I think there is more data that needs to come out for this story. Just judging from this article, this is a horrible, horrible thing. But are they known shoplifters around NYC? At other Apple retail locations? And some of the statements allegedly made (CONSIDER ME GOD!) seem a little too far fetched to take everything at face value. I'll wait until I see more information, but if this is all true, this is a bad, bad thing, and these employees need to be fired and sued individually.
The "face value" was recorded via the victim's use of his phone's voice recorder. I don't know if it was race or just how they were dressed. However, Apple should fire GOD for his stupidity. I sincerely believe that Apple's intention is to always treat people with respect and do not want it's employees to discriminate against anyone for whatever reason. They made a mistake in believing GOD shared that same simple principle. Now, GOD is about to cost the company some serious money.
"Dressed like a thug" or not, I guarantee you if two white guys of the same ages walked in wearing the exact same clothes, they wouldn't be told to leave.
And how do you know that?
A dress code? An over the top comment. If you want to imitate the fashion of criminals, then don't be surprised at the reception you get at a bank or a retail store. Baggy clothes help conceal firearms and stolen goods which is why prisoners and thugs wear them.
A dress code? An over the top comment. If you want to imitate the fashion of criminals, then don't be surprised at the reception you get at a bank or a retail store. Baggy clothes help conceal firearms and stolen goods which is why prisoners and thugs wear them.
And you're making an assumption that I'm white.
"Black" is making all kinds of assumptions. Don't expect facts to slow him (her?) down much.
Ah yes, perhaps the little lambs didn't get the memo.
Gangsta' posers might scare off the legitimate clientele. Someone who dresses that way should understand that. That is why they dress that way to begin with - to appear scary and tough.
Do you think they would have been tossed if they were white and dressed that way? Are all black people now required to wear Armani suits in order to not be treated like criminals?
No, no one should have to dress up to "compensate" for the color of their skin. Having said that, people who dress like that and carry themselves in a certain manner shouldn't be surprised at the treatment they get.
I'm on the train and who do you think makes me most nervous:
-the guy listening to his iPod, wearing t-shirt and jeans
-the guy wearing a dress shirt and slacks, taking a nap
-the guy wearing a beanie in the middle of the California spring day, hood over his head, sports jersey 4 sizes too big, backpack with a built-in boombox, as he peacocks down the aisle obnoxiously screaming with his friends?
Is it BECAUSE of the color of his skin alone that he's being treated with disdain? No. But I'd be lying if I said I said he was Chinese...
I read that to say: I am not racially discriminating against you, I am discriminating against you for other reasons - appearance and dress. Thats "your kind"
Should be easy enough to defend. Were there black americans in there at the time, without hoods, and were they discriminated against ( clearly not: this is a two person class action suit) . Were whites kicked out at other occasions if sporting certain attire at any time in the operation of this store. If so, forget it.
A?B?S?O?L?U?T?E?L?Y!
In fact, wasn't it the Obama Appointed Attorney General, Eric Holder, that said the reason he would not prosecute the two New Black Panther members for voter intimidation was that it did not compare to the voter intimidation of the 1960's and would be an affront to "my people"!
So, I guess if voter intimidation-lite is tolerated, shouldn't racial discrimination-lite be also? \
Hm. The problem I see here is, that this would likely force most staff members to stay outside...
As far as I know Apple Stores have no dress code, but if they did it would most likely be similar to many high schools. No gang type of apparel or behavior allowed. Flip flops, green hair, skin tight jeans and twenty five piercings are all ok. Baggy pants, half way down your ass, hand signs pointing fingers in various directions, and rapper slang, not permitted.
No, no one should have to dress up to "compensate" for the color of their skin. Having said that, people who dress like that and carry themselves in a certain manner shouldn't be surprised at the treatment they get.
Whenever I look, people dressed like that make up for a decent percentage of the iTunes Store's homepage... Apple even used tracks from artists dressing like that in commercials. They (again, if this story has any substance at all) should make up their mind.
