US mass shootings: A Betty White meme posted by Chris Rock has started a debate about racism

People are accusing the comedian Chris Rock of racism after he shared a meme to his Instagram account that suggests that most mass shootings are carried out by white men.

The meme was born on the Instagram page of Marc Lemont Hill, and it very soon caught on, taking the internet by storm. In the meme, a play on the name 'Betty White' and 'Bet He White' is made.

Comedian Chris Rock shared a version of the meme on his Instagram account, alongside the caption:

The first thing people say when a mass shooting is announced… Bet he white.

The post elicited some furious backlash from other social media users, who were angered by the implications of the post that all mass shooters are white, many of whom called Rock 'racist'.

In comments on the post, one wrote:

If a white person posted this about black people their career would be over but when it’s the other way around nobody gives two s***s.

Another added:

You can’t fight racism with racism, you’re just contributing to the problem. Sad a 17-year-old kid has to say this.

A third contributed:

This is racist.

A fourth claimed:

Don’t ya love how this is racist but nobody cares because he is black. We all need to unite instead being toxic on social media and solve the problem.

The meme also took off on Twitter.

According to Statista, between 1982 and August 4, 2019, 64 of the 114 mass shootings in the United States were initiated by white shooters.

19 were carried out by black shooters; 10 by Latino shooters; and 8 were by Asian shooters. The Las Vegas strip massacre in 2017 had the highest number of victims, with 58 people killed, and over 500 injured.

HT The Root

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