Concerned citizen calls 911 over man walking ‘with purpose’ with Confederate flag

a reply to: theantediluvian

All the crazy french fry ladies everywhere have made the news too - is that a thing? It's not about left/right or liberal/conservative...it's about over-reaction and stupidity.

a reply to: anon72


Ummm..."See Something...Say Something"...




YouSir

originally posted by: YouSir
a reply to: anon72


Ummm..."See Something...Say Something"...

YouSir

Was gonna mention the same:

Good thing some neighborhood watch didnt do his thing huh fellas

a reply to: anon72

Every time a call like this is made, the cops ought to arrest the caller for wasting their time, and reporting non-crimes. If people can't handle that other people have rights, they should go off somewhere and live where that isn't a concern.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
Who cares? If he did something wrong, charge him with filing a false police report. Are you denying that people call in dumb 911 calls or something? Do you think that is suddenly a new thing with the PC generation?

This thread is just an excuse to feign outrage over PC people.

Oh, really? Let's just, for the sake of argument, rewrite this story a bit, and see if you'd feel the same way if some details were changed. What if, for example, someone called the police because a transvestite was walking "with purpose" down the street, waving a rainbow flag? What if someone called the police because a black guy was walking down the street "with purpose", waving a NBPP flag? Are you honestly saying that you wouldn't complain about that?

originally posted by: enlightenedservant
And that's where the problem is. "If there is a reason" is completely vague & each person will have a different description of this. I've had police called on me so much that I can't even remember them all (yet I've never been arrested, imagine that). Not only have I had police called on me for talking to my Mom in a park, but I've them called on me for:

1. "Suspiciously" sitting on a bench at a bus stop during the day

2. Sitting on a bench at the airport while waiting for a taxi to come over

3. For driving "suspiciously" while leaving an apartment complex while looking for a new apartment (the police actually laughed w/me on that)

4. For playing music in my old car in my own driveway (ironically, it wasn't for loud music but because I apparently stayed in the car "too long" & that made me suspicious, whatever that means)

And that's just off the top of my head. And there are so many other incidences when I've been with friends that I wouldn't even know where to begin.

And that's why it's been mentioned several times in this thread that the "outrage" here is only because it involved the confederate flag. Many of the same people complaining about this incident would be cheering or silent if the 911 call involved other American demographics.

What you experienced is exactly the point here. The problem is that people are conditioned to fear other people, and to report those other people, for no legitimate reason, other than the fear. It's wrong when this happens, no matter who is on each end of the process.

Historically, this sort of thing has happened more to blacks than to others, though I do believe that's lessened to some degree. However, it does happen to others as well. I have known people who were stopped for nothing, literally, while walking in a public place. Young, white, on a street or a beach, doing nothing at all, and some jerk of a cop on a power trip decided to harass them. No drugs, no gang clothing, nothing of at all, but they were still harassed. It happens. It's always wrong.

These days, people are being conditioned more than ever to see other groups as threats. No group is exempt, either. No race. No belief system. We are all told we should hate and fear this or that group. It's getting out of control.

I spent my childhood in the Southeast, late sixties to early seventies, and can remember the adults talking about all of the race issues all over the country. Where we were, no one seemed to get it. All of us kids played together, and who was what color didn't matter. The first time I saw a real issue was when some of us were bused to other schools. The few white kids in the mostly black school to which we went did get some hassle. Whether that improved or not, I don't know. We moved, because of a job change (not related to that), so whether it got better or worse, I can't say. it was a bit of a shock, though.

Before the move, the kids that started out hostile did change a little. At first, it was a lot of threatening, and trying to pick fights, but that seemed like it might slow down, as people learned more bout one another. Looking back, I suspect most of it was simply being unfamiliar with anyone who looked different.

Growing up, I saw a lot of that changing, and people everywhere seemed to pay less and less attention to skin color, and more to the person. That was awesome, and I hoped that all of the tension would eventually fade. Lately, though, with this sort of nonsense, and other related issues, I don't have that hope. People are being played, and manipulated by unfounded fear, and if we don't all stand up against it, we are all going to suffer for it.

My problem with this (nothing close to outrage) is that it's divisive, and promoting of thought crimes, and that's never a good thing. I don't want someone hassled for skin color, for carrying a flag, or anything of the sort.

From the way you tend to post, I can't imagine you seeming suspicious. You seem very level-headed and sensible. The cases you list, I'd guess were as biased and out of line as is this one.

Problem is, how to get everyone to see what is really happening.

Caller has 'Attention deficit disorder'.
Walker has 'Purposeful walking disorder'.
Cops receive ' Public stupidity disorder'
Thread has 'WTF disorder'.!

I think the propper course of events would have been to approach him first and talk to him before calling the cops. Also, I hope he wasn't arrested or charged with anything.

originally posted by: enlightenedservant

originally posted by: MotherMayEye

originally posted by: GonzoSinister

originally posted by: kosmicjack
a reply to: GonzoSinister

Exactly. And that underscores that we have got to stop this madness.

and to an extent that is true,

however i do not for one minute believe all those who see this scenario as an issue in this thread, would be as against the same reaction if the scenario i put forward played out,

so where does the line get drawn?

