General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Starbucks thing... [View all]ExciteBike66
(2,464 posts)What is the better choice they could have made? You are implying that the cops could have convinced the manager to let the men remain, fine. What if they couldn't? How do you know they didn't try? They were there for several minutes, two cops talking to the men, and several more eventually in the video. At the very least, they MUST have asked the employees which men were the problem. In their routine job, I am sure one of them took a statement from the manager who called the cops, that is something they would have to do in order to prosecute the men (which doesn't appear to be happening, thank goodness).
Is there any situation where you think the cops would have been right in arresting these two men?
As for the idea that the cops should choose which laws they uphold, and which ones they do not uphold, I would submit that it is a bad idea. This isn't a case where the law is blatantly discriminatory on its face, the trespassing laws are color-blind as written.
I agree that we can fight racism, but let's point it out where it actually exists here, which is (potentially) with the manager and NOT with the cops.