Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, August 31, 2011
Crime My Moment with White Guilt
Posted by Charles Mudede on Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 9:49 AM
Yesterday, around 10:30 am: A white car with tinted windows stops by my house. I'm writing a Slog post, I'm next to a window, I only notice the car because it's in the middle of the street for an unusually long time. Suddenly a passenger door opens and a black girl (15 or so) wearing hot pants steps out of the car and walks to my neighbor's house. My mind: "Why is that black American girl visiting my neighbors, who are very Southeast Asian and only seem to have Southeast Asian friends? Also, why is an all-American girl in hot pants visiting what appears to be a very traditional immigrant family?" Those are my first thoughts. My next thoughts: "You racist fuck. You don't know a thing about these people, their culture, and their habits. Maybe this Southeast Asian family has lots of black friends, and one such friend is visiting them now." The white car departs and I stop this line of thinking and return to my post.
When done with my post, I notice the white car with the tinted windows has returned and again is parked in the middle of the street. I then see the black American girl in hot pants carrying a flatscreen TV from the house (which was not visible from my position) into the car. She is followed by two black boys (around 12 or so) carrying stereo equipment. My mind: "Is this really a burglary? Are black kids really stealing my neighbor's property? Take down the license plate and call the police." My next thoughts: "Don't jump to conclusions, bozo! What if you call the cops and make a complete fool of yourself. Go to a window with a better view of the neighbor's house and see if someone is standing around, counting money made from the sale of his/her property." I go to such a window and see no such person. Indeed, there are no cars in the home's driveway. In fact, the house appears to be empty. I return to my main window—the white car is gone. After checking with other neighbors (one had seen what I saw), a decision is made to call the police. It was later confirmed that I had seen a burglary.
Yes, I acted too slowly and, yes, racial profiling is bad. But what all of this exposed is that addressing racial profiling is a soft solution. The problems that need to be addressed or fixed are much harder. Racial profiling is only a symptom and not the actual corruption.
2
Seems like the least you could have done was to get a license plate number, just in case. I think you played it way too PC.
3
In cases like this, you can always jot down their license plate number when you're suspicious. That's totally guilt-free.
4
That wasn't a moment of white guilt. That was a moment of stupidity when faced with the obvious, and a lack of self assuredness that would have prompted a decent neighbor to go outside and ask questions. Not a gun wielding confrontation, but simply your presence outside the house greeting this hot pants wearing burglar would have spooked them enough to probably not rob your neighbor.
7
"But what all of this exposed is that addressing racial profiling is a soft solution."
No, what all of this exposed is that you're a shitty neighbor...
No, what all of this exposed is that you're a shitty neighbor...
8
Charles is so heavily burdened with guilt in all sorts of ways. He even probably doesn't want the cat to see him naked.
10
As a middle-class southern white boy, I get to experience regular doses of white guilt. But still, Charles, I see kids, one of them in hot pants, taking stealable electronics out of a neighbor's place, while the driver waits for them in his white car with tinted windows, they could be black, white, Chinese, all three or none of the above, I'm going to mark that as so suspicious that I'm calling the Five-0. Race might cause me to notice the anomaly and I'd own my justly felt guilt over that, but I sure hope I wouldn't let it paralyze me.
11
Your moment of racism had nothing to do with Asian people nor Black people, but your dislike of White people. "White Guilt" how racist.
13
female teenage burglars come in hot pants now!?!
" Dear Penthouse Forum,
I was sitting home alone, feeling horny, when I heard my front door open... "
" Dear Penthouse Forum,
I was sitting home alone, feeling horny, when I heard my front door open... "
14
Race aside, if I saw such a casual burglary occurring in daylight, I would also be slow to react.
15
Look, it has nothing to do with racism. The next time you see a bunch of black people carrying electronics out of a house that isn't theirs, call the cops.
Because the simple fact is, blacks do commit the vast majority of crimes.
Because the simple fact is, blacks do commit the vast majority of crimes.
16
We're all being to subjected to various forces, from sources on the right and the left, that are mixing with our minds and creating incredible perceptual distance from anything resembling "instincts". When you have 18 checklists to go through before forming a thought, and so few of them come from sources inside yourself, that's a problem. The social gains may or may not be worth it (I really don't know), but it's there...and it's pretty interesting to watch. Like everything else it's speed increases exponentially.
17
I would have done exactly as Charles did. I would hesitate and question myself, just long enough.
I once called 911 when I noticed a black man very suspiciously messing with a parking lot pay station. The 911 operator, with what sounded to my white ear to be a black voice, kept asking: "And he's BLACK? Right? He's BLACK?" until I understood that she had probably gotten thousands of similar calls from improperly suspicious white people over the years.
