I do… all too well; see my initial comment upthread.
4 Likes
If I may ask, do you mean the Root isn’t culturally relevant? Or some other problem with it? Your wording was ambiguous.
7 Likes
And i saw this as i was reading those:
6 Likes
Nah, I agree with Shuck. Public shaming is pretty much the only thing that will change the behaviour of other racists.
I live in the political jurisdiction with the lowest smoking rate in North America (except Utah). That didn’t happen because of the science about lung cancer, or the extra taxes on cigarettes, or the package warnings. It happened because smoking makes you a social pariah. It’s a pain in the ass. Can’t do it in restaurants, bars, office buildings, within 6 metres of the doors to the office building. You’re an outcast. Take away the social acceptability, people stop doing it.
You can’t fix a racist. But you can stop racists from acting racist, because when society stands up and makes it collectively clear that if you act like a racist then you will be publicly shamed, cast out, branded forever as an asshole, and doomed to die bitter and alone, then people change their behaviour. Do it enough, eventually there’s nobody left to learn how to be a racist from, just like there’s nobody left in my area to hand you your first cigarette.
10 Likes
Racism = prejudice + power.
There’s been too much focus on the prejudice and not enough on the power [1].
.
[1] Because framing the problem as an individualistic psychological issue does not demand responses that threaten the existing wealth/power status quo.
15 Likes
If you get familiar with the site, you’ll see that they write about every time something like this happens. So if something like this happens, it will be on theroot, that’s why I say it’s immaterial to the discussion. I used to read the site every day, but now I can only take it in small doses. It’s gawkers snarky, outrage-culture but for brown people. Too much negativity for me, but every now and again they have some good stuff. Personally, I can only read so much. Going to work with a chip on shoulder, angry at the white man is not how I want to live.
TL;DR Of my other response- I don’t think it’s a big deal that they wrote about it, that’s kind of what they focus on.
It’s like saying faux news aired another drumpf-is-great story
I’m betting that he wasn’t necessarily afraid that she’d directly harm him (but the gun theory is a good one). If I were him I’d be worried that as soon as the cops left, she’d go back in her house, smack herself with something blunt a couple of times, then call the cops back claiming that he assaulted her as soon as they left. I’m betting that he wants them there as witnesses for whatever f-ed up stuff she may do.
9 Likes
I’m not anything like a lawyer, but here’s how I see it as a layman, and why it seems we probably need something more:
Calling the police is not the same as actually filing a report, though it may lead to that. And from the link: “It isn’t enough for a person to supply the police with misinformation as the result of a simple mistake or error.” That sounds like an easy defense. 
Another possibility would be verbal assault, which requires “threats that place you in fear of danger or harm”. Regardless of how real that fear may be when an asshole behaving erratically calls the cops on you, it might be tough to convince the legal system that dealing with them places you in fear of danger.
Another would be harassment, but again without evidence of criminal intent, a prosecutor might just drop it instead of bringing charges.
Basically, the system is set up to assume that being threatened, harassed, swarmed by heavily-armed police, detained for hours while accused and threatened until you can prove your innocence (or they get bored), is nothing more than a minor inconvenience like a parking ticket and you should be fine with it if you’re a good citizen.
When some random erratically-behaving stranger acting belligerent and threatening suddenly attacks you for no reason, it’s quite reasonable to assume that they may not be entirely harmless, even if they look weak and don’t have a gun.
The situations are bad, but that writing…
4 Likes
latest entry in the incredibly long list of why I’m glad I don’t live in America and never want to go there. Sorry to be harsh - I know all countries have their problems and the US is a big place, but something like this would be a national scandal in most other places
4 Likes
Devious but plausible. I doubt the old lady had the brains to be that devious, though. But I can see the possibility.
White people weaponising false claims of assault is not at all uncommon. For today’s most obvious example:
https://twitter.com/mochaislandgirl/status/996972265769074689?s=21
Or for some infamous history:
11 Likes
Point taken.
When I said ‘I see the possibility’ I should have said ‘forgive me, I’m British and these things are beyond my experience’. 
2 Likes
Re the white dude getting mad about people speaking Spanish:
It is apparently this guy:
Yup - looks like him.
Note the top right corner of the website 
5 Likes
OMG, they include spanish in their languages! WTF!
8 Likes
Well, it would never do to turn money away, would it?
5 Likes
4 Likes
Reminded me of this, which I saw last weekend.
Maybe he is fine with Spanish but dislikes Spainish.
Funnily enough, the old rule about drawing attention to typos is applied. They misspelled sight and went with site (although I suppose the place they painted it did become an embarrassing site too).
(Edited to avoid perpetuating the ‘calling attention to typos begets typos’ rule)
1 Like
