Racist Dog walker in America

Penny Less

Penny Less

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Have you seen the story about the american woman dog walker and bird watcher ? Dont know how to do link but its been on the BBC and also on Twitter etc. Horrible woman she could have got the man shot,she was quite aware of what she was doing
 
I can't fathom being so annoyed at someone requesting you follow the rules you don't notice you are strangling your dog until it manages to squeal at you.
 
That is a genuinely shocking video. Anxiety is no excuse for racism, and it's definitely no excuse for play acting down the phone while strangling your dog. She could have got that man killed, and she's lucky her dog didn't really go for her, that poor thing. Really upsetting all round!

I'm not surprised she's lost her job. I know many believe that the internet blows consequences out of proportion, but as an employer, how could you look at that video and let her continue to work in your organisation? How could you look your African American employees in the eye? Her hideous actions put others in terrible situations.
 
As much as what she did was (very) wrong and VERY dangerous for that poor man (disgusting that you have to fear for your life because of your skin colour) where do you draw the line?

She is all over the media, public apology in CNN, fired, lost her dog and the media are appealing for anyone who knows her to contact them.

What outcome do they want? Should she be driven to suicide? What happened to all the Be Kind preaching? Yes I'm aware what she did wasnt kind but apparently two wrongs dont make a right...

The man in question posted his transcript of their interaction. It went along the lines of:
Man- please put your dog on its lead
Woman - no he needs exercise and dog parks are closed
M- well take him to other side of the drive where its allowed off lead
W- no it's too dangerous there
M- look.ypu do what you want to do and I'll do what I want to.do but you're not going to like that
W-whats that?
M- come here puppy (takes treat out of pocket that he claims.to Carry for instances like this)

In that situation I wouldnt have had my dog off the lead. If I did and shouldn't have I'd have out the lead on and been on my way. For apparently self entitled/above the law reasons this woman doesnt and engages in an argument. She is in the wrong but I have to say if a man, of any colour, said to me that they were going to do what they wanted and I wouldn't like it I would be scared. If the man then tried to entice my dog to them I would be even more scared (but would hopefully have a trained recall!).

100% she is in the wrong to phone the police because the man was black. She was also wrong to knowingly have the dog off the lead as that was the catalyst.

But maybe she was genuinely scared when he said (his transcript) that he was going to do what he wanted and she woulsnt like it. Maybe she was genuinely scared and that's why she wasnt focusing on the dog and perhaps her grip on the dog was because she was scared what the man would do if the dog got loose.

Again just to reiterate racism is disgustingly wrong, she should never have used the mans skin colour as a reason to call the police and her dog should have been on a lead but now what? What is the desired outcome? Is she going to be tomorrows headline because of a suicide? Will people be happy then?
 
In all honesty, I think she should (could?) face criminal charges, she either (worst case) wanted the police to show up and there be an altercation, or she wanted him to be afraid at the very least. She didn't do anything to extract herself from the situation, and he wasn't being aggressive.

Police officers (white, obviously) killed an unarmed black man today https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-52806572

It's all well and good us chatting about be kind and whatever whenever white women continue to weaponise their white feminity against black men, where was her be kind? Where was the kindness for Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Stephen Lawrence etc.

Be a racist, face the consequences.

Obviously I won't be happy if she died, I wont be happy that she's fired or in jail. I'll be happy when people stop being absolutely awful.
 
TPO said:
As much as what she did was (very) wrong and VERY dangerous for that poor man (disgusting that you have to fear for your life because of your skin colour) where do you draw the line?

She is all over the media, public apology in CNN, fired, lost her dog and the media are appealing for anyone who knows her to contact them.

What outcome do they want? Should she be driven to suicide? What happened to all the Be Kind preaching? Yes I'm aware what she did wasnt kind but apparently two wrongs dont make a right...

The man in question posted his transcript of their interaction. It went along the lines of:
Man- please put your dog on its lead
Woman - no he needs exercise and dog parks are closed
M- well take him to other side of the drive where its allowed off lead
W- no it's too dangerous there
M- look.ypu do what you want to do and I'll do what I want to.do but you're not going to like that
W-whats that?
M- come here puppy (takes treat out of pocket that he claims.to Carry for instances like this)

In that situation I wouldnt have had my dog off the lead. If I did and shouldn't have I'd have out the lead on and been on my way. For apparently self entitled/above the law reasons this woman doesnt and engages in an argument. She is in the wrong but I have to say if a man, of any colour, said to me that they were going to do what they wanted and I wouldn't like it I would be scared. If the man then tried to entice my dog to them I would be even more scared (but would hopefully have a trained recall!).

100% she is in the wrong to phone the police because the man was black. She was also wrong to knowingly have the dog off the lead as that was the catalyst.

But maybe she was genuinely scared when he said (his transcript) that he was going to do what he wanted and she woulsnt like it. Maybe she was genuinely scared and that's why she wasnt focusing on the dog and perhaps her grip on the dog was because she was scared what the man would do if the dog got loose.

