A simple yet powerful tweet – comparing the contrasting police reactions to kids selling drinks to passersby on the street – has gone viral for its shocking portrayal of a sad reality, and has people talking about lingering racial injustice on the streets of the U.S.
This tweet has gone viral for its comparison of two cases of police reacting to boys selling drinks on the street
Image credits: RogueCharisma
Now, the two incidences are vastly different and the links between them are tenuous, to say the least. The first took place in Utah, where it is legal for kids to run lemonade stands and other small businesses for a little pocket money.
11-year-old Seth Parker was doing just that but used a clever marketing technique to draw in the punters – adding just a tiny ‘Root’ into his ‘ICE COLD BEER’ sign. Understandably, neighbors were concerned that a minor might be selling alcohol, and called in the police to investigate.
One boy was selling root beer in Utah
Image credits: Brigham City Police Department
Image credits: Brigham City Police Department
The police, upon discovering the ruse, took Seth’s sign with good humor and it was all smiles and laughs. Seth even became somewhat of a local celebrity as his story went viral, with people impressed with his marketing smarts and entrepreneurial spirit.
Seth didn’t break any laws, and the police reacted positively, and with good community spirit.
Image credits: Brigham City Police Department
Image credits: Brigham City Police Department
Now compare Seth’s story to that of another boy, Jimmy Williams. The video below was taken in 2013 when Jimmy was being arrested for selling water on the streets of Las Vegas. Selling water is not legal in Nevada without a license, so Jimmy was breaking the law in the case. However, that does NOT justify the excessive use of force shown by the police officers here.
While this boy was selling water in Las Vegas
LVMPD uses a chokehold on a young man for SELLING WATER.
Cops targeting Black citizens again…
Just a reminder that this chokehold move is “illegal”.
It’s like those cops want war… pic.twitter.com/LYPy8YWTdg— Deniiise
(@RogueCharisma) July 28, 2019
Image credits: RogueCharisma
The shocking video has once again brought attention to racial profiling by police officers in the U.S., where young black men, in particular, are routinely discriminated against and are often treated far more harshly and violently than their ‘crimes’ warrant.
A 2015 study showed that black residents were more likely to be stopped by police than white or Hispanic residents – both in traffic stops and street stops – and when police initiated an interaction, they were twice as likely to threaten or use force against Black and Hispanic residents than white residents.
Image credits: RogueCharisma
Some people also pointed out that the media helps to propagate fear and bias against young black males through its use of language that frames them in a different, more sinister way.
Image credits: caribbeangyaal_
So while the comparison between the two cases here isn’t exactly a good one, it has gotten folks talking about the everyday struggles that many people of color have to live with every day.
Far from being a benevolent source of safety and security law enforcement has become – for many people – something to fear, and one wrong move could lead to a violent arrest or worse.
The talking point here is the difference in reactions, and it is rather telling.
Image credits: JanelleMonae
As for Jimmy, a recent Facebook post has stated that he is OK and is still in the process of suing the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. You can support Jimmy’s Police Accountability Project here.
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What do you think? Do the police in the U.S. have a racial profiling problem? Have you ever witnessed a situation like this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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