It’s bad enough we’ve been witnessing an uptick in hate crimes, like ICE raids. And when it involves teenagers, it makes you wonder what they’re being taught at home. The racism is learned behavior in almost all cases. It’s what motivated a group of White teens to brutally attack a Black teen at a California movie theater. What makes the incident worse is the White teens may get away with it.
Discovered by KTLA 5, the video made its rounds on social media. It showed a group of White teenagers beating 18-year-old Michael Robinson, resulting in cuts, a concussion, and a chipped tooth. Throughout the assault, you can hear racist slurs. The entire time, Michael tried to protect himself with a chair, but it was no use. At one point, they even slammed him into the hood of a vehicle and hit him in the back of his head. During the attack, Michael “pleaded” with security to intervene,e but they cowered and didn’t help him.
The unfortunate reality is this group of teens reportedly did this several times to other Black teenagers in the area. Though the teenagers were charged with battery, it’s unlikely to be their last. Even more shocking to the community is the fact that one of the assailants was identified as an SVPD officer’s son.
However, Simi County believes that not enough action was taken to prevent future attacks. At a City Council meeting, many were calling for hate crime charges to be added. I’m not at all surprised it wasn’t a part of their original charges. CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush commented, “As we witness an increase in racism and bigotry targeting our communities, we must continue to unequivocally condemn hate in all its forms and take action to hold the perpetrators accountable.”
Michael stated that he was trying to have a night out with his friends. He wants to ensure his attackers are held accountable, especially given their history. Michael has stated, “It’s not just my voice, it’s many.” He hopes to make a difference and stand up for others who have gone through what he has.
One commenter pointed out, “If the roles were reversed, it would be national news and the teen adults would be locked up still.” There is a lot to be said about the fact that many judges have let down and failed to protect Black teens and adults who were the victims of hate crimes. And, as one commenter pointed out, “They learn that behavior from home.”
