Race hoax in Cobb County, GA

[Derec]

Black Democratic Georgia State Representative Erica Smollett, uh, I mean Erica Thomas was at a local Publix and had too many items in the express checkout lane. Another shopper confronted her and she accused him of telling her to "go back where she came from". Now she admits he did not say that but still wants him arrested for, presumably, lèse-majesté.

Oh, and the man is Cuban and a Democrat.

Georgia state Rep. Erica Thomas wants man arrested over alleged racist confrontation

The Georgia Democrat originally claimed Friday that Sparkes had confronted her in a Publix grocery store checkout line and told her to "go back to where you came from."
Thomas appeared initially to backtrack the claim on Saturday, saying in an interview: "I don't know if he said 'go back,' or those types of words ... I don't know if he said 'go back to your country' or 'go back to where you came from,' but he was making those types of references is what I remember."
[...]
Sparkes has argued Thomas' version of the story is "untrue" and that the worst thing he said was to call her a "bitch" for having too many items in the express checkout.
"That's all I said after that, and I walked out of Publix," he said, adding that he is of Cuban descent. "Her words stating on [Facebook] in her video, stating I told her she needs to go back where she came from, are untrue."

In other Cobb County news, a woman was arrested for vandalizing a Trump sign.
Case involving 2020 campaign sign leads to criminal charges
She drove her car through the owner's fence and could not dive her car out so she left it there, which allowed authorities to id her easily. Talk about stupid!

 

[RavenSky]

Not a hoax. The incident did in fact happened. The man outed himself and admits to calling her all sorts of names. He just denies using the specific words "go back to where you came from"; while she maintains that he used those words or similar words meaning the same thing.

So, basically, his *defense* against the claim he is a racist is "No, I'm not a racist!!! I'm just a misogynist fucking asshole!"

Either way... NOT a "hoax"

 

[Derec]

Not a hoax. The incident did in fact happened. The man outed himself and admits to calling her all sorts of names. He just denies using the specific words "go back to where you came from"; while she maintains that he used those words or similar words meaning the same thing.

Wrong. He admits telling her off about using the express lane with too many items. That has nothing to do with race or going back to one's country.
She chose to take a simple dispute over a checkout lane and turn it into a racial dispute, presumably to score political points capitalizing on the Trump/Squad squabble about "going back".

So, basically, his *defense* against the claim he is a racist is "No, I'm not a racist!!! I'm just a misogynist fucking asshole!"

How is it misogynist? She clearly misused the express lane by bringing too many items. Him telling her off has nothing to do with either race or gender.
Do you think women (or black women, or black female politicians) should be able to do whatever they want and that no white man can ever tell them that what they are doing is wrong or else they are "racist" or "misogynist"? That's utter bullshit.

Either way... NOT a "hoax"

It is a hoax as what Erica "Smollett" Thomas said happened never happened. She misstated the incident.
Also, she claimed to be "in fear for her life" because he dared talk to her. SHE IS TWICE HIS SIZE! What BS!

 

[laughing dog]

Misusing the express lane is a minor transgression of social protocol that does not require any sort of name calling or unpleasant confrontation. If Ms. Thomas's transgression of social protocol did not require Mr. Sparkes acting like an ass. It can be annoying when people clog up the express lane, but turning it into a confrontation is simply wrong. And he admits to calling her a "bitch" which to my generation is a misogynistic insult.

Does any of this merit local or national attention? Not in my book. Perhaps Ms. Sparkes was trying to ride an anti-Trump wave. Perhaps she was simply very upset and rattled. In my view, a hoax is deliberate, and it is possible that Ms. Thomas misspoke because of her emotional state.

But then again, she is a black woman, so the usual suspect immediately jump to the most uncharitable explanations possible.

 

[Trausti]

One of the ripples from the Great Awokening is that what once were insignificant daily slights - someone was rude to me at the store - become national events. Who, whom?

 

[Elixir]

Misusing the express lane is a minor transgression of social protocol that does not require any sort of name calling or unpleasant confrontation.

Yeah. Usually you can just flash your piece and they let you go right through.

 

[Metaphor]

Misogyny used to mean a deep, pathological hatred of women.

When did gendered insults become equivalent to misogyny? And, even if they are, isn't the use of a gendered insult a "misogynistic" action, not an essential state? Isn't it reductive and dehumanizing to label somebody based on a single utterance?

 

[Derec]

Misusing the express lane is a minor transgression of social protocol that does not require any sort of name calling or unpleasant confrontation. If Ms. Thomas's transgression of social protocol did not require Mr. Sparkes acting like an ass. It can be annoying when people clog up the express lane, but turning it into a confrontation is simply wrong.