No, I don't agree with you. This is truly disgusting! It appalls me that in this age and time, there's still racial discrimination. And no, there's no dress code at any Apple Store, unlike IBM. You can dress in any comfortable way you want. And you can speak with any accent. Prejudice is not an excuse for discrimination.
Steve Jobs will never approve of this. He's a Buddhist, and a vegetarian. He's the most humble person you will ever come across. He would never consider himself a God.
All involved employees of the Store should be fired.
Now, I wonder which one of you on AppleInsider is a racist?
Yeah, let's hang the guilty bastards -- then give them a fair trial!
For some reason I don't think we are hearing the whole story. It takes time to open a sound recording application on a phone. The whole recording thing sounds premeditated.
It sounds like they were (rightfully) being discriminated against for being troublemakers. The quote said that he was not discriminating against them based on race. They were probably trying to cause trouble because they had a voice recorder app running. It sounds like they may have been violating a dress code too. You have the right not to be discriminated against based on race, but generally dress can be discriminated against. Especially if it involves display of certain body parts that naturally become exposed when wearing baggy clothing.
I don't know anyone that would kick someone out of a store (or anywhere) for race alone. The only racist people I know would act polite but consider them inferior based on race. The deep down belief that everyone has equal potential (no matter what their race) is what needs to be changed for equal rights. Seriously, people need to realize that this KKK-style racism doesn't exist anymore. Apple has a diverse employee base and I have always seen them have great respect for everyone.
I bet the store has some video footage to back up the employees.
Look at the screenshot of the Complaint in this article. In the first paragraph it says: "there attorneys", instead of "their"... But even before I saw that, and read this article, I thought that it was Shakedown, Extortion!!! In general, it seems like every week somebody files a law suit against Apple, cause "that's where the money is"!
We all know Racism is ugly and bad! Such Shakedown, Extortion Law Suits only add to the problem, IF it turns out to be that those "victims" are known "trouble makers" looking for a "Pay Day"... Even if they don't have a police record (yet...), that doesn't me that they are angels either... Hopefully the truth will come out, if this case ever goes to trial... If this is proved to be a Shakedown, Extortion Law Suit, these "smart asses" should be punished for wasting Time and Money!!!
Not long ago, I saw this scene at a supermarket:
2 African American teenagers were "shopping"... A manager, whom I know, came up to them and asked them to leave the store! I asked the manager: Why were you so nasty to them? What if they sue you, accusing you of racism, etc?!
The manager said:
"I've seen those guys before, I knew they were "up to no good"... Those kids told me that they were shopping along with their mom. So I said, let me to her, where is she? The kids said: she is another aisle! I said: let's go find her... The kids ran out of the store..."...
Ages 34 + 25 in this case is older, but it ? could ? be a similar kind of people, except more savvy, looking for a fight, ready to record the conversation, create a law suit...
I don't care about the color and how they were dressed, or that they likely don't live in that very upscale neighborhood in NYC, where the Apple Stores are... But... If, as was the case with the white manager in the supermarket, these 34 + 25 "victims" had a body language, vibe about them that was too obvious to the Apple Store folks, then it ? could ? likely be a PROVOCATION!!!
To mistake a ? possible ? PROVOCATION for something similar to a Civil Rights Protests where African Americans were beaten etc - that would be an INSULT to ALL of us, of all colors!!!
I do hope that the TRUTH comes out in this trial, and, if these guys of 34 + 25 years old were there to PROVOKE, I won't be too shocked!
I've seen plenty African American Staff at Apple Stores, and they were no less polite, cool, friendly then the rest of their colleagues!!! For Apple Store employe to simply try to throw a customer out of the store, unprovoked, without a reason, is highly unlikely...
