Why I’m Okay With Central Park Karen’s Slap on the Wrist
Yes, Amy Cooper is a genuinely awful person — but hear me out
Last week, Amy Cooper, the infamous “Central Park Karen,” had charges against her dropped after completing a “restorative justice” alternative.
Cooper, who called 911 and falsely accused Christian Cooper (no relation) of threatening her in Central Park last summer, became the peak embodiment of Karen behavior — in large part because her behavior happened just as America found itself embroiled in civil unrest over police brutality.
The charges were dropped after she completed five therapy sessions “designed for introspection and progress,” assistant district attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said at a brief virtual hearing. Five therapy sessions? A slap on the wrist.
But maybe that’s enough.
Before I go further, let me get something out of the way: Amy Cooper is a genuinely awful person. Her racist actions could have led to deadly consequences. She weaponized both her Whiteness and the police in order to get her way. Either one of those was a recipe for disaster; together, they all too easily could have resulted in a man’s death.
But if we’re being honest, this whole saga probably needed to end the way it did for a few reasons.