Guess what, there are no easy answers here.
I once called 911 when I noticed a black man very suspiciously messing with a parking lot pay station. The 911 operator, with what sounded to my white ear to be a black voice, kept asking: "And he's BLACK? Right? He's BLACK?" until I understood that she had probably gotten thousands of similar calls from improperly suspicious white people over the years.
Guess what, there are no easy answers here.
18
Good Morning Charles,
Wow, what a tough, tough call. I commend you for your disclosure. A dammed if you do, damned if you don't situation. As I have said before, everybody racially profiles. I don't like it anymore than you but it is not unusual at all. A bloody shame what happened. I hope you're handling it well. Regrets to the family/victims.
Wow, what a tough, tough call. I commend you for your disclosure. A dammed if you do, damned if you don't situation. As I have said before, everybody racially profiles. I don't like it anymore than you but it is not unusual at all. A bloody shame what happened. I hope you're handling it well. Regrets to the family/victims.
19
Hi Charles! You should have done some age-profiling as well as racial profiling. But, yeah, I get your situation.
21
This is the problem with dialectics. While you were busy forming your thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, the little fuckers cleaned out your neighbors house.
There really is a thing about being over educated.
There really is a thing about being over educated.
23
I'm trying to figure out why Charles was "working from home" in the first place - has his desk at Stranger HQ finally become so unmanageable as to prevent him from going to the office?
And for fuck's sake: if you see ANYONE you don't recognize walking into your neighbor's house IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, then walking back out again a few moments later with armloads of consumer electronics CALL 911 or at least jot down a description of the vehicle & license number if you can. If you have doubts, you can always check with them later, and if your suspicions were unfounded, then all you've got is some worthless information on a piece of paper. OTOH, if they WERE burglarizing your neighbor's home (as was apparently the case here), then you've got VALUABLE information that might just help catch them.
That's just plain old common-sense, of which I'm afraid Charles rarely seems to exhibit much...
And for fuck's sake: if you see ANYONE you don't recognize walking into your neighbor's house IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, then walking back out again a few moments later with armloads of consumer electronics CALL 911 or at least jot down a description of the vehicle & license number if you can. If you have doubts, you can always check with them later, and if your suspicions were unfounded, then all you've got is some worthless information on a piece of paper. OTOH, if they WERE burglarizing your neighbor's home (as was apparently the case here), then you've got VALUABLE information that might just help catch them.
That's just plain old common-sense, of which I'm afraid Charles rarely seems to exhibit much...
27
Wow. In a media culture awash in dumb commentary about race, this is still the single stupidest, least insightful bit of bloggery I have read in a while. Good lord.
28
Yes, but how does this story illustrate fundamental flaws in neoliberalism? Wait, I know, under EP Thompson's Moral Economy, you would have known your neighbors, called the cops, and confronted the thieves, right?
29
If you see people you don't know carrying a bunch of electronics out of your neighbors' house, call the cops. It doesn't matter what color the electronics-carriers are.
30
I don't think it's technically "profiling" if you are actually witnessing a crime being committed. "Profiling" refers to the behavior of law enforcement when they haven't witnessed an actual crime, and are acting on mere suspicion.
32
Dumb dithering delays delinquents' detention. Don't delay dialing. Due diligence doesn't disparage discombobulated disbelief.
34
Charles,
You racist son of a bitch!
Just kidding, love ya, man!
Regards,
Joe
P.S. You can racially profile me anytime! If you see me in your neighborhood you can assume I'm there to do some gardening, after all, that is what us spics do, right? lol.
You racist son of a bitch!
Just kidding, love ya, man!
Regards,
Joe
P.S. You can racially profile me anytime! If you see me in your neighborhood you can assume I'm there to do some gardening, after all, that is what us spics do, right? lol.
35
Every year, "African Americans" commit at least 50% of the killings in Seattle, a city that is only eight percent "African American".
37
5280 @ 15
I have seen you terrorizing this blog for years and this comment is by far one of your most disgusting. You asshole. But hey, when you use an icon of a crazy character, you represent yourself well.
I have seen you terrorizing this blog for years and this comment is by far one of your most disgusting. You asshole. But hey, when you use an icon of a crazy character, you represent yourself well.
39
thank you charles, rubus, lark, and six five. the only thing missing from this dialogue is further reflection on charles' last statement, which is just as potent as anything that's been said up until now.
40
Charles,
This is an insightful piece. I believe that the problem it highlights is not remotely one of race. Deeply tinted windows? People leaving your neighbors house with expensive electronics? Suspicious regardless of skin color.