The Staff at Apple Stores is already under pressure in NYC stores, which are crowded! The 5th Ave Store is busy at 1 - 3 AM... I've seen it! And it's crazy busy earlier in the evening!!! The "kids" could be there just to play with the Apple Products that they simply can't afford! They might even break it, or try to steal it, as a way to express their anger... The Apple Staff have to watch out for that, and be extra polite, so that they are not accused of any kind of discrimination... If things got as bad as these "victims" claim, there had to be a reason...
If a PROVOCATION on the part of these "victims" is proven in this case, it's an INSULT to African Americans FIRST, and all of us!!!
Apple must defend itself VIGOROUSLY!!! Shakedown, Extortion, Provocation Cases can't be allowed to become a norm!!!
EDIT, P.S.
I personally DON'T CARE what kind of clothes those "shopper" guys wore, as long they had some clothes on, and it was clean and thus didn't smell!
If they had tattoos all over their bodies, pierced eyelids, ears, nostrils, whatever... -- I recognize all that as their right of self expression! We all have our "scenes", heroes, generations, blah blah blah... Most of Apple Staff are pretty hip, and not too old, so they'll be able to see past all that "character dress up"... But...
If any of the above description fits the stereotypical profile of a "thug" who also acts suspiciously, plus cursing etc, and it all adds up to "looking for a fight", particularly if the same "shopper" is making a return appearance at the same store, then it's an OBVIOUS PROVOCATION! So, no matter how well Apple Staff is coached to "not to take the bait", we are all humans! If "the button" is pushed hard enough, the PROVOCATION will succeed!
The part about those "victims" ? recording the conversation ? hints at at a strong likelihood of INTENTIONAL PROVOCATION!!! Even if there are multiple cameras in all of Apple Stores, those cameras can't see everything, never mind record the audio of each interaction between the shopper and Apple Staff! The Shopper is playing the Game of Gotcha, Catch Me If You Can!
I strongly doubt that Apple Staff would kick a shopper out of the store based ONLY on the looks dress code, or race etc..., particularly in NYC, which is a very "colorful" place to begin with!
In this case, when it's an African American Shopper, there would likely be an additional "sensitivity" on the Apple Staff's part, particularly if the Staff is not black, but white, Asian etc....
This whole case is VERY SUSPICIONS...
Apple is "where the money is" and those 34 + 25 years old "victims" will try to get it, assisted by a lawyer whose "ethics" are odor-resistant! If this happened in a small mom's and pop's store, there would have been no case... Those guys would have probably be handled with physical force, maybe even baseball bats, never mind "colorful language"... The cops would have sympathized with the store, and the "victims" would look for a next Korean, or Chinese, or some other Immigrant owned store to PROVOKE.... But I don't want to get too stereotypical...
It's just sad to see that the $$ will be spent on lawyers instead of Research, or Charitable Donations... That money comes out of Apple's Profits, and thus effects AAPL Shareholders, but you all already know all that.
The people saying "dress like a gangsta and be kicked out" really don't get it. At all. People who dress gangsta have the same rights as other people. If necessary, this can be demonstrated in a courtroom, where the "gangstas" are the powerful citizen, and the megacorp is the apologetic shrinking violet who thanks the plaintiffs for teaching them an important lesson.
And what do you base your opinion on ..... the fact that they're black? .... or wear baggy pants? You may be right .... you may be wrong ..... as for me, I'll hold judgement until more details come forth. There are always two sides to every story. cheers.
Is it fair for me to agree with both of your comments? He said he highly doubted, but didn't express certainty. I'm of a similar...inclination. And yes, I base it off of socio-economic stereotypes. Shoplifting and crime is more common with economically "disadvantaged" people. More common, not exclusive to. Investors and laymen have to make decisions every day that involve probability. It's not beyond my experience to be suspicious of two people who enter a store wearing clothes that have been associated with gangs or the economically challenged. Hey, I've got a hoodie, but the chances are slim that I'm going to show up at a store wearing the exact same thing as the friend next to me, hood drawn (why is your hood on in a store? Trying to hide your face?). People of a lower economic status often find sanctuary in groups where individuals largely dress the same (we all find sanctuary in groups...but we don't sacrifice a warm coat in the winter so that we can wear a top that is more socially accepted by our "in" group. Don't get me wrong, I see plenty of rich girls dressed in the same trendy tight jeans...but their coats (in February) are going to be different...they're not going to look like blood brothers. I have a 21 year old half brother (we're both "white"), and he wears loose fitting, baggy pants and I think owns some hoodies...it's not necessarily a race thing.
