A new crime minorities need to guard against: Banking While Black (BWB)

[CatWoman]

Covington Man Falsely Accused of Robbery

CONYERS, Ga/ (MyFOX ATLANTA) - A Covington man said Tuesday that he was still in shock after being accused of a bank robbery which never occurred. Police said a teller thought the man was reaching for a gun.

Samuel Moore said he's an emotional wreck after he was handcuffed and detained. Conyers police said they had no choice after they got a call about a robbery in progress.

The 33-year-old Moore said he was injured when Conyers police placed him in handcuffs. Moore said he was falsely arrested after he made a deposit at a Bank of America branch in Conyers on Feb. 19.

"Before I even get to the line, I unzipped my jacket and then I put my phone on my clip," said Moore.

Police said when Moore walked into the bank a teller called police to report a bank robbery in progress by an armed man.

"She thought he put his hand on the grip of a Glock," said Detective Jackie Dunn of the Conyers Police Department.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/covington-man-fals...

[redwitch]

1. good lord.

someone needs tranquilizers. I would probably switch banks. And SUE!

[anonymous171]

2. That's why African Americans need to make sure that their electronics are safety orange.

In fact, any implement that they carry on their person should probably be that color as well.

[CatWoman]

4. and what is the added expense for said electronics?

[Bluebear]

5. Not to mention a new wardrobe to accommodate orange?

[CatWoman]

sadly, I don't look very good in orange

makes me look fat

[CatWoman]

6. sadly, I don't look very good in orange

makes me look fat

[Aristus]

10. I don't believe you, Cat. I think you'd look good in any color...

[CatWoman]

11. AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Aristus!!!

[CreekDog]

66. i think you missed a very funny joke that Michael Moore did which inspired that post

search youtube for the Michael Moore video about police in New York City. it's a hoot despite making a serious and unsettling point.

[Cal Carpenter]

13. But then the criminals would just get orange guns...

Can you imagine?

They could change it to pink next. Pink seems so harmless....

[DebbieCDC]

3. I hope this poor guy sues the shit out of BoA

F***king bastards

[Blue_Tires]

12. they would probably ask for another bailout to cover the settlement and legal fees

[BunkerHill24]

7. One look at the WH will find you the culprit, Mr. Officer

Health Care Reform, and Public Option is the right thing to do.

[blueworld]

8. Forgive me, most of my family are cops but...

The bigot teller called cops when the guy walked in & touched his cell phone...and they cuffed him after he made his deposit? What's wrong with this picture? Do a lot of bank robbers in Conyers make deposits before robbing the bank?
I can figure out what's wrong with the teller, but what's up with the cops? Nevermind. It will just clog up the bandwidth.

[sui generis]

9. that's not about being black.

Jesus F. Christ people.

Even the title of the OP is ridiculous - minorities? Banking While Black? I had no idea minorities only come in one shade of skin color.

If I were a mod I'd lock this, ironically.

[CatWoman]

14. I was making a joke

however, it is my belief the man was a victim of racial profiling.

You're entitled to your opinion, by the way.

As am I.

[beaujolais]

15. text below!

Couldn't this just be the result of an overanxious teller? Why bring race into it?

[Raineyb]

Because when a white man reaches into his pocket they assume he's pulling out a phone.

When a black man does the same it's assumed to be a gun. Grok the difference?

[sui generis]

19. is that rule printed somewhere?

or just an assumption? Odd that the world is so simple and I didn't get memo or the grok or whatever.

[EFerrari]

21. Some things really are that simple. The way black people are treated

by our "justice" system even has a catchy slogan, "cradle to prison pipeline".

[sui generis]

26. really. Where is THAT printed, or is that just some prime time crime show

cool crimesolving DA trauma surgeon detective squawk?

[EFerrari]

30. I've never watched a second of any of that crap. Let's see what I can dig up for you

about this startlingly new idea. Ah, here is a report from those notorious producers of mass market crap, The Children's Defense Fund:

America's Cradle to Prison Pipeline Report
Release Date: October 10, 2007

This CDF report documents America's Cradle to Prison Pipeline, an urgent national crisis at the intersection of poverty and race that puts Black boys at a one in three lifetime risk of going to jail, and Latino boys at a one in six lifetime risk of the same fate. Tens of thousands of children and teens are sucked into the Pipeline each year.

http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-pub...

