White man denies saying 'Go back where you came from'

[Judi Lynn]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Associated Press

Updated 4:55 pm CDT, Saturday, July 20, 2019

MABLETON, Ga. (AP) — A white man has admitted to cursing at a pregnant black Georgia lawmaker for taking too many items into a supermarket express lane but denies telling her, "go back where you came from."

WSB-TV reports Eric Sparkes showed up during an interview with Rep. Erica Thomas of Austell on Saturday, outside the Atlanta-area store where the incident occurred .

He denied making any racially charged comment.

Thomas confronted Sparkes in front of reporters and said he had "degraded and berated" her. She has told The Associated Press she notified police and will seek store video.

In a tearful Facebook video posted Friday, Thomas said she was in the express line because she is nine months pregnant and cannot stand for long.



Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/White-man-denies-saying-Go-back-where-you-came-14111017.php

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Erica Thomas and Eric Sparkes


State rep. says man told her to 'go back where you came from' at grocery store
By: Chris Jose , Christian Jennings , Lauren Pozen

Updated: Jul 20, 2019 - 6:10 PM


COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A man accused of harassing an African American Georgia lawmaker at a Cobb County grocery store has come forward to tell Channel 2 Action News his side of the story.

State Rep. Erica Thomas, who represents District 39, recorded an emotional Facebook Live video detailing what she says happened at a Publix in Mableton on Friday.

. . .

Thomas said Publix employees kicked Sparkes out and he kept coming back inside.

Publix sent a statement to Channel 2's Lauren Pozen, saying: "At Publix we are committed to creating a safe and welcoming shopping experience for all our customers. We are cooperating with local law enforcement as they look into the matter."

More:
https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/cobb-county/state-rep-says-man-told-her-to-go-back-where-you-came-from-at-grocery-store/968677735

~ ~ ~

For future reference, Cuban immigrants, as soon as they arrive on dry U.S. soil are immediately "legal," are never harrassed by ICE, but instead are allowed through, regardless of any history, including prison in their home countries, have instant access to social security, green card, US taxpayer-financed Section 8 housing, health care, welfare, food stamps, financial assistance for education, low cost loans, and are available for speedy US citizenship. All this awarded them through Congress' Cuban Adjustment Act.

He found all the comforts of home when he came here. That's why they offer these inducements to attract a huge number of Cuban nationals. Political pawns. They ALONE make off with all these benefits.

[The Liberal Lion]

1. I don't know if he was being racist or just rude

I guess this guy thinks himself a Paul Blart protegee, only at the supermarket (express line cop).
Moron.

[sandensea]

2. And he's Cuban.

Perhaps Rep. Thomas should have told him that - but of course she's too decent to do so.

[Kurt V.]

3. we just don't hear each other

[Mr.Bill]

4. Whatever he said or did, it was enough

for him to get kicked out of the store.

[left-of-center2012]

6. Was he kicked out?

In neither link posted in the OP does the store say they kicked him out.

The woman says it happened.

Hoping the store video settles it.

[Judi Lynn]

10. She has too much to lose in lying about something like that.

If nothing else, too many witnesses, and discovery of a totally different and also true version would cost her her seat in Congress.

[left-of-center2012]

11. It's a case of "She said-He said"

I'll wait for the store video.

[hughee99]

29. I no longer think the "too much to lose" is a valid reason

To believe someone. Too many people with too much to lose have been caught too many times.

[stillcool]

5. I'm sure his best friend is black..

from the article...

Thomas did not record the incident on her phone, but Channel 2's Chris Jose was told there is surveillance video and police are investigating.
Pozen spoke with attorney Gerald Griggs, who is on the board for Georgia's NAACP chapter. Griggs told Pozen another state representative brought Thomas' video to his attention.
“I was shocked, and I told them that the Georgia NAACP will do whatever they can to help in this case," he said

[left-of-center2012]

7. Is this really necessary?

"For future reference, Cuban immigrants, as soon as they arrive on dry U.S. soil are immediately "legal," are never harrassed by ICE, but instead are allowed through, regardless of any history, including prison in their home countries, have instant access to social security, green card, US taxpayer-financed Section 8 housing, health care, welfare, food stamps, financial assistance for education, low cost loans, and are available for speedy US citizenship. All this awarded them through Congress' Cuban Adjustment Act.

He found all the comforts of home when he came here. That's why they offer these inducements to attract a huge number of Cuban nationals. Political pawns. They ALONE make off with all these benefits."

[Judi Lynn]

8. You don't believe it's appropriate to remind people or inform people of the unique & special gifts

offered ALL Cuban immigrants the moment they arrive on U.S. soil, through the hospitality of the U.S. Congress' Cuban Adjustment Act?

I don't agree.

Thanks for your input.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

20. Ask people who live in south Florida what they think of the Cuban Adjustment Act.

Prepare yourself.

[yardwork]

22. Since he's Cuban, this seems highly relevant.

[trueblue2007]

9. that white HATEFILLED BIGOT needs to go back where he came from ...... HELL. & take Trump w/ you

[More_Cowbell]

12. "people can't just go out and berate pregnant women."

That's a strange thing to say. She sounds more defensive about her pregnancy (her excuse for being in the express line) than about the alleged national origin discrimination.

I doubt that the store surveillance video will catch what the guy said. But I'm suspicious.

[Judi Lynn]

13. She undoubtedly realizes most human beings would know a woman who could go into labor at any moment

is taking a chance even to go to the store, not to mention being capable of dragging herself down to the end of the always understaffed row of checkout clerk(s) to get out of there.

[stopdiggin]

23. but back next day for TV!

a yet no problem hauling herself in front of TV cameras? Hmmm. Think I'm going to have to meter my outrage quotient on this one. But you go ahead.