I think people bring up race way, way too much. Yes, it exists, but there is a big difference between saying someone looked suspicious because they were X color on the one hand, and on the other hand saying they looked suspicious because they wore clothes that, no matter what part of the United States you're from, are associated with people who are part of a lower economic fortune, and more often seen shop lifting and robbing gas stations than any other kind of dress. I think it's a very reasonable basis for suspicion, especially if the hood is drawn up and the guys are standing very close together. No one is a "racist denier" simply because they are suspicious of these guys. Yeah, it'd be nice and lovely if when we saw people, what we saw was their "soul," but we don't. (This paragraph is general...not directed at you).
That said, this whole article feels like link bait. Virtually every helpful piece of information is omitted. Who knows...maybe these two guys were just chillin dudes and the whiteys were paranoid because they're privileged and had never seen a cool person before. Who knows.
I have to disagree. White kids who try to be "thugs" are even more offensive than kids who grew up in a community and are following the norms of that community. Neither really has an excuse to behave or dress like a thug if they want to elevate themselves, but it sure is allot harder to bring yourself up and stand apart than it is do step down because you are insecure about being a privileged white kid in a urban environment.
If neither could speak well or impress me with their demeanor, I wouldn't hire either. Your assumptions are erroneous.
I know someone who has a master's degree and dress in baggy clothing almost everyday, even at Church. Would you hire him? Or better question, will he hire you? You really can't judge people by how they look.
In fact, wasn't it the Obama Appointed Attorney General, Eric Holder, that said the reason he would not prosecute the two New Black Panther members for voter intimidation was that it did not compare to the voter intimidation of the 1960's and would be an affront to "my people"!
So, I guess if voter intimidation-lite is tolerated, shouldn't racial discrimination-lite be also? \
/
/
/
Racial discrimination should not not be tolerated whether you consider it "lite" or not.
Comments
I think there is more data that needs to come out for this story. Just judging from this article, this is a horrible, horrible thing. But are they known shoplifters around NYC? At other Apple retail locations? And some of the statements allegedly made (CONSIDER ME GOD!) seem a little too far fetched to take everything at face value. I'll wait until I see more information, but if this is all true, this is a bad, bad thing, and these employees need to be fired and sued individually.
The "face value" was recorded via the victim's use of his phone's voice recorder. I don't know if it was race or just how they were dressed. However, Apple should fire GOD for his stupidity. I sincerely believe that Apple's intention is to always treat people with respect and do not want it's employees to discriminate against anyone for whatever reason. They made a mistake in believing GOD shared that same simple principle. Now, GOD is about to cost the company some serious money.
"Dressed like a thug" or not, I guarantee you if two white guys of the same ages walked in wearing the exact same clothes, they wouldn't be told to leave.
And how do you know that?
A dress code? An over the top comment. If you want to imitate the fashion of criminals, then don't be surprised at the reception you get at a bank or a retail store. Baggy clothes help conceal firearms and stolen goods which is why prisoners and thugs wear them.
And you're making an assumption that I'm white.
And how do you know that?
A dress code? An over the top comment. If you want to imitate the fashion of criminals, then don't be surprised at the reception you get at a bank or a retail store. Baggy clothes help conceal firearms and stolen goods which is why prisoners and thugs wear them.
And you're making an assumption that I'm white.
"Black" is making all kinds of assumptions. Don't expect facts to slow him (her?) down much.
