(NAME-MCE) Boy, 16, made racial comment at NJ Walmart

[Cathryn Teasley]

Also, according to this article, the boy of 16 is only that -- a boy of 16 -- the underlying and un/intentional(?) message here being one of several possibilities:

1) We are to assume that the boy is white because, as usual, that race is constructed as the "default" race and therefore need not -- even "should not" -- be marked(!).
2) The boy's race is "irrelevant" to this case(!!!!).
3) The boy is black(!!!!).
4) The boy is Latino(!).
5) The boy is Asian(!).
6) The boy is a Native American(!).
7) Etcetera!!!!!!

Biased reporting continues to masquerade as legitimate reporting. READERS BEWARE!!!! Question authority!!!!


On Mar 21, 2010, at 11:45 AM, Anselmo Villanueva wrote:

> 
> 
> Mar 21, 2:46 AM EDT
> 
> Boy, 16, made racial  comment at NJ Walmart
> 
> By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI  Associated Press Writer
> 
> http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WAL_MART_RACIAL_COMMENT?SITE=OREUG&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
> 
> WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J.  (AP) -- A  16-year-old boy who police said made
> an announcement at Walmart ordering  all black people in a southern New
> Jersey store to leave was charged  with harassment and bias intimidation,
> authorities said Saturday.
> 
> The boy, whose name is not being released because he  is a juvenile, grabbed
> one of the courtesy phones at Walmart's  Washington Township store Sunday
> evening and calmly announced:  "Attention, Walmart customers: All black
> people, leave the store now,"  police said.
> 
> The teen was arrested Friday and  released to the custody of his parents;
> police did not know whether he  had a lawyer.
> 
> "This was an extremely  disturbing event on many levels," Gloucester County
> Prosecutor Sean  Dalton said at a news conference. "Any statements like
> these that can  cause harm or grave concern must be addressed as quickly we
> possibly  can."
> 
> Dalton said the case would be handled in  juvenile court in neighboring
> Atlantic County, where the boy lives. He  would not say whether the boy has
> a criminal record, citing the teen's  age, and would not disclose the teen's
> race, saying that did not factor  into the investigation.
> 
> The 16-year-old has  been charged with harassment and bias intimidation.
> 
> Authorities would not say whether the announcement  was planned or made
> impulsively. Police said they were also  investigating a teenage boy who
> accompanied the suspect to the store,  but the other boy has not been
> charged.
> 
> Officials  for Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said the
> announcement  was "unacceptable," and Dalton praised the company for its
> strong  cooperation in the investigation.
> 
> "We're  pleased this matter is resolved," Walmart spokesman David Tovar said
> in a  statement issued after the news conference. "We have updated
> our  intercom system at this store to prevent this from happening again.
> We  again apologize to all of our customers and associates who had to
> listen  to something so offensive."
> 
> Although a  manager quickly went on the intercom system and apologized for
> the  remark, many customers expressed their anger to store management.
> Some  community members said Saturday that they've heard reports of
> similar  incidents happening at the store in recent months that were not
> reported  to police.
> 
> "We are concerned about that, and  we're looking into these incidents. We
> want to work with the community  to make sure these types of incidents don't
> happen," said Loretta  Winters, president of the Gloucester County chapter
> of the National  Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
> 
> Winters said she hopes the boy will get counseling  and be educated about
> sensitivity so he can understand the consequences  of his actions.
> 
> "I'm assuming this person  didn't realize how hurtful his comments were,"
> she said.
> 
> The incident was the latest in a series of problems  the retailer has had in
> its dealings with minorities and women.
> 
> There have been several past instances of black  customers claiming they
> were treated unfairly at Walmart stores, and the  company faced lawsuits
> alleging that women were passed over in favor of  men for pay raises and
> promotions.
> 
> In  February 2009, the retailer paid $17.5 million to settle a class
> action  lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in its hiring of truck
> drivers.
> 
> And the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity  Commission sued the company in
> May 2009, claiming some Hispanic  employees at a Sam's Club subsidiary in
> California were subjected to a  hostile work environment. That suit alleges
> managers failed to stop  repeated verbal harassment, including the use of
> derogatory words,  against employees of Mexican descent.
> 
> However,  the NAACP has said the company has worked hard in recent years to
> show  it cares about diversity.
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