Recently, a YouTube video caused outrage after two filmmakers showed how they were subject to raw and insulting profiling by a New York police officer as Arabs. They posted the video and called for people to rise up against such profiling. The problem is that it turns out to be a hoax. Adam Saleh and Sheikh Akbar appear to have staged the entire scene. They have now achieved the very opposite of their intentions. They have undermined efforts to show that profiling is a serious and prevalent problem. Instead, many in the future may question the legitimacy of future stories or videos — much like the equally juvenile antics of the National Report that we have discussed previously.
The video below shows how a police officer was not concerned in watching the two men fight in ordinary street clothes. However, the men say that when they reenacted the same scene “just 20 minutes later” dressed in Muslim clothes, they were immediately stopped by an officer who asked them why they were dressed like Arabs and frisked them.
It was juvenile and stupid stunt that hurt those who have been fighting to get people to seriously address profiling. The men said that
“We were filming another video for our channel with our cultural clothing but we kept getting followed by Police. So, we decided to film this social experiment on racial profiling. Too many innocent people get stopped and frisked every day because of what they wear or their skin color. We’re against people stereotyping others because of what they wear or what skin color they are. Hope you all can spread the message and help bring an end to this.”
It was not a “social experiment” but a staged event.
Their manager, Bill Kanj, insists that he did not know it was a hoax until recently. In the meantime, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has demanded an apology from the two men. CAIR previously distributed the video as an example of outrageous profiling by the NYPD.
The men may not care about the damage done to the cause. Their video operation named “TrueStoryASA” has racked up 60 million YouTube views and has more than 661,000 subscribers on the video-sharing site. Yet for real civil libertarians and videographers, this type of hoax is highly damaging and makes it more difficult to get people to trust such films in the future. “TrueStoryUSA” has now shown that you cannot always trust that such films are the true story. They further succeeded in embarrassing not just CAIR but a host of sites committed to fighting profiling. Quite a dubious achievement.
Source: Smoking Gun
I saw Chief Bratton @ a presser where he said the ax wielding assault seen in Trooper’s video is classified as terrorism. That means Mayor DiBlasio can’t read any reports. DiBlasio does not have a security clearance because he refuses to discuss his Communist activities vis a vis Cuba.
Nick – Obama has a security clearance and he won’t explain anything about his background.
Speaking of viral, I see Ebola has come to your fine city, Trooper. Mayor D will be on top of it!!
trooper, Don’t forget Fort Hood. That was also workplace violence.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12ILxGYr7Dc&w=560&h=315%5D
In NYC a bearded Muslim convert attack several policemen with an ax and planted the ax in the head of a patrolman before he was shot by other officers at the scene. He was not to be profiled or questioned because……err…..I don’t know why…..of course several observers wondered why the police did not shoot to wound him…..possibly in the leg or something……of course this will be considered an isolated incident…..probably workplace violence like the woman who was beheaded by a Muslim convert…….CAIR and the Rev. Al Sharpton are preparing to lead protests against this shocking overreaction of law enforcement.
Unless they are individual police.
Which could be risky.
When in …. do as the ….
For those with police experience, the video is obviously fake, but most individuals will not see this.
“Your face is as a book, where men may read strange matters.” – Shakespeare (: Macbeth)
Paul C. Schulte
Dredd – are you qualified to practice medicine on the Internet? Or off the Internet? Just asking since you seem to be giving medical advice.
on 1, October 23, 2014 at 12:18 pm Paul C. Schulte
Dredd – ah, grasshopper, there is so much you have yet to learn. You still are not ready to swim in the deep water.
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Take two of these and call me
when you are moaningin the morning.Is there supposed to be something attached to your comment?
Good. Knickers will not be able to fondle them into his tatertailbase.
Paul C. Schulte
Able commenters do not spend the majority of their time with snarky ad hominem attacks and quoting Shakespeare from plays they have never read.
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We all look forward to your becoming an able commenter.
With links to relevant “stuff like that Wally” (The Beav).
Dredd, you have had two comments deleted under the civility rule.
Dust Bunny Queen
…
And now I’m off for my volunteer librarian shift …
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You need to do that at a local law library.
If they have one in your ‘hood.