Amy Cooper, Central Park frequenter and pooch.
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(Due to the unfortunate coincidence that the two have the same last name — and not because I'd like to be friends with either of these people — this column will use their respective first names).
Amy and Christian are, as becomes more obvious as we dig deeper, members of different species who have been wary of one another since time immemorial — dog owners and bird-watchers. To say that there is a history here in New York City between these two tribes is an understatement.
Lacking that context, this becomes just one case of privileged white "Karen" alerting the authorities to a black person going about their everyday lives. But the context matters. Yes, in the reality of contemporary American life, Amy committed a social felony: She called the cops and invoked Christian's race with the clear idea that they'll respond faster from a white-woman-threatened-by-black-man-in-Central-Park alert rather than just saying she was vaguely harassed or bothered. Whether Amy is personally "racist" or racist-adjacent (using the existence of racism to try bending the system to your will), she's certainly using white privilege to her advantage.
The fallout has been typical. Despite apologizing, she's since been fired. Her dog's been taken into protective custody. (I'm not joking). Those are pretty high prices to pay. But while Christian's video evidence (and his sister's Twitter account) damn Amy's actions, Christian's Facebook post is actually the best evidence that he is not guilt-free here:
"ME: Ma'am, dogs in the [Bramble] have to be on the leash at all times. The sign is right there.
"HER: The dog runs are closed. He needs his exercise."
At this point, Christian performs a self-own for the ages:
"ME: Look, if you're going to do what you want, I'm going to do what I want, but you're not going to like it. HER: What's that? ME [to the dog]: Come here, puppy!
"HER: He won't come to you."
"ME: We'll see about that... I pull out the dog treats I carry for just such intransigence. I didn't even get a chance to toss any treats to the pooch before Karen scrambled to grab the dog.
"HER: DON'T YOU TOUCH MY DOG!!!!!"
At which point, the resulting confrontation escalates.
Amy isn't really afraid of Christian, as she gets right in his face (as a New Yorker would), only to adopt a faux "distress" tone when she gets on the phone — and to grab Henry the dog in a not-exactly-delicate manner.
His admission, "If you're going to do what you want, I'm going to do what I want, but you're not going to like it," sounds kinda creepy -- enough to make the average woman, race aside, deeply uncomfortable.
Christian's plan was to lure the pet over with dog treats he carries around "just for such intransigence." Because, that's how NYC birders roll.
It also puts Amy's "He threatened me and my dog" comment in a more reasonable context.
But Christian did not one of us any favors. He and Amy may not be related, but they're sure as hell part of the same family of privileged New Yorker.
As one Twitter person put, ironically, Christian is the "Karen" in this encounter, deciding to enforce park rules unilaterally and to punish "intransigence" ruthlessly. And how — luring Amy's dog with dog treats he regularly wears in his handy utility belt? To enforce leash laws?
This city has gone through hell over the last 10 weeks. Thousands have lost loved ones — or not been able to see other family members; many have lost jobs; parents have unexpectedly become homeschoolers; nearly all have seen our lives disrupted in some major way.
It's a moment for some real leadership. Mayor de Blasio needs to speak to this moment in a broader civic manner.
New Yorkers have always had competing impulses: "know-it-all busybody" vs. "mind ya business." Last month, the mayor put his finger on the scales onto the "busybody" side. He's encouraged residents to narc on their neighbors over social distancing violations. Given the larger health crisis (and its disproportionate impact on New York), that's somewhat understandable. Unfortunately, it emboldens people to take the wise 9/11-era advisement of "If you see something, say something" and weaponize it into "if you see anything, report anything." (Of course, the mayor doesn't like it when the person being narced on is him.)
In this time, maybe we should all strive to give people some slack over daily comportment — whether social distancing, mask-wearing or more traditional aggravations like, well, leash violations.
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Previously:
• 03/05/20 Bernie's anti-establishment message crashes into the Dems' conservative base --- blacks
Robert A. George
New York Daily News
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Robert A. George is a member of the New York Daily News Editorial Board. He has been writing about New York and national issues for nearly two decades. Previously, he worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.