Ah yes, perhaps the little lambs didn't get the memo.
Gangsta' posers might scare off the legitimate clientele. Someone who dresses that way should understand that. That is why they dress that way to begin with - to appear scary and tough.
Do you think they would have been tossed if they were white and dressed that way? Are all black people now required to wear Armani suits in order to not be treated like criminals?
No, no one should have to dress up to "compensate" for the color of their skin. Having said that, people who dress like that and carry themselves in a certain manner shouldn't be surprised at the treatment they get.
I'm on the train and who do you think makes me most nervous:
-the guy listening to his iPod, wearing t-shirt and jeans
-the guy wearing a dress shirt and slacks, taking a nap
-the guy wearing a beanie in the middle of the California spring day, hood over his head, sports jersey 4 sizes too big, backpack with a built-in boombox, as he peacocks down the aisle obnoxiously screaming with his friends?
Is it BECAUSE of the color of his skin alone that he's being treated with disdain? No. But I'd be lying if I said I said he was Chinese...
I read that to say: I am not racially discriminating against you, I am discriminating against you for other reasons - appearance and dress. Thats "your kind"
Should be easy enough to defend. Were there black americans in there at the time, without hoods, and were they discriminated against ( clearly not: this is a two person class action suit) . Were whites kicked out at other occasions if sporting certain attire at any time in the operation of this store. If so, forget it.
A?B?S?O?L?U?T?E?L?Y!
In fact, wasn't it the Obama Appointed Attorney General, Eric Holder, that said the reason he would not prosecute the two New Black Panther members for voter intimidation was that it did not compare to the voter intimidation of the 1960's and would be an affront to "my people"!
So, I guess if voter intimidation-lite is tolerated, shouldn't racial discrimination-lite be also?
/
/
/
Walk like a racist, talk like a racist... You're appalling.
They already have a wide diversity of ethnicities in the product shots.
Yes they do.
Hm. The problem I see here is, that this would likely force most staff members to stay outside...
As far as I know Apple Stores have no dress code, but if they did it would most likely be similar to many high schools. No gang type of apparel or behavior allowed. Flip flops, green hair, skin tight jeans and twenty five piercings are all ok. Baggy pants, half way down your ass, hand signs pointing fingers in various directions, and rapper slang, not permitted.
No, no one should have to dress up to "compensate" for the color of their skin. Having said that, people who dress like that and carry themselves in a certain manner shouldn't be surprised at the treatment they get.
Whenever I look, people dressed like that make up for a decent percentage of the iTunes Store's homepage... Apple even used tracks from artists dressing like that in commercials. They (again, if this story has any substance at all) should make up their mind.
No, I don't agree with you. This is truly disgusting! It appalls me that in this age and time, there's still racial discrimination. And no, there's no dress code at any Apple Store, unlike IBM. You can dress in any comfortable way you want. And you can speak with any accent. Prejudice is not an excuse for discrimination.
Steve Jobs will never approve of this. He's a Buddhist, and a vegetarian. He's the most humble person you will ever come across. He would never consider himself a God.
All involved employees of the Store should be fired.
Now, I wonder which one of you on AppleInsider is a racist?
Yeah, let's hang the guilty bastards -- then give them a fair trial!
...don't we need to get the facts first?
It sounds like they were (rightfully) being discriminated against for being troublemakers. The quote said that he was not discriminating against them based on race. They were probably trying to cause trouble because they had a voice recorder app running. It sounds like they may have been violating a dress code too. You have the right not to be discriminated against based on race, but generally dress can be discriminated against. Especially if it involves display of certain body parts that naturally become exposed when wearing baggy clothing.
I don't know anyone that would kick someone out of a store (or anywhere) for race alone. The only racist people I know would act polite but consider them inferior based on race. The deep down belief that everyone has equal potential (no matter what their race) is what needs to be changed for equal rights. Seriously, people need to realize that this KKK-style racism doesn't exist anymore. Apple has a diverse employee base and I have always seen them have great respect for everyone.
