No laws against reverse racism?

[VenomX]

This happened months ago, still have not heard if she was cited.


A guy looking to get gas was looking to cut infront of others and I told him he couldnt. He started running his mouth so I went inside because I figured he was just looking to start something.

He came inside a few minutes after me so I went back out and went up to another car and asked them how much they needed. The lady said $20 so I started it and the guy from earlier came back out and said "next time you open your mouth Ill knock your head off". I told him to go ahead and try it. We were arguing and he finally left.

The lady that I started the $20 on got out and so did her passenger. The passenger then said "look at him waiting on them crackers before us". I told her your gas is pumping right now and pointed to the pump running. She said she is a customer and I better wait on her. I told her if she wanted to run her mouth like the last guy did she could leave too and stopped the pump at $5.76 and she went off calling me all kinds of racists names. I went inside and called 911 and asked for the police to show up.

When the cops got there I told them what happened and said I wanted her arrested for being a racist. The one cop told me theres no law against reverse racism. I said thats bull crap and just to get me her name and address so I could take it to the district justice and have charges filed myself. He repeated theres no such law. He said they could only charge her with disorderly conduct and that may not stick.

She wasnt arrested then and may or may not get a disorderly conduct charge in the mail.

The police wanted me to finish her $20 in gas and I refused. They told me they would get the other worker to do it. He told them "hell no, she called me a cracker, get them out of here". So the police made her pay $5.76 and told her to stay away from the store.

Why is there no laws against reverse racism? Why can an African American call a white person racist names and nothing can be done yet if a white person calls an African American a racist name they can be charged?

[Broomjockey]

The SC was a tool and jerk no doubt, so let's keep the discussion-to-come on the SC, and not debate about reverse racism and the cops' statements, since racism is racism, regardless of source, k?

[texasbelle5]

Being a racist, or calling someone a racist name is not illegal in the US . I would imagine its the same in canada.

If it were illegal, a lot of KKK members would be hiding their white sheets in their closets. Not to mention the aryan and Nazi people.

But you were probably well within your rights to refuse further service to them. Sounds like they were raised with a big chip on their shoulder.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I agree. If their behavior was offensive (and it most assuredly was), then you were right to refuse service. However, you we not right to call the police. Unfortunately, being an asshole is not illegal in this country.

"Reverse racism" is something I dont' even understand. Racism is racism. Ugly, yes, but not illegal.

Someone using a racial epithet is not going to be charged with anything. They may be socially stigmatized, fired, refused service, what have you, because as a society, most of us are disgusted and extremely offended by that behavior. But there's no law against it.

Now, there might be something in law about "hate speech" or so called "fighting words" (I think we may have discussed this on another thread, help me out here.) where if you call someone something racist, and they kick your butt, they may be charged with some lesser assault charge or something due to their being provoked. But just yelling out a nasty word in and of itself is not illegal.

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

Thankfully, as it is right now, there are supposed to be no laws against thought-crimes.

But there are, anyway. If the gov't decides your views are "extreme," they can arrest you.

I imagine that's what the founding fathers envisioned, right?

Anyway, you have some control over who you serve and who you don't serve. Free enterprise is supposed to keep us from having to call big brother when there's trouble.

[LifeCarnie]

There is no doubting the customer was a tool, but there is still something called freedom of speech in this country.

So you can't have someone arrested for using a word you don't like. If you are on private property, you can have them removed, which is what the cop did.

Now, there might be something in law about "hate speech" or so called "fighting words" (I think we may have discussed this on another thread, help me out here.) where if you call someone something racist, and they kick your butt, they may be charged with some lesser assault charge or something due to their being provoked. But just yelling out a nasty word in and of itself is not illegal.

I think you're talking about Battery. As in, assualt and battery. Assualt is the physical part, battery is the verbal threat to do physical harm.

In this case the charge would probably be dropped without the slightest hesitation, since there is a difference between being a bigot and being a danger to society.

