Whenever all the major networks devote countless new cycles to members of the African-American community “rioting” over a manifest injustice, it’s important to be reminded that the language used to describe black protesters with a legitimate grievance is never trotted out when, for example, white college students rail against the tyranny of pumpkins:
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Or when “revelers” “celebrate” the victory and/or defeat of their favorite sportball team:
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It’s unclear why “riot cops” would be needed to quell a “celebration,” but as @red3blog noted in a brilliant string of tweets last year, they most certainly are:
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As Carl Bialik argued at FiveThirtyEight, sportball-related civil unrest is basically an American tradition at this point, and it is treated as such by most news outlets.
Justifiable anger at the senseless death of an African-American, however, can lead to one thing and one thing only — rioting.
