Arrested for racist remark
 

A 16 yr. old boy was arrested for telling black people to leave Walmart over the store's intercom. Now, I don't condone racism but isn't it a bit harsh to arrest someone for such a racist remark?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Teen-c...72312.html?x=0

One of the cow orkers was chortling over this the other day.

I wondered if anyone obeyed.

i've always wanted to pick up an intercom in a store like Walmart.....I just never knew what to say.

I'm pretty sure it would NOT have occurred to me to order all the black folks to leave the store.

Maybe, I'd announce that in honor of Michael Jackson's recent visit, all boys pants are half off......

So how is counseling conducted? What type of professional gets the job of reforming this 16 year old? And what is the counselor's objective – what is the treatment? What exactly would a counselor do with such a patient?

WTF? Why are walmart intercoms available to the public? :confused:

That'd be pretty funny.

As long as any potential penalty isn't ridiculously over the top, I think it's entirely appropriate for someone to be arrested for making a remark like that in that particular context. It's not like he was stood chatting to his friend and made a racist remark: it was over a store address system. I doubt he'd get much more than a metaphorical slap on the wrist, but he'd certainly be arrested and charged over here.

Interesting that it's the latest in a series of incidents at that particular store, none of which were reported to the police.

The kid will probably get 20 hours of Diversity and Sensitivity Training, which amounts to being lectured on "How White People, Especially White Males are the Devil," followed by community service, and strong encouragement to seek a black girlfriend.

What - you haven't seen clockwork orange?

Ahhh, for the old days, when we would get on a store's intercom (easy to do at Ontario or Rinks or the like) and we would only page Mike Hunt.

Twat? I cunt hear you! I have an ear infucktion!

Is there any reason to believe that treatment is effective? Any numbers for effectiveness?

Can you finger it out?

First 'Jersey Shore'.
Then the broad who wants to be 1,000 pounds.
Now this.

I gotta move....

Yeah, I'm glad I left...

no. no.

Edit to add: You know, I've had to come back to ask ... why does this have your panties in a twist? Been to diversity training much? I'm sure there's an MBA behind this.

nah - its those damn humans wolfie :)

Never saw diversity training. Always wondered if done for a 'we don't know that else to do' theory possibly behind hours of 'community service'. Was given people serving out their time in community service. Never understood it to be reform. In at least one case, the guy did everything he could to put in time and do no work. Always wondered if there is any basis (from published studies) behind 'community service', driver retraining, or this example: diversity training.

It's the theory of helping a person gain confidence. It benefits the community and it benefits the person serving. It's a way to give back and make amends. I don't see it as a harsh punishment at all.

It's probably one of the better ways our society deals with people when they break the law.

When I worked for a department store in the 90s, all you had to do was hit 6 on a store phone to access the intercom. Sounds like this kid may have been trying to figure out how to do it, saw someone access it and voila!

But again, is that any research suggesting that it works or how effective? Does that kid get diversity training because it might work on speculation? Or because there are well based reasons for doing it? Is that anything that says restoring confidence actually addresses an underlying problem? Or do we do it only because that is how it was always done?

We do it because it makes us feel good. Odds are it is probably no more effective than any punitive punishment.

If you are talking about diversity training classic then yes I agree and TW you can count his answer the same as mine.

When I said building confidence I meant it in relation to community service.

It's cheaper than prison, and messes them up less.

There are numbers on how effective prison is at reforming bad guys. They are not good.

The only purpose prison serves is to protect society by keeping the criminals away from the law abiding populace. It may also have some slight deterrent effect, but that's very debatable. It does nothing to reform anyone.

It has a slight deterrent in some cultures, unfortunately not the ones most of the criminal spew from. Diversity training is a joke.

I think it (community service) works very well as a first warning. Well, very well for most law-abiding citizens.

Remember "Scared Straight"? That didn't work either. Of course, this is different, it's more like Cajoled into Not Being Racist...but you won't change deeply ingrained behaviors and thoughts by having them look at pictures of black people in socially acceptable settings. :eek:

Friends of ours live in a neighborhood that loves to have block parties. They live one block over from a very busy intersection, and lots of cars cut through their neighborhood to avoid that light. So they love blocking off the street and having a party.

Well, it turns out getting a permit from the county to block off the street for a party costs something like $75. But the fine for obstructing traffic is something like $25. So they bought their own orange cones, and just block off the street whenever the mood strikes them and they throw a party.

No deterrent there.

Um, so, the cones...they're diverse? :confused:

Just messin' with you glatt. But I don't get the connection. ;)

I thought the conversation had moved on to punishments as a deterrent. I heard this story the other day, and filed it away under "deterrents" in my mind. Right there next to AIDS as a result of promiscuity and ostracism for spamming the elementary school parent e-mail list with political stuff.

I see. Sorry, I'm a bit dense sometimes.

I agree, very few things act as real deterrents.

And facebook causes the spread of VD in parts of Britain.

Oh, that's a good one. I'll file that away too.

Private parts, if you will.

I don't get it. Do most Brits not celebrate Valentine's Day? Did that Valentine person behead someone back in the day or something?

What they should do with that kid who made the announcement is force him to watch every episode of Diff'rent Strokes, Webster and The Cosby Show, non-stop.

I guess the "cruel and unusual" clause would come into play there, though. Or the convention against torture.

Whutchoo talkin about Willis?

Oh dude, Cosby was good!

Vanessa barges into parents' bedroom. Cliff and Claire are there.

Cliff: You do not just barge in here. You knock, we say "who is it?" and you say who it is? Try again?

Vanessa knocks.

Cliff: Who is it?

Vanessa: WHO IT IS!

The beginnings of ebonics...