I bet the store has some video footage to back up the employees.
We all know Racism is ugly and bad! Such Shakedown, Extortion Law Suits only add to the problem, IF it turns out to be that those "victims" are known "trouble makers" looking for a "Pay Day"... Even if they don't have a police record (yet...), that doesn't me that they are angels either... Hopefully the truth will come out, if this case ever goes to trial... If this is proved to be a Shakedown, Extortion Law Suit, these "smart asses" should be punished for wasting Time and Money!!!
Not long ago, I saw this scene at a supermarket:
2 African American teenagers were "shopping"... A manager, whom I know, came up to them and asked them to leave the store! I asked the manager: Why were you so nasty to them? What if they sue you, accusing you of racism, etc?!
The manager said:
"I've seen those guys before, I knew they were "up to no good"... Those kids told me that they were shopping along with their mom. So I said, let me to her, where is she? The kids said: she is another aisle! I said: let's go find her... The kids ran out of the store..."...
Ages 34 + 25 in this case is older, but it ? could ? be a similar kind of people, except more savvy, looking for a fight, ready to record the conversation, create a law suit...
I don't care about the color and how they were dressed, or that they likely don't live in that very upscale neighborhood in NYC, where the Apple Stores are... But... If, as was the case with the white manager in the supermarket, these 34 + 25 "victims" had a body language, vibe about them that was too obvious to the Apple Store folks, then it ? could ? likely be a PROVOCATION!!!
To mistake a ? possible ? PROVOCATION for something similar to a Civil Rights Protests where African Americans were beaten etc - that would be an INSULT to ALL of us, of all colors!!!
I do hope that the TRUTH comes out in this trial, and, if these guys of 34 + 25 years old were there to PROVOKE, I won't be too shocked!
I've seen plenty African American Staff at Apple Stores, and they were no less polite, cool, friendly then the rest of their colleagues!!! For Apple Store employe to simply try to throw a customer out of the store, unprovoked, without a reason, is highly unlikely...
The Staff at Apple Stores is already under pressure in NYC stores, which are crowded! The 5th Ave Store is busy at 1 - 3 AM... I've seen it! And it's crazy busy earlier in the evening!!! The "kids" could be there just to play with the Apple Products that they simply can't afford! They might even break it, or try to steal it, as a way to express their anger... The Apple Staff have to watch out for that, and be extra polite, so that they are not accused of any kind of discrimination... If things got as bad as these "victims" claim, there had to be a reason...
If a PROVOCATION on the part of these "victims" is proven in this case, it's an INSULT to African Americans FIRST, and all of us!!!
Apple must defend itself VIGOROUSLY!!! Shakedown, Extortion, Provocation Cases can't be allowed to become a norm!!!
EDIT, P.S.
I personally DON'T CARE what kind of clothes those "shopper" guys wore, as long they had some clothes on
If they had tattoos all over their bodies, pierced eyelids, ears, nostrils, whatever... -- I recognize all that as their right of self expression! We all have our "scenes", heroes, generations, blah blah blah... Most of Apple Staff are pretty hip, and not too old, so they'll be able to see past all that "character dress up"... But...
If any of the above description fits the stereotypical profile of a "thug" who also acts suspiciously, plus cursing etc, and it all adds up to "looking for a fight", particularly if the same "shopper" is making a return appearance at the same store, then it's an OBVIOUS PROVOCATION! So, no matter how well Apple Staff is coached to "not to take the bait", we are all humans! If "the button" is pushed hard enough, the PROVOCATION will succeed!
The part about those "victims" ? recording the conversation ? hints at at a strong likelihood of INTENTIONAL PROVOCATION!!! Even if there are multiple cameras in all of Apple Stores, those cameras can't see everything, never mind record the audio of each interaction between the shopper and Apple Staff! The Shopper is playing the Game of Gotcha, Catch Me If You Can!
