Saturday, July 28, 2018

Racists Among Us

"I just want to let you know what a n****r you are." -- white man in Ohio went into racist tirade against a Black man who honked at him. His name is Jeffrey A. Whitman, he is the owner of "Uriah's Heating & Cooling," (614) 588-6176



Charles Lovett recorded the confrontation with Jeffrey Whitman, the owner of Uriahs Heating and Cooling, outside of his home Tuesday morning. On the video, Whitman - who was driving a company vehicle at the time - tells Lovett "I just want to tell you what a n***** you are."
He's also heard telling Lovett he's a "rude n*****" and that he's entitled as they argue over whether Lovett had cut off Whitman.
In a statement, Whitman said

"To Charles Lovett and the community,

I apologize for my use of the n word towards Charles Lovett on Tuesday, July 24th. I understand that using the n-word was not only hurtful towards Lovett as an individual, but hurtful towards the Black community at large. Using the word was dehumanizing, unacceptable, and inexcusable. My actions reflect an unhealthy mindset I have developed and I need to work to change. I have served the Black community for the last 9 years, installing furnaces and water heaters with pride. My actions that day are not a reflection of my feelings towards the Black community. I also understand that racial tensions in America are higher than before, and I regret my part in contributing to that tension. I realize that words are hollow without action, and because of the hurt I have caused, I hope I have the opportunity to give back to the Black community that I have harmed in a meaningful way."
When contacted by ABC 6/FOX 28 Tuesday, Whitman didn't want to speak on camera but said in a phone call he regretted it and "I lost my head."

Update 7/29/2018.  From the Columbia Dispatch website, Karma has come calling on Mr. Racist Whitman.  Columnist Theodore Decker writes:

 If Whitman felt entitled to follow, confront and demean a stranger from the seat of his marked company van, thousands of strangers felt obliged to punish him for it.
They shared his image online, overloaded his voicemail and flooded consumer websites like Yelp with hundreds of negative reviews, complete with images of the Ku Klux Klan and Hitler.
“Your type is not wanted in this country any longer, nor are your ‘heating and cooling services’ ever needed again,” reads one.
All of this has had the intended effect.
“It was an awful mistake and obviously I don’t know how to explain it, and it’s ruined my life and it’s ruined my family’s life,” Whitman says.
He says this in a voicemail left for me on Thursday, two days after he most definitely didn’t apologize when confronted by a local television reporter.
Now, in this message, he sounds despondent.
“I’m out of business, I’m completely out, I’m done, I’ll never work in Columbus again,” he says. “This has completely and thoroughly ruined my life.” The message ends abruptly.
Stating the obvious here, driving to a stranger’s house to harass the person with racial slurs is not a “mistake.” It is a chosen course of action. It is stupid and small-minded and threatening and a host of other descriptions now attached to Whitman’s name for Internet eternity.
On Friday, Whitman called again. He said he chose the wrong word and insists he is not a bigot. He provided a woman’s number and urged me to call her. He wouldn’t say why exactly, but I get the sense that he sees her as a character witness.
He rambled a bit and said a few other things, including one sentiment that would have many of his newfound enemies guffawing:

“I just don’t understand the intensity of the hate,” he said.


Monday, July 23, 2018

Racists Among Us

A Korean woman was verbally assaulted with hate speech and spat on while riding the subway in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. 
Seulji Lee detailed the racist encounter in a Facebook post along with a video and photo of the attacker. Lee decided to share her story 

A guy was sitting right next to me on the N train. He said "Fake", "Get the fuck out of my country". But I couldn't make sure he did it to me since I was talking to a friend of mine.
Lee and her friend got up and tried moving to another train, but when they saw the man exit the car, they sat back down. However, the man was clearly stalking her as he reentered the train via the next car.



At the Coney island station, After we got off the train, he spat on my head behind my back.
- I tried to catch him. He shook my hand off, then shoved me toward the train and ran away.



A woman came to her aid and revealed that the man had also been acting strange towards her and her mother as well. She took a picture of the assailant, suspecting that he would try something.

Pending identification.


Sunday, July 22, 2018

Monday Morning Smile


Racists Among Us - Kids Version


Racist students plaster a Black teacher's class room with "obama you're fired" and "Make america great again" posters and print out a wall, tape it infront of the door of a Mexican teacher's class room.

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Racists Among Us

Sheesh, this is getting to be a weekly thing.

This time, it happened over Memorial Day in Berkely.