Again just to reiterate racism is disgustingly wrong, she should never have used the mans skin colour as a reason to call the police and her dog should have been on a lead but now what? What is the desired outcome? Is she going to be tomorrows headline because of a suicide? Will people be happy then?
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But what do you think her employers should do? They are a firm based in NYC, there's no way they only employ white people, although that would probably quite quickly be the case if they hadn't acted. Firms couldn't pretend to be non-racist employers if they are presented with evidence like this and continue to employ the person.

Obviously no one wants to drive someone to suicide, and in a few days this will all be over and I hope she'll be left to pick up the pieces of her life. But I guarantee you that if this hadn't been posted on the internet, she would have left that confrontation thinking she was in the right. That's what scares me.

To reiterate, being scared is no excuse to be racist. You justify her behaviour and then say that racism is wrong. You can't do both.
 
I think the context is very important, a pretty much exact replication of the interaction in the UK would still be pretty aggressive on her part, but honestly America is insanity with this right now. I'll try and find the link but there was an African American woman who called the police because she was being burgled, the police showed up and shot her. That's the context in which she (dog lady) was threatening him. So really I think she deserves everything she's had.
 
I absolutely agree that racism is never acceptable and there should be consequences for her very wrong actions. In no way at all am I defending her or her actions.

I'm just questioning where the line is. People online are literally baying for her blood and it's not much of a reach to imagine someone who has went viral for a very bad reason, lost their job and dog might consider ending their life.

Equally the man's day could have ended the same way it ends for numerous people who's only "fault" is being black in a racist society. America terrifies me and I cant begin to imagine life as anyone who isnt white living there. There are so many examples of police brutality and racism.

I just despair of what the world is coming to. Yes there should be consequences for this woman but what is enough? It's fine us saying that it will blow over but not having a job and being pretty unemployable wont. I'm not saying she didnt bring it on herself (she clearly did) but in her position I'd struggle to see a way out right now...
 
TPO said:
As much as what she did was (very) wrong and VERY dangerous for that poor man (disgusting that you have to fear for your life because of your skin colour) where do you draw the line?

She is all over the media, public apology in CNN, fired, lost her dog and the media are appealing for anyone who knows her to contact them.

What outcome do they want? Should she be driven to suicide? What happened to all the Be Kind preaching? Yes I'm aware what she did wasnt kind but apparently two wrongs dont make a right...

The man in question posted his transcript of their interaction. It went along the lines of:
Man- please put your dog on its lead
Woman - no he needs exercise and dog parks are closed
M- well take him to other side of the drive where its allowed off lead
W- no it's too dangerous there
M- look.ypu do what you want to do and I'll do what I want to.do but you're not going to like that
W-whats that?
M- come here puppy (takes treat out of pocket that he claims.to Carry for instances like this)

In that situation I wouldnt have had my dog off the lead. If I did and shouldn't have I'd have out the lead on and been on my way. For apparently self entitled/above the law reasons this woman doesnt and engages in an argument. She is in the wrong but I have to say if a man, of any colour, said to me that they were going to do what they wanted and I wouldn't like it I would be scared. If the man then tried to entice my dog to them I would be even more scared (but would hopefully have a trained recall!).

100% she is in the wrong to phone the police because the man was black. She was also wrong to knowingly have the dog off the lead as that was the catalyst.

But maybe she was genuinely scared when he said (his transcript) that he was going to do what he wanted and she woulsnt like it. Maybe she was genuinely scared and that's why she wasnt focusing on the dog and perhaps her grip on the dog was because she was scared what the man would do if the dog got loose.

Again just to reiterate racism is disgustingly wrong, she should never have used the mans skin colour as a reason to call the police and her dog should have been on a lead but now what? What is the desired outcome? Is she going to be tomorrows headline because of a suicide? Will people be happy then?
Click to expand...

Not that I agree entirely, especially with the other video doing the rounds, a friend of mine has written about this incident and said that they both suck and are two sides of the same entitled coin (apparently there are lots of clashes in CP between various users) and the guy has said he carries dog treats because of such 'intransigence'.

Friend is a black New Yorker, FWIW.
 
Yeah, I think it's probably a combination of the Internet can be a cesspit (not HHO obvs ?) and you can say the more extreme versions of your thoughts with limited come back, and aspects of voicing a frustration that she won't actually face any legal action etc.
 
Lose her job, yes. Criminal action against her, maybe.

I don't however think she realised she was hanging her dog. I think she was caught up in the moment. Apparently she had had the dog a few years and got him as a rescue. She was out walking him. I don't think removing the dog was fair.
 
I'm afraid I have no sympathy for her (and I am a very sympathetic person), America is a whole different world and she certainly endangered his life by calling the police and lying, the whole drama and the voice about being threatened by the "African American", she knew exactly what she was doing and I dont't believe for one minute she was frightened, she even approached the guy at the start so she wasnt frightened of him.

