In the wake of the grand jury decisions not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson over the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown or the New York police officer that choked to death Eric Garner, US citizens are reporting the disparity in how white and black people are treated by police with the hashtag #CrimingWhileWhite.
Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson alleges that the unarmed Michael Brown attacked him while he was still inside his police car, but many commentators have questioned his version of events for being “unbelievable” and Brown’s death was the result of institutional racism in the Ferguson police department.
Meanwhile, in New York a police officer choked to death 43-year-old Eric Garner for illegally selling individual cigarettes on the street in Staten island. The city’s medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, but police say that he was resisting arrest and a grand jury decided not to indict the officers to face charges over his death.
Both of these cases have highlighted problems within police forces around the country, where at least superficially it appears that black people are dealt with more harshly and more physical force than white people accused of similar crimes.
On Twitter, many white people who committed crimes in their past and were either let off completely or faced minimal punishment, are admitting their actions to highlight the difference in how some police officers treat white and black offenders.
Some of the tweets are serious, while others follow Twitter’s sarcastic rhythms
At 13 I stole a car with my friends & drove it 2wks before we got busted. Only one charged was black. #CrimingWhileWhite
— Cecily Kellogg (@Cecilyk) December 4, 2014
Party busted, ran from Indiana cop. He caught me, furious: "if you were black I'd-a shot you." Cuffed, lectured, let go. #CrimingWhileWhite
— Andy Cobb (@AndyCobb) December 4, 2014
Wesley Snipes served 3 years for tax evasion. Nicholas Cage owes IRS 14 million, is filming National Treasure 3. #CrimingWhileWhite
— Joe Fitrzyk (@JoeFitrzyk) December 4, 2014
Let's all remember that kid who killed people drunk driving and was too rich to jail. #CrimingWhileWhite #Affluenza pic.twitter.com/imB6uDvhwD
— Darren (@zeebotter) December 4, 2014
#CrimingWhileNotWhite: Shoot someone in face, get 4 years or more #CrimingWhileWhite: Shoot someone in face, get 4 more years (as US VP)
— lancegould (@lancegould) December 4, 2014
#CrimingWhileWhite no one got arrested pic.twitter.com/7k4dFyE9oK
— Atlnightspots.com (@AtlNightSpots) December 4, 2014
Pulled over at midnite on Halloween, going 120mph on my motorcycle. Officer was livid until I removed my shielded helmet. #CrimingWhileWhite
— nina alter (@ninavizz) December 4, 2014
Other Twitter users have pointed out that even the #CrimingWhileWhite hashtag demonstrates white privilege in the US, as those publicly admitting their crimes on twitter will still likely not face prosecution.
#WhitePrivilege is confessing criminality on the #CrimingWhileWhite hashtag without fear of reprisal (social or criminal). Let that sink in.
— Robert Mitchell (@RLM_3) December 4, 2014
I get the point behind #CrimingWhileWhite exposing hypocrisy, but at the same time it doubles as a form of bragging about #WhitePrivilege.
— LEFT (@LeftSentThis) December 4, 2014
