Twitter Reacts After the United Airlines Story Moves to the Victim-Blaming Stage

By Grainger Heavensbee | Social Media | April 11, 2017 |

By Grainger Heavensbee | Social Media | April 11, 2017 |

Yesterday, a man on a United flight was brutally “re-accommodated” by Chicago police to make room on the flight for United staff. The action was uncalled for, unfair, and heinous. United shouldn’t have pulled the guy off the plane, and the Chicago police shouldn’t have acted with such force. Disturbing video emerged later in the day which made the situation even worse: The man pulled off the plane can be seen here with a bloody mouth saying “Just kill me.”

#flythefriendlyskies @united no words. This poor man!! pic.twitter.com/rn0rbeckwT

— Kaylyn Davis (@kaylyn_davis) April 10, 2017

Faced with a nightmare PR scandal, what could United possibly do?

Blame the victim, of course.

So you don't have to give the assholes shamelessly riding this news wave with a pseudo-story anymore clicks. pic.twitter.com/JnjeIoVUvn

— Amelia E. (@BrowncoatAuror) April 11, 2017

imagine your local paper airing your most embarrassing secrets because a multibillion dollar corporation kicked the shit out of you pic.twitter.com/t6qaYurMIW

— josh terry (@JoshhTerry) April 11, 2017

The woman who wrote this article was apparently just hoping to get “his side of the story.”

If anyone knows who the man on this #United flight was, please let me know. Hoping to reach out to him to get his side of the story. https://t.co/pHevS3FHDQ

— Morgan Watkins (@morganwatkins26) April 10, 2017

Whether United had a hand in this or not, the message is still clear: It’s not the fault of the corporation, it’s the fault of the victim, at least when that victim is not a white dude.

Funny how…these kinds of pieces…always happen…when POC are assaulted…by people with power…wonder…why… https://t.co/29nL4u9S6e

— Clare Fantastic 🇵🇷 (@SayWhatSugar) April 11, 2017

Look, Dr Dao did some shit, no one is excusing it. But the # of white people breathlessly and excitedly bringing up his past is…telling.

— Clare Fantastic 🇵🇷 (@SayWhatSugar) April 11, 2017

They will always find reasons to prove that what happened was deserved. Unless you're white and you've raped a woman. pic.twitter.com/GCAybzUXO5

— Courtney Enlow (@courtenlow) April 11, 2017

This is bullshit. The victim’s past has absolutely no bearing on what United did.

Who gives the slightest shit? Why are unrelated past facts about this private citizen's life now newsworthy for digging up and publishing? https://t.co/0lEYvGfYaa

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 11, 2017

And no, it wouldn’t matter if the guy was a drunk Trump supporter, either. Abusing a passenger is inexcusable under any circumstance.

What if, instead of a doctor, this drunk guy was hauled off the plane in the exact same manner? Would you be angry? https://t.co/AvMelCTuH5

— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) April 11, 2017

But also, it WASN’T a drunk Trump supporter causing chaos. It was a random Asian man quietly taking up a seat HE PURCHASED because United prioritized its own interests over their customers.

But as long as we’re doing this, it’s not like United has a clean history here, folks.

Since we're digging up "troubled pasts" now, here's just a sliver of United's. pic.twitter.com/aV23qO9S8v

— Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) April 11, 2017