Back to Home

Active Questions

Do you think the "race card" is appropriate here or not?
Race, Religion & Politics / 11:54 AM - Thursday November 19, 2009

Do you think the "race card" is appropriate here or not?

In Jan 2007, in Kennett, Missouri, Heather Ellis, a 21 year old black college student, was shopping with her cousin at Wal-mart and they both stood in different lines, her cousin's line was faster so Ellis switched lines.

This angered other customers. Ellis shoved merchandise belonging to another customer on the conveyor belt to make room for hers. The ensuing arguments were described as Ellis going "ballistic in a profane tirade"

The police were called. Ellis had paid in cash but the cashier refused to give Ellis her change, waiting for the police. The police arrived and Ellis confronted them with profane language. Police say Ellis repeatedly kicked one officer in the shin and another in the face.

Ellis says that the police officers addressed her "with a series of racial remarks that included the N-word and everything you can imagine." and "Go back to the ghetto."

Her felony trial started yesterday on charges of assaulting police officers, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.

There are five police officers. They're all saying the same thing. There are at least four other witnesses within the Wal-Mart store. They're all saying the same thing. Two years ago she was offered but refused a plea bargain under which she would receive probation if she dropped her complaint against the police.

This seems just like the Prof Gates case where a person feels they did nothing wrong and that they are being discriminated against based on their race.

What do you make of this?

Update: November 19, 2009.
google or go here for the entire article: tinyurl.com/ydr5kcu

- Asked by donuthate, A Creative, Male, Who Cares?, Phoenix, Who Cares?

READ MORE ABOUT THE RATING SYSTEM

If in fact, those officers called her a N..... then it's racial, point blank.

There's a class war that exceeds racial issues, however, people find a way to bring it back up and into the spotlight. Police will band together, right or wrong, to "detest" any accusations of racial profiling or unjust treatment.... when the laws are made to serve and protect the bourgeoisie interests.

- Response by king313, A Hip Hop Guy, Male, 26-28, Detroit, Student

Rating Received:


I really don't think her race is relevant here. I was reading this and (as a journalist) saw zero relevance for it's mention until it showed that the police called her the N word and told her to go back to the ghetto. That in itself is racial. HER actions were not. So yes, there's a race issue here.

As for the Gates thing, I don't care what anyone says. They would have reacted the same as he did and yes, I think that was a Race issue. Cops always assume if you're black you did it first, questions later. I honestly believe that. There are SOOOOO many stories to back me up on that too.

- Response by sweetness04, A Thinker, Female, 22-25, Student

Rating Received:

Community Rating: Community Star

Not sure exactly what to think....but she must be a pretty good kicker (maybe the Rams should take a look at her) if she can kick the cop in the face.....

- Response by lab01, A Father Figure, Male, 36-45, St.Louis, Other Profession

Rating Received:



Race or gender has nothing to do with the behavior.
She is evidently rude, pushy and has little command of the language. AND to actually be STUPID enough to kick a cop ......



- Response by singledad281, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 36-45, Houston, Veterinary

Rating Received:


Based on what I saw on the news, this was just a woman acting the fool. she was still being over the top even in her own interview so I can only imagine the emotion & chaos it was in person. She never said she DIDN'T carry on to the point where the Cops had to be called so that attests to the fact that she was a mess before they got there.

If there were racial slurs during the Incident, how can she tell who said what with all that was apparently going on--I could easily see a passerby yell "Go back to the Ghetto!". If I'd been there witnessing such behavior, as a Black woman, I'd have been mortified and thinking "what low class 'hood' behavior". I can't blame anyone else for thinking the same thing.

Even giving her the benefit of the doubt and taking her behavior into account, I could see a cop saying go back to the Trailer Park or hills (or wherever) if they were going to use a Slur. I don't think it was solely Racially motivated.



- Response by thottienc, A Career Woman, Female, 29-35, Charlotte, Who Cares?

Rating Received:


I don;t have to read this to tell you that the race card is never appropriate.

- Response by buffersclone, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 46-55, Los Angeles, Managerial

Rating Received:


I don't think anyone who wasn't there should make anything of it.

- Response by dawsonmckay, A Rebel, Male, 36-45, Phoenix, Artist / Musician / Writer

Rating Received:


I'm not surprised by the cops standing together, but I don't really trust their in a case like this because they could just be covering for one another. That "thin blue line" is mighty powerful thing.

The thing that convicts her in my mind is the fact that there are 4 OTHER witnesses who say the same thing as the cops, which tends to give their word a great deal more validity.

That being said, you never addressed what they're all saying about the alleged racial remarks. If they DID get racial, there's no good reason for it no matter what she did. If they did NOT get racial she needs a nice stay in the pokey to teach her some manners.

- Response by bookman, A Guy Critical, Male, 46-55, Seattle, Hospitality

Rating Received:


I should add, this is why so many bonafide incidents of Racism are never addressed---we know they'd get lumped in this same kind of nonsense and dismissed as some unnecessary ploy by a Minority to 'get something'. It's the part about Race Card" that sickens me most. Legitimate issues are swept away out of this kind of fear.

Trumped up nonsense like this is automatically labeled RACE related either by the person or the Media and the end result is that it sets us back in unity and makes others think Racism doesn't exist or that it's still very rampant, neither of which are true or lend to continued growth on parts of all Races to come together.

- Response by thottienc, A Career Woman, Female, 29-35, Charlotte, Who Cares?

Rating Received:


No. I've been following this. She was just acting like an ass. So now her ass is in a sling.

I hope she does some time.

- Response by llafsroh, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 36-45, Boston, Science / Engineering

Rating Received:


Absolutely not! she behaved incorrigibly and then to assault police officers to boot... it doesn't matter what the cops may have said to her. frankly to pull the "race card" here would most definitly not help her case. how she reacted to that situation does NOT reflect well on black people.

- Response by guy5432, A Couch Potato, Male, 29-35, New York, Who Cares?

Rating Received:


Wow. I agree with dawsonmackay and bookman! Doesn't happen too often! :)

- Response by xerxes, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 36-45, Washington, DC, Lawyer

Rating Received:


Before making a calling I'd want to see the video. There has to be a video, (probably without sound) what store doesn't video the casheers.
Personally I'm not big on trusting the cops or her, both will lie. But the several eye witnesses back the police story.
As to racial language,
1. Everyone claims she was profane, what was she saying?
2. Did racial slurs come from police or others in the store?
3. If from police, was it before or after kicking in the face?
I'm a mild mannered person, but you kick me in the face, and you had better pray the worst you get is some words.

She did wrong long before the cops showed up.

- Response by jjcabin, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 36-45, Washington, DC, Technical

Rating Received:


No, the race card is not appropriate in this case.

If it's true that the officers did make racial remarks to her, that needs to be brought up as a separate complaint, and should have no bearing on her actions prior to the arrival of the police or on her assault of a police officer.

- Response by avatar83, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 26-28, Teaching

Rating Received:

Back to Active Questions