[Saydrah]

The cop should have better explained that no matter what word she had used and what race you or she were, there still would be no law against it. If the woman had beaten you up because of your race, there might be hate crime laws that come into effect- but as others have said, words are free for all to use, and you were well within your rights to refuse service and to have her removed from the property when her conduct became disorderly.

Wotta jerk- seems like everyone has a reason besides, "It's not my turn," or "I'm a giant arsenugget," that they aren't getting preferential service. Got kids? That must be why- the employee is a child hater! Old? Employee must be ageist. Affluent white male? The employee is jealous of your money. The list goes on.

[VenomX]

Being a racist, or calling someone a racist name is not illegal in the US . I would imagine its the same in canada.

If it were illegal, a lot of KKK members would be hiding their white sheets in their closets. Not to mention the aryan and Nazi people.

But you were probably well within your rights to refuse further service to them. Sounds like they were raised with a big chip on their shoulder.

I called the police because they refused to leave. We have 4 pumps, if they are blocking one that starts a line forming and makes a mess for me.

I asked the one cop if I had called her a racist name would I be cited and he said yes. When I asked why he couldnt cite her for the same thing he said theres no law against it on the books.

I have a great boss, he puts up with a lot from his employees and usually stands up for us when we finally have enough of someone and ask them to take a hike and not come back.

The police here are clueless, we get robbed now and then and when we give them the video they can never find the part where we get robbed even if the boss stops it right when it started. If we have a drive off or someone decides after we pump their gas that they didnt bring the money with them the police tell us its a civil matter and they cant help us. I asked the one cop if I went to Wal-Mart and loaded up a cart and walked out would it be a civil matter or would it be theft. He said theft, I asked whats the difference and he wouldnt answer me.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I'd chalk that up more to the fact that the cop was completely clueless about the law than the fact that the law is for one but not the other.

If he can't cite her, he can't cite you, either. He's an idiot.

[MadMike]

The SC was a tool and jerk no doubt, so let's keep the discussion-to-come on the SC, and not debate about reverse racism and the cops' statements, since racism is racism, regardless of source, k?

It looks like some people are doing exactly what they were asked not to do. If you want to debate "reverse racism", take it to Fratching. If it continues here, we're going to have to shut the thread down.

[Pagan]

I'd chalk that up more to the fact that the cop was completely clueless about the law than the fact that the law is for one but not the other.

If he can't cite her, he can't cite you, either. He's an idiot.

That's exactly what I was thinking, but you beat me to it! That cop was not the sharpest tool in shed.

Just remember, words only have the power that we give them.

[iradney]

I agree also that the cop was not the sharpest tool in the shed. Racism about all races, not just white/black. Which means reverse-racism is like reverse-reverse.

[d962831]

I'd hate to live where you do, apparently the cops don't even know the law and they're supposed to be the ones upholding it. And racism is racism, it doesn't matter who says what. I think American society has gotten so used to the idea that white people are the racists and everyone else is on the recieving end of racist comments that people fail to realize it doesn't matter who you are, racism sucks and every ethnicity contributes to it. It's sad really, hate crime laws and such. People can be arrested for being degrading to black people(OMG I said black, big whoop, if people get upset over that then I want to get the hell out of dodge cause it's only downhill from there) but for some reason if someone hates whites, proclaims it and attacks someone for being white, it's not a hate crime. WTF? I don't want people thinking I'm racist, I'm not, I just think people take advantage of stupid loopholes and completely useless government. If we're all equal, then why do we need hate crime laws?

Sorry, looks like I went way off topic there. The cop doesn't know the laws he's upholdingand the customer was extremely rude and made uneccesary remarks. But hey, we live in America, everything's already F'ed up, why not contribute to it instead of trying to fix?...I've said it before, I'll say it again. Humanity's f*cked.

[MadMike]

The SC was a tool and jerk no doubt, so let's keep the discussion-to-come on the SC, and not debate about reverse racism and the cops' statements, since racism is racism, regardless of source, k?

It looks like some people are doing exactly what they were asked not to do. If you want to debate "reverse racism", take it to Fratching. If it continues here, we're going to have to shut the thread down.

*sigh* Why do I feel like we mods are talking to a wall sometimes?