Racist announcement over Wal-Mart loudspeaker

[ZirconBlue]

Does it apportion them based on race? I'd love some details.

And gender, apparently.

 

[quixotecoyote]

I suspect some teenage kid trying to be "outrageous and edgy" is the guilty Party.

watch for the youtube video

 

[Skeptical Greg]

Does it apportion them based on race? I'd love some details.

I have no idea. It doesn't seem likely to me.

What does that have to do with the racist nature of asking someone what their race is when your goal is to pass out free money based on your answer ?

 

[sadhatter]

Man does second oldest prank in the book, people freak out.

I mean as a prankster myself, its just not funny to grab the speaker and say " everyone have a nice day.". Are even ignorant acts subject to being politically correct now?

 

[gnome]

I have no idea. It doesn't seem likely to me.

What does that have to do with the racist nature of asking someone what their race is when your goal is to pass out free money based on your answer ?

If apportionment is not based on race, how are they passing out money based on your answer?

 

[Abdul Alhazred]

State legislatures must change the borders of congressional districts to make them equal in population based on the census.

Race will certainly be considered in determining the precise borders. Nothing in the constitution about doing it that way, but it has been so for the last 40 years or so.

 

[often mrunderstood]

an arrest has been made

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Arrest-Made-in-Wal-Mart-Intercom-Case-88704842.html

death penalty or life in prison?

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I'll be surprised if the DA pursues this. Unless it is an election year.

 

[bigred]

And just when you think it can't get more hypersensitive/loonier:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/20/national/main6317068.shtml

LOL @ "a bias incident." The horror!! Off with his head!

 

[FlamingMoe]

"Hate crime"? I can see a basis for the "hate" but I don't really see the "crime" part. Unless someone could be arrested for picking up the all-call and saying "blah blah blah" then there's no basis for criminal prosecution.

 

[WildCat]

And as suspected it was a 16 year old kid, not a store employee: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/nyregion/21walmart.html

It's only news because it was WalMart, and of course WalMart is evil and hates black people and of course their store managers would say such things over the PA. Direct orders from HQ.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Here's my favorite part:

The 16-year-old boy had been accompanied to the store by a friend and the friend’s mother, the police said. Neither the friend nor his mother have been charged even though the police chief left open the possibility that one or both could face charges on the grounds that they failed to report a crime.

If I had witnessed that, I wouldn't have reported it. I would have laughed and then gone on with my shopping. I wouldn't have even dreamed that on planet earth a prank like that could possibly be considered a crime.

 

[quixotecoyote]

watch for the youtube video

Called it:

Investigators also scoured Facebook, MySpace and YouTube, and found postings, including some that the police chief said involved “kids bragging” about what happened.

 

[Meadmaker]

How about "The hazmat crew has left the building"?

Or just "There is no need to panic."

 

[ServiceSoon]

Favorite part of the article...

Wal-Mart management called the incident "unacceptable," and said it's working to make sure nothing like this happens at any other stores.

... like that's possible.

 

[bigred]

It's only news because it was WalMart,

No, it's only news because it's a........gasp......RACE CRIME :dramatic music: :women screaming: :etc:



Big surprise, was a teenage kid's prank: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/nyregion/21walmart.html

If convicted, he could face up to a year in a juvenile detention center, officials said.

Well hey no overreaction there.

Do not mess w/the almighty Race Card kid. Try him as an adult, let's get the death sentence talk going!

Glad the authorities spent time on REAL crime like this instead of the all silly thefts and assaults n stuff.

This country has completely lost its freaking mind.

 

[quixotecoyote]

You're thinking of New Zealand, surely.

 

[Freddy]

He's being charged with harassment and "bias intimidation." The former won't stick, because harassment, at least at common law, has to be targeted at a specific individual.

The "bias intimidation" statute must be intended to enhance penalties for things like hanging a noose on the door of a black church. That would already be trespassing, but I can see why people would think that the penalty for criminal trespass is insufficient for such an act. However, I predict an as-applied constitutional challenge based on the First Amendment. And I bet he wins. If they charged him with trespass, they could probably get him for that.

 

[often mrunderstood]

Pulling a relatively harmless prank like this at age 16, and having it make national/international headlines is Awesome!

 

[Juniversal]

lol this is pretty funny. If I was in the store and heard the announcement I would chuckle, shake my head and move on. And besides myself most of the other black folks I know would do the same thing.