I was racially profiled at Disney Springs. What to do if it happens to you.

Asked and answered.

It's this exchange that people are referring to...


According to @TavieP, since other officers are racist, this one must be.

That's quite a leap. So much so, that I assumed there must have been other posts. (That may or may not have been deleted...) My interpretation of what TavieP said is that we know there are some racists officers. Which means there is A POSSIBILITY that that others are as well.

I have a good friend who says that one of the most insidious things of racism is that it makes you paranoid. Whenever something happens, she always wonders what the real cause is. Was her son the only one stopped at the mall because he's a black teenager, or because of how he walked/looked at the security guard/whatever?
Of course she'll never know for sure on any individual event, just as no one will ever know for sure what the motivation of this particular cop in Disney Springs was. But when you've experienced being singled out because of your race enough times, it's hard to simply dismiss it and pretend it's not a possibility.
 


That's quite a leap. So much so, that I assumed there must have been other posts. (That may or may not have been deleted...) My interpretation of what TavieP said is that we know there are some racists officers. Which means there is A POSSIBILITY that that others are as well.

I have a good friend who says that one of the most insidious things of racism is that it makes you paranoid. Whenever something happens, she always wonders what the real cause is. Was her son the only one stopped at the mall because he's a black teenager, or because of how he walked/looked at the security guard/whatever?
Of course she'll never know for sure on any individual event, just as no one will ever know for sure what the motivation of this particular cop in Disney Springs was. But when you've experienced being singled out because of your race enough times, it's hard to simply dismiss it and pretend it's not a possibility.
Matter of opinion. I disagree.
 
That's quite a leap. So much so, that I assumed there must have been other posts. (That may or may not have been deleted...) My interpretation of what TavieP said is that we know there are some racists officers. Which means there is A POSSIBILITY that that others are as well.
Disagree. "Why judge this PO as 'racist'?" "Because others are." That's labeling one based on the the actions of others. It wasn't even because of the PO's actions. Simply because others are racist, so we're justified in calling this one racist.
 
I still don’t see what the big deal is and what the point of this thread is. There was so much spectacle and build up in the initial story and then the finale was: the officer asked me a question.

Just seems like OP was looking for a problem so they created one.

Racism exists, I just don’t see it in this story.
 


I still don’t see what the big deal is and what the point of this thread is. There was so much spectacle and build up in the initial story and then the finale was: the officer asked me a question.

Just seems like OP was looking for a problem so they created one.

Racism exists, I just don’t see it in this story.


Well the point of the thread was to give people some really useful and helpful information on how Disney works and how best to handle it when you feel you've encountered a security guard or police officer who was acting inappropriately. Seems like one of the better uses of this board, frankly.
 
Disagree. "Why judge this PO as 'racist'?" "Because others are." That's labeling one based on the the actions of others. It wasn't even because of the PO's actions. Simply because others are racist, so we're justified in calling this one racist.

I didn't call this PO a racist. I agreed that people are bending over backwards to make excuses for the police officer and when someone questioned why people might rush to believe this cop may be racist, I said "because we read the news", meaning, "it's because we've seen too many people do the same thing in the face of evidence that the cops were, indeed, acting in a racist manner".

See, the difference in intention here is what's not being understood, so let me make it as clear as I can:

I am not saying all cops are racist.

I'm saying that I've seen enough horrifying news stories about racist cops in America to take the default stance of "when a POC tells me that they've been profiled, I believe them". Because it happens all too often, and the default stance - by white people (oh lord, NOT ALL WHITE PEOPLE, let me scream it to the rooftops before you start jumping in again - NOT ALL WHITE PEOPLE), but by many white people in many cases - is to rush to defend a police officer they don't know, rather than believe a POC they don't know. All other things being equal, because I know, and have seen, that racism is a prevalent issue in this country, I'm going to START by believing the POC and go from there.

I choose to believe POC when they say they've been treated in a racist manner. Because they experience America differently than I do.
 
People are seeing what they want to see in these comments.

The same can be said for the original post and also when this took place. There's no solid evidence of profiling other than what the OP perceived, and now what others are seeing based on his perception of what happened.

Was the OP racial profiling? Maybe, maybe not. There is no way to tell. The OP felt it was, and that's how he saw it. Nothing more than his view. Some agree, others don't. Doesn't mean it was and doesn't mean it wasn't. If there is/was an investigation and it was determined it wasn't, then what? Then the judge or whoever presides over it is a racist too because they didn't agree?

On a separate but related topic, I thought Disney Springs was NOT part of Disney? I thought I heard it was part of the loop but not actually owned/operated by Disney?
 
Not at all what I said.