This group of friends were visiting Berkely and decided to walk to a burger joint.  On the way, an apparent drunk white woman harassed the man in the white baseball cap.  Excerpt from story: 

 “You don’t belong here,” the woman suddenly told Essex Cook. She was fixated on him, he recalled. He said that, though the group was multiracial, he is black and has the darkest skin. “Get out of Berkeley. Get out of here. You don’t belong anywhere,” the woman said over and over.


She was identified in records online as 31-year-old Lauren Milewski. Hong said Milewski has no permanent home address.

According to court records, Milewski was on probation for a 2017 robbery case that was described, when it was charged, as a violent felony that could have sent her to prison. She ultimately took a plea to grand theft, and the rest of the charges in the case were dismissed. Milewski spent a couple months in jail, then was placed on a five-year probation term. According to records online she is no longer in custody and no new charges appear to have been filed.








Thursday, July 19, 2018

TGIF





The mécanophone, a modern post-barbarism organ that seems straight out of Gaston Lagaffe's brain, a perfectly destructive device and a concert of horns that must be wonderful in traffic jams. 

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Brits' Take on drumpf




Boom




Hang in There

Dan Rather
17 hrs
From the farce of yesterday's hearing on Capitol Hill ("oversight" by mendacity) to the spectacle in Great Britain (a President's destabilizing, unstable, and racist interview) to the trailing exhaust of American leadership left in Brussels (with a friend like the U.S. who needs... Russia?) to what awaits in Helsinki (a bromance with a wily KGB agent), what we are witnessing is far beyond the realm of this reporter to put into full context.
I doubt Dante could imagine the circles in which we find ourselves. P.T. Barnum couldn't figure out a way to sell it. And Rod Serling would shake his head in disbelief. All metaphors are rendered largely impotent - be they circus, swamp, or dumpster fire - because they seem to understate the sheer dangerous absurdity of it all. There can be no individual accounting of all damage.
I surmise this is what in some ways passes for the strategy of the President and his accomplices. See how many reactionary judges they can install, how many loopholes for the rich and connected they can construct, how many protections to health, water and air they can shred before the inevitable backlash.
I list all of this not to sow the seeds of hopelessness. Quite the contrary. That is what the forces of authoritarianism wish - that they can launch a reclamation of the Gilded Age on the backs of a demoralized majority. But I have seen these types of actors before. I have seen these odds. They cannot understand that the forces of goodness can channel a fury of righteousness and action. The time for slumber is over. No one can ever argue that elections do not have consequences. Even with the hurdles they are erecting to democracy no President and no political party, no matter how cynical they may be, is bigger than the country at large.

Saturday, July 07, 2018

Racists Among Us

Anne Marie Messiano, 57, was charged with disorderly conduct for the incident, which happened on June 30th on a bus in the area of Route 303 and Orangeburg Road in Orangeburg. "Get out of my fucking country," she said during the rant, which was captured on video by other riders. "You got a fucking problem with that, call the fucking police. And I hope that you all got your motherfucking papers, you shut up...I'm sick of you motherfuckers." Someone did indeed call the police.
"Go back to your fucking country," she shouted at the bus driver. "First of all motherfucker, in this country we have what's called the First Amendment rights, okay? Which I can say whatever the fuck I want, okay?"

Thursday, July 05, 2018

Fireworks for Fools

A man inside a car lit a firework and tried to throw it out. But instead, it came back in and ignited the other fireworks: https://on.whio.com/2MO2XAI

Puke Worthy

Scott Pruitt's resignation letter. 

Updated 4:42 PM ET, Thu July 5, 2018


Mr. President,

it has been an honor to serve you in the Cabinet as Administrator of the EPA. Truly, your confidence in me has blessed me personally and enabled me to advance your agenda beyond what anyone anticipated at the beginning of your Administration. Your courage, steadfastness and resolute commitment to get results for the American people, both with regard to improved environmental outcomes as well as historical regulatory reform, is in fact occurring at an unprecedented pace and I thank you for the opportunity to serve you and the American people in helping achieve those ends.

That is why it is hard for me to advise you I am stepping down as Administrator of the EPA effective as of July 6. It is extremely difficult for me to cease serving you in this role first because I count it a blessing to be serving you in any capacity, but also, because of the transformative work that is occurring. However, the unrelenting attacks on me personally, my family, are unprecedented and have taken a sizable toll on all of us.

My desire in service to you has always been to bless you as you make important decisions for the American people. I believe you are serving as President today because of God's providence. I believe that same providence brought me into your service. I pray as I have served you that I have blessed you and enabled you to effectively lead the American people. Thank you again Mr. President for the honor of serving you and I wish you Godspeed in all that you put your hand to.

Your Faithful Friend,
Scott Pruitt

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