Anyone that thinks they are better than someone else because of the colour of their skin is a complete scumbag. Absolutely hate racism, there is no place for it in this world and I just don't get it.

She's lost her dog (thank god) and her job and it was all her own doing.

Rant over
 
Disgusting display, she absolutely deserved to be relieved of her job and dog.

However, I do agree with TPO, any further condemnation of her by wider American society is probably taking things too far and is (in a view from across the Atlantic), a bit hypocritical. She may have decided to wave that metaphorical gun at him, but it was the whole of American society that gave it to her. Any country where a call to the police is tantamount to a death threat because of the colour of your skin, is not a civilised country. The online keyboard warriors should take a long hard look at themselves, their country and their society. Because it is society as a whole that makes situations like that.
 
Unfortuately its seems in the US its common. I watch a fair amoint of US TV on youtube at the moment and there seems a theme that if your dark skinned and in the 'wrong' place going about your life you seem to have to accept abuse, the ultimate threat being we'll call the police. Lets face it in this country if you are black male in a nice car you are more likely to be stopped by the police, assumption being you stole it or you are drug dealer.
 
She behaved atrociously, demonstrating a breath taking self entitlement . In the clip, that I saw, she threw a tantrum and the man appeared quite polite and did nothing to exacerbate her anxiety.
Her apology does seem genuine, but the consequences of her actions could have led to the man being arrested. My impression is that she could be a difficult person to work with, so I'm not too unhappy that she lost her job. It might be a wake up call for her to reflect on how she treats people in future.
The man has been lovely. He does not condone the witch hunt and threats against her in the media. He's very wise. Hate does not change anything. He's probably done more for race relations than the extreme political activists who make society more divisive and toxic. Well done that man.
 
popcorn1 said:
Lose her job, yes. Criminal action against her, maybe.

I don't however think she realised she was hanging her dog. I think she was caught up in the moment. Apparently she had had the dog a few years and got him as a rescue. She was out walking him. I don't think removing the dog was fair.
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She handed it back, I think, it wasn’t removed from her.

I think she very deliberately became more and more hysterical on the phone even when moving away from the guy. Very poor behaviour. I agree with DabDab that this is a wider societal problem in the US, particularly in light of the man who died recently having had an officer kneel on his neck.
 
DabDab said:
Disgusting display, she absolutely deserved to be relieved of her job and dog.

However, I do agree with TPO, any further condemnation of her by wider American society is probably taking things too far and is (in a view from across the Atlantic), a bit hypocritical. She may have decided to wave that metaphorical gun at him, but it was the whole of American society that gave it to her. Any country where a call to the police is tantamount to a death threat because of the colour of your skin, is not a civilised country. The online keyboard warriors should take a long hard look at themselves, their country and their society. Because it is society as a whole that makes situations like that.
Click to expand...
I do think charging her with filing a false report would be reasonable. That is a crime and she did it on camera. A twitter mob is not a replacement for a criminal charge.

I think the attention this story is getting is useful, like this lady isn't a redneck with a confederate flag on her car and a white hood, she's a normal white lady with a great job and a cute dog and she flipped to trying to get a black man killed so quickly. For nothing other than having the confidence to question her breaking the rules. How many of us know someone like that who we think is a decent person? She's probably never been caught out saying slurs on camera, she might vote the "right way" etc but that behavior was right there, she barely had to think about it. Hopefully it makes people examine themselves and the people around them a bit more closely but I doubt it will.

dogatemysalad said:
The man has been lovely. He does not condone the witch hunt and threats against her in the media. He's very wise. Hate does not change anything. He's probably done more for race relations than the extreme political activists who make society more divisive and toxic. Well done that man.
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That's another important part of this. He's fantastic! But he also has contacts, a media presence, he's handsome and Harvard educated, he loves dogs. He makes it hard for people to believe that she saw him as Scary Black Man (but some people still do). How much less perfect would he have to have been for the media to get away with painting him as a viable threat? Like... 5%? If they had managed to dig up one time he got caught with weed as a teenager would she have been justified? I also don't think he had the option to react any other way. If he had been angry (which he has every right to be and which I'm sure he is) it would have justified her behaviour to some people.

This story has so many layers. And yes Cinnamontoast, particularly with what's happening in Minneapolis right now. George Floyd doesn't get the chance to go on camera and show that he was also a kind and lovely man who didn't deserve to be treated that way.
 
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CorvusCorax said:
Not that I agree entirely, especially with the other video doing the rounds, a friend of mine has written about this incident and said that they both suck and are two sides of the same entitled coin (apparently there are lots of clashes in CP between various users) and the guy has said he carries dog treats because of such 'intransigence'.

Friend is a black New Yorker, FWIW.
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I read that Mr Cooper previously took the organ for which my friend works, to task for something a few years back ;) so there's probably an added layer there.
 
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