[sui generis]

33. and that's representative of what?

The legal profession? The judiciary? Our system of justice? I guess I did not get that meme or memo.

I'm not even remotely denying that all other social factors aside for why and how people arrive at sentencing, sentencing itself is shockingly inconsistent and absolutely biased against non-whites, all other things being equal.

But that's exploitation of softness in sentencing guidelines. You like being hostile assuming that I'm a white spokesperson speaking on behalf of, hell I don't what? Our legal system is as full of people from every culture of origin, and one thing I did not get was whether that teller was white herself, or just something we all assumed.

[EFerrari]

39. No, you probably won't "get" a memo.

You'd probably have to exercise a little bit of initiative to track down what is happening in this country although, not very much. It took me under a minute to find that link. And I'll leave you to your own conclusions about that information.

You raise an interesting point about the teller but the teller isn't in charge of the police response. They have already admitted that this individual was handcuffed improperly.

[sui generis]

43. here's my conclusion

you found the first link that matched your hypothesis.

Who cares. That's not research, not that I was asking for research, I just thought maybe I missed some huge thing that was right around me all the time. I live in a latino neighborhood next door to the oldest black neighborhood in Dallas and I shop at my local grocery stores and go to local events, and I have to tell you that the police just aren't wading around picking up black men and throwing 'em in jail for being black.

[EFerrari]

46. And you would be wrong on all counts. But, you probably already know that.

[sui generis]

50. that's your brilliant rejoinder?

neener neener?

Okay.

[EFerrari]

55. Why waste it? You didn't read the link, you are making yourself into preztel

denying a situation that is widely known. At this point, why help you dig.

[Voltaire]

36. I'm black, work in the prison system

and that IS what its called. Some things are just too obvious to be seen by some folks, ya think?

[Raineyb]

40. Some people don't want to see what's right in front of their noses. n/t

[sui generis]

41. Oh so now we're seeing the world through prison colored glasses

It's a good thing the prison industry is not REALLY the business world, and shouldn't be. I'm a mutt and I own a mid-size business with 250 employees. If I were to start "seeing things" so that you "folks" who go round thinkin' on my behalf could insist that I pay attention to skin color rather than skill, I would be a lesser person. And your observation is NOT true outside of the your very narrow view of the world. There are a whole lot more people NOT in prison and the justice system . . . . of every color.

Oh and in the business world, in banking specifically, ask how many non-white people refer to their careers as cradle-to-prison.

Go ahead, ya think.

[EFerrari]

44. The prison industry is very much REALLY the business world.

You're running out of rationalizations here.

lol

The term refers to our society at large, not your trade -- which, btw, is nothing to write home about. Not attending to racism is not equal to living in a colorless world. It's just inattention, sorry.

[sui generis]

49. I am laughing at you

I never said profiling doesn't exist. I'm not rationalizing anything. The term can refer to anything it wants, if it's not used in "our society" at large anywhere but in prison dramas and the inside, it's irrelevant. The term is irrelevant, not the problem, but that nuance eluded you some few posts back.

My trade - my company produces software that manages your dollars at the bank, so what exactly about trade did you find not worth writing home about?

Really kids, you wouldn't win an argument against a fifth grader, not with all the posturing and assumptions and silliness.

Why would you even conceive that somebody like me would be here for all these years actually participating in government and standing up for social injustice?

Really, start with that FACT, not any more of your assumptions.

[EFerrari]

54. No, no nuance in any of your posts to this thread has eluded me.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

53. Deleted message

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[EFerrari]

42. One of my kids is in for possession of marijuana. He's the only white guy

in his unit.

What do we need, billboards?

It's a national disgrace.

[KamaAina]

58. Come to think of it, why is anyone in for possession?

especially in CA where we can barely afford to keep murderers, rapist, cell phone users bank robbers, etc. locked up.

[reggie the dog]

57. you dont have to write things for them to happen

black people, or whites with long hair and not so nice clothes, are looked at with suspicion that white "nicely" dressed people rarely if ever get. a black man wearing a suit is treated worse than a white guy in jeans and a t shirt in many situations. if you want to read about it read up on race relations in the USA.

