Slippery Slope...Part MCMVXII

Everybody Needs To Get A Grip...


I've been following this story for the past week or so now:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100320/ap_on_bi_ge/us_wal_mart_racial_comment

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. – A 16-year-old boy who police said made an announcement at Walmart ordering all black people in the southern New Jersey store to leave was charged with harassment and bias intimidation, authorities said Saturday.

The boy, whose name is not being released because he is a juvenile, grabbed one of the courtesy phones at Walmart's Washington Township store Sunday evening and calmly announced: "Attention, Walmart customers: All black people, leave the store now," police said.

The teen was arrested Friday and released to the custody of his parents; police did not know whether he had a lawyer.

"This was an extremely disturbing event on many levels," Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean Dalton said at a news conference. "Any statements like these that can cause harm or grave concern must be addressed as quickly we possibly can."

Dalton said the case would be handled in juvenile court in neighboring Atlantic County, where the boy lives. He would not say whether the boy has a criminal record, citing the teen's age, and would not disclose the teen's race, saying that did not factor into the investigation.

The 16-year-old has been charged with harassment and bias intimidation.


and I've stood it as long as I can stand it remaining silent.

Say that you're a middle aged dumpy, ever greying, ever balding, more than a little off of your fighting weight white dude, and you're walking through a Best Buy or Food City minding your own business.

Then say that suddenly you hear the in-store intercom crackle to life and someone then proceeds to blither out something like "all you angry old Anglo/European/American white bastards need to leave the building right now."

What would you do if you were an angry old Anglo/European/American white bastard?

Well, speaking from the position of having some inside knowledge of the ever growing minority of people with (ever shrinking) testicles looking at things from that perspective, I, personally, would assume that there was some idiot in the store...employee or not...which had gotten ahold of the PA system and two seconds later I'd turn my head and continue on my way looking at USB cables or Micro SD memory cards or possibly for a good deal on boneless chicken breasts.

Then by the grace of God I might actually manage to remember the (non)event long enough to recount it to some of my friends and family...that there was some idiot in a store last week... and I might blog about it, but most likely I'd forget the (non)event long before I had time to call the police and file a report and demand legal action.

Pretty simple, huh?

But TODAY, in the year 2010, in the cracks and crevasses of our once great Republic (not Democracy) if the EXACT same thing happens at WalMart...bastion of government liberal/progressive/socialist and Union Leader hatred (sorry for the redundancy) nation wide...

if the people/persons...the so-called "victims" of the perceived public slight/insult/or otherwise general racially induced commentary... happens to be a member of a Government/societal protected race/class of citizens, the managers and so-called "authorities" are apparently forced to run around like their hair is on fire, conduct an expensive government witch hunt, and in this case manage to find and lock up a 16 year old kid...and after much public indignation and hoopla...proceed to PROSECUTE HIM for something loosely called "harassment and Bias."

What the $#@! is this teaching the American people?

...and who the *$%# are passing these laws in the first place?

Dammit Ladies and Gentlemen, someone--a kid...probably a white male else there'd be no story here...acted in a socially unacceptable and boorish manner, but locking the stupid little bastard up and trying him in juvenile court?

Pluuuuuuuease...

Let the little shit-head finish growing up and let him keep acting this way and doing this kind of ignorant crap, and then let him go to trade school college and find out that he isn't invited to join a fraternity, and when he buys his first trailer moves in to a neighborhood with a clubhouse and home owner's association let him find that he and his wife get left off of all of the Christmas party guest lists, but don't LOCK THE IDIOT UP for picking up a phone and talking for five seconds.

He didn't yell "FIRE" and cause a stampede...

He was just young and stupid and and I guarandamtee you if ANYONE else of any other RACE/GENDER had done the exact same thing there'd be no NEWS STORY here.

Was it WRONG?

Yes...absolutely YES.

But was it CRIMINAL?

You decide for yourself, but you know where I stand here...

Is it just me?