A video shared by @imposter_edits on Twitter has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the safety of black men in America. The video shows a white woman, who is reportedly a healthcare worker, screaming for help and trying to get on the bike rented by a black man.
The woman is seen crying and shouting that the man is trying to “steal her bike”, even though the said bike is in his account to prove that he rented the bike.
The tweet shared by @imposter states, ‘’this lady tried her best to weaponize her tears, but when she realised it wasn’t going to work, she switched it off and acted like nothing happened. This should be criminal.’’
People responded to the tweet with anger and frustration towards the woman's behaviour, which is understandable given that falsely accusing black people of crimes they did not commit carries a significant risk of harming them.
In the video, the woman, who has been identified as Sarah Jane Comrie, is heard screaming for help as she tries to stop a young black man from ‘’stealing her’’ Citi Bike. In the footage, the pair can be seen shouting at each other.
Also visible in the background are onlookers pleading with the young man to give Comrie the bike. However, he argues, saying that the bike was already rented to him on his account.
Throughout the video, one can see the hospital worker allegedly fake crying. A person in the video can also be heard accusing her of doing the same. He can be heard saying- “how you stop crying? Not a tear came down, miss.”
This lady tried her best to weaponize her tears, but when she realized it wasn't going to work she switched it off and acted like nothing happened.
This should be criminal. pic.twitter.com/P1UW3gJZGf
The hospital where the woman works has issued a statement condemning her actions. The statement published by the shade room reads: ‘’We are aware of the video circulating on social media involving one of our employees. We have seen the video, and we have launched an internal investigation. We do not condone or tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind.’’
— Leticia Reed, LCSW (@leticia_reed) May 15, 2023
This incident highlights the life-or-death implications that a white woman screaming for help directed at a black man can have in America.
According to NYC Health+ Hospitals’ official website, Sarah Jane Comrie is a Weill Cornell Medical College graduate, where she studied to be a physician assistant.
— Leticia Reed, LCSW (@leticia_reed) May 15, 2023
Black people are disproportionately affected by police violence and brutality; this could’ve gone completely wrong.
According to Mapping Police Violence, black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than white people. In 2020, 28% of those killed by police were black, despite black people making up only 13% of the US population.
The fake tears were to trigger the white man behind her and or a cop to treat the young men like they were attacking her.When it didn’t work she immediately turned it off.Women like her grow up being put on a pedestal & protected. Their moms taught them to weaponize their tears.
— Renee (@ReneeRevelation) May 14, 2023
In this situation, if the victim had been alone, he would have been under threat from potentially hostile voices in public space. This is a reality faced by many black people in America, and such calls have sometimes led to the unnecessary loss of lives.
Racial profiling can have life-changing implications for individuals while fuelling systemic racism.
The tweet touched on a crucial issue of racial profiling and how it can have a life-of-death implication, wherein anyone can become the victim. It is necessary to engage in conversations around this subject, and law enforcement and society at large should work on building trust to ensure that no race or individual is wrongly targeted or punished.
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