A woman of Puerto Rican descent has shocked social media with her viral video of the racist rant she was subjected to at a restaurant in Phoenix. Lennys Bermudez Molina, a loan officer who hails from Scottsdale in Arizona, was intending on dining at a local restaurant called Wildflower. However, when she asked a stranger if it was okay if she could sit in the empty seat next to her the other customer let loose with a xenophobic tirade.
Upon being yelled at by a complete stranger, Molina whipped out her phone and began filming the uncomfortable encounter with the lady. She later uploaded it to Facebook, where it quickly garnered a great deal of attention on social media.
In an emotional Facebook post, she wrote: "So this happened today. I hate to say the political climate is to blame for someone’s outrageous behaviour, but I was visibly shaken today with this exchange. I simply asked the woman if I could sit down next to her while I waited for the car to charge. I noticed she was attentively reading her papers and wanted to be respectful and not interrupt. I asked, 'Would you mind if I sit next to you?' Seems pretty simple. That is when things got crazy!!"
She added: "Her reply, 'Do I have a choice?' ? I was so shocked, I asked her to repeat it so I could see her face. Something in me said I should record it, too. Thank God I did! What you see next left me speechless... 'You will be wiped out...trust me.' ❌ That was a threat! Fast forward ... she was asked to leave the restaurant. The manager of the store that kicked her out also walked me to my car for safety."
"I know that the scars of racism run deep in this great country I love. Being Puerto Rican, I am a proud American ??... and equally proud Puerto Rican ??. This lady was lucky my PR-ness didn’t come out!! I wish for a world for my children and my children’s children’s to never worry about this stuff...but then again, we are who we are. [sic]"
Other social media users were quick to support her. One Facebook-user commented: "I can't even. I am so glad that my parents raised me to not see a person's value based on the colour of their skin. People are people. I am disgusted by this woman. I am so sorry you were treated this way. That woman is a disgrace," while another added: "Hate doesn’t look good on her. People like this fester and have miserable lives. It’s hard to feel sorry for them though. They bring it on themselves."
Molina later posted an update to Facebook assuring everyone that she was grateful for their messages of commiseration, writing: "This week was a test like I have never faced. I am thankful for everyone's support." It's sad to see evidence of such bigotry alive and well in modern society, but by rallying together we can ensure that hate and intolerance never triumphs over the human spirit.
