[Editor's Note: Yep, another new feature.]
Okay, I know ya'll have prolly already seen this a million times, but I'd like you to watch this incident with a different set of eyes. First, some context for those living under a cyber-rock who haven't seen it yet.
Los Angeles police are looking for a man who beat up a 16-year-old girl at a McDonald's counter after she complained about him cutting in line. Police announced their investigation Tuesday night and posted surveillance video online.Now, the video. Peep the guy in the white tee, at the far right.
Police say the girl, her 5-year-old niece and a friend were standing in line on Sept. 14 at the McDonald's in South Los Angeles. The suspect and two young boys then approached the counter when the 16-year-old started arguing with the man over who was first in line.
Police say the girl swore at the man, who then got angry and punched her in the face several times. The suspect left with the boys in a red pickup truck. The teenager was treated for her injuries at a hospital and released.
So, a 16 year old girl gets her clock cleaned, and a grown assed man just stands there and does nothing. I know this sounds crazy, but I can't really say how I would have responded if I were Mr. White Tee either.
[Editor's Note: Let's not derail the conversation by talking about why the man punched the girl, how this is a reflection of a lack of respect for Black women, and how trifling it is that he did it in front of his young sons. That is all very true, but it's not the topic of discussion.]
People jump into altercations to "keep the peace" all the time, and end up with a bullet in their heads. Reality is, if a dude is brolic enough to steal a preteen girl in the face in public, he's prolly packin' heat. Is it a tragedy watching this mouthy girl get stole' on? Yes. Would it be a worse tragedy for someone coming to this mouthy girl's aid to somehow end up dead? Yes.
To loosely paraphrase my man EbonyGentleman, why end up a "hero" over a damn sandwich?
It's easy to blame Mr. White Tee for standing idly by. Notice how he dawdles around with his receipt, almost as if nothing has even happened. But once we all get beyond the "that's disgusting" talk, I wonder just what YOU would have done in the same situation.
Question: What would YOU do if you were Mr. White Tee? Note, I'm not asking what should Mr. White Tee have done, I'm asking what YOU would do in such a situation. Would you come to the mouthy teenager's rescue or grab your #2 with a Sprite and haul ass?
Man beats girl over who was first at McDonald's [AP]
