What is the Caren Act? Unpacking why there needs to be a federal anti-Karen bill in the US
Police brutality and racial discrimination is a daily reality for any non-white citizensB trying to go about their daily lives in the US. Social media has catapulted the reality of being Black in America to take centre stage, exposing a plethora of all too entitled Americans racially profiling innocent passersby who theyâve deemed to be causing some kind of disturbance.. We know these perpetrators online as âKarensâ.
Initially a harmless internet meme that poked fun at self-obsessed suburban American mothers who sport that haircut, always ask to speak to the manager, and have a serious issue with e-scooters, the term has now come to encompass anyone who seeks to obstruct or question people going about their business, more often than not because of unjust racial profiling.
Thanks to global movements like Black Lives Matter, legislature combating the problem has begun to finally surface and take shape, with San Francisco being a forerunner for progress, with its bill from 2020, the Caren Act.
What is the Caren Act?
The Caution Against Racial and Exploitative Non-Emergencies Act, abbreviated to Caren, is a play on the internet-appointed term for the bigots so often caught on film, who exploit their privilege by calling the police on innocent people trying to do simple things like barbeque, birdwatch, sell lemonade, or drive their car.
The bill aims to make the placing of racially-motivated 911 calls without legitimate merit or good reason a hate crime. POCs targeted by the calls made with racist intent now have the ability to sue those involved, provided the call can be proven to have been made on baseless grounds.
The act came at a time of great social upheaval in the US and has helped to grant power to those affected by these relentless attacks. However, the years that have followed have proven that the issue of Karens isnât going away anytime soon, and the countless viral videos that have surfaced since the act was passed are making us wonder why this bill hasnât been extended to the federal level.
Karen tries to steal paid Citi Bike from a Black man, then resorts to fake tears when she doesnât get her way
If you need proof that the problem of Karens requires strong legislative backing, look no further than this video which was posted to Reddit on 15 May 2023. In the clip, we see a white woman painting herself out to be the victim, despite the fact that sheâs trying to use someone elseâs rented e-bike. Calls for help and tears become weaponised, and ultimately put the young Black men in a very dangerous situation.
Karen tried taking a CitiBike that was already paid for on his account. Then pulled out the white woman tears when her co-worker from the hospital showed up.
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Karen calls police on Mexican nannies
This TikTok, posted only three days ago, shows a lady calling the police on a group of nannies whoâre supervising children in a park. Her reasoning? Because âthey arenât from around here.â The incident took place in Maryland, but due to the lack of widespread implementation of the Caren Act, the woman in question will invariably be let off without even so much as a warning.
Karen calls police on woman in her car while pretending to have a gun in her pocket
This next video from February shows an altercation between a Black woman in her car and, you guessed it, none other than a Karen calling the police. Itâs unclear what the accuserâs problem actually is but from the video, she seems to be stuck on the phrase: âCloth on your steering wheel!â Naturally, the woman filming tries to ignore the Karen freaking out beside her car, but this proves difficult when she sticks her fingers into her pocket, miming a gun.
It doesnât take an expert to recognise how incredibly frustrating and infuriating this scenario is, particularly considering the amount of unarmed Black individuals whoâve been murdered by police because the authorities claimed they were holding a gun when they actually werenât.
Ken gets involved with teenagers trying to film in a mall
Sometimes itâs not Karenâitâs Ken. This video from May shows a grown man harassing a group of teenagers who are trying to film a music video inside of a mall. The caucasian Ken becomes immediately aggressive, using slurs and discriminatory language against the group. Itâs become evident that Karens clearly arenât alone in this hate-fuelled crusade.
How much more evidence do we as a society need to witness to accurately prove just how important pieces of legislation like the Caren Act are in helping attempt to protect marginalised communities in the US?