But your comment about "watching the News" did suggest that, since other police officers have been implicated in racism/racial profiling, that we should be more likely to assume that this particular police officer is racist, correct? Otherwise, why would you mention the News - since it has absolutely nothing to do with this situation?
 
But your comment about "watching the News" did suggest that, since other police officers have been implicated in racism/racial profiling, that we should be more likely to assume that this particular police officer is racist, correct? Otherwise, why would you mention the News - since it has absolutely nothing to do with this situation?

I explained this above and I'm not going to do so again.
 
meaning, "it's because we've seen too many people do the same thing in the face of evidence that the cops were, indeed, acting in a racist manner".

To imply that a person is racist because "other people like him are racist" is essentially "Career profiling". You're assuming that the officer is a bad guy because other officers are bad guys.

That's EXACTLY the same as what racial profiling is...
 
The same can be said for the original post and also when this took place. There's no solid evidence of profiling other than what the OP perceived, and now what others are seeing based on his perception of what happened.

Was the OP racial profiling? Maybe, maybe not. There is no way to tell. The OP felt it was, and that's how he saw it. Nothing more than his view. Some agree, others don't. Doesn't mean it was and doesn't mean it wasn't. If there is/was an investigation and it was determined it wasn't, then what? Then the judge or whoever presides over it is a racist too because they didn't agree?

On a separate but related topic, I thought Disney Springs was NOT part of Disney? I thought I heard it was part of the loop but not actually owned/operated by Disney?
Disney Springs is owned by the same corporation that owns and operates WDW. I'm sure the operation contract differs a bit from the theme parks but it was conceived as a buffer zone to ensure more income was directed into Disney's coffers as opposed to Orlando's entertainment and hospitality businesses.
 
Also if you stick around, you’ll find some ppl don’t believe racism exist.

True, but not my point. I was calling out the posters who are saying no one has a right to discuss the OP's experience. The OP decided to share his story on a public discussion forum, so the OP should expect some scrutiny. Especially when its shared on a forum that's known for igniting spirited debates around controversial topics.
 
I suggest that for a person in an unidentifiable uniform, (was he a police officer?) to approach anyone and immediately ask ‘do you have a gun?’ is unprofessional conduct and that many people would be frightened by such an approach. If someone was carrying a concealed weapon wouldn’t the ‘officer’s’ conduct be putting the public at greater risk? Maybe flee or fight? Isn’t there protocol and guidelines for officers to follow in this situation?

What should one do in this situation? The OPs suggestions make sense, don’t they? Isn’t the purpose of the OP’s opening thread to advise others how to react if they ever find themselves in a similar situation?
Being asked ‘do you have a gun?’ is not the same as being stopped by security or patted down. The latter is merely a necessary inconvenience. ‘Do you have a gun’ implies a risk that the ‘officer’ is about to react as though one does, maybe draw his own weapon, maybe use forcible restraint etc. You are a braver man than me OP. And thank you for offering some guidance as to how one should respond.
 
I suggest that for a person in an unidentifiable uniform, (was he a police officer?) to approach anyone and immediately ask ‘do you have a gun?’ is unprofessional conduct and that many people would be frightened by such an approach. If someone was carrying a concealed weapon wouldn’t the ‘officer’s’ conduct be putting the public at greater risk? Maybe flee or fight? Isn’t there protocol and guidelines for officers to follow in this situation?

What should one do in this situation? The OPs suggestions make sense, don’t they? Isn’t the purpose of the OP’s opening thread to advise others how to react if they ever find themselves in a similar situation?
Being asked ‘do you have a gun?’ is not the same as being stopped by security or patted down. The latter is merely a necessary inconvenience. ‘Do you have a gun’ implies a risk that the ‘officer’ is about to react as though one does, maybe draw his own weapon, maybe use forcible restraint etc. You are a braver man than me OP. And thank you for offering some guidance as to how one should respond.
I think the bolded is a little paranoid. I'm not a LEO, but I can't imagine that even if the OP had answered "yes", that the first, second, third, or even fourth thought would be for the officer to draw his own weapon or use forcible restraint.
 
True, but not my point. I was calling out the posters who are saying no one has a right to discuss the OP's experience. The OP decided to share his story on a public discussion forum, so the OP should expect some scrutiny. Especially when its shared on a forum that's known for igniting spirited debates around controversial topics.
There's a difference between having a right to discuss it, which everyone clearly does and is, and ignoring the purpose of the post in general, which is what some here are doing. Meanwhile, I don't believe anyone here has said no one has the RIGHT to discuss it, rather, pointed out how obviously people are ignoring the point to bloviate.
 

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