Ok, I'm not really black, but still.

No, racism is the hatred of another race just because they're a different race. This is a man who is holding a sign about Flint, Mi and their water.

Why would you think this a mug shot? I looked at the pic first and saw an angry black male holding a sign. I read the sign and it was not the sort of thing a jail would have a suspect hold. In fact, the contrast of the sign against his clothing pulled my attention to the sign. Then I looked at the guy and saw he was angry and holding his temper.

I'm white. I won't say I've transcended racism, but I do try to look at the person's actions as opposed to their skin color.

Seriously, I don't care if you are on either side of politics, this is bull shit and needs to get fixed NOW. It does call into question the judgment of those who place sooooooo much faith in government to provide anything efficiently.

But it's not racism... it's government bureaucracy at it's worst.

In case any of you were wondering, I support this man's protest about the polluted water in Flint, MI; I'm outraged that government action, and then inaction, led to this pollution. I did also say, :"At first glance...", meaning in the first seconds of seeing this photo. In some ways, it does resemble a mug shot in that the man is holding a square of paper in front of him. It doesn't resemble a mug shot in that the wall behind him is blank and not lined with height measurements, and of course the content of his sign. In making this meme, I was commenting on how society can condition people to be racist, even against their own kind. If you are not so affected by racism and racist images on TV, congratulations. Perhaps you're a better person than I am.

Also, I was scrolling down, and I saw this picture from the top down. Also, this pic had been used as part of a collage about either Flint, MI water or about pollution in general. I'd thought, "What's a mug shot doing here...?", and then I realized what he was really doing. And then I realized what I had done in my mind.