. I would be shocked to see it used here.

I am also shocked at the sexist, ageist term Karen. I call it out.

Shame on you for defending it.

@totallyyesno any examples of people who have committed suicide after having been called for racism?

Racism is far more common and therefore has to be the priority.

This reminds me of women being encouraged not to report rape because it could harm the poor wittle menz career and life forever