I disagree. Erica Thomas acted very entitled and it's ok for other customers to call her out on it. Did he use the best language? Maybe not.

And he admits to calling her a "bitch" which to my generation is a misogynistic insult.

Yes, but you are old.

Does any of this merit local or national attention? Not in my book. Perhaps Ms. Sparkes was trying to ride an anti-Trump wave. Perhaps she was simply very upset and rattled. In my view, a hoax is deliberate, and it is possible that Ms. Thomas misspoke because of her emotional state.

I think she was definitely seeking to capitalize on the Trump/Squad thing with "send her back". So I think it was definitely deliberate. Remember, she is the one who made it a big deal by tweeting it to all her followers. And it was other Dem politicians like Bill de Blasio who jumped on it immediately.

But then again, she is a black woman, so the usual suspect immediately jump to the most uncharitable explanations possible.

Or: she is a black woman, so any criticism is automatically "racist".

 

[Metaphor]

Oh, and the people who go through a ten items or less lane with 16 items? Worse than Hitler.

 

[Derec]

Yeah. Usually you can just flash your piece and they let you go right through.

This is not 'Nam. There are rules.

 

[laughing dog]

I disagree. Erica Thomas acted very entitled and it's ok for other customers to call her out on it. Did he use the best language? Maybe not.

There is a difference between pointing out a social transgression and initiating a transgression. Mr. Sparkes was an ass.

Yes, but you are old.

True, but that doesn't mean he didn't use a term in a misogynistic manner.

I think she was definitely seeking to capitalize on the Trump/Squad thing with "send her back". So I think it was definitely deliberate. Remember, she is the one who made it a big deal by tweeting it to all her followers. And it was other Dem politicians like Bill de Blasio who jumped on it immediately.

Of course you definitely think she was seeking to capitalize on the Trump/Squad brohaha.

Or: she is a black woman, so any criticism is automatically "racist".

Shift those goalposts, you still are not fooling anyone.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Oh, and the people who go through a ten items or less lane with 16 items? Worse than Hitler.

I think we can all agree to that. However, she is a product of the Georgia school system, so we need to account for the real possibility that she can’t count that high and didn’t know she was in the wrong lane.

There are very good reasons that I left that place as soon as my first child was born.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Okay, this woman is nine months pregnant and no one has brought up this teenie eenie weenie detail?!

“I called you a lazy b-i-t-c-h,” Sparkes said. "That’s the worst thing I said.”

“‘He said, ‘Go back,’ those types of words. I don’t want to say he said, “Go back to your country,’ or ‘Go back to where you came from,’ but he was making those types of references, is what I remember.’”

Okay, so we have no idea what exactly happened, but it seems like an impatient guy called a very pregnant woman a "lazy bitch". The State Representative definitely appears to walk back her claim about what he said.

Odd that the guy happens to be there when she appeared to be showboating.

I think the real loser in all this are blue states.

 

[bilby]

Oh, and the people who go through a ten items or less lane with 16 items? Worse than Hitler.

You know who's worse than Hitler? People who use 'less' when they mean 'fewer', that's who. If only it attracted the death penalty, there would be a lot fewer supermarket managers around today.

 

[Metaphor]

Oh, and the people who go through a ten items or less lane with 16 items? Worse than Hitler.

You know who's worse than Hitler? People who use 'less' when they mean 'fewer', that's who. If only it attracted the death penalty, there would be a lot fewer supermarket managers around today.

Tell it to the people who used "less" when they ought have used "fewer", like the people who signed off on the sign wording at supermarkets, sister.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I strongly suspect she's the cause of the problem here.

I think he called her out on having too many items in the express lane and she made it personal instead.

 

[Arctish]

I strongly suspect she's the cause of the problem here.

I think he called her out on having too many items in the express lane and she made it personal instead.

You think calling someone a lazy bitch isn't getting personal? Is that a Nevada thing?

Don't try it up here. People will take it personally.

 

[laughing dog]

I strongly suspect she's the cause of the problem here.

I think he called her out on having too many items in the express lane and she made it personal instead.

You think calling someone a lazy bitch isn't getting personal? Is that a Nevada thing?

Don't try it up here. People will take it personally.

I suspect that women just about everywhere take being called a "lazy bitch" personally.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I strongly suspect she's the cause of the problem here.

I think he called her out on having too many items in the express lane and she made it personal instead.

Called her out? Called out a pregnant woman for having too many things in the express checkout?

Is that a thing?

 

[Arctish]

I strongly suspect she's the cause of the problem here.

I think he called her out on having too many items in the express lane and she made it personal instead.

Called her out? Called out a pregnant woman for having too many things in the express checkout?

Is that a thing?

Grocery check-out rage.