Opinion – Josh Moon: Racism alive and well in Alabama
A video of a white man's hate-filled tirade against a black woman at an ATM machine has shocked many, but it shouldn't
Opinion – Josh Moon: Racism alive and well in Alabama A video of a white man's hate-filled tirade against a black woman at an ATM machine has shocked many, but it shouldn't Check out this story on montgomeryadvertiser.com: https://on.mgmadv.com/1Sg6kOF
Josh Moon, Montgomery Advertiser Published 4:05 p.m. CT April 15, 2016
If you live around the Montgomery area and spent more than a few minutes on social media over the past week, you undoubtedly viewed a rather disturbing video.
The scene was filmed on a cell phone camera and began in the midst of a confrontation. A black woman was standing at a walk-up, Regions Bank ATM in Montgomery. Behind her, an older, gray-haired white man was screaming.
Apparently upset that the woman didn't realize he was waiting in his car – instead of in line like everyone else – the guy was having a straight-up, old fashioned conniption fit. He was cursing and calling the woman horrible names.
Those horrible names, of course, included the n-word.
With will power I can't comprehend, the lady in the video stayed calm, hardly responded to the man, turned and left when she completed her transaction.
In 24 hours, the video had more than a hundred thousand shares and Regions, despite having zero responsibility for the incident, posted a message saying it was appalled and promised to close the man's account.
The comments under the original Facebook post by Montgomery resident Arnita Robbins were the expected mix of outrage and disbelief. Many proclaimed shock that such things would be said in 2016.
WARNING: This video contains language that some will find offensive
I don't understand the shock so many have because I'm white, and to the surprise of many, I have lived in Alabama all of my life. To watch a white man fly off in a fit of rage at a black person over some perceived wrong is nothing new to me.
To hear a white person drop the n-bomb is nothing new to me.
The only thing odd about that video is that someone happened to catch such an expression of hate on camera today. Usually, there's a quick glance around to check to see if there's a black man or someone with a camera around. This guy just happened to be so enraged he forgot to check.
But don't for a second think this was an isolated incident.
Racism is alive and well in Alabama, and around the country. The successful campaign of Donald Trump is more than enough proof of that. As is the rise in hate groups since President Obama was elected in 2008.
What has allowed racism to survive are those who have, for their own benefit, preyed upon the prejudices of the past in order to stereotype groups of people.
They do it for many reasons. For ratings. For profits. For increased membership in hate groups. For votes.
They are the people that will argue our welfare money is going to buy spinning rims and stereo systems and then feign outrage when you accuse them of racism.
They are the people who contend all black youths are "ill-educated and have tattoos on their forehead," like one of the right's most popular political commentators did last week.
They are the people who scream about the Obama family vacationing in Hawaii at Christmas, but were cool with Nancy Reagan essentially wallpapering the White House with hundred-dollar bills and with George W. Bush flying to Texas every other week.
They are the people who go to bat for the corrupt bankers, politicians and government officials who profited like bandits while destroying the American economy eight years ago, but who fight like hell to keep the mostly-black, nonviolent drug offenders in prison.
They are the people who have sucked billions of dollars away from inner-city schools and set up programs that allow public money to go to mostly-white private schools, but who then bemoan the poor performances of both the inner-city schools and their students.
These people make good money keeping white people scared, angry and motivated, and they do that by painting the overwhelming majority of black people as uneducated freeloaders who have bad attitudes, little respect for authority and criminal intentions.
They have done a masterful job at furthering racism and instilling hatred. And that scene at the ATM last week was evidence of their work.
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