Doubtless, you’ve seen the picture circulating around Twitter of the protesters at Starbucks yelling at a single barista as he stands there taking it.
https://twitter.com/SunniAndTheCity/status/985856714502262784
The picture is such a meme-able one that I expect this picture of poor Zack and his misfortune to be seen around the internet for a good long while. For those curious, this is a protest in a Philidelphia Starbucks that arose after two black men were arrested for no other reason than they were sitting in a Starbucks without having purchased anything. Certainly a horrid scenario, but two wrongs and all that.
Like many others, I joined in on the fun of captioning the photo, the best of which can be found on Twitchy here. Thing is, the more I looked at it, the more I realized that this picture is the image of our times much in the same way the Buddhist monk on fire was for the 60’s or the Windows 95 videotape cover with Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston defined the 90’s. Don’t @ me.
The commentary the image gives us is spectacularly accurate of our own times. Here we have a social justice warrior surrounded by his fellows in the angry mob, bullhorn aimed squarely at working man Zack. Zack did nothing wrong, and yet looks on ahead at nothing as he stoically and quietly takes whatever abuse the crowd throws at him despite his innocence.
Zack stays quiet for two reasons. One is that anything uttered out of his mouth will immediately be taken wrongly and will only cause the mob to go into loud hysterics. The second reason is that Zack is a modern man who will take the abuse because society has told him that he deserves it, and in order to be a good guy he must take whatever punishment the mob throws at him. Zack may have not even been present when the two men were arrested, but he shares the blame. That’s what society has told him, and Zack wants to be a good man by society’s current standards.
Zack is innocent, and Zack is at fault.
Je suis Zack.
Not everyone is blessed to be a political/cultural commentator or a frequent reader of the fine opinions my colleagues and I dole out on the regular. A good chunk of the American population — specifically those of the younger variety — don’t understand that those in the mob are the bad guys. They’re bamboozled by the fact that this mob claims their actions are in the name of a social good despite their solutions causing a social ill. They get the initiative by claiming the moral high ground, and those under them don’t realize that what they’re claiming a shallow form of morality.
We can all agree that racism is bad, and shouldn’t be allowed. The social justice warriors claim this too, but their solution isn’t understanding and togetherness. It’s finding a culprit, generating outrage about said culprit, and finding a way to make said culprit a pariah. That culprit can play any part they need it to as well. Corporations, the rich, white people, men, Christians, police, Trump, Pence, guns, NRA, Republicans, or even women if you’re Hillary Clinton.
It doesn’t matter if you fit any or all of these qualifiers. To the social justice mob, we are all sinners. They demand you repent and apologize for your transgressions against their religion’s version of morality, but unlike Christ, the true definer of morality in our western culture, you are not forgiven after your penance. You’re still a pariah, only now you’re a useful one. An example of how the mob is all-powerful and ready to conquer you at any moment.
It doesn’t matter if you did it or not. You still better fall on your knees and swear obedience.
That’s what this mob is doing to Zack, and that’s what this mob does to the rest of the western world.
Big mistake Starbucks, lie down show them your belly, they always respond with such love.
@kitt: Because it worked so well for Laura Ingram to apologize to Lefty.
@Nanny G: Laura has the highest rating for her time slot seems the left is out numbered but just hasn’t figured it out yet.
These gangs are no better than Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. Their game is to develop absolute power over anyone that possibly draws their attention. Then, they make them do their bidding; pay protection, dance on a string, denounce others. That’s why apologies don’t work or stop them; they don’t want a goddamn apology.
It’s ALL about power.
One day, they can just walk into a business and demand what they want. They will control the means of production. Tell me, what’s that called again?
Just a bunch of attention mongers the LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME types who want the world to pay attention to the little wackos and Jackson and Sharpton on their soap boxes
“We can all agree that racism is bad, and shouldn’t be allowed.”
Please speak for yourself. I do not agree that it shouldn’t be allowed.
It’s thought – opinion – belief. Which things should be neither regulated nor controlled.
Now if it leads to harmful action, then that should not be allowed.
But racism itself? No way.
@kitt: Laura is a right wing RUBE like her buddy Hannity.
Nikki To Kudlow “With all due respect I don’t get confused,” Our first female POTUS CIRCA 2028.
@petercat: This whole situation was not racist based, the manager asked them to buy or fly as was the policy, I can tell you SB has 100 lawyers in one of the most PC cities comb through everything as they dont like to get sued. The police asked them to leave or get arrested they still refused. The police department did what was needed and stood behind their officers, too bad SB didnt do the same for their manager. The race card was played on feelings not facts. Policies do not change from store to store even the water filtration systems in every SB is tuned so the flavor of the coffee is the same and very pure, everywhere. Them closing every SB for training is just another way to try to roll over and show their PC bellies to the no empathy beast.
@kitt: #8
I understand and agree.
I was pointing out that thoughts and attitudes should not be controlled, only actions.
@petercat: Where will they stop? well perhaps a shock collar that is triggered by blood pressure or other unconscious reaction when you are around something you are not cool with, but only white people wear the collars, cause minorities cant be biased.