[GulfCoast66]

16. I shop almost exclusively at Publix.

I can’t count the number of times I have more than 10 items waiting in line only to have the cashier at the empty express register tell me to come on over. I always decline because that is just the moment some person with 4 items will show up. But it would not be wrong to accept. That may be their policy? The store does not take it that seriously and I would be surprised if a pregnant woman or disabled person were not asked as a matter of course. Shopping at Publix really is a pleasure compared to any other grocery I have ever shopped

Speculative, of course. Just want to make the point that Publix is not too strict on their rules. Its grocery shopping, for gods sake. Not working with the IRS.

The guy, if not racist or misogynistic, which I guess I can’t really know, was a bully and asshole at best.

[GulfCoast66]

14. I'm almost 6 foot tall around 230 lbs. Pretty husky despite a noticeable beer belly.

But obviously not a couch potato. Can and often do turn In a hard days work. Often wear jeans and boots. Oh, and a white male.

Think this little guy would have berated and cussed at me for cheating in the express line? We all know the answer. But a pregnant black woman?

So he’s not a racist? Let’s try misogynist. One fits.

Bully or coward also come to mind.

[left-of-center2012]

15. I expect there will be more of these accusations in the future

“He (or she) told me to go back to where I came from!”

Sadly, we’ll be reading about these ‘incidents’ more and more.
It will become the new ‘thing’.
People calling 911, calling TV stations.

One side accusing another.
One side denying the accusations.

Before we condemn one person or the other,
one side or the other,
let’s get the facts.

Let’s not be too quick to judge, and point fingers.

Otherwise we become part of the problem,
and not part of the solution.

[GulfCoast66]

17. I don't doubt that's true. But there is a big but...

Last edited Sat Jul 20, 2019, 11:27 PM - Edit history (1)

In many of not most corporate workplaces these words will get you terminated. And that’s not going to change. Which is why I think this is different than his other utterances. And it will take time to sink in. They can say MAGA and what not. But this will get HR moving.

All those people chanting ‘Send her Back’ will pay a real economic cost if filmed doing in a grocery store or especially at work. That makes it different.

And while not a confrontational guy by nature, if I hear that said to someone I will step up. It’s easy to say that to someone who you think you have power over. But if enough white Americans call them out it will become even more apparent that this is crossing a line they can’t obscure.

What we need is a few popular social media thingies going viral or whatever of white folks stepping up to shut this shit down to further accentuate how vile this is.

[Judi Lynn]

18. It's so good to see your comments on this thread. Thank you, very much. n/t

[GulfCoast66]

19. Why thanks. Means something coming from you.

Just saying it as I see it.

Have a great evening.

[left-of-center2012]

26. "In many if not most corporate workplaces these words will get you terminated"

Hopefully these words would not get you fired
without an investigation of the facts.

Without an investigation of the facts, this posted story is just a "She said - He said".

And to attack 'Cubans' (as is done in the opening post) because the accused is Cuban is beyond ridiculous.
Attacks on a person's nationality, race, color, gender has no place in America, or DU.

[stopdiggin]

24. we are already seeing a wave of them

Spot on.
"expect there will be more of these accusations in the future"
"Before we condemn one person or the other, one side or the other, let’s get the facts."

Now, more so than ever, let's try to know what we're talking about.
Everybody castigates the media (rightly) for being more focused on, "getting it first, than getting it right" ...

[Cattledog]

21. He said he's a Democrat!

[More_Cowbell]

25. And now she's walking it back

"I don’t want to say he said 'go back to your country' or 'go back to where you came from'"

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/20/erica-thomas-georgia-lawmaker-claims-man-verbally-assaulted-her/1786405001/

[left-of-center2012]

27. Of course she's "walking it back"

An investigation will prove her story wrong.

The original article said she brought 15+ items to a "10 items or less" checkout line.
He probably told her to "go back" to the non-express lane.

[Jake Stern]

28. How convenient that she suddenly develops memory loss

after her alleged "attacker" openly confronted her on live TV and nobody who witnessed the purported incident has came forward to support her claim.

Whoops.

[Javaman]

31. the salivating right wing Pavlovian douchebag trump followers....

he gives them their marching orders and they obey like hungry dogs

[Jedi Guy]

32. Ahhh, the good old she said/he said situation.

She says he said X, but is now walking it back, apparently. He says he never said X, but did say Y. No security footage has been forthcoming, and even if it does appear, it's possible it won't have audio. No witnesses, store employees or otherwise, have come forward to back up either person's account of what transpired.

It's worth noting that Mr. Sparkes apparently had a post on his Facebook page within the last week calling Trump a Nazi and telling him to go back to Germany. Whatever Sparkes is, he certainly doesn't seem to be a Trump supporter, and he self-identifies as a Democrat.

Is it possible he said some really rude things to Mrs. Thomas? It's definitely possible. Is it possible he said some racist things to Mrs. Thomas? That's also possible. Given the limited information at hand at the moment, I'm somewhat skeptical of her account, particularly since she's begun walking it back.

At this point, given her sudden backpedaling and the information about his Facebook posts, I wouldn't be surprised if he did say some rude things to her and she decided to allege that he made racist remarks, particularly since she stated she wants to "make an example" of him. Given the sad state of affairs in America today, though, I also wouldn't be surprised if he did spout some racist bullshit.

[jcmaine72]

33. Hopefully this story will just go away...fast!

I'm still giving Erica Thomas the benefit of the doubt here, but I think it would just be better for everyone of this story evaporated faster than a tiny puddle of dog pee on a sizzling NYC sidewalk. The Trump troglodytes just love licking their own balls bloody when given even the slightest excuse to dismiss the rampant casual racism that PoC experience in the U.S. every single day.

[Omaha Steve]

34. After a review by forum hosts....LOCKING

NOT Important news of national interest only.