I think if there is a reason to be suspicious -- for example, someone fitting the description of a wanted suspect for a string of robberies -- then I can accept calling the police about someone appearing to be minding their own business.

Otherwise, I would not defend harassing innocent people and wasting law enforcement resources.

And that's where the problem is. "If there is a reason" is completely vague & each person will have a different description of this. I've had police called on me so much that I can't even remember them all (yet I've never been arrested, imagine that). Not only have I had police called on me for talking to my Mom in a park, but I've them called on me for:

1. "Suspiciously" sitting on a bench at a bus stop during the day

2. Sitting on a bench at the airport while waiting for a taxi to come over

3. For driving "suspiciously" while leaving an apartment complex while looking for a new apartment (the police actually laughed w/me on that)

4. For playing music in my old car in my own driveway (ironically, it wasn't for loud music but because I apparently stayed in the car "too long" & that made me suspicious, whatever that means)

And that's just off the top of my head. And there are so many other incidences when I've been with friends that I wouldn't even know where to begin.

And that's why it's been mentioned several times in this thread that the "outrage" here is only because it involved the confederate flag. Many of the same people complaining about this incident would be cheering or silent if the 911 call involved other American demographics.

Are you black or a Muslim? You could be victim of racial profiling.

Same people crying about this are the same people crying about the black people not including white people in their group...

They hate PC(which I believe to be a term for common sense) unless someone does something they do not like.

IDIOTS.

Pffft at walking with purpose . Below is walking with purpose . 911 these guys .

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Uh no... I'd probably point out that the caller was racist or bigoted, but I certainly wouldn't have a problem with that person exercising his or her right to call 911.

a reply to: anon72

The other day I saw an elderly couple power walking. If walking 'very deliberately' is a cause for concern then those old folk must be the equivalent to ISIS recruiters-Evil to the core.

a reply to: anon72

All respect due, if someone that I don't recognize is walking down my street in a provocative way then I might be one to step in to find out why the person is doing this. This has nothing to do with political correctness. I don't know the specifics of this story in particular, but in general if I notice something that could be a potential threat to my family or neighbors then I feel responsible for anything bad that might happen. I don't mean calling the police every time someone does something you don't agree with but if there is a potential threat then I would hope someone would speak up even though I know most people would say "they're not hurting me, oh well".

And to the point of walking with demeanor. For those that are trained in psychology and reading people there is a specific type of gait that can give off an appearance of a violent demeanor. Does every person that walks in this manner commit acts of violence? No of course not but it can be an indicator along with carrying the flag that would alarm someone to a potential for a violent situation.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

So if there is a lunatic standing outside your house with a machete talking about blood and going to heaven you wouldn't call the cops? And if you did, would you like it if they arrested you for reporting a non-crime as you call it? Perhaps if more people would step up and call on suspicious activity it would cut down on violent crimes.

originally posted by: DAVID64
I am so sick of this stupid PC sh**.
You can't even walk down the street without somebody getting their panties in a twist and calling the police, because [ just facepalm ] They Don't Like The Way You're Walking!!
If you're that scared, stay home, hide in your basement and let the rest of us get on with our lives.

Unfortunately, it's the age we live in. It's nothing really to do with PC, it's the whole living in fear thing. Some people are just paranoid and delusional, and it certainly doesn't help that they encourage us to be vigilant (aka suspicious of anybody with a backpack or that looks "off"). Obviously dumb, but they brought that crap on themselves by asking us to do it since 9/11.

originally posted by: anon72


www.washingtontimes.com...

Not much more to the story without putting all on here. The Picture says most of it.

Help me out?...cuz there doesn't look to be anything to the story?

The strange thing is that I tried to hunt down the story by the pic...which was posted/cited by @Waynewest on twitter...and he is an Oathkeeper...

It looks a little like he snapped a pic and fabricated a story?

Can I get some specific news story beyond a twitter pic by an oathkeeper?

a reply to: Indigo5

Here is a news story from the Washington Times. I hope that helps...

Darn Oathers... Caring about the country- Crazy bastartsssss

www.washingtontimes.com...

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
a reply to: kosmicjack

How do you know he was "offended" and not concerned that this walker could be headed to a black school to shoot up a bunch of black people?

He has a right to be offended, by the way, I'm just curious why everyone seems to think he was offended...

He has a right to grow a pair of testicles and stop living in an imaginary world of fear and butthurt, too. We've had ONE (1) black church shooting in the news recently which was loosely tied to a dude who owned a rebel flag... that gives license to calling 9/11 over seeing an unrelated guy actively walking with a rebel flag because "he might be heading to a school or church to shoot a bunch of black people!?!?!?!"

Jay-zus, Mary, and Joseph!

Does the PC crowd not realize that they've become the walking negative of the old white racists from days gone past? Do the rose colored glasses need to be cleaned off for this to be seen? There is absolutely no difference between what you just excused the 911 call for and, for example, the old chestnuts about any black kid with a bicycle must have stolen it or every Arab you see on the street is secretly casing the local buildings to decide where best to detonate their suicide bomb. We don't accept that goddamned disgraceful stereotyping and fear mongering and I refuse to accept and patently rebuke your example of the same type of fear mongering, victimizing nonsense.