I figured cats would be the first to be labeled racist jerks given their general disposition, but nope. It’s your cute, cuddly dog that’s really forming the backbone of white supremacy in the world. You just didn’t know it.

That’s at least according to a viral tweet storm, which includes “sources” of the claims.

Before getting to that, here’s the report which spawned all this.

Recent reports have came out that Howard University Students feel disrespected by residents using the yard as a dog park 🐕 but this resident thinks the campus should be moved 😮😡 pic.twitter.com/stxHUWtu2X — Angie Ange In The Morning (@AngieAngeAM) April 19, 2019

A local station did a story where they interviewed two people in the vicinity of Howard University. One was a student complaining that people are using the yard in front of the school to walk their dogs and work out. He claimed the area is for students. That’s actually not technically true, as it is a public park.

They then went and found a bald white guy with tattoos (of course) who sarcastically suggested that if they don’t want to interact with D.C. residents, they can move the campus. He was actually making the point that everyone should just work together and get along.

What follows is in response to the above tweet (which misrepresents what the guy said).

Meanwhile if black dog-owners would show up in white neighborhoods they’d be surveilled and harassed. pic.twitter.com/OiiTT5wSHp — Matzoh O’Rourke (@TheHipsterRebbe) April 19, 2019

When I lived in D.C., I walked my dog. I certainly wasn’t staking out territory though. None of my neighbors were either and we all lived in an area that would be described as in the process of gentrifying.

When pressed for sources, this is what O’Rourke provided.

This is a research thesis talks about the story of a neighborhood public space used predominantly by immigrants was replaced with a highly-policed dog park which they felt excluded from. https://t.co/24hqoc5WIv — Matzoh O’Rourke (@TheHipsterRebbe) April 22, 2019

The woman cited is a graduate student who wrote a few blogs. She’s got no expertise in any area of gentrification or racial studies (not that people who major in those areas have any expertise either). She’s as much a source as the random guy on a street corner is.

I’ve never quite understood the complaints against gentrification. No one is forcing anyone to sell their houses or property in these neighborhoods. The result of gentrification is almost always less crime and more economic opportunity. There are gentrified neighborhoods in D.C. that still include plenty of minorities. How is it more beneficial to the people in low-income neighborhoods to simply leave them in a cycle of poverty and crime?

The reason parks are policed in these areas is because crime is typically high. It’s not an attempt to force minorities out. The idea that police are so abusive of minorities that their mere presence forces their ouster is pure nonsense. The vast majority of police are just trying to do their jobs and in neighborhoods such as the ones being described, the police are often minorities themselves.

While this episode is more funny than anything, it does show the insanity of inter-sectionalism. Everything must be run through a false lens of racial politics by those that subscribe to it. It’s divisive and unhealthy. It’s also an attempt to falsely portray one’s self as a victim in the face of no actual victimization.

When someone has to go out and come up with crazy theories about the white supremacy of dogs, perhaps they aren’t as oppressed as they think they are?

————————————————-

Enjoying the read? Please visit my archive and check out some of my latest articles. I’ve got a new twitter! Please help by following @bonchieredstate.