Ken WhiteFeb 3, 2023

A mentally ill homeless guy walked onto a high school campus in my suburb, wearing all black, carrying a big duffel bag. Now, it’s reasonable to be concerned about that and want to identify who it is, assure he’s not carrying weapons onto the campus, and so forth.

But the community (as, perhaps, poorly represented on Facebook) is coming completely unhinged.

/1

Show threadKen WhiteFeb 3, 2023
/2 The cops found him at a local Starbucks, identified him, determined he had no weapons, and gave him a trespassing ticket. The community is OUTRAGED. They’re stalking him around the community and taking pictures of him at Starbucks and McDonald’s and demanding that he be kicked out. They want him jailed or institutionalized.
Show threadKen WhiteFeb 3, 2023

/3 They’ve found his Twitter and Facebook accounts and are printing out the stuff there - kind of crazy, not notably crazy on Twitter — taking it to the police demanding he be arrested. They’re keeping meticulous logs of his activities.

I am considerably more afraid of my neighbors than I am of this mentally ill homeless guy.

Show threadKen WhiteFeb 3, 2023
/4 The real question is .. will I keep my mouth shut and stay out of the neighborhood group where people are wigging out? Or will I comment?
Show threadKen WhiteFeb 3, 2023
/5 It is … not going well.
Show threadKen WhiteFeb 3, 2023
/6 when people unclear on the concept try to insult me
Show threadKen WhiteFeb 3, 2023
/7 Still not going well. However, I have worked very hard to be polite. I just had a donut, which I awarded myself for refraining from the phrase “mob of crazed torch-waving Karens”
Show threadKen WhiteFeb 3, 2023
/8 People have an absolute right to have fears, and voice them, even if the fears are irrational in nature or proposed remedy. But some people seem to thing that fears, particularly about children, should be above dissent or critique, which is weird.
Show threadExtinction (our fate)Feb 3, 2023
@Popehat Their fear isn't about this guy. Separate them from this guy if you can. Point out the basis of their fears is media reports and disinformation. Find allies.
Show threadWrenFeb 3, 2023

@aka_quant_noir @Popehat

Am curious if other allies have found the courage to join in & speak up since you opened the door?

Show threadKen White
@wren @aka_quant_noir Few.
Feb 3, 2023 at 6:57pmWeb
Show threadBitnikFeb 3, 2023
@Popehat @wren @aka_quant_noir yes, happened to me, too. Guy says "Hackney is full of <outgroup>. I was scared to leave the house." *Applause*. Me: "my autistic teen daughter often walked through Hackney." *Expressions of disbelief.* And when I said the time she felt afraid was when racists from the north (EDL) came to our racially diverse neighbourhood, the response deterred me. Beyond redemption. I left.
Show threadExtinction (our fate)Feb 3, 2023
@Bitnik @Popehat @wren Can't leave the planet. But you did what you did for your daughter's sake. Shame your daughter's experience wasn't understandable to these people *because children.