I strongly doubt that Apple Staff would kick a shopper out of the store based ONLY on the looks dress code, or race etc..., particularly in NYC, which is a very "colorful" place to begin with!
In this case, when it's an African American Shopper, there would likely be an additional "sensitivity" on the Apple Staff's part, particularly if the Staff is not black, but white, Asian etc....
This whole case is VERY SUSPICIONS...
Apple is "where the money is" and those 34 + 25 years old "victims" will try to get it, assisted by a lawyer whose "ethics" are odor-resistant
It's just sad to see that the $$ will be spent on lawyers instead of Research, or Charitable Donations... That money comes out of Apple's Profits, and thus effects AAPL Shareholders, but you all already know all that.
And what do you base your opinion on ..... the fact that they're black? .... or wear baggy pants? You may be right .... you may be wrong ..... as for me, I'll hold judgement until more details come forth. There are always two sides to every story. cheers.
Is it fair for me to agree with both of your comments? He said he highly doubted, but didn't express certainty. I'm of a similar...inclination. And yes, I base it off of socio-economic stereotypes. Shoplifting and crime is more common with economically "disadvantaged" people. More common, not exclusive to. Investors and laymen have to make decisions every day that involve probability. It's not beyond my experience to be suspicious of two people who enter a store wearing clothes that have been associated with gangs or the economically challenged. Hey, I've got a hoodie, but the chances are slim that I'm going to show up at a store wearing the exact same thing as the friend next to me, hood drawn (why is your hood on in a store? Trying to hide your face?). People of a lower economic status often find sanctuary in groups where individuals largely dress the same (we all find sanctuary in groups...but we don't sacrifice a warm coat in the winter so that we can wear a top that is more socially accepted by our "in" group. Don't get me wrong, I see plenty of rich girls dressed in the same trendy tight jeans...but their coats (in February) are going to be different...they're not going to look like blood brothers. I have a 21 year old half brother (we're both "white"), and he wears loose fitting, baggy pants and I think owns some hoodies...it's not necessarily a race thing.
I think people bring up race way, way too much. Yes, it exists, but there is a big difference between saying someone looked suspicious because they were X color on the one hand, and on the other hand saying they looked suspicious because they wore clothes that, no matter what part of the United States you're from, are associated with people who are part of a lower economic fortune, and more often seen shop lifting and robbing gas stations than any other kind of dress. I think it's a very reasonable basis for suspicion, especially if the hood is drawn up and the guys are standing very close together. No one is a "racist denier" simply because they are suspicious of these guys. Yeah, it'd be nice and lovely if when we saw people, what we saw was their "soul," but we don't. (This paragraph is general...not directed at you).
That said, this whole article feels like link bait. Virtually every helpful piece of information is omitted. Who knows...maybe these two guys were just chillin dudes and the whiteys were paranoid because they're privileged and had never seen a cool person before. Who knows.
I have to disagree. White kids who try to be "thugs" are even more offensive than kids who grew up in a community and are following the norms of that community. Neither really has an excuse to behave or dress like a thug if they want to elevate themselves, but it sure is allot harder to bring yourself up and stand apart than it is do step down because you are insecure about being a privileged white kid in a urban environment.
If neither could speak well or impress me with their demeanor, I wouldn't hire either. Your assumptions are erroneous.
I know someone who has a master's degree and dress in baggy clothing almost everyday, even at Church. Would you hire him? Or better question, will he hire you? You really can't judge people by how they look.
A?B?S?O?L?U?T?E?L?Y!
In fact, wasn't it the Obama Appointed Attorney General, Eric Holder, that said the reason he would not prosecute the two New Black Panther members for voter intimidation was that it did not compare to the voter intimidation of the 1960's and would be an affront to "my people"!
So, I guess if voter intimidation-lite is tolerated, shouldn't racial discrimination-lite be also?
/
/
/
Racial discrimination should not not be tolerated whether you consider it "lite" or not.