[Iggo]

61. It has to be printed somewhere for you to believe it?

You can't just open your eyes?

(Expletive deleted. Sorry, I'm having a rough day.)

[Raineyb]

25. Obviously you don't understand a damn thing. You're too busy pretending that racial

profiling doesn't exist.

That bank teller wouldn't have called the cops claiming a bank robbery for a man reaching for a cell phone if said man was white. I'd say you're pretending not to get it but frankly I suspect that would be giving you too much credit. Your agenda is obvious. You don't want to see any evidence of racial profiling because God forbid acknowledging it means you may actually have to do something about it instead of making noises pretending to give a damn.

It's the same reason why black men (and Latino men for that matter) are more likely to stopped and frisked. They're not given the benefit of the doubt that white men are given. As this ridiculous "bank robbery" has clearly illustrated.

[sui generis]

28. I love that you have telepathy

Unfortunately toots it's on the fritz.

I said what I meant, and mean what I said. You reading tea leaves about some made up agenda is quite frankly stupid. However, not be uncivil, unlike you, I want a fairer view of THAT INCIDENT.

I never said racial profiling doesn't exist. Read my words again. I'm just saying that Raineyb should work for the police and get her own psychic tv show since she knows by parful psychic esp and stuff that bank teller WOULD NOT HAVE CALLED if said man was white.

Or yellow. Or light tan. Clearly you know a lot of stuff about everyone. Unfortunately appears to be mostly wrong.

[Raineyb]

31. I don't claim to be telepathic. But I damn sure can infer and I can notice patterns.

Shit like this NEVER happens to white men in this country. So for you to even try to pretend that you're NOT trying to dismiss racial profiling is insulting and disingenuous.

[sui generis]

35. I'm insulting and disingenuous

okay, so put me on ignore. Please notice how many people agree with you -

Was that teller a white chick? Didn't know for sure but maybe you were able to infer something I missed. . .

[Raineyb]

38. That's what I said. Insulting and disingenuous. I don't need a playback.

Black cops are just as likely to shoot down black people as white cops are. It's about the institution not necessarily the individual.

And I don't take orders from you.

[sui generis]

45. oh good god

now I'm just laughing at you. Was I ever this young? I'm certain of it.

have a good weekend chica - this thread is not worth the rage, outrage and sputtering. We really are on the same side, even if I'm not budging one atom in my opinion.

[Raineyb]

48. No I don't think we're on the same side. You don't even know what the damn

conversation is about.

[sui generis]

52. I don't care what you "think"

I told you my position. You interpreted it, made a bunch of stupid, wrong assumptions, got caught with your ass out, and now you're mad.

Whatever, child. Chill pickle, whether you believe it or not we are on the same side politically speaking and socially speaking.

[Raineyb]

56. I didn't get caught with anything. You're the one making arguments that have nothing to

do with the discussion, refusing to even look at evidence given to you. You're not interested in the discussion, you've basically decided to stick your head in the sand and are getting pissy with anyone not so foolish as to follow your lead. Well you may not like the discussions of race and how it affects how people in this country but a good number of us can't afford to pretend that when everything else is equal that the color of one's skin makes no difference on how we are treated in this country. Anyone who does that align themselves with the same assholes who think it's acceptable to treat those who are not white in this country as second class citizens and are NOT on the same side as I am politically.

Some of us have to live in the real world.

[EFerrari]

70. Well said, RaineyB.

[sui generis]

72. incoherent, actually

So, please recap for me,

1. What was my point that you disagreed with?
2. What was my agenda here?
3. What exactly is it we disagree about, other than how worthy of a person I am or ain't

This is going to be good.

Oh, we DON'T disagree. You and Rainey just like posturing and name calling, kind of like my kids.

But arguing about arguing is clearly what this is about now, so it's now just wasting keyboard and happy hour time.

Really kids, have a good weekend.

[EFerrari]

75. Infantilizing posters who disagree with you is not an argument. n/t

[sui generis]

76. disagree with me about what?

I am still waiting on your brilliant insight and interpretation of my POV.

Are you able to split the hair sir or just more arguing about arguing.

