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?

It doesn’t really matter what I want. The reality is that Nazi sympathisers are in employment.

I actually don’t know any white people who aren’t racist when they are not at work, so the notion that anyone is going to go to work and not be constantly faced with people who are secretly harbouring racist views is pie in the sky.

The question is at what point does someone’s behaviour outside of work become grounds for getting sacked?

@Stripesgalore Why are you choosing to associate with racists?

Because I live in the U.K., a country that is mostly white, and it is impossible not to associate with white people, and white people are racist.

Imagine being a black co-worker of hers (or a co-worker of any colour) and seeing this video. Would you feel comfortable going into work?

Racism is not like some kind of weekend hobby. It can and should have ramifications for you in the workplace.

@Stripesgalore speak for yourself. I don't associate with anyone that is racist.

Are you saying that you are racist then?

Stripesgalore speak for yourself. I don't associate with anyone that is racist

Same

My flabber is gasted at people who keep asking why he was filming or saying he shouldn't have been filming...I mean really?

Dont act so naive! If there was no recording, no one would know about this incident and it would be this woman's word against his. It's not like he goes round randomly filming women Ffs!

Thank God for video recording in this day and age because solid proof has always been needed for cases, let alone one that involves black people or African-Americans. I would walk around with a body cam switched on all day everyday if I was black. And I'm look at you apologists too!

Unless they're interested in genealogy most white Americans don't know where in Europe their ancestors might have hailed from

Er -- are you American Umm? Most white Americans in my experience (I am American) do know their general background and will call themselves Irish American, German American, etc. They'll say, oh I'm half Polish, a quarter Irish, a quarter Italian. It's not about genealogy, it's about family traditions passed down, or living in a community founded by Swedes or Scots 100 years ago and knowing those are your roots too.

European American is meaningless in an American context. People want something more specific.

@Stripesgalore None of my white friends are racist, neither is my white boyfriend. People who associate with racists, homophobes, people who are sexist etc actively choose to associate themselves with like minded people.

Also, you cannot say African Americans can trace their genealogy just like white people can. I hope it's obvious why.

The question is at what point does someone’s behaviour outside of work become grounds for getting sacked?

How about we start with ‘trying to get a black man arrested or possibly even shot by the police for daring to ask me to follow a clearly signposted rule’ and go from there?

@dreamingbohemian
My focus was more on the fact that someone descended from enslaved persons doesn't necessarily NOT know which region of the continent their ancestors came from and so that is not a reason for the distinction in terminology. However, I know white Americans who do family research and proudly announce themselves to be Scottish, Dutch, whatever but they don't have any more of a tangible link to those cultures and societies than African Americans do to their African societies. So if I see a white American and don't know where their ancestors are from would it be wrong for me to say European American? Because if I am to say white American, then the equivalent would be black American, not African American.

Ultimately it's up to people what they want to be called.

I would not be keen on people saying European American to mean white American as a group because it implies that all European people (either now or at some point in the past) are white.

So do you all think she was faking being scared?

The first time I watched it I thought she looked terrified, and that was why she was yanking the dog about. The second time, I wasn't so sure.

But the man ordered her to put her dog on a lead, then offered the dog treats, then filmed her when she got upset. That's creepy and controlling behaviour.

Of course she shouldn't have told the police he was threatening her if she wasn't.

I think it's important to speak out whenever someone behaves in ways that are unacceptable. I ended a friendship with someone because of her blatant racism/Islamophobia on Facebook. We'd met at a mums and tots group when we both had DDs of 3 years of age, and we'd been meeting up regularly.

I deleted this friend on Facebook and sent her a text challenging her for her comments. She was unrepentant, so sadly that was the end of our friendship. I've no idea where she is now.

As far as the woman in this story is concerned, it's unlikely that she's racist when off work but not racist at work. So it's very likely that she's equally abusive towards African American colleagues. So she does deserve to lose her job if her employers find out about her behaviour. She also ought to be banned from owning pets in view of her cruelty to her own dog.

We can't do anything about this incident, as we don't know the people concerned, but we can call out racism and any other prejudices as and when we come across them.

You do know not every African is black right?

What is good for the goose....

@UmmH your posts make no sense. White Americans have enormous pride in their ancestry and will tell people they’re 1/8th Native American, etc, and I know some who went to work in Germany and France because of their roots.

A lot of Africans Americans just don’t have that. It’s part of why Mohammed Ali changed his name from Cassius Clay.

So do you all think she was faking being scared?

No, I think she got in a snit when someone challenged her. Mildly scared? Possibly - imo due to her own racist prejudice against black men. But legitimately frightened? I don't buy it.

I don’t think they were handing out boarding cards or keeping arrivals lists for the enslaved folk.

Many white people can trace genealogy through surnames, baptism, death, marriage certificates.

The enslaved were denied such record keeping. African-American surnames often come from the slavers/plantation or were adopted on freedom.

"Put your dog on a leash" will only warrant anger from shitheads who know what they're doing and can't be arsed to do the right thing.

People hate being filmed when they've been caught being shitheads. Of course she would be terrified because she knows the next thing it will lead to - exposed for being a shithead. Who knows if she would have put the dog on the leash if he hadn't brought out the camera or if she threatened to set the dog on him before he whipped out the camera.

It goes both ways, you know.

European American is meaningless in an American context. People want something more specific.
Africa is a massive CONTINENT.
If I went to America somebody on the street would say 'that African American lady'. I'm not American, but every black person is 'African American' to them. I still say it's bollocks.

Look at the absolute state of the 2nd post. Typical.

“Creepy and controlling behaviour”? Oh, give it a rest. The man was completely in the right to remind her that her dog should be on a lead, and filming her was a prudent thing to do.

Why do some people feel the need to defend racists at all costs? (Rhetorical question.)

George Floyd en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_George_Floyd - I won't post the video of his murder but an African-American man, was murdered in Minneapolis during an arrest, after a police officer knelt on Floyd's neck for over seven minutes - just yesterday. This is what Amy Cooper wanted to happen. This is a daily occurrence. This is white supremacy.

You do know not every African is black right?

What does this have to do with anything?