Earlier this week, two black men were arrested inside a Starbucks in Philadelphia for loitering and refusing to leave, even after a store employee made it clear that it was the store’s policy for customers to make a purchase if they’re going to take up space and use the bathroom. The men declined, and wouldn’t exit, and were then arrested.
Now, whether this was an overreaction on Starbucks’ part is something for the company to decide about their policy. But two guys getting handcuffed and eventually released with no charges for refusing to leave a store after being asked is hardly the story of the century.
Of course, you wouldn’t know that from watching the news.
Also this week: two police officers were shot to death sitting inside a diner eating lunch. The gunman walked up to the window and shot them through the glass at point-blank range, seemingly for no reason at all other than the fact that they were cops. They were 29-year-old Sgt. Noel Ramirez and 25-year-old Deputy Taylor Lindsey. Ramirez leaves behind a wife and two small children. Lindsey had a girlfriend. And in the blink of an eye, they were both gone.
Of course, you wouldn’t know that from watching the news, either.