Let me recap for you:

1. I pointed out that I didn't think it was likely the teller called the police because the dude was black.
2. I was accused of not believing that profiling exists.

The two arguments are not interrelated. I was referring to that particular situation, and I have NEVER said anything remotely that meant or implied that I don't believe that there is such a thing as "racial" profiling.

so what were you arguing about again?

Yeah, thought so. Nothing.

[EFerrari]

77. Please don't let me obstruct your downward spiral. TGIF. n/t

[sui generis]

78. ???

so relative to the topic, what was your point?

I am certain you would have made it if you had one. Also certain you would have disagreed with my last post if you had leg to stand on . . . . NOT that I'm mocking crippled people who have no legs to stand on with that statement but quick somebody here probably will.

Anyway, I see you're the only stalker left. Why don't you just go ahead tell me what I meant and what I'm thinking, it will certainly save me the trouble, although technically you might have a career in law enforcement if you did possess such amazing powers of deduction and telepathy.

Which you clearly have neither of. Come on guy, you never had the point of this argument so I can't claim that you've lost it.

[Raineyb]

83. I've already made my points. I'm not wasting my time repeating them to you.

Perhaps if you were to remove your head from your sphincter you might actually be able to take in a point that doesn't agree with your world view. But I can't make you remove it and since you can't be bothered to actually stick to the topic at hand I'm done with you. Kindly piss off.

[Iggo]

84. Forget it. I'm out of this fight.

[reggie the dog]

62. white, black, it does not matter

people are socialized to be suspicious of blacks in the USA. Things are gettin better but people saw years of blacks on tv as robbers, people were taught by racist parents or grandparents....

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

81. Deleted message

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[CatWoman]

17. 1. do you honestly believe the teller would have called the police

had the victim been white?

2. did you read the complete story?

[sui generis]

22. vuh and meh.

the victim? Tellers are supposed to watch everybody. I guess we're only supposed to notice when black people are inappropriately "profiled", but I promise you in a bank lobby if a teller sees anyone with what looks like a gun they're going to call the police without looking at anyone's skin color.

I know that there are disproportionate numbers of people of color who are more likely to elicit suspicion, BUT I do not believe the teller was acting out of malice, or skin color.

I guess, I work in banking so I'd like to hear from the Teller line if we have any posters here. What are your thoughts?

[EFerrari]

34. I worked as a cashier and the only attempted robbery I had was two white guys

who changed their minds when they noticed the big dog behind the counter. But I have never mistaken a black hand for a Glock.

[reggie the dog]

63. and why does the tellers brain see a gun with the black man?

why does the tellers brain fill in "gun" for that unclear object? were they socialized to be suspicious of black males????

[CreekDog]

68. this has been explained 10000000000000000000000000 times

I'm sorry you don't get it.

[sui generis]

73. don't get what?

"this" or "has been explained"

What is it you think I don't get? Use short sentences with direct subject object parts please.

[CreekDog]

80. if you want short sentences, then forget it

there's no point in trying to explain it.

if all of us have to explain why a black gentleman's mistreatment might have something to do with his race and if we aren't even allowed to discuss it here then just forget it.

think whatever you want.

[sui generis]

82. thank you

that was at least civil. I don't require an explanation, I already GET IT. I'm just saying there are other factors too. But that's apparently the thing that's "not allowed".

It's okay, that's why I come to DU - is to chat, to share my point of view and see others, not to judge or be judged.

[sui generis]

74. welcome to the worst of DU

See, sometimes when you don't agree 100% with someone, it means you are the monster in the castle and the villagers will round up their torches and pitchforks and come after YOU, instead of any real problem in the real world, merely because you're convenient.

Happens to me all the time - but usually smarter people than this crowd. This is like swatting at slightly dim gnats, not angry villagers.

Anyway I did not eat those goats!

[Raineyb]

86. The question being discussed is WHY this black man was so easily seen as suspect. That you refuse

to acknowledge what's bloody obvious doesn't make you some higher thinking being it makes you a daft twit with his head up his ass. Your problem is no one is interested in shining you on. If you want someone to lie to you about how smart you are I'd suggest you find your momma.

