Shaming of Black looters shows racist double standard

Shaming of Black looters shows racist double standard
White looters steal utility pole (Photo source: Jacksonville Police Department)

In the aftermath of any disaster, there is always a problem with looters and Hurricane Irma was no exception. The reason for looting may be to get needed supplies by those desperate for basic essentials like food and diapers and of course, for some, it is just simple greed. In Florida, which was hit hard by the hurricane, some police departments have taken to social media to show examples of looting and the end result.

In Jacksonville, Florida, police arrested two White men in a bizarre case of looting a huge object that had nothing to do with survival. The Sheriff’s Department posted to Facebook the image of the men handcuffed and sitting on the side of the road and their SUV, which had a utility pole strapped to the roof. The caption read, “‪These two were caught stealing a JEA pole just this morning! Citizens watching out and officers cleaning up = partnership! #HurricaneIrma”


The men were identified as Blake Lee Waller, 42, and Victor Walter Apeler, 46; each now face a charge of grand theft after they were reportedly caught strapping the $2,500-worth JEA utility pipe to an SUV on Wednesday.

Perhaps the most blatant example of unnecessary looting occurred in Miami where a group of people were seen looting a Foot Locker of high-end sneakers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHntsxoguHM

The video was uploaded to YouTube and has garnered many responses. But the looters did not get away and the Miami Police Department posted the following:

Shaming of Black looters shows racist double standard
Foot Locker looters caught (Photo source: Miami Police Department)

On Twitter, many users are pushing the narrative that it is only Black people who are looting stores. However, there are many images posted to social media showing White looters that are not getting the same amount of coverage as Black looters:

The double standard is obvious and Twitter users have made their opinions known:

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Join our Newsletter

Sign up for Rolling Out news straight to your inbox.

Read more about:
Also read
Rolling Out