Here We Go Again
No Me Digas. Op-Ed: Keith Price
Central Park Karen has charges dropped after using her white privilege and the correct trigger words to almost ensnare an innocent Black man into a possible tangled web of more untold police drama. Allegedly after only five “intense” sessions with a focus on combating racism and fostering racial equity, she is cured of her racist ways. GTFOH. The first question is how do five sessions of anything truly undo something that is clearly a deep-seated issue that still shines through her “I voted for Obama” haze? The second question is, why is the actual victim in all of this not seeing the bigger picture that goes beyond even his own bird-watching privilege?
This really proves again that when a white woman screams in the forest or the Rambles, someone does hear her. Ask the Central Park Exonerated Five. Her foolishness made the news the same day as the George Floyd murder. It was a one-two punch to the gut of this country. It showed how insidious and fatal racism is, and how it looks like that gunk you find when you pull back a Biore Pore strip. Gross, right? Now I need a Noxzema wash. OMG, how old am I? Throw in a Jean Naté body splash followed by a spritz of Enjoli. Seriously, how old and gay am I? Google those products because the commercials were FIERCE, but I digress.
This woman, who fortunately was caught on camera, could have destroyed another human being’s life. Yet, Mr. Cooper made it clear that even after his close call with New York’s Finest in a potential powder keg scenario, he did not want to participate in any further humiliation of her, her character, nor her potential court case. On one hand, I guess that I could understand how he might’ve not wanted to participate in humiliating her. It would take away from his daily life and routine that seems to include birdwatching. The endless inquiries from the press would be overwhelming. But on the other hand, the subject matter is current and based on a history that many in this country pretend doesn’t exist, yet they continue to benefit from it. As for the BIPOC folks in this country, we must continue to dodge the grenades of racism until some of these white folks feel what it is like to be treated equally under their own laws. This will not happen when people who are direct victims of this type of systemic racism, spend time trying to show the world how zen and forgiving they can be. Fuck that “forgive and forget” shit.
Mr. Cooper is telling the world that the focus should no longer be on Central Park Karen’s dropped charges, but focus on why Washington D.C. is not a state, thereby giving black and brown people their voices. As someone who could easily have been a modern-day equivalent of a Scottsboro Boy it seems that no one had the heart to ask him in his many interviews, “how do you expect to fight for the national acceptance of black and brown folks to statehood in D.C., when YOU have been given the direct opportunity to put a nail in the coffin of modern racism that prevents that very thing from happening, YOU opted to go all Eat, Pray, Love on the situation?” Your moment of zen and acceptance is admirable, but as your situation with video footage saved you, George Floyd had video footage, and it did not save him.
Central Park Karen is one of many people that BBQ Beckies and Poolside Pamelas have inspired. That foolishness needs to end, too. So as happy as I am that Mr. Cooper has found peace with his chi or whatever chakra alignment this stance has given him personally, it is really moving nothing forward. Not to be shady, but a brother who enjoys bird watching in my opinion does not seem poised to take up the torch of THE revolution, per se. Not to say that I am, either, but bird watching? Really? Of course, amongst my Gay Amen Corner Crew, some of us congregants were thinking that a public trial would bring attention not only to Central Park Karen’s life, but dig up some stuff that Mr. Cooper may want to keep buried. Yes, honey, we are that catty.
We can thank Manhattan Justice Opportunities for putting Central Park Karen on the straight and narrow. This program is probably going to be the model to help all racists in training channel their thinking into a better place before the evils of white supremacy take hold and lead them down a Tiki Torch-inspired path of crime. Ok, that is a bit dramatic but this is the program that has helped Central Park Karen deal with her trigger response to dial 911 and accuse an African-American man who is birdwatching of being aggressive. When in fact, he only asked her to follow the rules that she decided did not apply to her. This became more like a self-entitlement versus rule enforcement problem, then subsequently, a race problem, but sadly this is still our America.
According to Central Park Karen’s attorney:
“After a thorough and honest inquiry, the New York District Attorney’s office concluded the appropriate outcome of this matter was complete dismissal of all charges. We thank them for their integrity, and agree with the outcome. Many others rushed to the wrong conclusion based on inadequate investigation, and for some, there may be legal consequences coming.”
If it turns out that her legal consequences involve suing Mr. Cooper for releasing the video that started her humiliation and job loss, I wonder how his Zen state will handle that? Yes, I will laugh, and probably do an “I Told Ya So” dance. We’ll all see soon because someone is not happy and about to get blamed for something. Don’t you think?
Double Mask. Stay socially distanced, and wash those hands.