[sui generis]

18. okay I can sorta see the joke

So on an adjacent topic - they ran a CBS news story yesterday talking about whether white peoples "should be allowed" to adopt black children.

I keep hearing people talk about race, when they mean skin color, and not culture of origin. And yet if you point out that culture is what is difficult to reproduce in a mixed culture-of-origin family, people look at you like you're daft.

I think it's long past time to stop referring to shades of skin color as "race". We're perpetuating racism by participating in its terms.

That's my opinion and I'm entitled to it.

[CatWoman]

20. I don't have a problem with that

That's my opinion and I'm entitled to it.

[reggie the dog]

64. I agree with you there

it is damn difficult to transmit american culture to my daughter who has a french mother, she lives in france but she is not 100 percent french either, she has a mixed culture that does not fit 100 percent in either country.

[EFerrari]

16. I'm glad this man was not shot or tased.

[mikeytherat]

23. So, she could identify it as a "Glock" as opposed to, say, a "SIG Sauer"

but couldn't tell it was a phone?



mikey_the_rat

[reggie the dog]

65. or just a colt 45 auto mag....

how could she have seen the word "glock" on a phone??? she saw the name brand of the gun instead of seeing a semi automatic pistol, that is fucked up.

[mikeytherat]

67. "I'm sure it was a SIG-Sauer P220. A P220 Carry, not a P220 Compact.

Or, maybe a cell phone."

mikey_the_rat

[truebrit71]

24. I bet he was being uppity too...

On the plus side this gentleman will wind up owning a sizable portion of that bank's assets after the lawsuit..

[CatWoman]

29. Hey handsome!!

I have NO sympathy for BOA!!

[Number23]

88. "On the plus side this gentleman will wind up owning a sizable portion of that bank's assets"

One can only hope!

[RedRocco]

27. I had a customer

in line with me at a c-store jump when I pulled my glasses out of my pants pocket. She thought it was a gun. People in general are too afraid, especially of people that don't fit with what they perceive to be "normal".

[EFerrari]

32. So, do you have two heads or were you wearing white after Labor Day?

[RedRocco]

89. I'm very poor and sometimes people mistake me for homeless.

If we didn't own our crappy little millhouse outright we would be homeless. Living on $8.00 an hour isn't very much fun at all.

[EFerrari]

91. I'm right there with you, Red.

[Cetacea]

37. K&R !

[EFerrari]

60. The banks want it both ways. Remember this?

NAACP: Bank Giants Steered Blacks to Bad Loans

Date: Friday, March 13, 2009, 4:39 am
By: Jesse Washington, AP National Writer

The NAACP is accusing Wells Fargo and HSBC of forcing blacks into subprime mortgages while whites with identical qualifications got lower rates.

Class-action lawsuits will be filed against the banks Friday in federal court in Los Angeles, Austin Tighe, co-lead counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, told The Associated Press.

Black homebuyers have been 3 1/2 times more likely to receive a subprime loan than white borrowers, and six times more likely to get a subprime rate when refinancing, Tighe said. Blacks still were disproportionately steered into subprime loans when their credit scores, income and down payment were equal to those of white homebuyers, he said.

Both Wells Fargo & Co. and HSBC are receiving federal bailout funds. Messages left after hours with the banks were not immediately returned.

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/the_bla...

That's some great racket they have going on.

[CatWoman]

71. good find!!

[CreekDog]

69. If they are going to arrest innocent people, can they at least manage to do it without injuring them

is that too much to ask?

sometimes i think some officers think they are supposed to be rough with you once you are in their sights, for whatever reason.

[marmar]

85. Bank of America accusing someone of being a bank robber?

Isn't it ironic?

[L0oniX]

87. Scank of America ...that says it all.

[Geek_Girl]

90. Conyers GA another racist small city in GA

I worked in a small town in North GA for a few weeks at a phone company as a contract programmer. Everyone in the building was white except one lady and me. I'm Hispanic.

The men kept telling me how they weren't racist and how they had a black friend. It was really uncomfortable but kind of funny in a way. Literally I would just meet someone and talk with them for about 2 minutes and then they, would say, "I'm not racist you know. I have a black friend who lives in boston." And they had tv's everywhere and FOX News was on none stop.

It was kind of like working in Bizzarro Mayberry.