VICE News clutches pearls over 'racist 'Wuhan plague' plaques' that aren't even a little bit racist (see for yourselves)

Sarah D | 12:51 PM on April 23, 2020

For a little while, calling COVID19 the “Wuhan virus” or “Chinese coronavirus” was the most racist thing one could do. But thanks to VICE News, we now know there’s something even worse:

Racist plaques depicting Winnie the Pooh holding a bat with chopsticks have begun to pop up around Atlanta, and police have no leads as to who is responsible. https://t.co/Mi39hEK3uC

— VICE News (@vicenews) April 23, 2020

Winnie the Pooh is highly problematic, you guys:

Racist plaques depicting Winnie the Pooh holding a bat with chopsticks have begun to pop up around Atlanta, and police have no leads as to who is responsible.

The round, bronze and teal plaques bearing the words “Wuhan Plague,” referencing the Chinese city where the coronavirus originated, first appeared April 13 on an electrical box in Inman Park, according to Atlanta police. Another appeared three days later at a coffee shop in the neighborhood of Reynoldstown. The most recent incident occurred on April 18 at Atlanta’s Candler Park Market.

Winnie the Pooh’s association with Chinese culture originated in 2013 when parody comparisons between the cuddly bear and Prime Minister Xi Jinping went viral on social media — and China then banned Pooh images.

…

Despite the plaque’s overt racism, Atlanta police department spokesperson Carlos Campos said that the crime will likely not be considered a racial bias crime as police would need further proof that the motive was based on race, sex, sexual orientation or religion.