This is an insightful piece. I believe that the problem it highlights is not remotely one of race. Deeply tinted windows? People leaving your neighbors house with expensive electronics? Suspicious regardless of skin color.
41
I once had the cops called on me for breaking into my own house. Thanks to the neighbors, it was annoying at first, but good to know they were looking out.
42
Earlier this year, a section of North Capitol Hill there were several burglaries by 50ish white men loading tools and building materials into plain white "contractor" vans at houses under renovation. It didn't occur to neighbors to report it even though the real contractors had their names on vehicles and didn't employ middle aged people.
If you see somebody who doesn't belong loading a vehicle and your neighbor(or the regular contractor) is not outside with them, assume it's a burglary and call the police. If it's a misunderstanding let the cops sort out with your neighbor.
If you see somebody who doesn't belong loading a vehicle and your neighbor(or the regular contractor) is not outside with them, assume it's a burglary and call the police. If it's a misunderstanding let the cops sort out with your neighbor.
43
There's a line between racial profiling and basic observation. You failed at the latter. Use your brain.
44
@23 - What Comte said. For crying out loud, we have a responsibility to look out for our neighbors. That's the whole point of community. Call your neighbors, call the cops, get the license number, and if it's not a burglary, well, great! But if it is, then maybe you prevented those dumb teenagers from escalating.
45
What I think is hysterical is the whole time I've been reading SLOG, I've been under the impression that Charles is black.
47
@16: "Like everything else it's speed increases exponentially. "
Actually, in the natural world, the velocity of an object acted upon by a constant force will increase linearly with time, according to the function v(t) = v0 + at, where v0 is the object's initial velocity and a is the object's acceleration, which is equal to the force acting on it divided by its mass.
Actually, in the natural world, the velocity of an object acted upon by a constant force will increase linearly with time, according to the function v(t) = v0 + at, where v0 is the object's initial velocity and a is the object's acceleration, which is equal to the force acting on it divided by its mass.
48
This incident is an act of racism. Either you pity blacks, so you didn't act, or you believe blacks are the victim of society and can't be thieves, so you didn't act. Either way, it demonstrates racist behavior. In fact, you formed your entire piece and actions on the fact that these people were black. What is the definition of racism? Isn't it basing your actions toward another because of their race? I think it is, you racist!
53
At my house, any "suspicious persons" are far more likely to be my shiftless friends than actual criminals. I'd much rather have neighbors who minded their own business instead of calling the cops every time a trash can gets knocked over.
54
Wow, what a douche. Probably too busy trying to make another "witty" caption to go under the plant of the apes pic. How about this "Hey did you hear how Charles Mudede watched his neighbour's house get robbed? What a douche. He was too busy pontificating about race to do anything to actually help his neighbour. Douche"
55
Maybe next time take 5 minutes away from obsessing over how much smarter you are than Terrence Malick and exercise some common sense.
58
I am really really glad you do not live next door to me. Not because of your race, but because your an idiot.
Stop over thinking everything.
Stop over thinking everything.
59
Hmmmm. Hard to see how jotting down the license plate would have been racist. Just cautious, imo. Even if you feel that you don't know enough to justify calling the cops, you still could make sure that you have enough information to be useful in the future if your neighbors call them when they get home.
Do African Americans commit the majority of crimes? Hard to say. They seem to get prosecuted a lot more than white folks, but there's more than one theory that could fit that fact.
Either way, it ISN'T racial profiling to witness a crime, regardless of the race of the perpetrator. Racial profiling is when you DON'T see the crime, and assume it was committed by someone of a given race.
Best,
me
Do African Americans commit the majority of crimes? Hard to say. They seem to get prosecuted a lot more than white folks, but there's more than one theory that could fit that fact.
Either way, it ISN'T racial profiling to witness a crime, regardless of the race of the perpetrator. Racial profiling is when you DON'T see the crime, and assume it was committed by someone of a given race.
Best,
me
60
In my experience,
The best alarm system is being surrounded by retired/elderly neighbors, preferably Italian. After we got married we had those kinds of neighbors, and, day or night, NOTHING went unseen around our appt. building. When we had friends watering our plants on the *outside* of the appt., the neighbors would come by with: "What are you doing?" or "Who are you?" (Writing misses the casual Italian accented sing song. Heh, they were great neighbors).
You could have gone out to talk to them, and met the other organizers of the block party you didn't know was happening (maybe). You should have written down the license plate number, because that would be being a good neighbor.
Peace.
The best alarm system is being surrounded by retired/elderly neighbors, preferably Italian. After we got married we had those kinds of neighbors, and, day or night, NOTHING went unseen around our appt. building. When we had friends watering our plants on the *outside* of the appt., the neighbors would come by with: "What are you doing?" or "Who are you?" (Writing misses the casual Italian accented sing song. Heh, they were great neighbors).
