CBS Crime Drama: Cops Think ‘Whiteness Synonymous With Truth’

Elise Ehrhard | November 8, 2021
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CBS's The Equalizer attacked "whiteness" and pushed the racist cop canard this week when it portrayed police officers as treating a black woman and white woman unequally.

In the episode, "Followers," on Sunday, November 7, sweet Aunt Vi (Lorraine Toussaint), a middle-aged black woman, is out shopping with her niece Delilah (Laya DeLeon Hayes) when an aggressive middle-aged white woman, Lori (Diana Henry), tries to get her to give up a robe she is holding. When Vi refuses to be bullied into handing over the robe, Lori attacks her. Vi pushes her back with her hands and Lori calls the cops.

When the police arrive, they immediately go over to Lori, the white woman, to hear her story. "Scuse me. We're the victims here," Delilah calls to the officers. An officer talks to Aunt Vi.

Officer: We understand there was an incident here a little earlier. Can you tell me what happened? 

Vi: I picked up this robe. That woman tried to grab it from me.

Officer: Yes, we understand there was some confusion over a piece of clothing. 

Vi: I wasn't confused. 

Officer: I heard it got a little physical. 

Vi: She was coming at me. I put a hand out to hold her back.

Officer: Look, I don't think anyone wants a problem here. I think what we could use is just a bit of closure. 

Vi: Are you asking me to apologize? 

Officer: If we can't come to a peaceful resolution, we will have to rely on the statements taken. And if she wants to press things further, that's what we'll have to do.

Vi: Well, fortunately, Officer, you won't have to rely on the statements. My niece here got the whole thing on video. 

Lori: Just give me the robe. I said give it to me.

VI: Get off of me. What is wrong with you? Get off of me. (Gasps)

Officer: I see.

Lori: Just give me the robe. I said give it to me. 

VI: What is wrong with you? Get off of me.

Lori: I'm sorry. Okay? Is that good enough? 

Vi: Thank you. 

Officer: Apologize for the misunderstanding. 

Vi: Excuse me, Officer. Don't you want to know if I want to press charges? 

Officer: Do you? 

Vi: No. I have no intention of weaponizing the police.

Later that evening, Delilah and Vi are in the kitchen talking to Vi's sister Robyn (Queen Latifah) when Vi makes a speech about how the officer went to Lori first because of her "whiteness."

Vi: What I wanted was to be presumed innocent. That cop went to that woman and got her story first because her whiteness was synonymous with truth. I am a middle-class black woman, and without that phone, I would probably be sitting in a jail right now because I was never going to apologize to Miss Thang. What I really wanted to do was bitch-slap that heifer. But I couldn't. 

Delilah: Yeah, I get that. I mean, but... We can't control how they behave. 

Vi: Delilah Fulton, don't you buy into that lie. Don't do it. I've been protesting all my life, from sit-ins to George Floyd. Same fight over and over again to be seen, to be heard, to be human. And it hurts. And that hurt gets turned into rage, because rage is... is much easier to live with. If we had taken the easy road today and left without being heard, that's what poisons our spirit. Don't do it, love. Don't buy that lie. Don't let 'em sell you on that. 

Both these scenes feed into two disturbing trends in left-wing culture -- hatred of white women and anti-police rhetoric. Anti-police activism led to one of the highest increases in homicide rates on record in modern American history. At the same time, Hollywood culture and news media have been regularly attacking white women as "complicit" in "white supremacy."

It began in earnest when white women were blamed for the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Last year, MSNBC brought on a guest who claimed, "white women have taken an active role in the maintenance of white supremacy ... white women weaponize their identities against, especially, black men." After the recent Virginia elections where Republicans swept into office, media voices again angrily attacked white women. 

This episode might seem relatively mild compared to some of the more extreme BLM shows of last year, but it still reflects troubling trends in left-wing culture. The left relentlessly portray cops and white people as inherently racist. The white woman in the episode is almost cartoonish.

In the end, Delilah goes to Lori's real estate office to try to talk about the incident. Lori tells Delilah, "You seem like a nice girl. Very articulate and civilized. Especially considering the kind of people you were raised by. But if your aunt wants to apologize, she can come do it herself." Lori's words are reminiscent of Biden's old comments about Obama being "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."

After Lori's rude and dismissive attitude, Delilah posts the video of her attacking Vi on the internet. Lori is horrified. Since her character is nasty and mean it feels like a satisfying comeuppance for this "Karen" to get canceled.

The question is why does Hollywood and the media want to encourage hatred and humiliation of middle-aged white women? Why are they so eager to portray white women as hopeless racists? This constant desire for division is deeply disturbing and it is sad to see another network show cater to it.

Related: CW's Woke '4400' Reboot: No Civil Rights 'Progress' Since 1950s, 'Feels Same'

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