You could have gone out to talk to them, and met the other organizers of the block party you didn't know was happening (maybe). You should have written down the license plate number, because that would be being a good neighbor.
Peace.
63
Jesus Christ.
For the average citizen, being fearful or suspicious of somebody is not a racist act. No matter what triggers the instinct. People have the right to take what ever lawful steps they need to keep themselves or their neighbors safe.
The only people who don't have the right to automatically react to their gut instincts are members of institutional systems like Law Enforcement, who wield the power of the state and "ideally" are trained to make clear judgments with an authorization to use force.
But you should have called the cops. Let them be judged for "profiling."
Fuck. You're seriously part of the problem here, Charles. And I am very glad you are not my neighbor.
For the average citizen, being fearful or suspicious of somebody is not a racist act. No matter what triggers the instinct. People have the right to take what ever lawful steps they need to keep themselves or their neighbors safe.
The only people who don't have the right to automatically react to their gut instincts are members of institutional systems like Law Enforcement, who wield the power of the state and "ideally" are trained to make clear judgments with an authorization to use force.
But you should have called the cops. Let them be judged for "profiling."
Fuck. You're seriously part of the problem here, Charles. And I am very glad you are not my neighbor.
64
Charles, you're the reason people don't want blacks as neighbors. You'll just let your people rob us and not do shit.
65
so, basically, you let race get in the way of being a good neighbour.
You didn't even jot down the license plate. You didn't even do the bare-minimum that a neighbour should do because of kvetching over "what if I think something that makes me racist"
What a perfumed ponce you are. Worst kind of academic type mind.
You didn't even jot down the license plate. You didn't even do the bare-minimum that a neighbour should do because of kvetching over "what if I think something that makes me racist"
What a perfumed ponce you are. Worst kind of academic type mind.
67
For goodness sake, write down the number plate whilst you can see the car and check in with your neighbours later. I saw a battered van take 2 bikes from my neighbour's property one afternoon, so I noted down the number plate. It took a 2 minute conversation to check that he'd actually sold them and he thanked me for taking the details.
Not because they were black (they weren't) but because there were strangers removing easily saleable goods from my neighbour without him obviously in sight.
Not because they were black (they weren't) but because there were strangers removing easily saleable goods from my neighbour without him obviously in sight.
68
If white people don't suffer from this peculiar brand of 'white guilt', does that make Charles a racist, or just someone who uses terms he doesn't understand?
69
"You don't know a thing about these people, their culture, and their habits." (Charles, to self).
Yes, you do. You're their next door neighbor. The clue that people who didn't fit their circle of friends was certainly profiling, but it was the informed brand of profiling. Your instinct that something was up was correct. You're looking out for your neighborhood. Take some pride in this.
Yes, you do. You're their next door neighbor. The clue that people who didn't fit their circle of friends was certainly profiling, but it was the informed brand of profiling. Your instinct that something was up was correct. You're looking out for your neighborhood. Take some pride in this.
70
Charles, as others have said, I'm glad you're not my neighbor. My house was broken into about ten years ago and the two guys who did it were caught because my neighbor got suspicious when he saw them in my yard, he asked them what they were doing and they said they were my friends. He got suspicious because they were much younger than me. Could I have much younger friends? Of course. But it made him suspicious enough that he called the cops and the cops were in the neighborhood when these two assholes broke into another house so they got caught.
71
...there's a difference between assuming black people have committed crimes in the past because they're black and assuming that black people are currently committing a crime because you are watching them do it. One is racist. The other is logical.
72
shit chuck just don't give a fuck about his chinki neighbors is all . he knew that bitch was stealin that shit . by coincidence i just bought a new flat screen for a couple crack hits . thanks chuck !
73
@60 you hit on the main point of The Death and Life of Great American Cities- the concept of Eyes On The Street. I live in a rapidly gentrifying Philly neighborhood with a fair amount of spillover crime from the surrounding slums- armed robberies, junkies (black and white) breaking into cars, that sort of thing. My block of hipsters, lesbians, and older natives never has any piles of broken car-window glass like some others because the whole block is lined with lighted windows at night. The few times there's been loud fights and such late at night lots of heads poked out of doors and some hands had cell phones. The one time my ex had his car broken into, he had parked on another block between a garage and a blank wall, left a gps unit lying out on the seat- and no one saw the crime.
Charles' story is another reinforcement of my policy that it is in one's self-interest to be on friendly terms with as many of the neighbors as you can.
Charles' story is another reinforcement of my policy that it is in one's self-interest to be on friendly terms with as many of the neighbors as you can.
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